TBC BLOG

Community Urged to Give Blood During National EMS Week Ahead of Summer Emergencies

PIEDMONT, S.C. (May 14, 2026) — As Memorial Day weekend approaches and summer trauma risks rise, The Blood Connection (TBC) is partnering with EMS clinicians across South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia to ask communities to give blood before emergencies happen.

National EMS Week, May 17–23, anchors TBC's regional Trauma Awareness Month campaign, "Before the Call.” The campaign recognizes the first responders who answer emergency calls every day while reminding donors that lifesaving blood must already be available before a trauma patient needs a transfusion.

"Hemorrhage is one of the leading preventable causes of death after trauma," said Dr. Robert Rainer, Medical Director for The Blood Connection. "For some patients, transfusion may begin before they ever reach the hospital. That kind of trauma response depends on blood being available before the emergency happens, and every unit of blood transfused started with a donor."

Memorial Day weekend, less than two weeks away, marks the beginning of the seasonal surge in trauma volume that EMS crews and hospitals navigate each summer. Trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 1 and 44, and severe blood loss remains on the most urgent threats after injury.

Community members are encouraged to honor their local EMS teams by donating blood at one of the National EMS Week blood drives listed below.