National Paramedic Services Week kicked off this past Sunday as a way to bring awareness to the great work done by paramedics.

As part of the week long activities, Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) Foundation Manitoba hosted an open house to educate the public about general safety and the importance of recognizing the efforts of paramedics.

"I think the paramedics in some ways are unsung heroes. Paramedics are a group of individuals that I think do a great deal of health care, and they're doing more and more... and so I do think we need to talk about them year-round," said Andrea Robertson, the president and CEO of STARS Manitoba.

While there are many different types of paramedics, Robertson said the ones working in the air have a different job than those serving on the ground.

Similar to many of the STARS nurses, paramedics have years of in-depth knowledge about critical care, but STARS provides flight paramedics with 22 extra weeks of training focused on providing care inside a helicopter.

"[Paramedics] are so skilled at scene awareness, so when you get to a bad scene of an accident, there's no one that you'd want there more than a paramedic," Robertson said.

While the awareness week is designed to recognize paramedics specifically, Grant Terrien, the Base Director for STARS Winnipeg, said it is important to consider the efforts of all members of the health care system.

"We're celebrating this altogether, but certainly our hats go off to the many paramedics in the province that answer 911 calls and respond when people are in need," he said.