As families are preparing for Memorial Day feasts this weekend, select workers at Allegheny Health Network got an early jump on the cookout scene with an annual picnic.

AHN was breaking bread with its EMS workers Wednesday in recognition of National EMS Week. This is an annual celebration of those workers.

EMS personnel at AHN gathered throughout the day for hamburgers, hot dogs, and all of those traditional American picnic side dishes, along with a healthy dose of camaraderie.

An AHN spokesperson said the picnic is an important event to recognize the tireless efforts of EMS workers throughout the hospital network.

“This is something that we at Allegheny Health Network do at all of the facilities and all of the communities every single year. National EMS Week has been going on for over a decade, so we want to make sure that at least, if anything, we’re out there making hand-to-hand contact and making sure that each and every one of these individuals receive the thanks that they should be receiving every moment of every day,” said Tiffany Rohde-Wyant, director of prehospital care services at AHN.