Author: Press

Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2019) – The National EMS Memorial Service, the National EMS Memorial Foundation and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride will pay tribute to our fallen EMS and air medical providers from throughout the United States during the 2019 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled May 17-19 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center located at 201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD 20745.

There are many activities and events during the three-day National EMS Weekend of Honor, including two events that the public and media are invited and encouraged to attend as a show of support for the selfless service and sacrifice of the 2019 honorees:

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019
Arrival & Tribute of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride (NEMSMBR)
• The NEMSMBR celebrates the lives of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice as well as those EMS legacy personnel who have died of natural or non-employment-related causes.
• Nearly 200 EMS Memorial Bike Riders and support personnel, led by a procession of EMS vehicles, will arrive at The Plaza at National Harbor at approximately 4:00 pm. This year the NEMSMBR East Coast and Southern Routes will meet in Annapolis and ride into National Harbor together, kicking off the Weekend of Honor.
• Riders are predominantly EMS professionals from across the U.S. and Canada. Each of the riders wears dog tags bearing an honoree’s name, agency and date of their loss.
• Upon arrival at the Plaza at National Harbor, the Presentation of Dog Tags to the families will occur. The rider will meet the family in front of the honoree’s biography to present one of their two dog tags worn during the ride – an emotionally powerful part of the Honor Weekend. The rider will keep the other dog tag as a lifetime reminder of the honoree’s sacrifice.
• The Presentation of the Dog Tags is immediately followed by a short ceremony.

According to Brian Shaw, President of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, “Participants of The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride are grateful to honor the lives of fellow EMS providers who have lost their lives doing the job the loved. While we cannot fully realize the true hurt felt by the families who have lost their loved ones, our goal is to ensure the contributions of these EMS heroes are recognized and not forgotten. Our participants will spend grueling hours on their bikes, pedaling hundreds of miles while carrying the names of the fallen inscribed on dog tags around their necks, all in hopes of meeting the families and exchanging stories of their individual journeys.”

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2019
National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS)
• The National EMS Memorial Service, a formal ceremony to honor fallen EMS professionals who have died in the line of duty, will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.
• The entire memorial service can be viewed via live streaming. The link will be posted to the NEMSMS website in the days ahead.
• Hundreds of EMS personnel from across the country will travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the NEMSMS, along with friends, co-workers of current and past honorees, dignitaries, EMS and business leaders, and government officials.
• All participants in the NEMSMS will be in dress uniform, flight suits, or similar appropriate attire.
• Honor Guards, along with bagpipe and drum corps will volunteer their time and services throughout the weekend.
• An American flag, flown over the nation’s capitol, will be presented to each of the thirty-six honoree’s family along with the NEMSMS medallion.
• During the service, a National Moment of Silence will be called at 6:00 PM (Eastern), so that EMS agencies across the U.S. can pause simultaneously in 30 seconds of radio silence to pay respect and remember the fallen—together.
• The year’s honorees are highlighted in a special Tribute Video, followed by an uplifting Candlelight Ceremony that concludes the service.
• The National EMS Memorial “Tree of Life” will be on display. Bronze oak leaves are engraved with the names of fallen honorees for each year since 1993.

“This year, the National EMS Weekend of Honor coincides with the beginning of National EMS Week, which is May 19-25,” said Jana Williams, president of the National EMS Memorial Service. “As National EMS Week celebrates the men and women who provide emergency medical services on the front lines of healthcare throughout our country, it is our honor and duty to also remember those who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice while doing so.”

For more information,  visit www.national-ems-memorial.org, www.facebook.com/NEMSMS or Twitter@ NEMSMS, or contact Tammy Chatman, Public Affairs Officer, by calling 414-791-6655 or emailing tammy.chatman@national-ems-memorial.org.

Washington, DC — The National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS), the National EMS Memorial Foundation and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride will pay tribute to our fallen EMS and air medical providers from throughout the United States during the 2019 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled May 17-19 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor. 201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD, 20745.

There are many activities and events during the three-day Weekend of Honor, including two events the public and media are invited and encouraged to attend as a show of support for the selfless service and sacrifice of the 2019 honorees.

Jonathan Godfrey, NEMSMS board member, and volunteer coordinator is putting out a call for volunteers.

Click here to register as an attendee or a volunteer:

Event Registration

Volunteers are needed from Thursday through Sunday afternoon. Opportunities to help will range from escorting families and setting up chairs to passing out programs.

“The peak time will be from about noon on Friday through Saturday night. I do not have exact details on what ‘work’ there is to be done hour by hour, but we will have plenty of use for anyone wanting to help,” Godfrey said. “Feel free to bring a friend at the last minute!”

Here are the details

Peak times
May 17-19
• Friday, Noon – 6 p.m.
• Saturday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Sunday, 8 a.m. – Noon

Attire: Comfortable clothes that you can help physically move and assemble items. You will be given a shirt that indicates you are a volunteer to wear over your choice of clothing. The only global exception will be for the actual Memorial Service. Business casual or your work uniform is appropriate.

Address: Gaylord National Hotel, Resort, and Convention Center at National Harbor
201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD, 20745.

Parking

Self-Parking at Gaylord:
• 0-1 Hour: $12
• 1-2 Hours: $18
• 2-3 Hours: $22
• 3- 24 Hours: $30
Valet Parking at Gaylord:
• 0-2 Hours: $24
• 2-24 Hours: $49

A few blocks away there is a cheaper option: St. George Garage, 151 Mariner Passage, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

For more parking options:

Parkopedia

Flight: Regan National (DCA) is still the closest and most convenient local airport.

Hotel rooms: For the most up to date hotel room information, please click here:

Hotel Booking

For more information about volunteering, email Jonathan Godfrey at jonathan.godfrey@national-ems-memorial.org.

Washington, D.C. (April 6, 2019) – The National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS), the National EMS Memorial Foundation and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride (NEMSMBR) will pay tribute to twenty-six EMS fallen from across the United States during the 2019 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled May 17-19 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center located at 201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD 20745. The list of honorees from thirteen states can be found on the NEMSMS website via the following link:
2019 NEMSMS Honorees

There will be several activities during the three days including two events that the public and media are invited and encouraged to attend as a show of support for the selfless service and sacrifice of the twenty-six 2019 honorees. On Friday afternoon, May 17, 2019 the arrival and tribute ceremony of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride will occur. The riders will be arriving at the National Harbor Plaza. Then on Saturday evening, May 18, 2019 the National EMS Memorial Service, a formal ceremony to honor fallen EMS and air medical professionals will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.

The NEMSMS’ annual Line-of-Duty Death Seminar will be held on Friday, May 17, 2019, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and is open to all who serve in EMS, Air Medical, Fire Service, or Law Enforcement and is offered at no cost to participants. Chaplains and other support personnel are also invited to participate. Registration is required and can be completed by clicking the following button:
LODD Seminar Registration

The National EMS Weekend of Honor coincides with the beginning of National EMS Week, which will be May 19-25. Jana Williams, president of the National EMS Memorial Service shared her thoughts on the Service, “We are honored to commemorate the 26 first responders who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice in the service to others. As we prepare for this year’s Weekend of Honor, we will not only pay the respects of this great nation for their brave and selfless service but also show our support to their loved ones who have been left behind.”

On November 3, 2018, the President of the United States signed Public Law 115-275 to enable the National EMS Memorial Foundation to build a permanent EMS memorial in the Nation’s Capital. Ms. Williams commended the bi-partisan support and credits their colleagues at the Foundation saying, “This was accomplished after years of hard work and commitment by the Foundation that resulted in the passage of H. R. 1037 and S. 1692 by unanimous consent.

We applaud our partners at the National EMS Memorial Foundation on this extraordinary accomplishment and continue to support them as they work tirelessly to bring this project closer to reality.”

The Weekend of Honor is organized and hosted by the following volunteer-staffed organizations: National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, National EMS Memorial, and the National EMS Memorial Foundation. See http://www.national-ems-memorial.org/ for more information on the specific event times and locations as they become available.

The National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS), the National EMS Memorial Foundation (NEMSMF), and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride (NEMSMBR) remember and honor emergency medical services personnel who have died in the line of duty and recognizes the ultimate sacrifice our Nation’s fallen EMS have made for their fellow man in the Greater Washington DC area in May annually.

The NEMSMS, the NEMSMF, and the NEMSMBR will pay tribute to EMS fallen during 2019 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled May 17-19 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center located at 201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD 20745.

It is with great honor that the National EMS Memorial Service announces the 2019 Honorees:

Carroll Whalin, Miller Funeral Home Ambulance, January 13, 1961, Ambulance Crash, Texas

Cecil Brownlee, Miller Funeral Home Ambulance, January 13, 1961, Ambulance Crash, Texas

Larry Oberle, Sr., Alpha Fire Co Community Ambulance, August 1, 1971, Pennsylvania

Walter Nelson, FDNY, May 2, 2014, New York

Tim McClanahan, Lewes Fire Department, July 11, 2016, Delaware

Michael Guttenberg, FDNY, October 17, 2017, New York

Mousa Chaban, Tri-County Ambulance Service, January 22, 2018, Indiana

Joeddy Friszell, FDNY, March 5, 2018, New York

Steven Werner, Paramount Ambulance, April 27, 2018, Iowa

Gregory L. Rosenthal, Ascension Wisconsin Spirit Medical Transport, April 27, 2018, Wisconsin

Rico Caruso, Ascension Wisconsin Spirit Medical Transport, April 27, 2018, Wisconsin

Garry John, American Medical Response, February 13, 2018, Nevada

Klint Mitchell, Ascension Wisconsin Spirit Medical Transport, April 27, 2018, Wisconsin

Matthew Adams, UnityPoint Health-Meriter, May 20, 2018, Wisconsin

Patrica Osburn, North Beach Fire and Rescue, May 26, 2018, Maryland

Felipe Torre, FDNY, October 10, 2018, New York

Robert Reeder, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, October 20, 2018, Pennsylvania

Jennifer Cross, Portsmouth Emergency Ambulance Service, October 26, 2018, Ohio

Chris Iverson, Bismarck Air Medical, November 18, 2018, North Dakota

Todd Lasky, Bismarck Air Medical, November 18, 2018, North Dakota

Bonnie Cook, Bismarck Air Medical, November 18, 2018, North Dakota

Martha Stewart, FDNY, November 18, 2018, New York

Joseph Rodriguez, FDNY, November 23, 2018, New York

Nicole VanHeel, Gold Cross Ambulance, November 25, 2018, Minnesota

Zachary Pruitt, Medical Center EMS, November 30, 2018, Tennessee

Felipe Huerta, Jr., Hidalgo County EMS, December 16, 2018, Texas