Paramedic Brian Shepler, 44, died February 10, 2016, after a mechanic’s rack failed, causing an ambulance to fall on him. He was a paramedic with the West Jefferson Medical Services in Louisiana.
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Jacob Shepherd of American Medflight in Elko, Nevada, died November 18, 2016, while working as a flight paramedic transporting a critically ill patient on an American Medflight aircraft when it crashed, killing four people.
Shepherd had worked for several fire departments in Nevada and the Toole County Sheriff’s Office before becoming a flight paramedic and educator for American Medflight.
He was described as embodying purity, clear understanding, true happiness, and unconditional love. He is survived by his wife, Sadie Brooke Shepherd, two sons, and a daughter.
Lowell Satterwhite, Sr. had responded to a “full code” medical emergency on June 10, 2016, with the Dakota City Fire and Rescue in Dakota City, Nebraska.
Shortly after midnight a 911 call was made from his residence for possible heart attack. He was taken to the hospital where doctors attempted to continue to revive him but all efforts were unsuccessful.
People in the community had a lot of respect for him. He did everything he needed to do to keep the community safe throughout the years — fight fires, save lives, and literally change lives with what he did.
In both work and family, he was dedicated, loved to have fun, pulling little pranks, laughing, and enjoying the outdoors, hunting and fishing. Co-workers say Lowell was a leader at the fire hall, someone everyone could look up to in his 41 years with the department.
Nathan Rabison, 28, died in the line of duty July 29, 1946, when the ambulance he was traveling in collided with a trolley.
Rabison was an ambulance surgeon for Unity Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.
“Patrolman Dominic Gerardi, 38, attached to the emergency squad of Miller Avenue precinct, who was administering the oxygen [and] the patient…were shaken up but went home after treatment,” the New York Times article reads in part. The hospital was unable to give the paper further information on Rabison at the time the paper went to press.
Jonathan Noce was working for the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District in Southern Jefferson County, MO. He had run three critical calls during his shift throughout the day and evening.
Noce went to his sleep quarters around 10 p.m. He did not wake for shift change the morning of May 25, 2016, and was found by his partner and co-workers in the sleep quarters deceased.
Noce had been with the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance for six years and was very well liked by everyone. His chosen profession allowed him to make a difference in many people’s lives.
Robert Morton, Jr., 27, died in the line of duty April 11, 1938, when he was thrown from the rear of an ambulance while responding to an emergency on Staten Island.
Morton’s skull was fractured, and he succumbed to his injuries later the same day. “Dr. Morton, who was specializing in surgery at St. Vincent’s, had been assigned to ambulance duty. About 2 p.m. a call was made for an ambulance to go to an address on N. Burgher Ave.
Dr. Morton responded in an ambulance driven by John Tighe,” the New York Times article reads in part. “The entrance that on the small seat at the rear of the vehicle, which is closed by the swinging doors. Detectives expressed the belief that one of the doors swung open, and that Dr. Morton, in an attempt to close it, lost his balance and was thrown for the speeding machine.
Tighe was unaware of the accident until a passersby called to him.” Morton was a graduate of Fordham University and of the New York University Medical College. He began his internship at St. Vincent’s July of 1937.
Kristopher “Kris” Ray Harrison, 44, of Garner, North Carolina, died in the line-of-duty alongside two of his team members and the patient they were caring for when the air medical helicopter he was aboard crashed in Perquimans County while en route to Elizabeth City.
Kris received his RN from Wake Tech in 1997, which is also where he met his wife, Kasey Hobson Harrison. He was known to be an avid sportsman and outdoorsman that enjoyed Spartan races, mud runs, camping, hunting, NC State and activities with his daughters. Members of his community remember him as a devoted husband, loving father and fun guy with a great sense of humor that would try anything.
After losing his mother as a teen, he worked hard and dedicated his life to serving others with a passion for those in need of critical care.
Washington, DC — The National EMS Memorial Service today announced the details for the upcoming official memorial service to honor the lives of 36 Emergency Medical Services personnel who died in the line of duty in 2017. Each year, the National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS), the National EMS Memorial Foundation and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride pay tribute to our fallen EMS and air medical practitioners from throughout the United States as part of EMS Week. This year, the memorial service will honor 36 EMS practitioners who died in the line of duty in 2017, as well as some who suffered line of duty deaths in prior years and who had not been recognized for their selfless acts.
Donations Are Needed
Funds are also needed to help cover the high cost of the event. The Memorial Service receives no financial support from any government agency and relies solely on the generosity of private and corporate donations. Much of the cost of running the service go toward the direct expense for the service, memorial flags and pendants, hotel fees and audiovisual equipment, meals, and hotel accommodations.
The Memorial Service covers the lodging costs for family members who need it, to help ensure that all family members will be able to attend and participate in the service and activities. “It costs approximately $130,000 a year to conduct this program and donations are sorely needed as we have not yet reached our fundraising goal to cover these expenses,” said Jana Williams, president of the National EMS Memorial Service. “Having all the families at this weekend to honor their loved ones is so important to help bring some closure to the terrible grief they have suffered – getting them here is the least we can do, as it is so important for them during this difficult time,” she added.
A “gofundme.com” account has been set up – search “2018 NEMSMS” to donate. For corporate donations, contact Tom Liebman by emailing thomas.liebman@national-ems-memorial.org or calling 412-715-5444. The National EMS Memorial Service is a non-profit tax exempt, 5401(c)(3) organization, so donations are tax-deductible to the donor.
National EMS Memorial 2016
Service Details
The official EMS Memorial Service for 2018 will be held on Saturday, May 19 at 6 p.m. in the Cherry Blossom Ballroom at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor, 201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD, 20745. The service is open to the public and the news media are welcome.
“This formal memorial ceremony honoring our fallen EMS practitioners will be a moving tribute, complete with honor guards, testimonials, and music – it will be a celebration of the lives of those emergency service practitioners who gave the ultimate sacrifice while helping others in time of need,” said Williams. “Our nation’s capital is a fitting location for these annual memorial events that commemorate our country’s brave men and women in the field of emergency medical services,” she said.
There will be many activities during the planned three-day “Weekend of Honor” including several programs and events specifically for the families of the fallen, many of whom will be in attendance for the entire weekend. One highlight of the weekend takes place on Friday afternoon, May 18, 2018, with the arrival and tribute ceremony by the nearly 130 riders of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride who began their week-long ride to honor fallen EMS practitioners in Boston. The ride culminates at the Gaylord with the EMS Memorial Service.
The Weekend of Honor is organized and hosted by the following volunteer-staffed organizations: National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, National EMS Memorial Service, and the National EMS Memorial Foundation. Visit www.national-ems-memorial.org for more information on the specific event times and locations.
David J. Blausen, 32, of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, died in the line-of-duty August 5, 1971, from burn injuries sustained from an oxygen explosion on July 5, 1971, while he was driving an ambulance with the Wilkins-Churchill Ambulance Service. The ambulance that David was driving was having issues with its oxygen system. He stopped at the Churchill Borough Building to collect a portable oxygen tank to continue emergency medical efforts during transport to West Penn Hospital. David attempted to get the oxygen system to work in the driver’s compartment. There was an explosion and subsequent fire causing the ambulance to crash. David became trapped by his melted seatbelt buckle. The fire burned through the seat belt and he was able to escape. He was transported to West Pennsylvania’s Burn Unit. It was there he succumbed to his injuries a month later.
