2017 Honoree Samantha Agins | New Jersey Camp – Jaycees

EMT Samantha “Sam” Agins, 22, of New Jersey Camp Jaycee died August 11, 2015.

Agins was a nationally registered EMT working at New Jersey Camp Jaycee, a camp for people with special needs. She was enrolled to start at East Stroudsburg University in the pre-med program.

On August 8, 2015, the last day of camp, a camper collapsed from cardiac arrest. Agins ran to render aid with the assistance of an AED. The AED indicated no shock advised. She continued CPR until EMS arrived approximately 43 minutes later.

Despite the efforts of both Agins and other EMS to resuscitate the patient, the patient did not survive. She developed a headache after administering CPR.

Camp officials called her parents, and her mother picked her up from the camp and took her home to rest, thinking she was suffering from exhaustion. After a few hours of lying down to rest, Agins could not walk, talk, or see correctly. Her family called EMS, but when they arrived, she was no longer responsive.

She was taken to Pocono Medical Center where she was found to have a ruptured artery which resulted in several massive strokes. She was sent to Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia where she died August 11, 2015.

Agin’s actions were described as “heroic and valiant.” Her dad said she was always a giver and she was known for constantly wearing a beautiful smile. He said she was also an organ donor and her tissue was donated to save even more lives. She is a hero because she tried. Her dad said her legacy is: “If you can help someone, you always have to try.”

2017 Honoree Jason Adams | Sherwood Fire Department

Lieutenant R. Jason Adams, 29, died in the line of duty January 22, 2016, in Sherwood, Arkansas, while responding to a medical call as a volunteer with the East Pulaski County Fire Department in Arkansas. Adams’ interest in the fire service was sparked when he was assisted by a volunteer firefighter who responded to a call to his home when Adams was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for his second battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Adams was hired by the Sherwood Fire Department immediately following his graduation from the Arkansas Fire Training Academy, Firefighter Standards in April 2012. He served as a volunteer firefighter with the East Pulaski County Fire Department for 10 years and was a career firefighter with the Sherwood Fire Department for four years.

2017 National EMS Memorial Service List of Honorees

Jason Adams, Sherwood Fire Department, Arkansas, 1/22/2016

Samantha Agins, New Jersey Camp – Jaycees, Pennsylvania, 8/11/2015

Clarence W. Barrow, The Roosevelt Hospital, New York, 11/25/1905

Hannah Callahan, Kings County Hospital, New York, 12/3/1954

Stacey Cernadas, Haynes Life Flight, Alabama, 3/26/2016

Sandra Cline, Mercy Health Life Star Ambulance, Ohio, 9/23/2016

E. Scott Danielson, Lakeland Emergency Squad, New Jersey, 1/16/2016

Raymond Davis, Lubbuck County Hospital District Ambulance, Texas, 9/18/2003

Larry Fuller, Hunter Ambulance Inc, New York, 4/20/2016

Chad Hammond, Haynes Life Flight, Alabama, 3/26/2016

Yuji Irie, American Medflight, Nevada, 11/18/2016

Deborah Kroon, Cal-ore Life Flight, Oregon, 7/29/2016

Morris Linker, Reception Hospital, New York, 8/23/1943

John Lynch, Worcester Ems/Umass Memorial Medical Center, Massachusetts, 12/5/2016

Charles Mcmahan, Tri State Ambulance, West Virginia, 12/17/2016

Harry T. Mesh, Harbor Hospital, New York, 3/13/1938

Larry Mills, Cal-ore Life Flight, Oregon, 7/26/2016

Robert Morton, Jr., St Vincent’s Hospital of Staten Island, New York, 4/11/1938

Jonathan Noce, Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District, Missouri, 5/25/2016

Nathan Rabison, Unity Hospital, New York, 7/29/1946

Lowell Satterwhite, Sr. Dakota City Fire & Rescue, Nebraska, 9/11/2016

Jacob Shepherd, American Medflight, Nevada, 11/18/2016

Brian Shepler, West Jefferson Medical Center, Louisiana, 2/10/2016

Jason Snipes, Haynes Life Flight, Alabama, 3/26/2016

Eric Speck, Dakota City Fire & Rescue, Nebraska, 6/27/2016

Michelle Tarwater, Cal-ore Life Flight, Oregon, 7/29/2016

John Ulmschneider, Prince George County Fire/Ems Department, Maryland, 4/15/2016

Tiffany Urresti, American Medflight, Nevada, 11/18/2016

National EMS Memorial Service 2016

Photos by Mark Mennie

The National EMS Weekend of Honor Pays Tribute to Fallen EMS Heroes

Washington, D.C. – 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 2017 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled May 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington, Va.

There are many activities and events during the three-day 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 2017 honorees:

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2017

The 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 EMS legacy personnel who have died of natural or nonemployment-related causes.

About 100 EMS Memorial Bike Riders, led by a procession of EMS vehicles, will arrive at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, concluding a trip that began on May 13 in Boston and kicking off the 2017 Weekend of Honor.

Riders are predominantly EMS professionals from across the U.S., and each rider wears dog tags bearing an honoree’s name, agency and date of their loss.

Upon arrival at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 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.

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017

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 Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

The entire memorial service can be viewed via live-streaming.  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 twenty-nine honoree’s family along with the NEMSMS medallion.  During the service, a National Moment of Silence will be called at 6 p.m. (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. In August 2015, the three EMS organizations named above agreed to collaborate on a shared vision and strategic plan to honor EMS heroes who have died in the line of duty.

They are continuing to move forward with efforts to establish a permanent National EMS Memorial in the greater Washington, D.C. area, an effort being led by the National EMS Memorial Foundation.

More updates on these efforts will be forthcoming. “This year, the National EMS Weekend of Honor coincides with the beginning of National EMS Week, which is May 21-27,” said Jana Williams, president of the National EMS Memorial Service. “Our nation’s capital area in Northern Virginia 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.”

Register for this year’s memorial service by clicking the button below:

Event Registration

 

National EMS Memorial Service

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Why Red Poppies on Memorial Day?

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael. When she returned to France she made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help.

Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

 

2015 Weekend of Tribute

Weekend of Tribute 
June 25 – 28, 2015

The events are hosted in two cities; Littleton and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The following is schedule of events for the Weekend of Tribute. If you plan on attending the full weekend of events, we recommend you fly into Denver on Thursday morning, June 25 and rent a car for the drive to Colorado Springs (approx. 1 hr. drive) on Friday June 26 following the Air Medical Memorial Services. All of the Memorial events are non-denominational.

If you have any questions about the Weekend, please do not hesitate to contact:

Steven Sweeney, Founder, Air Medical Memorial at ssweeney@amcs3.org
Christina Gasparich, Director, Behind the Wings Family Support Network cgasparich@amcs3.org
Rande McCrary, Board Member, National EMS Memorial Service at randemccrary@sbcglobal.net
Robert Collett, Colorado Route Coordinator, National EMS Memorial Bike Ride at robert.collett@uchealth.org