Author: Ryan Butscher

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Tammy Chatman, Public Information Officer
414-791-6655
tammy.chatman@nationalemsmemorialservice.org

36 EMS and Air Medical Fallen to be Honored During the National EMS Weekend of Honor

Washington, D.C. (May 2, 2024) – The National EMS Memorial Service and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride will pay tribute to 36 EMS and air medical fallen from 18 states across the U.S. during the 2024 National EMS Weekend of Honor. It is scheduled July 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2799 Richmond Highway in Arlington, Va.

There will be a variety of activities during the three days, two of which are open to the public and media. All are invited and encouraged to attend as a show of support for the selfless service and sacrifice of the honorees and the loved ones they left behind. The Moving Honors procession will make stops, first in Alaska and then Hawaii, prior to beginning its 14-day journey from Washington state to Arlington, VA on Friday afternoon, July 19 and will be escorted by the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride’s Ride of Honor to the Hyatt Regency. Once there, an unveiling ceremony of the Tree of Life with the names of the 36 honorees and presentation of dog tags to the families will occur.

The following evening, July 20, 2024, the National EMS Memorial Service, a formal ceremony to honor fallen EMS and air medical professionals, will be held. Both events will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

Therapy and comfort dogs as well as grief support teams from a variety of volunteer groups will be onsite throughout the weekend to offer support to the families and EMS volunteers. The Service will be livestreamed.

Detailed information, including a link to the live stream of the Service, will be posted to the National EMS Memorial Service website and Facebook page once finalized.

The National EMS Weekend of Honor usually coincides with the beginning of National EMS Week in May but was moved to July in 2021 and based upon overwhelming positive feedback from attendees plus the reduction in cost for everyone, the decision was made to continue to host the events in July. “We remain focused on our commitment to recognizing the EMS and air medical providers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and supporting the loved ones they left behind,” said Scott Davis, president of the National EMS Memorial Service. “Our mission is to ensure their sacrifice is always remembered and never forgotten.”

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

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Media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Tammy Chatman, Public Information Officer
414-791-6655
tammy.chatman@nationalemsmemorialservice.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National EMS Weekend of Honor Pays Tribute to Fallen EMS Heroes
Special events open to the public and media include:
National EMS Memorial Service & National EMS Memorial Bike Ride

Washington, D.C. (July 17) – The National EMS Memorial Service 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 2023 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled July 21-23 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington, Va. This year there are 59 honorees being recognized from 22 states. The 2023 list of honorees can be found at NEMSMS Honorees.

In addition to this special weekend, the National EMS Memorial Service is conducting its Moving Honors tribute. This endeavor involves a specially marked ambulance carrying this year’s installment of the temporary National EMS Memorial, known as the Tree of Life, that will be unveiled at the Weekend of Honor. This year’s procession began in Riverside, CA on June 22. It is making various stops over 28 days through at least 25 states as it progresses to Arlington, VA. The Moving Honors will be met by the National EMS Memorial Bike’s special Ride of Honor riders just outside of Arlington, VA. Together they will promenade into the Hyatt to launch the EMS Weekend of Honor and unveil the EMS Tree of Life memorial to the honoree families on Friday July 21.

There are many activities and events during the three-days including two events that the public and media are invited and encouraged to attend. Joining the Weekend of Honor will be various therapy and comfort dogs onsite to support families and attendees as well as specially trained grief support groups.

FRIDAY, July 21, 2022

National EMS Memorial Honor Guard Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider

• The National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS) Honor Guard will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery at 11:00 am (EDT). Four NEMSMS Honor Guard members, all of whom are female, have been handpicked for this ceremony.

Arrival & Ceremony of the National EMS Memorial Ride of Honor

• The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride 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. This year the organization is once again hosting a special one-day ride to recognize the 59 line-of-duty-death honorees for the Service.

• A procession of more bike riders, support personnel, and EMS vehicles, leading the special Moving Honors ambulance carrying the EMS Tree of Life, will arrive at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at approximately 4:00 p.m. (EDT), kicking off the 2023 Weekend of Honor.

• Riders are predominantly EMS professionals from across the U.S. Each of the riders wear dog tags bearing an honoree’s name, agency and date of their loss.
Upon arrival at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, a ceremony will unveil the 2023 EMS Tree of Life, followed by reading of the honoree names and presentation of dog tags to the families. Each 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 Weekend of Honor. The rider will keep the other dog tag as a lifetime reminder of the honoree’s sacrifice.

SATURDAY, July 22, 2022
National EMS Memorial Service

• 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 service will be livestreaming via our website and Facebook.
• Hundreds of EMS personnel from across the country will travel to the Washington, D.C. area to participate in the service, along with families, friends, co-workers of current and past honorees, dignitaries, EMS and business leaders, and government officials.
• All participants in the service 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 honoree’s family along with the National EMS Memorial Service medallion.
• During the service, a National Moment of Silence will be called at 6:00 p.m. (EDT), so that EMS agencies across the U.S. can pause simultaneously for several seconds of radio silence to pay respect and remember the fallen—together.
• The year’s honorees are highlighted in pictures during the ceremony and a special video collage of the Moving Honors is played, followed by an uplifting Candlelight Ceremony that concludes the service.
• The National EMS Memorial “Tree of Life” will be on display. Individual bronze oak leaves are engraved with the name of the fallen honorees. The Tree of Life is a temporary memorial until a permanent memorial is established.
Jana Williams, president of the National EMS Memorial Service shared her thoughts on the upcoming events, “”We gather at the National EMS Memorial Service and Weekend of Honor each year to recognize the dedicated men and women who have given their lives in service to others. Their unwavering commitment to serving others embodies the true spirit of EMS. This weekend serves as a solemn reminder of the challenges faced by EMS and air medical professionals daily, and it is our duty to ensure their memory lives on. Together, we stand united in gratitude and remembrance, offering solace and support to their loved ones. We pledge to always remember the sacrifices made by these selfless individuals.”

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About National EMS Memorial Bike Ride

The mission is to honor EMS personnel by organizing and implementing long distance cycling events that memorialize and celebrate the lives of those who serve every day, those who have become sick or injured while performing their duties, and those who have died in the line of duty. Vist us at www.NEMSMBR.org.

About National EMS Memorial Service

The organization’s mission is to honor those in EMS from air and ground who have made the ultimate sacrifice having died in the line of duty and it is the organization congressionally sanctioned to conduct the annual service. Visit us at www.national-ems-memorial.org.

Editor’s Note: High-res images can be downloaded from Dropbox at:
Image #1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9e99uwwsuas09nj/Tomb%20of%20the%20Unknown-40.jpg?dl=0
Image #2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/icnbt6ndzdm15ru/NEMSMBR%20Arrival-8%20%281%29.jpg?dl=0
Image #3: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vkv6hejqvdk8ega/NEMSMS%20_72.JPG?dl=0
Press Release:
2023 Weekend of Honor Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Tammy Chatman, Public Information Officer
414-791-6655
tammy.chatman@nationalemsmemorialservice.org

 

National EMS Memorial Service Seeking Honor Guard Participation

     Join the National EMS Memorial Service Honor Guard to Help Us Honor Our Fallen Heroes for Their Sacrifice & Service!

Washington, D.C. (June 27, 2023) – The National EMS Memorial Service and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride will pay tribute to 59 EMS and air medical fallen from 22 states across the U.S. during the 2023 National EMS Weekend of Honor. It is scheduled July 21-23 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2799 Richmond Highway in Arlington, Va.

The purpose of the National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS) is to remember and honor those EMS and air medical personnel who have died in the line of duty in the service to others and to recognize the ultimate sacrifice they have made.

We have a highly dedicated group of fire and EMS honor guard members from throughout the country who travel to Arlington, VA each year to honor our fallen colleagues but are continuously looking for additional honor guard members to join our ranks. The role of the National EMS Memorial Service Honor Guard is to provide the honor and respect that our fallen deserve for the sacrifices they made and support the loved ones they left behind during the Weekend of Honor and National EMS Memorial Service.

Would you be willing to invest your time to support those who sacrificed so much? If so, please join the NEMSMS organization, Honor Guard Commander Ron Quesenberry and the many individuals who show up each year to fulfill the organization’s mission to honor our own and show support to their loved ones. This is an incredible opportunity to give back to the profession you have chosen to be a part of. We guarantee that you will walk away at the end of the weekend knowing you have made a difference for the families by showing them that their loved ones are not forgotten. And you will find that you are forever changed by the experience.

This year we are asking all current NEMSMS Honor Guard members and those who are interested in joining, to register. Please use this link to complete the registration form and join an amazing and dedicated group of professionals working towards the same goal.

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

About National EMS Memorial Bike Ride

The mission is to honor EMS personnel by organizing and implementing long distance cycling events that memorialize and celebrate the lives of those who serve every day, those who have become sick or injured while performing their duties, and those who have died in the line of duty. Vist us at www.NEMSMBR.org.

About National EMS Memorial Service

The organization’s mission is to honor those in EMS from air and ground who have made the ultimate sacrifice having died in the line of duty and it is the organization congressionally sanctioned to conduct the annual service. Visit us at www.national-ems-memorial.org.

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Editor’s Note: High resolution images can be downloaded from Dropbox via the links below.

Image #1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yvr6gygjznyblci/NEMSMS%20Group%20Shot_3.JPG?dl=0

Image #2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vkv6hejqvdk8ega/NEMSMS%20_72.JPG?dl=0

Press Release:
NEMSMS Honor Guard Release