2024 Weekend of Honor Event Website
The National EMS Memorial Service has a dedicated website for the Weekend of Honor taking place July 19th through 21st in Arlington, Virginia. On the site, you can see a listing of all honorees and their biographies, a schedule of events, hotel floor plans, access to the livestream of the memorial service and much more. This site is also mobile friendly. For mobile users, please note the navigation menu in the top left corner.
Access the site today at https://nemsmswoh2024.eventscribe.net/
36 EMS and Air Medical Fallen to be Honored During the National EMS Weekend of Honor
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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NEMSMS Announces the 2024 List of Honorees
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 2024 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled for July 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington, Va. This year there are 36 honorees being recognized. The 2023 list of honorees can be found by clicking here: NEMSMS Honorees.
A formal press release is forthcoming and will be posted later this week.
2023 Weekend of Honor Photos
Various high resolution files can be downloaded directly from the NEMSMS Dropbox. The photos are grouped by event and photographer.
2023 Moving Honors and Hall Ambulance, Inc.
Our friends at Hall Ambulance were hosts to the Moving Honors this year. They have this featured on the cover story of their company newsletter, the ‘HallMark’.
Click the link below to read more about Hall Ambulance and the National EMS Memorial Services’ Moving Honors.
National EMS Weekend of Honor Pays Tribute to Fallen EMS Heroes
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
National EMS Memorial Service Seeking Honor Guard Participation
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
National EMS Weekend of Honor Pays Tribute to Fallen EMS Heroes
Media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Tammy Chatman, Public Affairs
414-791-6655
tammy.chatman@national-ems-memorial.org
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 15) – The National EMS Memorial Service, National EMS Memorial Foundation and National EMS Memorial Bike Ride will pay tribute to our fallen EMS and air medical providers from throughout the United States during the 2021 National EMS Weekend of Honor, scheduled July 23-25 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2799 Richmond Highway in Arlington, Va. This year there will be 144 honorees recognized, 72 combined from 2019-2020 and 72 past EMS fallen that date as far back as 1895 thanks to the combined research and vetting by many volunteers.
New this year is the procession of the Moving Honors leaving Dallas, Texas on July 16 and traveling to Arlington, VA to meet the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride’s special Ride of Honor on July 23. The Ride of Honor will escort the Moving Honors carrying the Tree of Life, the temporary EMS memorial to the hotel where it will be unveiled to the families.
There are many activities and events during the three-days including two events that the public and media are invited and encouraged to attend. Once again there will be various therapy and comfort dogs onsite to support families and attendees as well as specially trained grief support groups.
FRIDAY, July 23, 2021
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 hosting a special one-day ride to recognize the 144 line-of-duty-death honorees for the Service.
- A procession of more than 75 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 2021 Weekend of Honor.
- Riders are predominantly EMS professionals from across the U.S. Each of the riders wears 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 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 24, 2021
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 memorial service can be viewed that evening via live stream on the NEMSMS website and Facebook page at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).
- 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 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. 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 Service, “This remains a most pivotal time in EMS and we continue to salute the work of all first responders. We are honored to pause and commemorate 144 first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others. As we prepare for this year’s National EMS Memorial Service and Weekend of Honor, we humbly pay homage to our honorees on behalf of this grateful nation and continue our support to their loved ones, keeping our commitment to ‘Always Remember’.”
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.
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. Visit us at www.NEMSMBR.org.
About National EMS Memorial Foundation
Their mission is to build the National EMS Memorial in Washington, D.C. that will commemorate the ongoing commitment, service and sacrifice of the Nation’s Emergency Medical Services providers killed, injured, or disabled in the line of duty and for all those that continue to serve. Visit us at www.emsmemorial.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-res images can be downloaded from Dropbox at:
Image #1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zrn420a9qjir8z6/NEMSMBR%20Arrival_3.JPG?dl=0
Image #2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/t2deexjffqwwih5/NEMSMS%20%2840%29.JPG?dl=0
144 EMS Fallen to be Honored During the National EMS Weekend of Honor
Media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Tammy Chatman, Public Affairs
414-791-6655
tammy.chatman@national-ems-memorial.org
144 EMS Fallen to be Honored During the National EMS Weekend of Honor
This year’s honorees include 48 from 2020, 24 from 2019 and 72 that are historical
Washington, D.C. (June 28, 2021) – The National EMS Memorial Service, the National EMS Memorial Foundation and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride will pay tribute to 144 EMS and air medical fallen from 39 states across the U.S. during the 2021 National EMS Weekend of Honor. It is scheduled July 23-25 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2799 Richmond Highway in Arlington, Va. The increased number of honorees being recognized this year is due to last year’s cancellation combined with ongoing research and vetting efforts dedicated to locating yet-to-be-honored EMS fallen from the past. This year’s lists include the 2019 and 2020 honorees plus 72 past EMS fallen dating back as far as 1895 that were researched and vetted for inclusion thanks to the efforts of many volunteers.
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. On Friday afternoon, July 23, 2021, the arrival of the Moving Honor ambulance escorted by the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride’s Ride of Honor, unveiling ceremony of the EMS Tree of Life and presentation of dog tags to the families will occur. The following evening, July 24, 2021, the National EMS Memorial Service, a formal ceremony to honor fallen EMS and air medical professionals, will be held. Both events will be located 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 due to the pandemic it was rescheduled to maintain the health and safety of all involved. “Though the service was rescheduled, we remain committed to honor the EMS and air medical providers who have made the ultimate sacrifice and support the loved ones they left behind” said Jana Williams, president of the National EMS Memorial Service. “It is our duty to ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten.”
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. See http://www.national-ems-memorial.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/NEMSMS for more information on the specific event times and locations as they become available.
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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/w5v0x7bcgesy7w3/NEMSMS_71.JPG?dl=0
Image #2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8otmp9nb6mlhbg3/NEMSMBR%20Arrival_8.JPG?dl=0
