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
