Heroes Honored at EMS Memorial Service
ROANOKE, Va. -- They traveled here from Alaska and Hawaii as well as just a few hours away. Regardless of their home addresses, all shared the loss of an EMS provider.
On Saturday night, the largest crowd ever was on hand to honor EMS personnel who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
During the 16th Annual National EMS Memorial Service, 73 heroes were remembered. They included EMTs, paramedics, flight personnel and first responders.
Kevin Dillard, NEMSMS president, said families should be comforted knowing that their loved ones will not be forgotten.
"The large crowd was truly a testimony to honor their sacrifices," he said.
Next year will be the last time the national ceremony will be held in Roanoke. The organization has selected Colorado Springs for the site of its permanent memorial.
Dillard said he would have liked to keep the memorial in Roanoke -- the birthplace of the nation's first life saving crew -- but the city did not submit a proposal.
Ideas for the monument design will be accepted soon.
Dillard said dedicated volunteers work to make the weekend memorable for families, friends and colleagues of the heroes.
Rescue squads, former survivors and others adopt a family to help pay for expenses associated with attending the memorial service.
On Saturday afternoon, the NEMSMS volunteers hosted an informal luncheon for the visitors to give them an opportunity to meet one another.
Pictures and stories of each hero were displayed on a board. People pointed to their loved ones and share their stories with one another. Two teenagers who struck up a conversation about their losses wound up eating lunch together.
Bob Carter pointed to the photograph of his smiling son. "They called him 'C Square.' He was always smiling."
Carter, who traveled from Alaska for the service, said nothing would have kept him away. His son, Cameron, a paramedic, was killed when his helicopter went down last year in heavy snow.
"Very nice," Carter said of the memorial service. "Very impressive . . ."
Each hero's family or representative was presented with a medal bearing the person's name as well as a flag and a white rose.
The recipients included mothers, fathers, spouses, fiancés, siblings, children and fellow EMS providers.
The crowd was especially moved when a medal was placed around the neck of Craig Dorsey's toddler son, who was being carried by his mother.
Dorsey, an EMT, was killed in an explosion last year at a West Virginia convenience store.
Gary Brown, Virginia EMS director, admitted that he was more nervous speaking at the ceremony than at any other time during his 35 year career.
"I am not sure what I can say tonight that will make a difference or ease your pain or to motivate you . . ."
Brown assured them, however, that the contributions of their loved ones as well as the other 350 providers previously recognized will never be forgotten.
"I hope you will return home comforted in knowing that your loved one, your friend, your crew member received the highest honor our nation's EMS system can bestow."
He said he knows the losses affected entire communities not just the EMS family. "What would then have become? Who would have been touched if their life had not been cut short by tragedy? They are all an example to every person to do what he or she can both personally and professionally do to make our country an even greater place."
Brown spoke of the diversity of the providers as well as their hobbies and interests. They included a pilot who was married on a helicopter, a provider who overcame physical disabilities, a recent clown school graduate, an organ donor and one who enjoyed playing Santa.
"We remember their dedication and the ultimate sacrifice they have made for us. But we also celebrate their life, their accomplishments and the impact they have made on the lives of everyone they came in contact with."
