National EMS Weekend of Honor Pays Tribute to Fallen EMS Heroes

The National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS), National EMS Memorial Bike Ride (NEMSMBR) and the National EMS Memorial Foundation (NEMSMF) paid tribute to the 144 fallen EMS and air medical providers from 39 different states during the 2021 National EMS Weekend of Honor, held July 23–25 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va.

In 2020, the Weekend of Honor was held virtually due to the pandemic, so 2021 honored the combined years 2019 and 2020. The increased number of honorees, plus the addition of 72 historical honorees not yet recognized, posed transport challenges for the temporary memorial called the Tree of Life because of its size and weight. The Tree of Life was built in Texas by Tom and Jenn Liebman from Global Medical Response (GMR) at their home near Dallas, and had to be in Arlington by July 23.

Weekend of Honor legacy sponsor GMR donated an ambulance and team for the nearly 2,000-mile, six-state trek named the Moving Honors. It was packaged and secured inside the specially wrapped ambulance until its arrival in Arlington to start the Weekend of Honor.

A replica was created and available for viewing at stops along the way where a short ceremony was held each time with a reading of honorees’ names.

To bring additional attention to the Moving Honors and show support for the honoree children, one of the special teddy bears given out at the Weekend of Honor accompanied the Moving Honors procession. Chief Ted E. Bear was deputized by the Texas Highway Patrol to escort the procession. His experiences, captured in photos and video, were shared on the NEMSMS Facebook page.

On July 23, 75 participants in the special Ride of Honor hosted by the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride arrived, escorting the Moving Honors to kick off the National Weekend of Honor. The NEMSMBR celebrated the lives of EMS and air medical providers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service to others. Riders were predominantly EMS professionals from across the U.S. Each rider carried dog tags bearing an honoree’s name, agency and date of their loss.

After arriving at the hotel, a short ceremony was held, during which NEMSMBR president Brian Shaw shared his thoughts. “Participants of The National EMS Memorial Bike ride hope that coming together with the families, co-workers and friends of the honorees not only provides them some closure but shows all that we will never forget those that have lost their lives performing their duties in EMS,” Shaw said.

Following the ceremony, riders met with the families to present one of their two dog tags worn during the ride. The riders will keep the remaining dog tag as a lifetime reminder of the honoree’s sacrifice.

On July 24 the National EMS Memorial Service, a formal ceremony to honor the EMS professionals and air medical providers who died in the line of duty in 2019–2020 as well as the historical honorees, was held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City ballroom. The service was attended by approximately 600 EMS personnel from across the country who traveled at their own expense to participate, along with families, friends, coworkers of current and past honorees, dignitaries, EMS and business leaders, and government officials. Approximately 50 honor guard personnel along with pipe and drum corps volunteered their time and services throughout the weekend.

The temporary National EMS Memorial “Tree of Life” was displayed through the service on Saturday. It holds bronze oak leaves engraved with the names of fallen honorees for each year dating back to 1895. In November 2018, Public Law 15-275 was signed into law by the president to enable the NEMSMF to build a permanent EMS memorial in the nation’s capital. It is currently in the federal approval process to finalize the memorial site.

“On behalf of the board, I want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who made the National EMS Service, the Weekend of Honor, and new this year, the Moving Honors tribute possible,” said NEMSMS president Jana Williams. “All provided fitting homage to our fallen and meaningful impacts for those they left behind. We are grateful to the countless organizations and individuals who made it all possible. The most humbling but powerful feedback from many family members reiterated that these experiences had a profoundly positive effect towards their healing. Many EMS colleagues shared that the experiences were restorative for them as well. I remain in awe of what transpired that weekend.”

The Weekend of Honor is organized and hosted by NEMSMBR, NEMSMS and NEMSMF. The organizations would like to thank the volunteers, participants, donors and sponsors who once again helped make this year’s National Weekend of Honor a special remembrance celebration of those who have given so much in the service to others.