On July 6, 2023, at its offices in Lewisville, Texas, Global Medical Response (GMR) hosted a ceremony for the National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS) and Weekend of Honor Moving Honors procession.
“The Moving Honors procession is incredibly important to all of us at Global Medical Response,” said Nick Loporcaro, president and CEO of Global Medical Response.
“Today’s ceremony gave our teams, industry colleagues and the community the chance to pay their respects and honor the ultimate sacrifice made by these 59 EMS [emergency medical services] first responders. As the procession continues its journey to Arlington, we hope that others will take the opportunity to pay tribute to these brave souls.”
The procession, which begins the countdown to the NEMSMS and Weekend of Honor, has expanded nationwide this year and will cross 20 states carrying a custom-built Tree of Life engraved with the names of the 59 fallen EMS and air medical professionals from agencies and programs around the nation who died in the line of duty.
The Tree of Life is a representation of an oak tree, symbolizing strength. Each honoree’s name, agency and date of loss is engraved on a bronze oak leaf that is then added to the Tree of Life.
The specially designed ambulance and accompanying response vehicle began their journey at American Medical Response Riverside, located in Riverside, California, on June 23.
Lewisville is the mid-way point for the processional. From there, it will travel to other cities across the country, including Shreveport, Kansas City, Chicago, Louisville, Columbus, Pittsburgh and New York, so that family members, fellow first responders and community members can view a replica of the tree and pay their respects to the fallen.
The Moving Honors procession will be met in Arlington, Virginia, on July 21 by the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride’s Ride of Honor.
There, families, friends, and loved ones of the honorees as well as first responders from around the country, will gather for a weekend of events to honor air and ground EMS providers.
“The calling of EMS is a privilege and an honor,” said Ted Van Horne, chief operating officer for GMR. “These individuals selflessly cared for others on their worst days, and they did so with dignity and respect. Today’s ceremony is about returning that show of respect, honoring the noble work they did and celebrating the contributions they made to their fellow Americans.”
The National EMS Memorial Foundation is leading the effort to establish a permanent memorial in Washington, D.C. The Tree of Life was designed and built as a temporary National EMS Memorial by Jennifer and Tom Liebman, both Texas-based employees of Global Medical Response.
“In 2023 we are paying tribute to 59 fallen EMS personnel during the National EMS Weekend of Honor,” said Jennifer Liebman. “While the Tree of Life serves as a mechanism to honor those that were lost, the Weekend of Honor allows us to embrace the loved ones left behind and salute those who continue to serve. Being a part of the organization that helps loved ones heal and connect with others that have experienced similar loss is an amazing opportunity to give back to my EMS family.”
“The creation of the tree of life is a labor of love for Jenn and me,” said Tom Liebman. “It is an outlet for us to express our gratitude to those in the EMS profession who have made the ultimate sacrifice and a way for us to pay respects to the family, friends and colleagues left behind.”
