Slideshow: 2009 Year-in-Review

Passengers wait to be rescued on the wings of a jetliner that safely landed in the Hudson River in New York after a flock of birds knocked out both its engines in January. Everyone on board the plane survived. (AP Photo/Steven Day, File)

As many as 2 million people jammed the National Mall to watch President Obama take the oath in Washington in January. EMS response faced significant challenges due to the crowds, officials said. (AP Photo/Scott Andrews, Pool, File)

The Empire State Building, in partnership with the FDNY, is illuminated yellow, white and blue in celebration of EMS Week 2009 in May. Agencies across the country marked this year's theme, "A Proud Partner in Your Community." (Photo FDNY)

Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Daniel Martin is caught on tape physically confronting paramedic Maurice White in May. The ambulance was en route to a hospital when officers stopped it for failing to yield to the patrol car.

District of Columbia Fire and Emergency workers respond to a rush-hour collision between two Metro transit trains in northeast Washington, D.C. in June. The accident killed nine people. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

A paramedic from the Ambulance Service of New South Wales, Australia, wears a mask and goggles as part of new risk management legislation introduced in July to protect against swine flu. Swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, was officially declared a pandemic by the WHO in June. (Photo Ambulance Service of NSW)

Responders surround the scene of a homemade balloon aircraft that landed in a Colorado field in October after two hours in the air. The 6-year-old boy believed to be inside was later found alive and safe in his home attic. (Image Washington Post)

Members of the Atlanta Fire Department Honor Guard take part in the opening ceremony at EMS Expo in Atlanta in October. The expo featured hundreds of educational sessions and exhibitors. (Photo Jamie Thompson)

Phlebotomist Sumer Mosley, left, prepares to take a blood donation from U.S. Army Private First Class Jose Estrada at Fort Hood at Scott and White hospital in Temple, Texas, after the Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead and many more injured in November. Estrada said that he was prompted by the day's events to drive to Temple from the post to donate. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)