By Jack Howland
The Gazette
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Before the families of fallen Emergency Medical Services personnel took the stage at Saturday’s National EMS Memorial Service, keynote speaker Krista Haugen wanted to tell a story about compassion.
In her early days as a pediatric flight nurse, her mentor was called on to transport a child with a rare medical disorder to a nearby hospital. Doctors had told the family their little girl wasn’t going to make it, and tens of relatives gathered around the room wearing plastic gloves. The father stood at the far end in tears, unable to watch the inevitable.
This is when the seasoned EMS nurse suggested he remove his gloves and run his hands through his daughter’s hair.
“We are no strangers to the grief of others,” said Haugen, co-founder of The Survivors Network for Air & Surface Medical Transport. “And many of us here today are no strangers to grief of our own. But experience has shown us that our own grief is often a gift when faced with the grief of others - it provides insight and understanding.”
The story served as a reminder to the more than 100 in attendance that, as a national community, EMS personnel need to be there for one another the way they are for their patients. The auditorium at Pikes Peak Center was transformed into a silent sanctuary Saturday night, giving people from across the country a chance to honor the 15 men and women who lost their lives last year.
There were three tables onstage, each with a different item for the victims’ families. A U.S. flag folded into a triangle was representative of the honoree’s service to his or her country. A medallion strung around a thread stood for eternal memory. A white rose symbolized undying love.
Dave Page, a member of the paramedic faculty at Inver Hills Community College in Saint Paul, Minn., spoke about the importance of taking time to honor those who have died.
“I’ve survived the loss of co-workers, friends, mentors and students to this dangerous profession, and yet I keep coming back to work,” he said. “This weekend is about remembering and celebrating those whose sacrifice cannot be measured.”
After the speeches, the families were invited to the stage to receive their gifts.
Elizabeth Davis, president of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, announced the 15 men and women who lost their lives as pictures appeared on a white screen. The crowd listened in silence.
- Paramedic Raymond “Ray” Bernard Allison from Sterling County, Texas
- Flight Nurse James “Jamie” J. Butler from Santa Fe
- Pilot David Cavigneaux from Santa Fe
- Flight Nurse Monica Chavez from El Paso, Texas
- Paramedic Benjamin J. Finney from Wichita, Kan.
- Paramedic Gerald “Garry” Hammer from LaGrange, Ind.
- EMT Michael “Mike” Charles Howard from Jewett, Texas
- EMS Pilot Juan Alfredo “Freddy” Martinez from El Paso, Texas
- Paramedic Dennis Houston Rushing from Laurel, Miss.
- Flight paramedic Rebecca Serkey from Santa Fe
- EMT William “Alan” Smith from Laurel, Miss.
- Flight Nurse Leslie Stewart from Duncan, Okla.
- Paramedic Taurean Summers from El Paso, Texas
- Flight paramedic Erasmus “Johan” van der Colff from Duncan, Okla.
- EMT William “Will” Russell Wiita from Kalkaska, Mich.