Bennet, Udall Pass Measure Recognizing Colorado Springs as the New Home to National EMS Memorial Service
Resolution Congratulates Colorado Springs as Home to Memorials Honoring First Responders Who Have Died in Line of Duty
Washington, D.C. – March 16, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall announced that the Senate has passed a concurrent resolution that they sponsored to recognize Colorado Springs as the new home of a yearly National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Memorial Service.
The resolution congratulates Colorado Springs for being named the home of the annual ceremony to honor fallen first responders. The National EMS Board of Directors elected to move the yearly ceremony from Roanoke, Va., and selected Colorado Springs from a number of competing cities. This year’s 18th Annual National EMS Memorial Service will take place on June 26, 2010, at the First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs.
“Colorado’s first responders put their lives on the line every day to help people in their time of greatest need,” Senator Bennet said. “They do their jobs every day with tremendous compassion for those in an emergency and with little regard for their own personal well-being. Colorado Springs, with its long tradition of service and self-sacrifice, is a fitting home for this memorial to honor the lives and legacy of America’s first responders.”
“Coloradans have a long and proud history of looking out for each other in times of need. And that tradition carries over to the present day – more than half of the licensed ambulance services in our state are staffed by volunteers, who risk their own lives to care for their neighbors,” Senator Udall said. “Colorado Springs is the natural home for the EMS memorial service and memorial. I was proud to introduce this resolution, and I’m thrilled to see it pass today.”
In 1992, EMS providers in Virginia formed the National EMS Memorial Service Committee after realizing that there was no specific mechanism to honor sacrifices made by EMS providers. There are such memorials for firefighters and law enforcement officers.
The Committee chose Roanoke, Va., as the location for a memorial and yearly service. In 1993, the Committee incorporated as an independent organization and formed a National EMS Board of Directors. Since then the National EMS Memorial Service has been a yearly volunteer effort to honor the first responders who have died in the line of duty.
In 2008, the Board chose a site selection committee to locate a new home for the memorial service and memorial. After analyzing site proposals from 14 cities, the committee selected Colorado Springs as the new site, beginning in 2010.
Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-5) introduced a similar resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives last year.
