Some were providing patient care in the air, some in the back of ambulances. Others never made it to the scene or perished of illnesses years after their services.
Nineteen EMS providers who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty in 2013 will be honored Saturday night at the National EMS Memorial Service in Colorado.
The ceremony will be streamed live at 6 p.m. Mountain Time (8 p.m. EDT).
Families and colleagues of the fallen heroes have been arriving in Colorado Springs over the past few days. In addition to the memorial service, they will have many opportunities to share stories and remember their heroes.
Among those to be honored Saturday night are two FDNY EMS personnel who died of illnesses after their work at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, and 10 who died in air medical crashes.
The names of these heroes will be added to the EMS memorial.
Ethan Lynn Amsbaugh, of Priority Response Ambulance, Mount Union, Pa., who died in the line duty on June 2, 2012, of injuries sustained in an ambulance involved motor vehicle collision.
Ruben Berrios, of FDNY EMS, Brooklyn, N.Y., who died in the line duty on December 10, 2012, of complications from working 9-11 WTC site.
Luis Bonilla, of Mayo Organ Transplant Team, Rochester, Minn. who died in the line duty on December 26, 2011, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Peter P. Carbonneau, of Van Buren Ambulance Service, Van Buren, Maine, who died in the line duty on April 8, 2012, of a on-duty cardiac event.
James M. "Jim" Dillow, of REACT, Rockford, Ill., who died in the line duty on December 10, 2012, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Gene Grell, of Mercy Air Med/Med-Trans, Mason City, Iowa, who died in the line duty on January 2, 2013, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Billie J. Grills, of Carter County EMS, Grayson, Ky., who died in the line duty on November 11, 1986, of an intracerebral hemorrhage while on-duty.
David Hines, of Mayo Organ Transplant Team, Rochester, Minn., who died in the line duty on December 26, 2011, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Karen Marie Hollis, of REACT, Rockford, Ill., who died in the line duty on December 10, 2012, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Justin Michael Hueston, of Vernon County Ambulance District, Nevada, Mo., who died in the line duty on September 25, 2012, of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision.
Shell Lair-Langenbau, of Mercy Air Med, Mason City, Iowa, who died in the line duty on January 2, 2013, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Andrew H. "Andy" Olesen, of REACT, Rockford, Ill., who died in the line duty on December 10, 2012, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Russell Piehl, of Mercy Air Med, Mason City, Iowa, who died in the line duty on January 2, 2013, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
David Restuccio, of LIJ/Staten Island University Hospital EMS, Staten Island, N.Y., who died in the line duty on August 27, 2012, of injuries sustained in an ambulance involved motor vehicle collision.
Joseph V. Schiumo, of FDNY EMS, Brooklyn, N.Y., who died in the line duty on December 9, 2012, of complications from working 9-11 WTC site.
Ray Shriver, of Teton County Sheriff's Search & Rescue, Jackson, Wyo., who died in the line duty on February 15, 2011, of on injuries sustained in a SAR aviation accident.
E. Hoke Smith, of Mayo Organ Transplant Team, Rochester, Minn., who died in the line duty on December 26, 2011, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Timothy Kyle Southern, of Priority Patient Transport, Harrisonburg, Va., who died in the line duty on January 6, 2012, of injuries sustained in an ambulance involved motor vehicle collision.
Joshua A. Weissman, of Alexandria Fire Department, Alexandria, Va., who died in the line duty on February 9, 2012, of injuries sustained in a fall from a bridge while operating at the scene of an MVC.
