 “The Ultimate Sacrifice” NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: May 9, 2008 Contact: Kevin Agard, Public Information Officer Voice: 201-203-3203 - Fax: 201-935-4831 E-mail: pio@nemsms.org Web: http://press.nemsms.org National EMS Memorial Service Selects New Host City Oilville, Virginia - The National EMS Memorial Service has selected Colorado Springs as the new home of the National EMS Memorial Service and the “Tree of Life,” the National EMS Memorial.
At a special meeting of its Board of Directors the Memorial Service selected Colorado Springs, Colorado as the new host city for the annual National EMS Memorial Service and the permanent location of the new “Tree of Life,” National EMS Memorial.
The Memorial Service established a Site Selection Committee in May of 2006 to seek out potential locations. In December of that year, after establishing site criteria, the Site Selection Committee issued a request for proposals from the EMS communities in areas interested in serving as the new host. Representatives from fourteen (14) locations around the nation expressed interest. By September of 2007 three (3) sites had been selected as finalists. These were Colorado Springs, the Kansas City Metro Area and the District of Columbia.
Initial site visits to Kansas City and Colorado Springs, by representatives of our Site Selection Committee and Board of Directors, were conducted in November 2007 and to the District of Columbia January of 2008. Follow-up visits to all three sites were then made by the Service’s Executive Committee during the first quarter of 2008.
All of the information gathered during the site visits and from follow up research was then presented to the full NEMSMS Board at a special meeting, held near Philadelphia, PA, April 18 - 19, 2008. The pros and cons of each location were discussed. After two days of discussion and debate, the board members present unanimously selected Colorado Springs.
“This was not an easy choice for us. All three locations would have served well as hosts for the Service. This selection was the culmination of almost two years’ work by our Site Selection Committee and other board members.” said Memorial Service President Kevin L. Dillard.
Dillard’s sentiments were echoed by Kevin Agard, Memorial Service board member and chair of the Site Selection Committee. “As someone involved in this process from the start, I can tell you without fear of contradiction that this was a most difficult decision for everyone involved. The coalitions from the EMS communities of Colorado Springs and Kansas City, along with the folks from the EMS Labor Alliance, who spearheaded the effort to bring the Service to the District of Columbia, put a lot of time, effort and money into promoting those locations. But more than that, they were all very supportive of our efforts and of the Service as a whole.”
When asked why Colorado Springs was ultimately the choice, Agard said “This was not simply a matter of finding a place to erect a memorial. The new host city will also have to be able to support the ongoing annual event that is the National EMS Memorial Service. So this decision involved a fairly large number of factors for us. Paramount among these is our consideration for the family members of our honorees. Our focus has always been on the families and in the end, I believe that most of our board members voted the way they did because they believe that Colorado Springs is the best option for those families.”
Dillard said the Memorial Service will move to Colorado Springs in 2010 and that the organization will now move on to the design and fund-raising phases of the project with an eye towards having the new memorial completed in time for that year’s Memorial Service.
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