Portneuf Air Rescue and Moving Honors pay tribute to fallen EMS heroes

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The National EMS Memorial Service partnered with Portneuf Air Rescue and Medical Center to host the Moving Honors procession on Wednesday, June 3. The ceremony honors fallen EMS heroes across the country, with the journey beginning in California and ending in Arlington, Virginia, totaling over 10,000 miles.

Along the way, the procession stops 32 times in 24 different states, honoring 37 EMS professionals who passed in the line of duty in 2025. There is no standing memorial for EMS heroes, which is the void the National EMS Memorial Service procession intends to fill by taking the ceremony across the country.

The center of the journey is carrying the Tree of Life, which bears the names of all 37 lost professionals. The tree will be transported along the entire journey and revealed at the national service in Virginia on July 19. A replica of the Tree of Life will be on display at each stop, showing spectators the bronze-etched leaves honoring each hero.

Several health leaders spoke at today's ceremony at the Portneuf Medical Center helipad. Local fire department vehicles and the traveling tree of life truck were on display at the memorial. Around 30 local EMS workers attended the ceremony.

"Today, we gather to honor our brothers and sisters who are no longer with us," said Chelsea Groom, Program Director at Portneuf Air Rescue. "Their commitment to serving their communities came at the highest cost. While they cannot stand here with us today, their legacy lives on through the lives they've touched, the families they've served and the colleagues who continue to work in their memory."

She added that events like the traveling memorial prove that EMS is more than a profession, it's a family and community committed to service and first response.

"Many of you that sit here today are not just first responders and professionals, but you're also coaches at the local soccer leagues, people who teach and volunteer," said Marc Kilman-Burnham, Director of Government Relations at Global Medical Response and speaker at the memorial. "When we step out and get on the ambulance, that fire truck or that helicopter, we're carrying a single simple goal that's to go out and find someone that needs us and try to take care of them."

Kilman-Burnham went on to say that, unfortunately, the story doesn't always go in the favor of the EMS workers, and it's important to honor their legacy.

"If you have a loved one who has passed, you have nowhere to go to see their name permanently etched, so that's a void we have to fill," Kilman-Burnham said.

The Weekend of Honor will take place July 19 in Arlington, Virginia, where the Moving Honors group will complete its journey and unveil the Tree of Life.

"With the mission of the team, the Moving Honors and the National EMS Memorial Service, we're here to say that your loved ones are never going to be forgotten," said Megan Haverkamp, a volunteer on the journey with Moving Honors. "They're always with us as we carry them across our trip."

2026 Honored Fallen EMS Professionals

• Salih Abdur-Rahman, 46, Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Brooklyn, NY, died in the  

line of duty on 10/29/2025 as a result of a medical event. 

• Scott Adams, 46, Milton-Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department, Milton, IN, died  in the line of duty on 04/25/2025 as a result of a medical event. 

• Stephen “Batman” Anderson, 53, North State Medical Transport, Raleigh, NC, died in the  

line of duty on 09/21/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Amanda Benson, 25, CSI Aviation, Albuquerque, NM, died in the line of duty on  

08/05/2025 as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Jacob Bozeman, 20, American Medical Response, Tappahannock, VA, died in the line of  

duty on 03/20/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• David Burke, 61, Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Brooklyn, NY, died in the line of duty  

on 07/31/2025 as a result of the WTC illness. 

• Michael “Mike” Campbell, 48, Lawrence County Emergency Medical Services, Coal  

Grove, OH, died in the line of duty on 09/08/2025 as a result of a medical event. 

• Kameilia “Kami” Chavez, 38, CSI Aviation, Albuquerque, NM, died in the line of duty on  

08/05/2025 as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Everett Edwards, 84, Clarks Fork Valley EMS, Bridger, MT, died in the line of duty on  

06/24/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Donald “DJ” Ellis, 57, Guardian Flight, Ketchikan, AK, died in the line of duty on  

06/27/2025 as a result of a medical event. 

• Wesley England, 41, Nelson County EMS, Bardstown, KY, died in the line of duty on  

06/02/2025 as result of a medical event. 

• Adam Loren Finseth, 40, Burnsville Fire Department, Burnsville, MN, died in the line of  

duty on 02/18/2024 as a result of a traumatic injury. 

• Pamela Hehn, 61, Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Brooklyn, NY, died in the line of  

duty on 03/03/2025 as a result of the WTC illness. 

• Graham Hoffman, 29, Kansas City Fire Department, Kansas City, MO, died in the line of  

duty on 04/27/2025 as a result of a traumatic injury. 

• Mary Jolly, 27, Gaston County EMS, Gaston, NC, died in the line of duty on 11/17/2025 as a  

result of being struck by a vehicle. 

• Jeff Jones, 55, Woodward County EMS, Woodward, OK, died in the line of duty on  

09/11/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Fred Kemp, 52, Washington County – Johnson City EMS & Rescue, Johnson City, TN, died in  

the line of duty on 10/22/2025 as a result of a high angle fall. 

• Jakob Kindt, 37, University of Mississippi Medical Center AirCare, Columbus, MS, died in  

the line of duty on 03/10/2025 as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Brenna Kulikowski, 31, Timber Mesa Fire & Medical District, Show Low, AZ, died in the line  

of duty on 09/14/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Justin Lauppe, 37, Butler County EMS, El Dorado, KS, died in the line of duty on 05/16/2025  

as a result of a medical event. 

• Nick Mancuso, 37, CSI Aviation, Albuquerque, NM, died in the line of duty on 08/05/2025  

as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Sarah McCarthy, 48, St. Charles County Ambulance District, Saint Peters, MO, died in the  

line of duty on 12/09/2025 as a result of a medical event. 

• James McGee IV, 54, Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Brooklyn, NY, died in the line of  

duty on 12/12/2025 as a result of the WTC illness. 

• Robert “Bob” Miller, 56, Phoenix Paramedic Solutions, Lafayette, IN, died in the line of  

duty on 10/09/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Larry Nuckols, 53, Jay County EMS, Portland, IN, died in the line of duty on 01/10/2025 as a  

result of a medical event. 

• Skye Oraczewski, 22, North State Medical Transport, Raleigh, NC, died in the line of duty  

on 09/21/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Dustin Pope, 36, University of Mississippi Medical Center AirCare, Columbus, MS, died in  

the line of duty on 03/10/2025 as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Kevin Robert, 55, LifeNet of New York, New York, NY, died in the line of duty on 08/27/2025  

as a result of a medical event. 

• Stephen Scott, 62, Houston Fire Department, Houston, TX, died in the line of duty on  

09/17/2025 as a result of a medical event. 

• Michael Skody Jr., 68, Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Brooklyn, NY, died in the line  

of duty on 08/05/2025 as a result of the WTC illness. 

• Roy Smith, 60, Posey Township Volunteer Fire Department, Staunton, IN, died in the line of  

duty on 04/05/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Susan “Suzie” Smith, 67, REACH Air Medical Services, Redding, CA, died in the line of  

duty on 10/10/2025 as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Damon Thompson, 21, Timber Mesa Fire & Medical District, Show Low, AZ, died in the line  

of duty on 09/14/2025 as a result of a vehicular accident. 

• Jeffrey “Jeff” Tuning, 66, CSI Aviation, Albuquerque, NM, died in the line of duty on  

08/05/2025 as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Calvin “Ski” Wesolowski, 62, University of Mississippi Medical Center AirCare, Columbus,  

MS, died in the line of duty on 03/10/2025 as a result of an air medical accident. 

• Frederick Whiteside, 43, Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Brooklyn, NY, died in the  

line of duty on 11/17/2023 as a result of the WTC illness. 

• Allan Williams, 55, Vanderbilt LifeFlight, Nashville, TN, died in the line of duty on  

11/08/2025 as a result of an air medical accident