National EMS Memorial Service Elects New Officers, President Steps Down

The man responsible for creating the National EMS Memorial Service has stepped aside.

Kevin Dillard said he was proud to have served for 20 years, and get the organization to where it is.

"I just thought it was time to step down," he said in a recent interview. "I'm still going to be involved. I want to focus my efforts now on getting the permanent memorial built."

Dillard says he's proud of the where the organization is, and where it's headed.

"We've come a long way. Our focus has always been to honor the men and women who die while on duty as EMS responders," he said. "We try to bring comfort to their families…"

The National EMS Memorial Service was started by the Virginia Association of Rescue Squads Inc. "I wondered why police and firefighters have a separate service honoring their fallen. But there was nothing for EMS," Dillard recalled in an interview.

When he spoke up and stepped up to head a committee to look into it, some figured a memorial service would be a few years down the road.

Dillard said that wasn't the case at all. The first national service to honor the EMS fallen was held the very next year. Six were remembered.

He praised the all-volunteer board for keeping the mission alive.

"We have a lot of work to do to get the memorial going," he said. "We have a very committed group..."

At the annual board meeting last month following the memorial service, Ted Sayer was selected to succeed him.

Sayer is the general manager of American Medical Response of El Paso County in Colorado Springs, and has over 25 years of EMS experience. He has served on the NEMSMS Board since 2008, and as its treasurer since 2010.

Also elected were Jana Williams, secretary and Jason M. Jenkins, treasurer.

New members of the board include Steven Athey and Timothy Perkins.

Athey is currently the Principal in Health Care Visions, a consultancy to the Ambulance and Health Care industries and Adjunct Faculty at Texas Wesleyan University.

Perkins is an EMS Systems Planner for the Virginia Department of Health, Office of EMS. He is on the editorial advisory board of EMSWorld and hosts the site's Squadcast podcast.

Williams is the Program Director for AIRLIFE Denver. She has held positions in EMS, flight nursing, and EMS, Trauma & Disaster Administration. She is a recurring author for Wheels, Wings and Rotors magazine.

Jenkins began his EMS career in 1995 and has worked as an EMT, paramedic and flight paramedic in the State of Kansas. Today, he is the Chief of Miami County Emergency Medical Services in Paola, Kan.