National EMS Memorial Service 2026 Wrap-Up and Announcement of  Weekend of Honor Dates Through 2029

Source: National EMS Memorial Service

ARLINGTON, Va., July 23 — The National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS) and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride (NEMSMBR) announced the dates for the next three years for the Weekend of Honor. The dates will be as follows: June 4–6, 2027; June 2–4, 2028; and June 8–10, 2029. All the events will be held in Arlington, Virginia, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

On July 17-19, 2026, the NEMSMS and the NEMSMBR paid tribute to the 37 fallen EMS and air medical providers from 18 different states during the 2026 Weekend of Honor at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington.

This year, the Moving Honors specially marked ambulance, carrying the 2026 temporary National EMS Memorial, known as the Tree of Life, began its 9,000-mile journey in Redding, California, on June 1. It made various stops over 30 days through at least 25 states as it progressed to Arlington. The Moving Honors procession allowed those who could not make the trip to Arlington the opportunity to see the replica of the 2026 Tree of Life.

Early Friday morning, July 17, the NEMSMS Honor Guard traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Four NEMSMS Honor Guard Pipes and Drums members, including Breanne Cruz, Casey Schifflet, Hillary Days and Todd Metz, had been handpicked for this ceremony because of their continued commitment and passion to the mission of honoring those who sacrificed their lives in the service of others.

Then later in the afternoon, 80 participants in the special Ride of Honor hosted by the NEMSMBR arrived at Hyatt, escorting the Moving Honors to kick off the Weekend of Honor. The NEMSMBR celebrated the lives of the EMS and air medical honorees who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service to others. Participants were predominantly EMS professionals from across the U.S. Each one carried dog tags bearing an honoree's name, agency and date of their loss.

After arriving at the hotel, a short ceremony was held and the 2026 Tree of Life with the names of the 37 honorees was unveiled.

"The Weekend of Honor is the fulfillment of a promise that the EMS professionals who gave their lives in service to others will never be forgotten, and that their families will always remain part of our EMS family. Together, we ride, remember and stand beside those families to honor our fallen, celebrate their legacy of service and sacrifice, and ensure their stories continue to inspire future generations. -Semper Memoria - Always Remember,” said NEMSMBR President Ed Moreland.

Following the ceremony, the participants met with the families to present one of their two dog tags worn during the ride, an emotionally powerful part of the Weekend of Honor. The participants will keep the remaining dog tag as a lifetime reminder of the honoree's sacrifice.

The next day, the National EMS Memorial Service, a formal ceremony to honor the EMS professionals and air medical providers who died in the line of duty in 2025, was held in the Hyatt Regency Crystal City ballroom. The service was attended by more than 700 EMS personnel from across the country who traveled at their own expense to participate in the NEMSMS, along with families, friends, co-workers of current and past honorees, volunteers, dignitaries, EMS and business leaders, and government officials. There were 178 honor guard and pipes and drums personnel, therapy and comfort dog groups and a host of other volunteers who gave of their time and services throughout the weekend in support of the families, loved ones and friends of the honorees.

The temporary National EMS Memorial “Tree of Life” was displayed through the service on Saturday. It holds bronze oak leaves, engraved with the names of fallen honorees for each year as far back as 1895. In November 2018, the president signed Public Law 15-275 was signed into law, enabling the National EMS Memorial Foundation to build a permanent EMS memorial in the nation's capital. They are currently in the federal approval process to finalize the memorial site, and development will quickly follow.

“On behalf of the board, I want to thank the hundreds of volunteers and sponsors who make the National EMS Memorial Service, the Weekend of Honor and the Moving Honors tribute happen each year,” said NEMSMS President Scott Davis. “But the moments that stay with me are the ones you cannot plan for—a child standing on that stage as an honor guard member places a medallion around their neck that bears the name of their parent. Or two families who never met before, hugging each other because they have found someone who understands what they are going through. Watching these moments reminds me what this weekend really means. These families leave knowing they are not alone, that the EMS Family will always remember the sacrifice their loved one made, and that their service will never be forgotten. That is the whole reason we do this.”

The Weekend of Honor is organized and hosted by the following volunteer-staffed organizations: National EMS Memorial Bike Ride and the National EMS Memorial Service. The organizations would like to thank the volunteers, participants, donors and sponsors who once again helped make this year’s National Weekend of Honor a special remembrance celebration of those who have given so much in the service to others.