FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18)– People gathered in Frankfort Wednesday to honor those who gave their lives trying to save others.
A bell rang out for every name said out loud, the names of the EMS Personnel throughout Kentucky who never made it home.
“We have 31 individuals in the Commonwealth of Kentucky who died in the line of duty while performing emergency medical care,” said Dan Durham, the chair of the Kentucky EMS Memorial Foundation.
Wednesday morning in Juniper Hills Park in Frankfort, those 31 workers were honored in a ceremony held by the EMS Memorial Foundation. After prayer and presentation of colors, white roses were handed out to family members of those who died.
Janine Mackey, a paramedic of ten years, lost her husband, fellow paramedic John Mackey, in 2015.
“It’s wonderful to see that the families are continuing to take care of each other, even after their loved one has passed. To say that they aren’t forgotten, that we do still remember them and we’ll remember their sacrifice,” said Mackey.
The foundation even plans to build an EMS Memorial Monument in Juniper Hills Park.
“Their names are in some brochures and packets and things like that, but there’s no memorial for them. We felt it was very important as ems professionals ourselves to develop that memorial,” said Durham.
The memorial is still in the proposal stage, but the foundation hopes to start building it within the next year or two. A way to keep these names and their memories alive.
This is the second year the Kentucky EMS Memorial Foundation has held this ceremony.
