KANSAS EMS MEMORIAL

Kansas EMS Memorial - The Kansas Emergency Medical Technicians Association, with the cooperation of the Kansas Board of EMS and the Kansas Emergency Medical Services Association announces the introduction of the Kansas EMS Memorial.

The recent line-of-duty deaths pointed out the long overdue need for a fitting tribute to thoses that have made the ultimate sacrifice while involved in the care of others.

The Kansas Board of EMS created a Memorial Wall to honor those that have given their lives so that others might live. The Kansas Legislature will be approached during the 2005 legislative session to enable the erection of a permanent memorial on the Capitol grounds. The Kansas EMS Foundation is being formed to administer, support and fund this project. In the interim, the Kansas EMT Association, a 501c(3) corporation will accept tax-deductible donations. These donations will be placed in a special fund and all monies will be turned over to the Foundation upon it's establishment.

The Kansas EMS Memorial Review Board, made up of representatives of KEMTA, KEMSA and BEMS, will establish the criteria for what will be considered a line-of-duty death. The Review Board will also review those nominations for inclusion in the Kansas EMS Memorial.

Dave Cromwell, from the Board of Emergency Medical Services, points

to plaques showing the name, date and means of death for EMS responders

who died in the line of duty. The memorial sits on the top floor of the Landon building.


KANSAS EMS HONOREES

The Kansas EMS Memorial honorees will be recognized each year during the KEMTA Awards Ceremony.

At KEMTA 2004, three people were honored by the recently introduced Kansas EMS Memorial

Brandon Bow, Jonathan Dye and Jennifer Hauptman, who died of injuries suffered when EagleMed 4 crashed on February 17 after returning from a patient transport, were remembered by friends and family during the KEMTA Awards Ceremony.

Plaques were presented to members of the families of Mr. Bow, Mr. Dye and Ms. Hauptman. A plaque was also presented to EagleMed in memory of the loss of three of their EMS family.



Robert Orth - Our Friend in EMS Remembering Bob Orth
by Deb Brown

It is with great sadness that I write of the passing of our friend Robert Orth. Bob passed away on June 18, 2005 at St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City, Kansas.

Bob started his EMS career in 1978. EMS in Sublette was just getting organized. At that time if you needed an ambulance, you called the Drug Store and the Pharmacist got whoever was sitting in a booth drinking a coke to go help him Bob stopped in regularly for a coke, so he was recruited. He also spent time with our local physician at the hospital, always eager to help out and use the opportunity to learn. Bob then attended class to become an instructor and taught his first class in 1980. He was excited about EMS and always eager to share what he knew. He was full of encouragement for students and new techs. When we asked him why he put so much time and effort into EMS, he told us " Because sometimes you get to make a difference." Many people across the state have had him for an instructor at some level. I remember he would sometimes go up to Phillipsburg and do Medic First Aid classes for Jane. When asked about it he would respond that she needed someone to teach the classes and he really didn't mind. He was always willing to go the extra mile to help anyone in his EMS family. David Lake could call and need support at a committee meeting in Topeka, and Bob would be there.

Bob has served on many committees and Task forces for the Kansas EMS. I have been very spoiled. If I needed to know anything about EMS I could just call Bob and he knew the answer, I didn't have to go look it up. I think he probably had forgotten more about EMS than I will ever know. He always just took care of things. Reports, paper work, mailing labels for KEMTA, schedules all seem to have just appeared, all completed and ready to use. I don't think our service, community, or organizations fully knew what he just did behind the scene. It really bothered him the last few years that he couldn't do things as well as before. He enjoyed so much those he visited with outside at the dance at KEMTA this year. It took so much effort for him to just be there.

I believe we should not think of the bad times, the times we disagreed, just the good times we shared. I will always remember his laugh, encouragement, wit, and the way he touched us some way in the heart. May we also live our lives knowing that sometimes we too can make a difference in someone's life.