Day 7 Lexington, VA to ROANOKE! 70 miles... Tree

We are here!! Another great day of scene views, character building hills, and conversation with life long friends from across the country… We had fabulous rest stops hosted by Natural Bridge, Buchanen, Troutville, and Salem FD/EMS! Thank you for the food, liquids, ice, and pain relievers!

Our holding area into Roanoke was Salem FD/EMS. They set up a huge rest area inside of their gigantic bay complete with couches and various rehab supplies (food, water, Gatorade). THANK YOU! Rest assured, one did not need a couch to fall asleep, the pavement did just fine! The Kentucky EMS Memorial Bike ride began on Sunday (a day after we left NYC) and joined us in Salem so we could all ride in together (11 riders!). We held here for a couple of hours until 5pm when we started the huge caravan into Roanoke – complete police/fire/EMS vehicles in both the front and back of the riders. You ride side by side with those that did the journey with you and the EMS vehicles you got to know well from across the country for the past week usher you in as well as various local agencies.

As we rode the 9 miles into Hotel Roanoke, people stood outside of their homes and businesses and waved at the ride! On-coming traffic on the other side of the road stopped as we passed. I couldn’t help but look at that gesture and think of Eric’s funeral procession from Austin to Marble Falls…

We rode into the Hotel with our full escort. The FDNY pipes and drums were playing, and numerous Memorial family members, and EMTs and paramedics from agencies across the country cheered us in. Allan Parsons’ children were here (thanks for the hugs!), I’m looking forward to getting to know you this weekend but we all wish it was under different circumstances...

The emotions swirling from this weeklong journey is beyond words… Riding into Roanoke with our 100 friends, EMTs, paramedics, PA’s, and emergency room doctors (including three father and son teams) after seven days together is an experience of a lifetime. We have all spent countless hours since last year at this time training, preparing, organizing, sacrificing time away from our friends and family, used on our own vacation time from work, as well as the huge personal financial sacrifice (working lots of overtime!) – all in honor of our brothers and sisters of EMS that we have lost in the name of our profession and those in EMS that have suffered life altering job related injuries.

There is another journey to Roanoke made. That journey is made by the family and agency members of the Memorial inductees. Our last seven days on the road is nothing compared to the next 48 hrs in Roanoke or what these individuals have suffered. Meeting the husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends, parents, grandparents, and fellow providers of those killed in the line of duty is the most PAINFUL part of this entire trip. Looking into their eyes at the Hotel and Memorial, the pain and loss look right back at you. We are not here celebrating their loved one's achievements, we are here to induct them to our country's national EMS Memorial. Memorial Day weekend in Roanoke, Virginia, is a national EMS convention basically, with providers from all over the country (and world!). But, we aren’t here to show off equipment, attend continuation classes, or participate in any rescue or medical competition. We are here to honor our brothers and sisters that gave their life, “the ultimate sacrifice,” while serving their communities – doing what they loved.

It was an honor and as our Austin/Travis County EMS Director Ernie Rodriguez told us, “a call to service” to be a part of this. Rita, Harlin, Kyla, Geoff, TJ, Susan, and Mark and everyone – you mean the world to me. Thank you for all that YOU have done to make this possible, you are my HEROES!

This evening is the Memorial Service (more photos and blogging)… We start our journey back to Texas tomorrow.