Published May 26 in the ROANOKE TIMES

Memorial service honors fallen EMS workers
'It shows ... that this is a lifelong commitment to a very deep-rooted community'

By EMI KOJIMA
The Roanoke Times

ROANOKE, Virginia — Linda Abramshe stood, looking at the Tree of Life memorial made of bronze leaves, each engraved with the name of a fallen emergency medical service worker.

Abramshe carefully used a pencil to rub over the names of two New York City EMS workers who died when the World Trade Center's twin towers collapsed. Ricardo Quinn. Carlos Lillo.

She'll frame these rubbings from the memorial in the To The Rescue Museum at Tanglewood Mall along with photographs of the two men.

Abramshe, herself a member of the Fire Department - City of New York's EMS - said coming to Roanoke for the 10th National EMS Memorial Service was a mission.

"It's to finally give them the recognition they deserve and to honor them," she said with moist eyes. "They are remembered."

Quinn was her daughter's EMS partner. That was before he was moved to EMS headquarters to perform lighter duties and recover from injuries. But when he saw the first plane hit, Quinn grabbed his medical supplies and responded, said Toni Lanotte, New York EMS deputy chief. He wasn't even assigned to a truck.

New York City EMS workers had a strong presence at this year's events. Ten of the 26 volunteer and career rescue squad members memorialized Saturday were victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In all, about 4,500 people attended this year's events - twice more than last year, said Sue Taylor, executive director of To The Rescue Museum. The service is held in Roanoke because the nation's first emergency medical service crew was founded here in 1928 by Julian Stanley Wise.

Friday, about 70 EMS workers arrived for the memorial service on bicycles after riding down from Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. Many cyclists came in honor of their colleagues who died in the twin towers.

A ceremony was also held to dedicate a bronze bust of James O. Page, a publisher, attorney and fire chief whose career in the fire services spans more than 40 years.

For the first time, a procession of bicycles and emergency vehicles rode seven miles through the city, beginning at the Hotel Roanoke and ending at Tanglewood Mall. They flashed their lights and sounded their sirens along the route Saturday morning. Other rescue vehicles parked along the way stood at attention as the procession passed. Taylor said there were 70 bikes and 90 vehicles at the end.

Eddie Fulcher, 54, and his son, both with Bassett EMS, saluted the procession as it passed by.

"The biggest reason we are here is we like to remember those who lost their lives," Fulcher said. "This happens every day."

New York City EMS workers standing in front of the Tree of Life agreed. Tammy LaBarbera, 40, said that she used to show pictures of the memorial to students who were training to be EMS workers.

"It shows them that it's a dangerous job," she said. "And it shows them that this is a life long commitment to a very deep-rooted community and fellow emergency workers."

LaBarbera took time out of her vacation to ride to Roanoke on a bicycle. She said she hopes to raise awareness about EMS, which she said often isn't as recognized as the fire department for the dangerous work it does in saving lives.

New York City paramedic Michael Talletti stood at the intersection of Third Street and Church Avenue Saturday night trying to find the annual memorial service.

Talletti attended last year's service, but the venue changed from Greene Memorial United Methodist Church to nearby First Baptist Church in downtown Roanoke to accommodate the roughly 2,200 people who attended this year's service.

That's about three times as many people as usual, according to Kevin Agard, public information officer for the event.

Talletti attended last year's service because his partner of six years, Barbara Poppo, was one of the fallen EMS workers honored.

While the events of Sept. 11 brought national attention to the sacrifices of Fire and EMS workers, Talletti said he plans to return next year even if there isn't another terrorist attack.

There will be fallen comrades to honor and friends and family who need support like he did last year, he said.

Ann Harris from Winder, Ga., came to the memorial service to remember her brother, John Steed, who died in 1983 at age 32 when a tractor-trailer hit his ambulance.

Harris said she will talk about this memorial service at the banquet in her hometown that annually presents an EMS worker an achievement award named for her brother.

Steed's mother, May Steed, 82, summed up the service. "It's a sorrow and a joy to be remembered like this," she said.

Staff writer Greg Esposito contributed to this story.

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