VIDEO: The lives of EMS personnel who were killed in the line of duty were honored Tuesday morning. The Mississippi State Department of Health dedicated a memorial with the names of those lives that were lost, saving others.
Governor Tate Reeves and Mississippi State Department of Health Officer, Dr. Dan Edney, were in attendance along with the families of those who were honored and the EMS Honor Guard. In his speech, Governor Reeves shared the importance of honoring these lives. โToday we pause to remember those who are no longer with us, those who gave everything in service to others,โ Governor Reeves said. โEach of the names etched in this memorial represents a life of purpose, a life of service, and a life that mattered.โ
Dr. Edney emphasized that those who were honored died in the line of duty, saving Mississippians. โEvery one of our EMS professionals throughout the state puts themselves at risk every time they make a run in the ambulance, with the trucks, or wherever theyโre having to respond,โ Dr. Edney said. โThey truly are first responders, and they truly are heroes. They deserve this recognition.โ
Governor Reeves shared that there are more than 5,000 EMS professionals in the state of Mississippi. He said that these professionals respond to over half a million emergency calls a year. Not only did this ceremony honor those whose lives were lost, but it also honored their families.
Madison Martin is one of those family members. She is the daughter of Jim Spruill, and she shared what this ceremony means to her. โIt really means the world to me that these families and the loss of loved ones are being represented,โ Martin said. โTheir story and their actions need to be remembered every day. That this is what we do, this is what weโre doing; to go out and help your family, and seeing that being displayed here means so much to me.โ
Linda Ming is also a family member of those who were honored. She is the wife of Doug Ming, and she shared how this ceremony has impacted her. โItโs just wonderful to have him on there recognized with the memorial, and for all the men and women, actually, itโs very special for their families,โ Ming said. โItโs a great place to come to and see their names and know how impactful their family member was to the community.โ
The memorial lists 23 names of those EMS personnel who have lost their lives saving others. During the ceremony, the names of those on the memorial were called out, followed by a ringing of a bell, honoring their life and service. The event concluded with a reception that displayed the names and pictures of those honored, as well as a table of honor, to recognize and honor the EMS personnel who have lost their lives.
