Month: August 2018

Yadira Arroyo, 44, long-time resident of the Bronx, New York City, New York, died in the line-of-duty on March 16, 2017, while responding to a medical call.

Yadira and her partner, Monique Williams, received a report that someone was clinging to the rear of their ambulance. When she and her partner exited the vehicle to inspect the report, the individual jumped off and commandeered the vehicle. He then drove the vehicle in reverse and struck Yadira and her partner, fatally injuring Yadira.

Yadira was a 14-year veteran of the FDNY. She was beloved by her coworkers and her legacy lives on with those who looked to her as a matriarch of Station 26, also known as the Tin House.

Yadira’s ultimate sacrifice inspired Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics across the country to join forces in raising funds for the family she left behind and awareness for the dangers of the job. Yadira’s strength and impact lives on in her mother, Leida Rosado; her brother, Joel Rosado; and five sons, Kenneth, Jose, Isaiah, Edgar and Justin.

Gregory Wentzel, 51, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, died March 7, 2017, from a cardiac event a few hours after working a cardiac arrest in the line-of-duty.

Greg was a long time public servant with roots in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Hailing from a close-knit community with an enormous family creating a web of support, he could only have been poised for success.

Greg became an Eagle Scout with Troop 11 of the Boy Scouts of America. After graduating from Lebanon Catholic High School in 1985, Greg became a paramedic at the University of Kansas.

In 1986, Greg became one of the first paramedics serving Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

He served in multiple areas including First Aid and Safety Patrol in Lebanon as well as an agency in San Diego, California.

Greg was not just known for his service in Emergency Medical Services. He was both a supportive family man and avid outdoorsman. He loved to fish, camp, hike and bike with his family. He was also a skilled gardener and woodworker. He and his wife, Jen, were known in their community for rescuing huskies.

As a lifelong public servant, Greg will be sorely missed both in Lebanon and across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Michael “Mike” Collums, 54, died in the line-of-duty on February 21, 2017, after his ambulance was involved in a head-on collision with an 18-wheel semi-truck in Van Vleet, Mississippi.

Collums had served the EMS Community for more than 22 years. He also worked as the Safety Coordinator and in accounts receivable for Orman’s Welding in West Point. He was a member of Vibrant Church in Columbus, Mississippi.

His two greatest passions in life were his grandsons and his work in Emergency Medical Services.

The following is a live recording of the 2018 National EMS Memorial Service that took place at National Habor, Maryland on May 19, 2018.

Rose Scott died February 15, 2017, after she succumbed to a certified World Trade Center illness she sustained in the line-of-duty.

Rose developed cancer as a result of serving this Nation in response to the rescue and recovery of the thousands of Americans who fell at the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, New York, Tuesday, September 11, 2001, after four coordinated terrorist attacks on the United States.

Rose was a new Emergency Medical Technician on the morning of Sept 11, 2001, and retired years later due to the World Trade Center illness.

Rose was known for her strength, sense of humor and her helpfulness.