Despite Emergency Medical Personnel in Missouri and Kansas working hard to bring the National EMS Memorial to the Heartland the decision was announced in mid-May that the memorial will be located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The goal of the project is to build a permanent, outdoor Tree of Life memorial to honor those EMS providers who have made the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives in the line of duty.  Each year on Memorial Day weekend families will be able to visit the national site to honor and remember those who have been lost.

Although Kansas City offered several benefits as an ideal location for the memorial, with very appropriate site selections, churches and other amenities, in the end certain intangible items won out for Colorado Springs, namely its small town feel and aesthetic beauty.  The location sits on a sloping hill near a lake with none other than Pike’s Peak directly in the background.

While there was never a guarantee the Missouri site would be selected, the local committee to bring the memorial to Kansas City must truly be commended for such a valiant and committed effort which exemplified the cohesiveness of all the EMS agencies in Missouri and Kansas.  The united effort from everyone was unprecedented and brought the EMS community closer together.

There are simply too many individuals and organizations in the overall region to thank.  But the committee is grateful for all the support for the project!