Text Box: The Sedgwick County EMS Honor Guard was officially established on April 13, 2005 by a group of dedicated paramedics who wanted to ensure that the lives of fellow co-workers, paramedics and EMTs, as well as allied agency personnel would be properly memorialized in the event of an untimely death, on or off duty.   In a matter of years, our Honor Guard has grown from a fragile idea, to a strongly rooted, highly recognized part of not only our organization, but among the nation’s most recognized EMS specific Honor Guards.

 

Plaque Photo2.JPGSCEMS-logo.gif Sedgwick County EMS Honor Guard Est. 2005honor-guard-logo.gif

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Since the official organization of the SCEMS Honor Guard, in light of Lt. Finney's death, the Honor Guard wanted to ensure that the spirit of honor, reverence and respect would not be an afterthought of our organization. Since the inception, several members have worked together to describe the purpose of the Guard so that its mission is clear and perpetuated. The following are the five-fold purposes as outlined by the Sedgwick County EMS Honor Guard policies and procedures: 1.    The purpose of the Honor Guard is to represent Sedgwick County EMS in an effort to show our respect, gratitude, pride and integrity as a public service of the community. 2.    To honor and respect SCEMS employees, public servants and lay people by a showing of our service’s decorated, uniformed participants. 3.    To create unity among public services including the Fire Departments, Police Department, Sheriff Department, and other public service and public safety entities. 4.    To portray an image of discipline and professionalism and to teach non-Honor Guard personnel guidelines for conduct at uniformed events requiring such conduct (i.e. funerals, parades, special events, etc) 5.    To raise public awareness of EMS as a part of the services provided and dedicated to the interests of the community. Text Box: For several years, a few SCEMS paramedics had sought to create an Honor Guard to appropriately represent our service in honoring deceased friends and family. Unfortunately due to budget constraints, their efforts had been unsuccessful, leaving these few medics to attend funerals of fellow public service employees on their own, unofficially representing EMS. Early in 2005, Lieutenant Paramedic Jay Finney, employed at SCEMS for 8 years, died unexpectedly. While his death was not in the line of duty, it had a major impact on many medics as well as fire fighters, police and other community service members, not to mention friends and family. His funeral was highly attended as a sign of respect and honor to his memory and dedication. The Wichita Fire Department and Sedgwick County Fire Department were represented by their respective Honor Guards as well as the United States Marine Corps; although most of Sedgwick County's Paramedics were in attendance of the funeral, we did not have an official Honor Guard nor did we have any protocol for such an event. In light of this, several Paramedics began to reevaluate the need and possibility for an EMS Honor Guard. A few months later through the efforts of dedicated paramedics and the generosity of EMS administration, what before was only a considerate thought was now a reality. Text Box: About Us Text Box: A Message From The Director… Text Box: It is my honor to take a moment to exude to all how proud that I am and that Sedgwick County is of the SCEMS Honor Guard Unit.  The members of this elite group dedicate themselves everyday to the memory of fallen EMS professional both locally and across our great nation.  They are also a shining example for Sedgwick County EMS of the professionalism and dedication to our great profession and for the many dedicated and selfless paramedics and EMTs who go into our community every day to help a citizen in need.   I am proud of all that they represent and in their willingness to step forward and set a shining example for all to both see and follow.   Steven Cotter, MBA, NREMT-P Director     Steve Cotter.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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