National EMS Memorial Procession to Stop in Jackson on Saturday

JACKSON, Miss. — A solemn tribute is making its way across the nation, honoring the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others. The National EMS Memorial Service's annual procession will be in Jackson at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 20 at the State Capitol (2nd Floor Rotunda). The annual procession will make 32 stops in 24 states to remember 37 EMS professionals who died in the line of duty in 2025. Three Mississippi EMS professionals from the University of Mississippi Medical Center Air Care, who died in a medical helicopter accident on March 10, 2025, will be recognized as part of the tribute. They are Jakob Kindt, Dustin Pope and Carl Wesolowski.

The event marks one of the many stops along the 9,000-mile journey that began June 1 in Redding, Calif. and will culminate in Arlington, Va. on July 19 where fallen EMS providers will be honored as part of the National EMS Memorial Service and Weekend of Honor.

At the heart of the journey is a specially wrapped ambulance carrying the Tree of Life–this year's installment of the memorial bearing the names of those lost. Built by EMS volunteers, the Tree is transported with reverence and remains sealed until its unveiling at the national service. A replica Tree of Life will be on display at each stop, offering communities a space to pause, reflect, and honor lives of service.

These fallen heroes are not just names – they are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. They are the ones who leave their homes, families, and safety behind to answer the call, never knowing that their work would cost them their lives. Mississippi has lost at least 23 EMS professionals in the line of duty since 1989.

Mississippi has more than 5,000 licensed EMS professionals, including EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, flight medics and first responders that serve across all 82 counties.