Unionized Emergency Medical Service workers paid tribute to their fallen comrades during National EMS Week in May by joining in ceremonies around New York City and as far away as Roanoke, Virginia.

“EMS Week brings the professionalism of our work to the attention of the public, who often don’t understand what we do, as well as honoring EMS workers who have made the supreme sacrifice while saving others,” said Donald Rothschild, president of Uniformed EMS Officers Local 3621.

The week culminated in Roanoke May 23 with the 11th annual National EMS Memorial Service. The EMS Memorial Foundation and the FDNY Counseling Services Unit sponsored buses to the service, and about 25 members of Local 3621 and Uniformed Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics Local 2507 participated.

Local 2507’s Andre Lahens, a 23-year veteran EMT who was killed on the job in April 2002, was among the 16 emergency personnel from eight states honored at the service. As he responded to an emergency call, a drunken motorist ran a stop sign and smashed into his ambulance. Lahens, who left behind a wife and four children, was inducted into the “To the Rescue Museum.” A candlelight vigil May 21 at the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Garden at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens also paid tribute to his memory.

On May 20, the city renamed a street in Queens after Carlos Lillo to honor the bravery of the Paramedic and 17-year member of Local 2507, who perished at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. “Both of these men made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their community,” said Patrick Pahnken, president of Local 2507.