Original Sussex paramedic honored during virtual ride
Members of Sussex County’s Emergency Medical Services community came together Sept. 24 to honor one of their founding fathers.
Kirk Miller was one of 61 honorees in the 2020 National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, which celebrates the contributions of those in the EMS community who have died in the past year. Miller, 66, died in February 2019 after a long battle with an illness.
Miller was one of the original 10 members of Sussex County EMS. The founding group was dubbed the Golden 10.
Sussex County EMS Director Robert Murray fondly remembered working with Miller early in his career.
“I looked up to him when I was an EMT before I became a paramedic,” he said.
Murray said the Golden 10 paved the way for today’s crew.
“A lot of staff probably takes for granted some of the hard work they did,” he said. “The department we have today is a result of all the work they put into it.”
Sussex County paramedics responded to more than 26,000 calls last year. Murray said each call is handled with the same care passed down from the original members.
“If they didn’t do anything else, they taught us that you put caring ahead of medicine and it’s all going to work out,” he said.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the 2020 event was converted into a virtual ride. Lars Granholm, a board member with the National EMS Memorial Ride and paramedic district supervisor for Sussex County, said more than 300 people have participated in this year’s virtual ride, more than any other year. Riders have participated all over the country as well as in Canada, New Zealand and Germany.
“The purpose was the same,” he said. “It’s to get out and ride to remember all the EMS professionals that we have lost this past year.”
A short in-person ride was held Sept. 24 in Long Neck, as a group of six cyclists traveled about a half-mile from Mid-Sussex Rescue Squad to Sussex County EMS Station 106 on Indian Mission Road. Among those riding was Miller’s daughter Gabrielle Pollard.
Once the contingent reached the EMS station, a brief ceremony was held to honor all 61 professionals lost in 2019. Dog tags were presented to Pollard, her sister Marsha Webb, and their mother and Miller’s wife Dani.
In a typical year, the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride averages about 500 miles over seven days. Granholm said riders carry the dog tags with them the entire trip and usually present them to family members during or at the conclusion of the ride.
“It’s a token for their service and for what they meant to us in the profession,” he said. “Hopefully it brings a little closure to the family to know their service was not and will not be forgotten.”
