PULSE Magazine | September 2018 Issue

By Amanda Baker, Captain

The Austin-Travis County EMS Honor Guard was founded in 2003. Paramedic TJ Callis was motivated to create an Honor Guard after witnessing the honors extended to his brother, a Corpus Christi firefighter tragically killed in a vehicle accident. The department supported the establishment of the Honor Guard, though initial equip- ment expenses were the responsibility of the members. The initial 12 members were dedicated to the cause and were willing to do whatever it took to form the unit. Their commitment and necessity would be realized sooner than they imagined. Only months after the Honor Guard’s inception, the Austin-Travis County EMS family lost one of their own. Paramedic Mike Becker, knowing he was losing his battle with cancer, asked the Honor Guard to perform his funeral services upon his death. The Honor Guard performed remarkably under the most difficult of circumstances. This event helped justify and solidify the existence of the Honor Guard in the Austin/Travis County EMS system. In the years since, the ATCEMS Honor Guard has rendered honors at countless other memorial services, marched in several parades each year and recently has become the primary Honor Guard team to perform opening ceremonies at Circuit of the Americas. The unit has grown from the initial 12 dedicated members to a roster of 20 members. The Honor Guard also represents ATCEMS at State and National events. Each year, members of the team participate in the annual luncheon at the Texas EMS Conference where the opening of the luncheon serves as a memorial for Texas EMS providers who have lost their lives in the line of duty over the past year. Additionally Captain Mark Hawkins and Captain Geoff Winslow have also traveled to the Air Medical Memorial service in Colorado and also to the National EMS Memorial service in Washington D.C. Though the roster may have changed with time and the events the Honor Guard performs are often not memorials, the Honor Guard’s primary mission remains to honor our brothers and sisters in the public safety realm. The Honor Guard stands ready to answer the call and if requested to render honors, will remain with the fallen from the time requested until their interment. The Honor Guard also supports and guides the family through steps to be taken. The members of the Austin Travis County EMS Honor Guard demonstrate the utmost professionalism when called and serve with honor, compassion and dedication to the cause. The team’s motto inscribed on the team’s challenge coin sums up this calling, Sempiternus Honos et Respectus. Everlasting Honor and Respect. History and Mission of AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY EMS HONOR GUARD

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