FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       September 7, 2006

Release ESD-05-06

HONOLULU EMS CHIEF TO REPRESENT HAWAII

IN NEW YORK CITY

          Donnie Gates, assistant operations chief and a 40-year employee of the City’s Emergency Medical Services Division, has been selected to be one of two Hawaii representatives in New York’s Salute to First Responders.

          The event, hosted by New York Gov. George Pataki, will be held Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center.  Emergency medical service, police and fire personnel from across the nation are participating.

          “It is a privilege to be chosen for such an honor,” said Chief Gates, MICT. “Words cannot express my gratitude in being able to make this historic visit to New York to honor our fallen brothers and sisters.”

          Gov. Linda Lingle chose Gates and a Maui fire captain to represent Hawaii at the New York ceremony.

          Chief Gates was honored earlier this year by Mayor Mufi Hannemann for 40 years as a City employee.  He is the first and only mobile intensive care technician in  Hawaii to achieve this milestone.

          “We are proud that Chief Gates was chosen to represent Hawaii at this important national observance,” said Hannemann. “Donnie Gates is a most appropriate representative for the men and women who put themselves on the line every day to protect the health and safety of the public.”

          More than 400 emergency services personnel and first responders perished in the World Trade Center attacks.

          Mayor Hannemann will lead “Honolulu Remembers . . . Never Forget,” a solemn walk, on Sunday evening to mark the anniversary of the attack. The walk begins at the Honolulu Police Department’s Alapai Station at 6:30 p.m. Sunday and proceeds to the Honolulu Fire Department headquarters at Queen and South streets and the Prince Kuhio Federal Building and finally to Honolulu Hale. Brief ceremonies will be held at each stop. The public is invited to participate.

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Contact:

          Bryan Cheplic, HESD Public Information Officer, 831-4383