Flying through Manhattan on his cycle, surrounded by dozens of his fellow paramedics and EMTs, Ed Moreland couldn't feel more free.  But he also knows that while on the job, many days it can feel like the walls are closing in.

        Moreland, chief of Western Berks Ambulance Association, will soon be embarking on a week-long fundraising ride in honor of emergency services workers who lost their lives in the line of duty or those who died from associated diseases or as a result of suicide.

        The East Coast route of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, which begins May 14 at the state house in Boston and ends in Washington DC, will cover more than 500 miles in seven days.

        Moreland, who lives in Pennsburg and has spent 25 years in the industry, said the event will raise vital money to assist EMTs, paramedics, pilots and flight nurses and paramedics and their families.

        "We ride to honor them," he said, noting each cyclist gets two dog tags from the race identifying the individual that person is riding for.  If the cyclist ever gets to meet that person's family, they give one dog tag back to them.  "You hear a lot about police officers who die in the line of duty, you hear a lot about firefighters who die in the line of duty, but you don't hear a lot about EMTs and paramedics.  I've been doing this for over 25 years, so it's very near and dear to my heart."

         Moreland said it's hoped the ride will also help spur some publicity for the EMS profession as a whole.  But a major goal is also to bring awareness to the fact that some people suffer from mental illness as a result of working the job. 

         "There's not necessarily a shortage of paramedics but the potential exists that we wouldn't have as many as we would like to serve the communities we live in," he said.  "So part of that is let's get some recognition of the EMS community.  The other is we can't unsee the things that we see.  And it's not just the EMS community, but it's the entire public safety community, they struggle with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)."

        Moreland said he first learned of the ride, which is now in its 16th year, several years ago when it came through Pennsylvania for the first time.  About five years ago he helped coordinate the event route through Berks County.  Two years ago, he took the plunge and decided to ride.  It was a big commitment for the father of three, who stopped smoking in 2012.

        "I quit about three years ago and I started biking the same day.  The first time I rode for two days was the first time I did any significant riding.  It was tough… I swore after that I'll never have that problem again.  I started cranking and bought two bikes in one year," Moreland said.

        Last year Moreland clocked 532 miles with more than 100 of his fellow EMS professionals and remembers the ride as exhilarating.

        "It was a little hilly in the front end but the last four days were great," he said.  "We had the opportunity to ride through Broadway, down Times Square.  They completely shut down traffic for the day.  There were 100 of us on bicycles zipping through Manhattan. We got a ferry ride on the FDNY fire boat from Manhattan to Staten Island. 

        "Going fast is fun.  My record is going about 48 miles an hour on a bicycle, which doesn't leave a whole lot of margin for error," he said, laughing.

        Moreland said Pennsylvania probably has the most participants in the East Coast ride.  The interest has helped to spur a vibrant area EMS cycling community on social media, where the group coordinates rides on the weekends for exercise and camaraderie.

        Some Canadian EMS workers have even joined the local contingent, Moreland said, and actually started their own version of the ride, which will see them ride from their capital of Ottawa to Washington DC, 1,000 miles, in 15 days later this year.

        "It spreads good will, lets us interact with other folks," Moreland noted.  "And it's fun."

        His family has also gotten in on the action.  His wife started cycling to get involved too, he said, and they follow Moreland on the ride through Facebook posts, where he tags notable locations and people along the way.

        He said he's looking forward to lining up at the starting line at the state house in Boston, where the group will be escorted through the city.  The first day they expect to log about 80 miles, with rest and a lunch stop on the way.  The route includes New Haven, CT, Princeton, NJ, Wilmington, DE, Dewey Beach, DE, and Annapolis, MD.  It will officially conclude in Arlington, Virginia the following Friday.

For more information on the East Coast route of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, visit www.muddyangels.com.  To support Moreland in his fundraising, visit https://www.gofundme.com/r6pj945w.