Courtesy International Association of Fire Fighters

Speech by Harold A. Schaitberger, General PresidentInternational Association of Fire Fighters
Address at National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service Emmitsburg, Maryland

In the words of Albert Einstein, "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." Einstein made that statement in 1932, but his words are very appropriate today as we honor our fallen fire fighters here this morning.

Photo By Kevin Turner InterAct: Did you attend the service? Talk about it here More Coverage Inside Memorial Service Slide Show Memorial Service Slide Show #2 IAFF General President Schaitberger's Speech Dennis Smith's Speech Elsewhere on the Web NFFM: Fallen Firefighters Honored at National Memorial Service Frederick Post: Motorcyclists' Ride Frederick Post: Firefighters' Relatives Share Loss Frederick Post: New Memorial Unveiled Here Frederick Post: Hometown Hero Saluted in Ceremony WFAA: Fallen Firefighters Honored at National Service The Star: Shawnee department rings remembrance of fallen firefighters The HawkEye: Maryland memorial will recognize fallen Keokuk firefighters The Examiner: Firefighters honor fallen friends WCVB-TV: Fallen Firefighters Honored In Maryland KOAT-TV: New Mexican Firefighter Honored Related Links & Stories National Fallen Firefighters Memorial List of The 104 Firefighters Honored Honor Guard Units Participating in the 2000 Memorial Service Photo By Kevin Turner Memorial Chapel at the site of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD

These men and women lived their lives for others; they gave their lives for others; and they died doing something that truly mattered. All of you, the loved ones and friends of our fallen heroes, have suffered a tremendous personal loss. Your loved ones were taken away from you and from all of us before their time.

I realize that every one of you has been through a great deal. I can only imagine the grief, the emptiness, and the uncertainty that you must feel in your hearts. I want you to know that the 240,000 members of the International Association of Fire Fighters share your sorrow and we pay homage to you for the sacrifices you have made. But we also honor the courage... the service... and the dedication of these brave men and women.

As the spouses, the children, the parents, and the siblings of fire fighters, you are part of our fire fighting family. I hope you understand, like firefighters do, that risk and sometimes sacrifice are part of our profession. It has always been that way for fire fighters and it will always be that way, if we are to do the job society expects of us and we expect of ourselves.

The IAFF works diligently day in and day out to make the job safer for all fire fighters, but the deaths and the injuries still occur far too often. Ours is a proud profession, steeped in tradition, but it is also a profession that is too often plagued by tragedy.

We cannot expect those who are not part of our fire fighting family to understand why fire fighters do what they do. In a world where too many people are self-absorbed and more concerned about the stock market than the plight of others, fire fighters stand alone.

They are a special breed of individual who answer to a higher calling. And the fallen fire fighters we are remembering today epitomize the meaning of that special calling.

Take comfort in knowing that your loved ones did not die in vain. They accomplished more for mankind in their years on Earth than other people accomplish in a lifetime. Take solace in knowing that they were engaged in an endeavor that is a measure of human greatness. Take pride in knowing that they gave their all, they did their best, and they put the lives of others ahead of their own.

Winston Churchill once said that heroism is closely tied to responsibility. The fire fighters we are honoring here today didn’t shrink from their responsibility or the danger or the challenges they faced.

They were doing their jobs as they were trained to do them because there is no other way. In cities and towns across our nation, countless men, women, and children are alive and billions upon billions of dollars in property still stands because these fallen fire fighters and tens of thousands of their brothers and sisters did their jobs - and did them well.

Join us in celebrating the triumphs of your fallen heroes. And join us in memorializing the enormous contributions they made to their communities and to our nation.

We recognize that your lives are much poorer without your loved ones. We will never forget that - and we won’t let society forget that. We will make sure that their names and their memories live on in the hearts, minds, and souls of fire fighters for generations to come. That is our duty and our commitment to you.

But we also urge you to recognize that our world is much richer because these unselfish heroes walked among us and did their part to make this world a better place. Our fallen fire fighters have left us behind here on Earth, but I am sure they have a coveted place in heaven at the right hand of God.