Firehouse.com News
Emmitsburg, MD - President George W. Bush will lead the nation in paying tribute to the firefighters who died in the line of duty last year. Mrs. Bush will join him at the 20th annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial service on October 7, at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD.
The outdoor service will begin at 10 a.m. EDT, on the site of the National Fallen Firefighters monument.
The names of 101 firefighters from 38 states and Puerto Rico will be added to the monument. Their families, co-workers and firefighters from across the nation will participate in the traditional ceremony and other activities that are part of the memorial weekend, including grief counseling seminars on Saturday.
This year's memorial service and a candlelight ceremony on Saturday evening will pay special tribute to the more than 300 New York City firefighters who were killed at the World Trade Center. Their names, and the names of others who died in the line of duty in 2001, will be inscribed on the monument at next year's ceremony.
"We are honored that the President and Mrs. Bush will join us at this year's ceremony," said Hal Bruno, chairman of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. "The memorial weekend not only pays tribute to the men and women who died protecting their communities, but also gives new strength to their families. We know from experience that our counseling and support programs help the survivors rebuild their lives and go forward to the future."
Sunday's program will start at 8:30 a.m., with a private service for the families in the Fallen Firefighters Chapel, followed by the public service at 10 a.m. Thousands are expected to attend and it will be televised national and broadcast live via satellite, enabling fire departments across the country to view the national tribute. Many will hold ceremonies of their own and observe a moment of silence at noon, followed by the sounding of sirens and tolling of bells.
"Each year we honor America's fire service heroes who gave their life in the line of duty to serve their communities," said Joe Allbaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It is with a heavy heart that we honor those who perished in 2000, and we take time to give special recognition to the more than 300 fire service heroes lost in battle from the Fire Department of New York on September 11.
"Every firefighter lost is a national tragedy, and we will continue to work with state and local governments in partnership to provide the resources and programs necessary to reduce the number of line of duty deaths and to work to comfort their loved ones who have been left behind."
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is responsible for the memorial and programs that provide counseling and support for the survivors of fallen firefighters. It also runs training programs to prepare fire departments to cope with line of duty deaths. The Foundation currently is assisting the Fire Department of New York in providing counseling and support services for the families of firefighters lost at the World Trade Center.
An average of 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year. The 98 men and three women being honored at this year's ceremony include 99 from last year and two from previous years. Since 1981, the names of 2,181 men and women have been inscribed on the monument.
For further information, contact the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at (301)447-1365 or visit our web site at www.firehero.org.
IMPORTANT NOTE: DUE TO INCREASED SECURITY ON THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY CAMPUS, ALL ATTENDEES MUST HAVE A PHOTO ID AND ARRIVE EARLY. PARKING FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL BE OFF-CAMPUS AND SHUTTLE BUSES WILL BRING PASSENGERS TO THE SITE. PLEASE CHECK THE WEB SITE FOR DETAILS ON OFF-CAMPUS PARKING.
