Source: United States Fire Administration

Overview

Since 1981, America has honored its fallen firefighters at an annual ceremony held on the National Fire Academy campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In 1990, Congress passed legislation making the Memorial site in Emmitsburg, Maryland the "official national memorial to volunteer and career firefighters who die in the line of duty." Over the years, fire service groups have voiced concern that the original criteria were too broad because they recognize "on-duty" instead of "line-of-duty" deaths. Early in 1997, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director James Lee Witt announced plans to transfer responsibility for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service and all related issues to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF.) The NFFF works in partnership with FEMA's United States Fire Administration (USFA) on the Memorial Service.

New Criteria

The NFFF sponsored a meeting on June 18, 1997, to formulate new criteria to determine eligibility for inclusion on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The participants, representing the major fire service organizations, unanimously agreed to adopt the new criteria for inclusion in the national tribute. The new criteria, retroactive to January 1, 1997, will include:

1. Firefighters who die in the line of duty shall be honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Line-of-duty deaths shall be determined by the following standards:

   (a) Deaths meeting the Department of Justice's Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) program guidelines, and those cases that appear to meet these guidelines whether or not PSOB has adjudicated the specific case prior to the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service; and

   (b) Deaths from injuries, heart attacks or illnesses directly attributable to a specific emergency incident or training activity.

2. While PSOB guidelines cover only public safety officers, the new NFFF criteria will also include private firefighters, such as those in an industrial brigade, provided the deaths meet the standards listed above.
3. Some specific cases will be excluded from consideration, such as deaths attributable to suicide, alcohol or substance abuse, and other gross abuses.

Review Process

Using the new criteria, the USFA will prepare a list of eligible firefighters, including information on the reasons for inclusion. The USFA will also prepare a list of individuals deemed ineligible, with an explanation for each situation. A three-person review panel will be appointed by the Chairman of the NFFF's Board of Directors. This panel will review the USFA list and recommend a final list to the Board of Directors.

Individuals may submit requests for reconsideration of eligibility or for consideration of names previously omitted. When necessary, the full Board will act on these requests at its Annual Meeting. The NFFF will add eligible firefighters' names at subsequent national tributes.

To report a fallen firefighter, please contact the USFA's Kathy Gerstner on (301) 447-1350.

For more information on the content of the new criteria, please contact the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation via e-mail at firehero@erols.com or correspond to P.O. Drawer 498, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727.