On Sunday, 112 names were added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD.
The names of 79 firefighters who died on duty in 2015 were unveiled on a new plaque. Thirty-three firefighters who died in previous years, including 24 who died from cancer at the World Trade Center, were honored for the first time during the 35th annual memorial service.
Sunday's memorial service marked the end of a long week for many families who attended the memorial weekend where survivors and fellow firefighters come to remember their heroes.
“Firefighter’s don’t become heroes because they died in the line of duty, they became heroes the day they signed up” said Dennis Compton, chairman of the board of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Compton. “You, their survivors, are heroes because you supported their desire to serve.”
“As survivors you can count on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s commitment to you,” Compton added. “We are here for you, to help you find courage and maintain your pride as you navigate this journey.”
“It’s so much more than fighting fires,” FEMA Director Craig Fugate said as he talked about rescue efforts from Hurricane Matthew that played out on television the night before.
Fugate complimented the efforts of the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation, saying “It’s a grateful nation that wants to honor your heroes that are now national heroes. We respond as teams and, somedays, we mourn as teams…” Fugate said.
Compton invited survivors to look at memorial plaques from other years and said that future visitors will be able to see the names of their loved ones on the newly dedicated 2015 memorial plaque.
“They will also think of you, their survivors” Compton.
Family members of each of the fallen were escorted through the memorial where they were given an American flag, a memorial badge and a red rose.
“This is an absolutely phenomenal event they put on,” said St. Paul, MN, Fire Captain Dennis Hall, who is also secretary of IAFF Local 21. “They do a great job taking care of the families and they take care of the firefighters so well. They do a great job making sure we all feel like we belong.”
Hall attended the memorial service with Fire Chief Tim Butler and the family of Shane Clifton, who passed away after collapsing at the fire station on Aug. 31, 2015.
“It was heart breaking,” Hall said of watching Clifton’s daughter, Elise, 9, receive the American flag Sunday morning. “Shane was a young guy with young kids. Just seeing Elise receive that flag was heartbreaking. It’s been a really long year since Shane passed away and it’s been a really long year for all of the firefighters in St. Paul and Shane’s family.”
Over the last month, Clifton’s family and fellow firefighters attended three memorial services where Clifton’s life was remembered. The first was the IAFF memorial service in Colorado Springs, CO, and then the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial in St. Paul.
“This weekend is the last time we’re going to celebrate Shane’s life in a real public way,” Hall said. “As firefighters, we’re going to celebrate Shane forever and that kind of hit me today. It’s pretty powerful. It’s very emotional when you see the big picture of Shane up on the screen and they read his name out loud…it’s very heartbreaking.”
