Update: National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend Events will Take Place on Campus

Editor's Note: The National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend events planned for May 2-3 will be held on the National Fire Academy campus, officials announced Monday afternoon. 

"We are grateful that we will be able to gather at the National Memorial to honor these heroes and stand with their families. There is no more meaningful place to recognize their sacrifices and ensure their legacies are never forgotten,” National Fallen Firefighters Foundation CEO Victor Stagnaro wrote in a statement.

In a letter also dated Monday, nearly two dozen U.S. Congressional representatives have requested the Department of Homeland Security make the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial open during the annual weekend events planned for May 2-3.

"As negotiations over Fiscal Year 2026 funding for DHS continue, we respectfully urge you to take all necessary actions to ensure that the USFA campus and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial remain open and fully accessible to the families attending this year's National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend on May 2–3, 2026, and for all years in the future," members of Congress wrote in the letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

"For the 204 firefighters being honored this year, representing 43 states, this is far more than a logistical concern.It represents an irreplaceable moment of remembrance for their families, friends, and colleagues many of whom may never again have the opportunity to gather at the Memorial where their loved one is permanently honored," they wrote.

"...The Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland, stands as the enduring expression of that promise,a place where names are etched in bronze, where families find solace, and where the country pauses to honor sacrifice. The firefighters we recognize this year died in service to others. Their families now carry that legacy forward. They should not be faced with additional uncertainty when traveling to the one place established to honor their loved ones on behalf of an entire grateful nation."

Merrimack, NH, Fire Rescue Lt. Chris Wyman, who lost his wife, Nashua, NH, Lt. Jessica, to occupational cancer, one of many survivors who contacted federal representatives.

Upon receiving notification, Wyman told Firehouse.com Monday: "I hope that Secretary Mullin does the right thing at the urging of Congress. This issue isn't a political fight. It's making sure we live up to the promises that were made --that our fallen and their legacies will never be forgotten and always honored."