September 21, 2009 –Thousands of family, friends and fire fighters from the United States
and Canada made their pilgrimage to Colorado Springs, Colorado, September 19 for
the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial observance honoring 122 fallen fire
fighters.
The crowd gathered to remember their loved ones and to take
comfort in the customs and traditions of the observance. The Honor Guard marched
to the rhythm of the music played by the pipes and drums, the American and
Canadian flags were raised and lowered, and the Last Alarm sounded.
IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger presided over the
memorial. He spoke of other observance traditions. “We recount stories of the
saves they made, the jokes they pulled, and how we -- their extended family --
are going to look out for the loved ones they left behind. We tell their
children and their children’s children that they didn’t just save people and
property, but that they reunited loved ones when disasters tried to rip them
apart.”
He continued, “We must never forget what our brothers and
sisters accomplished, the other lives they touched and the lives they changed.”
Photo by: Pueblo, CO Local 3 member Bob Falcone
Before
leaving the memorial site, Schaitberger laid the wreath in memory of the fallen.
Families received an IAFF memorial flag in remembrance of their loved one’s
sacrifice.
The mission of the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial is to honor
the sacrifice made by IAFF members who served as professional fire fighters and
emergency medical personnel and who gave their lives in the line of duty.
Since it was built in 1976, the names of 2,274 fallen IAFF
members have been engraved into the wall of honor. The organization also
provides assistance to surviving families and serves as a public reminder of the
risks fire fighters take every day. The memorial is maintained by members of
Colorado Springs Local 5.
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