| Editor’s note: Thousands of people descended on Emmitsburg, Md., in October for the Memorial Weekend. Among them was Chief Nazih M. Hazime, of the Dearborn, Mich., Fire Department, who explains here what the event meant to him. |
 AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson President Bush pays respect after laying a wreath at the service. |
By Nazih M. Hazime
Dearborn Fire Department Chief
The Memorial Weekend in Emittsburg was an experience of a lifetime. And in my role as a Firefighter Life Safety Initiative Regional Advocate, the event had an even bigger impact.
The first thing that struck me as I arrived was that the grounds of the academy were far different to what I’m accustomed to, the scores of students in the peaceful tranquility of open areas. Instead it was filled with fire apparatus, hundreds of firefighter families and dignitaries including President George W. Bush. Many faces filled with sadness.
What I witnessed was a “support” of grief from many fire service personnel for the many families with broken hearts. The entire time I spent there, one question kept coming to mind: why do we lose so many firefighters every year?
Because we will always support the families who lose loved ones, this event will go on forever. It was a weekend where the nation as a whole acknowledged firefighters who had died in the line of duty and their departments. Personally, I was overwhelmed mentally and exhausted physically. During President Bush’s acknowledgment of each family, I felt I needed to rest for a couple of minutes.
While I felt guilty as I watched others standing to attention, I found a bench where two women were sat. I parked myself between them and engaged in conversation. One woman told me she had recently lost her husband and the second explained that she had lost her husband nine years ago. She added that she was proud to say she has attended this event every year since her husband’s death.
Conversation with these two women was difficult for me. What could I possibly share with them to ease their loss? They asked me about my position as a chief and about my department. It was then I found my purpose for sitting there, and told them what our department is dong to keep our firefighters safe.
We immediately began to connect. It occurred to me how important it is to them that the fire service is taking a proactive approach to keeping firefighters safe. They clearly needed to hear that we do not accept firefighter deaths as a normal casualty of this business. Eventually, I excused myself and started to rise off the bench but they both stood up with me. Before I could say goodbye, I was embraced by each of them. What an emotional experience this was for me. I will never forget it.
The fire service is a proud organization. The priority of safety starts with its people. It is the responsibility of all firefighters and their families who support them to make safety the priority.
Related Article: Bush salutes firefighters killed in line of duty |