By Stephanie K. Whalen
The Delaware County Times
BROOKHAVEN, Pa. — Locked in a glass case at Brookhaven Fire Co., all that remains of Christopher Kangas’ junior firefighting career are some plaques, a teddy bear and roses, his gear, helmet and a pack of Wrigley’s gum his mother said he always chewed.
Julie Amber-Messick, Kangas’ mother, had hoped that her son would be recognized on a grander scale: on the National Firefighters’ Memorial in Maryland, along with countless others who lost their lives “in the line of duty.”
But according to federal government standards, her late son is not considered a “firefighter,” since he could not physically enter buildings and “fight fires,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Tuesday.
Full Story: Recognition denied for young firefighter Kangas