Help us honor the 103 fallen firefighters by streaming the Tribute.
EMMITSBURG, Md. — On Sunday, October 4, at 10:00 am EDT, the lives of 82 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2019 and 21 firefighters who died in previous years will be remembered in the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s (NFFF) production of America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters. This 45-minute special will be available to watch on www.firehero.org and through the NFFF’s social media platforms.
In June, NFFF made the difficult decision to postpone the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial due to the challenges of planning a large, in-person event amidst the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a normal year, the events of the National Memorial take place in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the location of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.
“We could not risk the health and safety of Fire Hero Families, our staff, volunteers, and attendees by having our traditional Memorial Weekend,” said Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. “We encourage all of our Fire Hero Families, members of the fire service, and general public to join us Sunday.”
“America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters honors our fallen and is a reminder to our Fire Hero Families that they are never far from our hearts,” said Troy Markel, Chairman of the Board of the NFFF. “We very much look forward to welcoming our Fire Hero Families to Emmitsburg when it is safe again to do so.”
While the Tribute was developed with Fire Hero Families in mind, we encourage everyone to watch. We also invite you to take a moment to read our 2020 Roll of Honor, a collection of stories about our fire heroes, as submitted by their families, friends and fellow firefighters.
On the evening of October 3, there will be an Honor Guard standing watch at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial throughout the night until Sunday morning when the National Tribute begins. The Honor Guard can be seen by going to the NFFF Webcam at https://www.firehero.org/fallen-firefighters/memorial-park/live-cam/.
In addition, landmarks across the U.S., including buildings, bridges, fire stations, and homes will light up in “red” to honor America’s fallen firefighters as part of the Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters program. On October 4, America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters begins with bells ringing across the country in honor of our fallen firefighters through our Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters program. For more information on how you can take part in these programs, visit www.firehero.org.
We want to remind the public and the nations fire service, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial is closed to the public due to the restrictions related to COVID 19.
About the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)
The United States Congress created the NFFF to lead a nationwide effort to remember America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the non-profit foundation has developed and expanded programs to honor fallen fire heroes and assist their families and co-workers. The NFFF also works with the fire service to help prevent and reduce line-of-duty deaths and injuries. For more information on the Foundation and its programs, please contact us at 301-447-1365 or visit www.firehero.org.