Uniformed firefighters, family members and dignitaries from throughout California gathered Saturday to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect the lives and property of Californians.
Continuing a solemn and sobering autumn tradition, the California Firefighters Memorial added the names of 30 California firefighters who fell in the line of duty. Located in historic Capitol Park, adjoining the California State Capitol in Sacramento, the Memorial carries the names of more than 1,200 firefighters who died in service since California became a state in 1850.
“Today, we honor 30 firefighters who gave their lives in service to our state and their communities,” Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. said. “Their bravery, commitment and sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
Eighteen firefighters who died from traumatic injuries or job-related illnesses in the past 12 months were honored at the October 1, 2011 ceremony, as well as 12 others from earlier years that were brought to the California Fire Foundation’s attention in 2011.
Among the names added to the Memorial Saturday were San Francisco Lieutenant Vincent Perez and San Francisco Firefighter Anthony Valerio. Both men died battling a June 2, 2011 structure fire in San Francisco’s first multiple line-of-duty death in 60 years.
“The 30 individuals whose names we add to it today represent the best of our state and its people,” said Lou Paulson, Chair of the California Fire Foundation and President of California Professional Firefighters. “In adding their names to this proud Memorial, we pay tribute to their honor and sense of duty, and we commit to their loved ones that we will always remember what they gave for our state.”
Saturday’s Memorial ceremony also included a moving tribute by Vallejo firefighter Brett Smith, whose friend and colleague – Alameda City firefighter Scott Carnevale -- died earlier this year of job-related cancer.
“The men and women whose names are on this wall traded every tomorrow they would ever know to do a job most would not be able to do,” said Smith. “That is dedication. That is honorable. That is how we should remember them."
The centerpiece of the annual firefighters memorial ceremony is the presentation of flags to the families, friends and representatives of every one of the individuals being honored. The tribute also features a solemn uniformed firefighter procession and the traditional “Last Alarm” ceremony, in which a fire bell is rung to signify a fallen firefighter’s final call to duty.
Unveiled in April of 2002, the California Firefighters Memorial features two stunning statues and a dramatic Memorial Wall on which the names of 1,206 fallen firefighters are engraved. The Memorial was created without any state funding through private contributions to the California Fire Foundation. Most of the more than $2 million was raised to build and maintain the Memorial was raised directly from firefighters through the purchase of firefighter license plates and a state tax check-off.
The California Fire Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization created by California Professional Firefighters in 1987 whose mandate includes an array of public education and victim assistance projects. California Professional Firefighters (CPF) represents 30,000 career firefighters and paramedics. It has over 170 affiliated local unions, and is the State Council for the International Association of Fire Fighters.
CLICK HERE to see a list of the 30 individuals whose names are being added to the Firefighters Memorial
Source California Fire Foundation
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