Hundreds of Fallen Firefighters, Officers Honored at Multiple Memorials

Several ceremonies and memorial projects across the United States and Canada are honoring firefighters and law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty or from service-related illnesses. In Conquest, Saskatchewan, the local fire department is placing steel markers at gravesites to honor past firefighters from multiple generations, with ongoing efforts to recognize more individuals. Rhode Island will hold a ceremony to recognize four airport firefighters who died from cancer and pulmonary diseases linked to firefighting foam chemicals, an issue previously overlooked. In Reno, Ohio, firefighter Dan Ritchey was posthumously honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial after a lengthy effort to recognize his death due to COVID-19 exposure as a line-of-duty death. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County held a memorial service to inscribe the names of five firefighters who died from various causes, including cancer and natural causes, onto their memorial wall. Additionally, San Diego honored nearly 100 fallen law enforcement officers at a ceremony, including new additions to their memorial wall, reflecting a broad commitment to remembering public safety personnel who sacrificed their lives.