Emmitsburg, MD – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today that they will honor 106 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2003, along with three firefighters who died in earlier years. These brave men and women will be honored at the 23rd Annual Memorial Weekend to be held October 2-3, 2004. Most events will be held on the National Fire Academy campus, site of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
“Every time a firefighter loses his or her life in the line of duty, all of us should stop and acknowledge the sacrifice, the loss of one more true American hero,” declared NFFF Executive Director Chief Ron Siarnicki. “The Memorial Weekend is when our country pauses to remember what the brave men and women of our firefighting community do for all of us.”
The number of firefighters killed in the line of duty last year is slightly higher than the annual average of 100 firefighter fatalities per year. There were seven multiple fatality incidents which accounted for 20 deaths, or 19 percent of all 2003 fatalities. The state of Oregon suffered the nation’s greatest number of line-of-duty firefighter deaths (13) followed by the states of Pennsylvania and Texas (8 fatalities each).
“所有的消防队员作出了最后的牺牲in 2003 will be remembered for both their contribution and their loss,” said NFFF Chairman Hal Bruno. “We need to honor their memories by never forgetting them or those they left behind, and we do that by providing support to their families and friends.”
“最悲惨的责任之一USFA管理istrator is to participate in the remembrance of those firefighters who have given their lives in service to their communities,” said USFA Administrator R. David Paulison. “It is my sincere hope that the day will come when, regardless of the emergency, all firefighters go home safely.”
For more information on the 23rd Annual Memorial Weekend or the NFFF, visitwww.firehero.org.
