Dedication Held for Monument to Firefighters

A national monument etched with the names of 1,238 firefighters who have died in the line of duty since 1981 was dedicated Saturday at a ceremony that recounted the tales of fallen heroes.

President Bush signed legislation in August designating the 9-year-old monument at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg as the official national memorial to career and volunteer firefighters who died on the job.

“While many local communities and states honor their fallen heroes, this memorial stands as a lasting national tribute to those who have answered their last alarm,” said Olin L. Greene, administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration.

About 200 people, including state, local and national officials and firefighters from across the country, attended the ceremony held at the seven-foot-tall, pyramid-shaped limestone monument.

“In recent years, many people have bemoaned our country’s lack of national heroes,” said Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.), who shepherded legislation through Congress to get the memorial dedicated. “What they fail to realize is that we do have heroes in every fire hall across this land.”