Each October the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation sponsors a national tribute to honor firefighters who have passed serving in the line of duty during the previous year. Thousands attend the weekend activities which take place at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, offering family members and coworkers the chance to participate in special programs and ceremonies. 2018 will mark the 37th occurrence of this memorial event.
The Memorial Service takes place on Sunday, October 7th, 2018. Open to the public, it honors the lives of 80 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2017, along with 23 firefighters who died in previous years. Their names will be read as family members are presented with red roses, a personalized badge and American flags which have flown above the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the U.S. Capitol Dome. Bronze plaques bearing the names of the fallen are to be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial during the service which begins at 10:00 am (EST). These fallen heroes will also be remembered in a special Candlelight Service at the same location on Saturday, October 6th at 6:30 pm (EST). Source: Fire Hero website.
Both the Candlelight Service and the National Memorial Service will be available to view online via satellite broadcasts, web streaming, and on Facebook live. This is provided by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Please visit the Firehero.org website to see details about the live feeds.
Candlelight Service Broadcast: Saturday, October 6th from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm (EST)
Memorial Service Broadcast: Sunday, October 7th from 9:30 am until 12:00 pm (EST)
"Join a Nationwide Tribute for Fallen Firefighters: Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters"
Since the early days of the fire service, bells have been used as a way to summon firefighters to a station, communicate the type of emergency, or announce the end of a shift. When a firefighter died in the line of duty, a special sequence of five bells was tapped. The tolling of bells is still a tradition to honor the fallen during funerals and memorial services for firefighters. The public is invited to join in this national tradition and honor the memories of firefighters and to show support for their families. See more at Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters.
As the Memorial Service begins on Sunday, October 7th, the bells at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel will chime. Local remembrances can occur any time between October 5th and 7th, and can be a thoughtful moment of silence, a special reading, or tolling a ceremonial bell by members of the local fire department. Suggestions for tributes that others have used and additional materials are available at www.bellsacrossamerica.com. Looking on the interactive map I found one local observance on the Delmarva Peninsula listed.
Organization: Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company and the First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City.
Location: 1301 Philadelphia Avenue Ocean City, MD.
Did you know that the law requires the American flag be lowered in tribute on only a few days each year? Sunday, October 7th is one of these days. See more.
Show your support on social media with graphics honoring these heroes, available from the NFFF website.
About the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: The United States Congress created the NFFF to lead a nationwide effort to remember America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the tax-exempt, nonprofit Foundation has developed and expanded programs to honor fallen fire heroes and assist their families and coworkers. See more on their website and at the Facebook Page.
