September 21, 2009 –Thousands of family, friends and fire fighters from the United States and Canada made their pilgrimage to Colorado Springs, Colorado, September 19 for the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial observance honoring 122 fallen fire fighters.

The crowd gathered to remember their loved ones and to take comfort in the customs and traditions of the observance. The Honor Guard marched to the rhythm of the music played by the pipes and drums, the American and Canadian flags were raised and lowered, and the Last Alarm sounded.

IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger presided over the memorial. He spoke of other observance traditions. “We recount stories of the saves they made, the jokes they pulled, and how we -- their extended family -- are going to look out for the loved ones they left behind. We tell their children and their children’s children that they didn’t just save people and property, but that they reunited loved ones when disasters tried to rip them apart.”

He continued, “We must never forget what our brothers and sisters accomplished, the other lives they touched and the lives they changed.”

photo by: Pueblo, CO Local 3 member Bob Falcone

Before leaving the memorial site, Schaitberger laid the wreath in memory of the fallen. Families received an IAFF memorial flag in remembrance of their loved one’s sacrifice.

The mission of the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial is to honor the sacrifice made by IAFF members who served as professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel and who gave their lives in the line of duty.