On Tuesday Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal, Jeff Atwater led a ribbon cutting ceremony which opened a permanent fallen firefighter memorial at the Florida State Capital Complex located in Tallahassee.
There was a crowd of 400 public leaders, fire service professionals, families of fallen firefighters and guests. The memorial pays tribute to fire service personnel who perished in the line of duty.Atwater said:
We will never feel the unbearable heat of flame that spares none, see someone’s home and belongings burning around us, nor hear the cracks and roars of an advancing fire and choose not to run away from it, but to run into it. But the 181 men and women whose names are etched into this memorial have lived – and died – so that we never had to know.
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Several family members and firefighter personnel gave tribute to their fallen loved ones at the event.
Andrew Keppler spoke about his father John Keppler who was a volunteer firefighter in Flagler County and lost his life in the line of duty in 2002. He said:
His heart was as big as he was. . . He loved his family and friends. Passionate about his craft, he was firemens’ fireman.
North Port Fire Rescue Firefighter Kevin Barnes emotionally spoke about his lost friend and colleague Lt. Jeffrey Newland. He said:
The bond between firefighters is unbreakable. . . I considered Lt. Newland more than a boss, but a friend and a brother.
The memorial is a permanent place for loved ones and the community to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to service and protect the lives of others. In total there are 181 names engraved into the memorial. They are the names of firefighters who gave his or her life in the last 130 years.
Everyone who wishes to visit the memorial are invited. It will remain illuminated and open to the public at all times.
You can get more information about the ribbon cutting ceremony and the memorial here.