A solemn long blue line of uniformed Edmonton Fire Rescue Services members marched to the stirring sounds of the Edmonton Firefighters Pipes and Drums Society
Published Sep 11, 2024 • Last updated 1 minute ago • 3 minute read
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Edmonton firefighters, their families and the community gathered Wednesday morning at the Edmonton Firefighters Memorial Plaza, over the foundations of the original fire hall in the Town of Strathcona, to acknowledge those for whom the bell tolls, local firefighters who have died in the past year and the first responders who died in the line of duty in the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy.
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Some 343 firefighters, 23 police officers and eight emergency medical technicians lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the U.S.
“It’s because of those losses we have chosen to honour our own fire service members, both active and retired, on this most revered day,” said emcee and firefighter Noel Bugnet, chairman of the Edmonton Firefighters Memorial Society, while addressing hundreds of Edmontonians.
With a chill of autumn in the air, the summer wildfire flames that hit Jasper were at the forefront.
Trisha Estabrooks, school board trustee for Edmonton Public Schools and federal NDP candidate for Edmonton Centre, noted the impulse to acknowledge passing fire trucks.
“We stop and we wave and we take a moment, because kids aspire to be firefighters, because we as a society admire that bravery, the courage that it takes to run towards the danger,” said Estabrooks.
“Firefighters truly epitomize the idea of service, of serving our community, protecting it, being there for people in their time of need. And we certainly saw that this summer in Jasper as all Canadians watched our beloved mountain town burn.
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“It was the stories of firefighters battling those sometimes impossible flames, working hard to save what they could and to help people that have stuck with me as an Edmontonian,” she said.
Firefighting duties have gotten more complicated, said Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
“Firefighters continue to face new and increasingly complex challenges with the escalating of the opioid crisis and extreme wildfire seasons,” he said.
“Many members have also stepped up to support communities in other parts of the province and country. More recently, Edmonton firefighters helped fight the blaze (in) the Jasper region.”
Sohi said he honoured the memory of firefighters who have died.
“Although these heroes may no longer be with us, the legacy they leave behind has contributed to a safe and a vibrant city that we all proudly call home,” he said.
While family representatives rang a fire bell, flags were presented to the families of firefighters who died in the past year.
A solemn long blue line of uniformed Edmonton Fire Rescue Services members marched to the stirring sounds of the Edmonton Firefighters Pipes and Drums Society.
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Tucked into a silver and gold ceremonial mace carried by drum major Michael Adams was a tiny scroll bearing the names of firefighters who died in the line of duty.
“That way, we will always have our fallen, front and centre, proudly leading the parade,” Bugnet said.
He read aloud a list of Edmonton firefighters who have died in the line of duty in the last century, with numbers that have, overall, gotten higher over the past decade.
The Edmonton Fire Rescue Services gave three names of Edmonton firefighters lost in the line of duty honoured Wednesday — Retired Captain Max Kinney passed in December 2022 but was recognized as a line of duty death at this year’s ceremony. Retired District Chief Michael Finley and former firefighter Tim Lozinik passed in the last year and were recognized as line of duty deaths.
“We cannot begin to fully comprehend the depths of your pain. Your loved one’s sacrifices have left a void that words can never fill, but please know that their legacy lives on, not only in our hearts, but in the fire service they so valiantly represented,” said acting fire chief David Lazenby.
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“Let their sacrifice be a beacon that guides us, that reminds us of the importance of community and that instills in us, each of us, a renewed appreciation for the everyday heroes among us.”
A video of Wednesday’s ceremony can be viewed online on the Edmonton Firefighters Memorial Society YouTube page.
jcarmichael@postmedia.com
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