Lowered flags honor fallen firefighters

The American flag at all six Yuma Fire Department stations will be lowered Sunday to honor those who have died in the line of duty.

A plaque with the names of 103 firefighters who have died while on duty in 2008 will be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial located in Emmitsburg, Md. There were no firefighters from Yuma who have perished in the last year, Mike Erfert, YFD spokesman noted.

This year marks the 28th annual National Firefighters Memorial Service. It is held in conjunction with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Department Of Homeland Security. Commemorations are conducted both Oct. 3 and 4.

In addition, Erfert said the names of 19 firefighters who died in previous years will also be added. The plaques surrounding the memorial created in 1981 contain the names of more than 3,300 firefighters.

According to the NFFF's Web page, 36 states have seen line-of-duty deaths in 2008. Deaths resulted from numerous causes including emergency calls, training accidents, building collapses, diving tragedies, natural disaster responses, falls, burns and other incidents. Oregon and North Carolina had the most fatalities with nine each.

Erfert said the American flag is lowered only a few days each year. On Oct. 16, 2001, President Bush approved legislation requiring the American flag to be lowered to half-staff on all federal buildings to memorialize fallen firefighters. This action is required to occur annually in conjunction with observance of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.

---

William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.