COLORADO SPRINGS — There are somber honors this weekend with 469 names added to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs
"Here honoring my father Vincent Edward Davis,” said Suzanne Smith from Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Thousands of people from across the United States and Canada have arrived for the ceremony.
"They've welcomed us, welcomed us with open arms,” said Smith, “There isn't enough they can't do for us, and they're so respectful.”
The ceremony honors IAFF firefighters who have died in the line of duty either during an incident or from complications caused by the job.
It also honors their families and colleagues.
:"This is about them. It's not about anything other than just showing them our gratitude for the sacrifices they've had to make,” said Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters, Local 5, President, Curt Crumb.
The ceremony this year is one of the largest ever. "This year it's about double the size of what we would normally see,” said Crumb. It is larger because ceremonies were postponed during the pandemic.
On the Friday before the official ceremony close to 2,000 IAFF members spent hours practicing for the event.
"I believe tomorrow there's going to be a flood, by virtue of all the tears that are going to be shed remembering the wonderful individuals lost due to death..and they were wonderful firefighters,” said Smith.
The Fallen Firefighter Memorial Ceremony is Saturday September 17, 2022. It begins at 11:00 a.m.
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