National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend
City of Summit
Eight members of the City of Summit Fire Department attended the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Maryland, on October 8 and 9, 2022, to honor the 148 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2021.
Thousands of fire department members from across the country were in attendance, including Summit Fire Chief Eric Evers, Deputy Chief Paul Imbimbo, Lieutenant Chris Dorko, Lieutenant Brian Harnois, Firefighter Chris Esposito, Firefighter Matthew Lemons, Retired Deputy Chief Rick DeGroot, and Retired Battalion Chief Joe Wurtzbacher from the Summit Fire Department. The department was one of six teams that helped to set up stages, tables, tents, and other equipment earlier in the week for the main event on October 8 and 9.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation invites the families of the honorees to attend the event and pays for their accommodations for the weekend. The event featured counseling sessions, family activities, and a candlelight service and vigil on Saturday, October 8. The memorial service was held on Sunday, October 9, during which the families of the honorees were presented with a flag and badge for their fallen firefighter. Each firefighter’s name is added to a plaque that is placed at the memorial located on the Foundation’s campus, where the memorial weekend takes place.
“The Summit Fire Department has been attending the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend for over 20 years,” explains Fire Chief Eric Evers. “We are honored to attend and be part of this special event to honor the fallen firefighters for their service and dedication to their communities. It is very inspiring to see how many other departments from around the country come to give their time and support to make this event happen. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is a truly wonderful organization, and we are happy to support them and this event each year.”
Visit firehero.org to learn more about the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the memorial weekend event. Visitcityofsummit.org/fire to learn more about the Summit Fire Department.
Photo by City of Summit
