Fallen Firefighters Honored in Moving October 14 Ceremony in Sacramento

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM HONORS FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS AT THE CALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION ANNUAL FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL CEREMONY AND PROCESSION ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, IN SACRAMENTO

Statewide Leaders, Fallen Firefighter Families, a Uniformed Firefighter “Sea of Blue,” and Others Come Together to Honor Those Who Paid the Ultimate Price

SACRAMENTO, CA (October 14, 2023) – The California Fire Foundation (www.cafirefoundation.org), the California-based non-profit that assistsfamilies of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect, hosted its 2023 Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremonyand Procession on Saturday, October 14, 2023, in downtown Sacramento, California. This year, the names of 35 fallen firefighters from across California were added to the California Firefighters Memorial Wall to honor the memory of their heroism. Their names were etched alongside those of more than 1,500 California firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty since California became a state in 1850.

Over 800 guests attended the Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony held at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. Featured speakers included Governor Gavin Newsom, California Professional Firefighters President Brian K. Rice, and attendees included Attorney General of California Rob Bonta, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, among others. The Sacramento Philharmonic String Quartet played music for the event, and Dennis Rodriguez from the Los Angeles County Fire Department sang the National Anthem.  A formal presentation of the U.S. flag was made to the families of those whose names were added to the Memorial Wall.

After the Ceremony, nearly one thousand guests participated in a memorable procession to the Memorial Wall in Sacramento’s historic Capitol Park. The outdoor procession featured over a dozen firefighting apparatus lining 13^th Street, a “sea of blue” with hundreds of firefighters from across California, the Pipes and Drums of California Professional Firefighters, honor guards from dozens of fire departments, the families of fallen firefighters from across the state, and dignitaries.  The Memorial Ceremony was live streamed at the California Fire Foundation’s YouTube (@TheCafirefoundation) and Facebook (@CAFireFound) pages and at www.cafirefoundation.org/memorial.

How can residents continue to honor and celebrate firefighters? The California Fire Foundation has proclaimed October as California Firefighter Appreciation Month (FFAM) in concert with state legislature initiatives, and is continuing to celebrate local firefighters, honor the fallen, and prepare Californians for fire season throughout the month. Local businesses are raising money for the California Fire Foundation’s key educational, financial, and emotional support programs, including its SAVE CARD program (Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency), which provides fire victims $250 cash cards to buy necessities immediately after a fire or natural disaster, and its newly relaunched Firefighters on Your Side community preparedness PSA program.  The California Fire Foundation invites residents to prepare for wildfires and natural disasters at FirefightersOnYourSide.org and support its vital programs with a tax-deductible donation at CAFireFoundation.org.

Learn more about the California Fire Foundation’s Memorial Ceremony and essential programs for residents across California at CAFireFoundation.org HERE.