Hundreds of firefighters and their families gathered at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza outside the state Capitol on Sunday morning to honor and remember Arizona firefighters and paramedics who lost their lives in the line of duty.
People with bagpipes and drums cut through the crisp morning air with a rendition of “Scotland the Brave” as a large American flag hung from two fire ladders gently swayed in the breeze.
The annual event came as many fire personnel worked to contain numerous fires that erupted throughout Los Angeles, killing at least 16 people and destroying thousands of structures, as of Sunday afternoon.
Chaplain Raul Ochoa asked attendees to bow their heads as he opened a prayer.
“Lord, we come before you this morning to honor the men and women whose names are inscribed upon this wall,” Ochoa said. “But their names are also inscribed upon the hearts of their families, their brothers and sisters of the fire service and those that are serving at this moment throughout the state of Arizona.”
Dan Freiberg, president of the Professional Firefighters of Arizona who also serves as a captain paramedic with the Goodyear Fire Department, delivered an address acknowledging the deep ties rooted throughout the firefighting community.
“As we gather once again at the Arizona Firefighters Memorial, we are not simply colleagues,” Freiberg said. “We are a family — a family bound together by a shared commitment to serve, protect and — when necessary — to make the ultimate sacrifice.”
Freiberg highlighted that Kory Michael Yule, a Scottsdale fire captain who died on Jan. 7, 2024, while battling multiple myeloma, a form of bone cancer, would be added to the list of 167 Arizona firefighters and paramedics who died in service. Yule was 42 and had a 22-year-long career with Scottsdale Fire.
“Captain Yule’s dedication to his brother and sister firefighters and his unwavering commitment to the community he served will leave a lasting legacy,” Freiberg said. “His name will now forever be part of this memorial.”
After Freiberg’s address concluded, nearly a dozen members of the honor guard lined up to read off each name of the 167 who died in service dating back to 1902.
Each name was followed by the ringing of two bells, with the second bell being rung shortly after the first. The rings represented the bell that rang at the beginning of the day’s shift, the bell that rang after the fire was out and the firefighters had returned to their sleeping quarters and the bell that announced a firefighter had died in the line of duty.
Speaking with The Arizona Republic after all the names had been read and the ceremony concluded, Freiberg said such events were vital to demonstrate to emergency responders that they wouldn’t be forgotten should they fall in the line of duty.
“Every day our men and women on the streets — they go to work,” Freiberg said. “They leave their families, and they’re uncertain. There’s uncertainty around our occupation.”
Freiberg highlighted a cancer epidemic within the firefighting profession that has spiraled out of control for some time joining countless other dangers emergency response personnel can encounter on a day-to-day basis — whether it be a building collapsing or a combative patient.
“Unfortunately for firefighters, we’re getting ambushed,” Freiberg said. “We have threats all around us every day in places all around the state. (But) people put the uniform on. They show up to work and they’re proud to serve.”
Asked about the devastating fires that continue to burn in Southern California, Freiberg lauded the bravery of the men and women risking their lives to save what they can even when some had lost their own homes.
He also warned that should similar devastation be unleashed upon Arizona, local and state fire crews do not have the funding and infrastructure to combat fires on a similar scale as to what’s happening in California. Firefighters have the public’s support, by and large, Freiberg noted, but that alone would not be enough.
“We need more than thoughts,” Freiberg said. “We need more than prayers. We need funding. We need resources. We need equipment. We have fire districts in Arizona right now that can barely keep the lights on.”
Freiberg said he’s heard state lawmakers acknowledge financial woes afflicting fire personnel, but merely acknowledging a problem fell short of what was necessary.
“Nobody calls us and dials 911 and asks us to show up and recognize that they have a problem,” Freiberg said. “They call us to just show up and fix problems. That’s what we do, and I just wish we had that type of mentality, and it was more pervasive in Arizona — specifically with our friends and allies over at the Capitol.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Prayers for those fighting fires in California at annual AZ ceremony