The 2015 IAFF firefighter memorial was held Saturday, Sept. 19 at Memorial Park. Thousands of people were there to pay tribute to firefighters across America and Canada. A newly renovated memorial was unveiled with the names of those who paid the ultimate price.
“This event here means everything to the firefighters,” President of Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 5, Justin Koch said. “It’s a place that we can go and reflect on the sacrifices that our brothers and sisters made while they were serving and protecting their communities and their names will always be etched on these walls for an eternity.”
The Wall of Honor represents 7,300 fallen firefighters from 1918 to present who lost their lives either in the line of duty or from sickness caused by their work.
“We get exposed to a lot of carcinogens and other by-products of that, that cause cancers, cause health problems for us later on in our lives,” said Koch.
Georgina Mora’s husband Armando passed away from cancer last year after serving the city of Santa Fe Springs, Calif. for 34 years.