The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will host the 43rd National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend (Memorial Weekend) on May 4-5, 2024 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This year’s national tribute will honor 89 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and 137 firefighters who died in previous years. The honorees will include three lower Michigan firefighters. No U.P. firefighters died in the line of duty in 2023.
Firefighter Ronald Cassada, age 66, of the Ottawa Lake Whiteford Fire Department, died on 9/27/2021 due to complications of COVID-19.
Firefighter/Apparatus Operator Ricky Hill Jr., age 49, of the Flint Fire Department, collapsed at the scene of a structure fire on 2/25/23. He was pronounced deceased at the hospital due to a heart attack.