California Firefighters Memorial

Last updated
The 17th Annual California Firefighter Memorial ceremony in September 2019.

The California Firefighters Memorial is a memorial located on the grounds of the California state capitol in Sacramento, California. It honors firefighters from California or who served in California and who died in line of duty or of other duty-related illness or injury. A memorial ceremony is held each year to honor firefighters who died in the line of duty. This ceremony is usually in late September. [1] It includes a limestone memorial wall and two bronze statues: "Fallen Brother" and "Holding the Line"; it was designed by the Jerde Partnership. [2] The memorial is in the Capitol Park between 13th and 14th Streets and is managed by the California State Capitol Museum. [3] A "California Firefighters Memorial Fund" was created which received proceeds from the California Motor Vehicles Department from sales of special vehicle license plates, under a program established by Section 18802 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. [4] [5] It also received donations designated for the Fund received by the California Franchise Tax Board in state income tax filings, [4] and from calendar sales. [6]

Contents

In 2015, sixteen firefighters' names were added to the Memorial. [7]

Tragedy prompts safety

The memorial honors Cal Fire firefighters and numerous others from various other municipal and wildland firefighting agencies, who have died from duty-related causes, some medical in nature, and others which occurred on-duty while directly engaged in an emergency incident. Typically these on-duty incident related deaths are analyzed and examined more closely than deaths from other medical reasons. Improvements in firefighting safety derived from case-studies of fatal firefighter incidents may be regarded as memorials, too. For example, flame resistant nomex clothing and upgraded training were required for Cal Fire employees after Steve Arrollado was burned in the Bell Valley fire. [8] The wildland fire shelter was mandated for all Cal Fire firefighters after the Spanish Ranch fire in 1979, and it was redesigned and improved after the disastrous South Canyon fire near Glenwood Springs, CO. in 1994. [9] The 1990 death of Kenneth Enslow prompted use of the "Look Up, Look Down" safety training program for Cal Fire employees. A variety of firefighting air tanker crashes eventually led to wider inspections and removing the oldest and most vulnerable large air tankers from the national wildland firefighting fleet.

Firefighter fatalities memorialized

Names included on the California Firefighter Foundation's memorial wall as part of the California State Capitol Museum, Sacramento, CA. can be found here. [10] Notable among these is James J. Kenney.

See also

Related Research Articles

Firefighter Rescuer trained to extinguish fires

A firefighter is a rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also animals from dangerous situations. Male firefighters are sometimes referred to as firemen.

Oakland firestorm of 1991 Suburban wildland-urban interface conflagration in California

The Oakland firestorm of 1991 was a large suburban wildland–urban interface conflagration that occurred on the hillsides of northern Oakland, California, and southeastern Berkeley over the weekend of October 19–20, 1991, before being brought under full control on October 23. The official name of this incident by Cal Fire is the Tunnel Fire. However, it is also commonly referred to as the Oakland Hills firestorm or the East Bay Hills fire. The fire ultimately killed 25 people and injured 150 others. The 1,520 acres destroyed included 2,843 single-family dwellings and 437 apartment and condominium units. The economic loss from the fire was estimated at $1.5 billion.

Firefighting Actions to protect people, animals, goods, lands, and other objects from fire

Firefighting is the act of attempting to prevent the spread of and extinguish significant unwanted fires in buildings, vehicles, and woodlands. A firefighter suppresses fires to protect lives, property and the environment.

California State Capitol Museum

The California State Capitol Museum consists of a museum in and grounds around the California State Capitol in Sacramento, California, United States. The building has been the home of the California State Legislature since 1869. The State Capitol Museum has been a property in the California State Parks system since 1982.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is a fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in California, United States. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsibility totaling 31 million acres, as well as the administration of the state's private and public forests. In addition, the department provides varied emergency services in 36 of the state's 58 counties via contracts with local governments. The department's director is Thom Porter, who was appointed by Governor of California Gavin Newsom.

Wildfire suppression Firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires

Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wild land areas require different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas. Working in conjunction with specially designed aerial firefighting aircraft, these wildfire-trained crews suppress flames, construct fire lines, and extinguish flames and areas of heat to protect resources and natural wilderness. Wildfire suppression also addresses the issues of the wildland–urban interface, where populated areas border with wild land areas.

<i>New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial</i> Memorial in Albany, New York, U.S.

The New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Albany, New York is dedicated to the New York firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Governor of New York George Pataki officially dedicated the memorial on October 5, 1998. It features a 54-foot (16 m) by 15-foot (4.6 m) gray granite wall, with 2,312 names permanently etched into the stone. In front of the wall stands a 10-foot (3.0 m) high dark bronze sculpture of two firefighters rescuing an injured colleague created by NY sculptor Robert Eccleston. The sculpture rests on a paved plaza with charcoal and red bricks forming a Maltese Cross. The Memorial stands on the northeast side of the Empire State Plaza in the park-like area bordered by Norway maples. It is easily accessible to the hundreds of thousand of visitors who travel to the New York State Capitol and Plaza each year.

747 Supertanker 2009 firefighting aircraft modification

The 747 Supertanker was one of several aerial firefighting airtankers derived from various Boeing 747 models. The aircraft were rated to carry up to 19,600 US gallons (74,000 L) of fire retardant or water. They were the largest aerial firefighting aircraft in the world.

2008 California wildfires

The 2008 California wildfire season was one of the most devastating since the turn of the 21st Century. While 6,255 fires occurred, about two-thirds as many as in 2007, the total area exceeded that of the previous years, far exceeding the total area of each year prior to 2007. Throughout the year, 1,593,690 acres (6,449.4 km2) of land were burned.

Wildfire suppression equipment and personnel is part of the science of fire fighting focusing on the use of specialized equipment, training and tactics to effectively control, surround and eventually extinguish a natural cover fire. There are several specially designed tools that through their function and user training, perform specialized tasks that are specific to natural cover firefighting. This is used together in conjunction with the general understanding of the behavior of fire to form a viable plan of attack.

Firefighting in the United States Firefighting

Firefighting in the United States dates back to the earliest European colonies in the Americas. Early firefighters were simply community members who would respond to neighborhood fires with buckets. The first dedicated volunteer fire brigade was established in 1736 in Philadelphia. These volunteer companies were often paid by insurance companies in return for protecting their clients.

Thirtymile Fire 2001 fire in the Okanogan National Forest, Washington state

The Thirtymile Fire was first reported on July 9, 2001 in the Okanogan National Forest, approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Winthrop, Washington, United States. The wildfire had been caused by an unattended campfire that spread rapidly in the hot and dry weather in the Pacific Northwest. Four firefighters were killed when the fire cut off their only escape route out of the narrow canyon.

Blackwater Fire of 1937 Fire in Shoshone National Forest

On August 18, 1937, a lightning strike started the Blackwater Fire in Shoshone National Forest, approximately 35 miles (56 km) west of Cody, Wyoming, United States. Fifteen firefighters were killed by the forest fire when a dry weather front caused the winds to suddenly increase and change direction. The fire quickly spread into dense forest, creating spot fires that trapped some of the firefighters in a firestorm. Nine firefighters died during the fire and six more died shortly thereafter from severe burns and respiratory complications. Another 38 firefighters were injured. The fire killed more professional wildland firefighters in the U.S. than any other in the 103 years between the Great Fire of 1910 and the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.

Yarnell Hill Fire 2013 wildfire in Arizona

The Yarnell Hill Fire was a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, ignited by dry lightning on June 28, 2013. On June 30, it overran and killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Just one of the hotshots on the crew survived—he was posted as a lookout on the fire and was not with the others when the fire overtook them. The Yarnell Hill Fire was one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires since the 1991 Oakland Hills fire, which killed 25 people, and the deadliest wildland fire for U.S. firefighters since the 1933 Griffith Park fire, which killed 29 "impromptu" civilian firefighters drafted on short notice to help battle that Los Angeles area fire.

2015 California wildfires

A total of 8,745 wildfires burned a total area of 893,362 acres (3,615 km2) in California during 2015.

2018 California wildfires An overview of major wildfires in California during the year 2018

The 2018 wildfire season was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season in California history. It was also the largest on record at the time, now second to the 2020 California wildfire season. In 2018, there were a total of 103 confirmed fatalities, 24,226 structures damaged or destroyed, and 8,527 fires burning 1,975,086 acres (799,289 ha), about 2% of the state's 100 million acres of land. Through the end of August 2018, Cal Fire alone spent $432 million on operations. The catastrophic Camp Fire alone killed at least 85 people, destroyed 18,804 buildings and caused $16.5 billion in property damage, while overall the fires resulted in at least $26.347 billion in property damage and firefighting costs, including $25.4 billion in property damage and $947 million in fire suppression costs.

Camp Fire (2018) 2018 wildfire in Butte County, California, US

The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history, and the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 in terms of insured losses.

California Conservation Camp Program

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) runs 44 conservation camps jointly with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The mission of the Conservation Camp program is to "support state, local and federal government agencies as they respond to emergencies such as fires, floods, and other natural or manmade disasters." Over 3,000 incarcerated people work at the conservation camps each year, including men, women, and juveniles, all of whom have volunteered for the program. All volunteers receive the same entry-level training as CAL FIRE's seasonal firefighters.

References

  1. ↑ "Application for submission of name to memorial wall" (PDF). California Fire Foundation. Retrieved 29 Apr 2016.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2016-04-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ "California Firefighters Memorial". Archived from the original on 2013-11-15. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
  4. 1 2 Statutes of California and Digests of Measures, Volume 6. J. Winchester. 1997. pp. 34, 250.
  5. ↑ "title". Orange Coast Magazine. November 2008.
  6. ↑ "California Farmer". California Farmer Publishing Company. September 16, 2005 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ "Gallery: 16 California firefighters honored at Memorial Ceremony in Sacramento". Merced Sun-Star.
  8. ↑ "Sacrifice Remembered". Signonsandiego.com. San Diego Union Tribune. 20 Aug 2004. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 18 Apr 2016.
  9. ↑ "The New Generation Fire Shelter" (PDF). National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 18 Apr 2016.
  10. ↑ "California Firefighters Memorial names". Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.