National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Flags Moved to Half Staff

Release Date: September 11, 2005

This wreath of remembrance was placed at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial by members of the National Fire Academy Alumni Association on September 11, 2005.

Emmitsburg, MD-In remembrance of the firefighters who sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2001, the flags of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial were placed to half staff this morning, September 11, 2005.

"We will always remember these fallen firefighters," according to U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. "There are currently thousands of firefighters at work across the southern United States to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina, including members of the New York Fire Department. It continues to be our honor and our responsibility to also remember those men and women who died in service to the victims of the acts of terrorism just four short years ago."

Conceived as a tribute to America's fire service, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial is one of this country's most significant monuments to courage and unselfish service. Constructed in 1981 on the campus of the USFA's National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the Memorial was officially designated by Congress as the national Memorial to career and volunteer fallen firefighters in 1990. It continues as a symbol of honor for those who carry on the tradition of service to their communities. An eternal flame burns at the base of the cairn, representing the spirit of the firefighter-past, present, and future. A plaza in the shape of a Maltese Cross surrounds the Memorial Plaques acknowledging the names of over 2500 firefighters killed in service to their communities since 1981.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.