2010 National Fallen Firefighters Candlelight and Memorial Services to be Broadcast Live October 2nd and 3rd

Emmitsburg, MD – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today that two of the major events taking place during the 2010 Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend (October 2-3, 2010) will be available live via both satellite and the Internet. This year over 50 Web sites will carry live the 29th annual observance which can be viewed worldwide. The 2010 live broadcast is in the public domain and can be recorded. Please see below for broadcast details. The NFFF and USFA encourage the nation’s fire service to alert local media outlets about the availability of the broadcast.

The 2010 Memorial Weekend will honor 105 firefighters. Eighty died in the line of duty in 2009 and 25 died in previous years. This number includes, for the first time in the history of the observance, 11 firefighters lost in service to military installations and operations both here and abroad.

The 2010 National Candlelight Service (live coverage begins at 6:45 pm Eastern Time, Saturday October 2) will feature musical selections by members of the fire service and survivors of fallen firefighters and a video tribute to the fallen firefighters. Families of fallen firefighters will light luminary candles for each firefighter. Luminaria decorated by the children attending Family Day will be displayed during the ceremony. As the ceremony closes, survivors of firefighters lost in service to their communities and military installations will light the remembrance candles, a symbol of the hope and enduring friendship shared by all who have lost a firefighter.

The 2010 Memorial Service (live coverage begins at 9:30 am Eastern Time, Sunday October 3) will remember America's firefighters who died in the line of duty. Thousands of people are expected to attend and celebrate the lives of the fallen firefighters. The ceremony will begin with an honor guard procession. Families receive from the President and fire service officials American flags that have flown over the United States Capitol and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The tribute will conclude with the unveiling of the Memorial plaque listing the names of the 2009 fallen firefighters and those honored from earlier years.

For complete broadcast information visit: www.firehero.org. There you will find both Internet and satellite instructions for the broadcast. All broadcast materials are in the public domain. If there are questions or problems with the connection, contact Jeff Elliott at 202-257-3035 at the USFA’s PREPnet studios. For further information regarding the activities of the 2010 NFFF Memorial Services, contact the USFA news desk at 301-447-3982 or 202-329-8102.

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

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