AUSTIN, TX – On Wednesday, the State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas hosted a memorial service at the state Capitol to honor firefighters who died in the line of duty. The names of eight volunteer firefighters, who lost their lives while protecting or serving those in their community, were added to the Volunteer Firemen Monument.
“Firefighters are not heroes because they died, they are heroes because they lived to serve,” said Ben Kennedy, Chaplain of the State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas. “Never forget their legacy, their dedication and their service.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick attended the memorial service, thanking the firefighters and their families for their service and for keeping our families and communities safe. He emphasized his support for the families of fallen first responders, noting that one of his legislative priorities this session is Senate Bill 15, which would create a homestead tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a first responder killed in the line of duty, including spouses of previously deceased responders.
“Firefighters across Texas and the United States put their lives on the line each and every time they respond to an emergency,” said Chris Barron, SFFMA executive director. “We honored those responders who have given the ultimate sacrifice with the memorial service, however we also need to remember the responders of today and the sacrifices they make to protect our families and communities.”
Also in attendance were Sen. Brian Birdwell, Sen. Charles Perry, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Rep. Trent Ashby, Rep. Brooks Landgraf, Rep. John Raney, Rep. Ramon Romero.
The following fallen volunteer firefighters were added to Volunteer Firemen Monument:
Firefighter John Sanders, Snyder VFD, August 20, 1966
Firefighter Marcus King, Claude VFD, February 1, 1995
Firefighter Jared Wright, Claude VFD, February 1, 1995
Firefighter Larry O’Neil, Lone Camp VFD, October 25, 2015
Firefighter Richard Cano, Cy-Fair VFD, November 29, 2015
Firefighter Stacy Crawford, Navarro County ESD#1, December 19, 2015
Firefighter John Kendall Reynolds, Buffalo VFD, July 3, 2016
Captain Coby Slaughter, Wink VFD, September 7, 2016
The Volunteer Firemen Monument is one of the four oldest monuments on the capitol grounds. It was erected by the SFFMA in 1896. The original granite statue was replaced by the bronze statue and rededicated in 1905.
Organized in 1876, SFFMA is Texas’ oldest and largest fire and EMS association serving the fire, industrial and emergency medical responders of Texas, as well as international members. SFFMA has the support of over 1,200 fire departments, 21,000 individual members, 80 industrial fire brigades, and also numerous EMS and international departments. The association is extremely active in legislative efforts that affect emergency response services in Texas, and has been successful in getting legislation passed which supports fire and EMS first responders.
For more information about this event, contact Chris Barron, SFFMA executive director, at 512-633-4033 or via email at legislativeday@sffma.org.