United States national memorial
The
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
is a memorial to career and volunteer firefighters who died in the line of duty. Located in
Emmitsburg, Maryland
, it was conceived as a tribute to
American fire service
. The memorial was constructed in 1981 on the campus of the
National Fire Academy
, and was designated a
National Memorial
by the
United States Congress
in 1990. Plaques listing the names of firefighters encircle the plaza. When a firefighter dies on duty, local fire officials notify the
United States Fire Administration
and a notice is immediately posted on the memorial grounds. The flags over the memorial are flown at
half-staff
in honor of the fallen firefighter. If some criteria are met, the fallen firefighter is honored at the annual memorial service. The memorial is open to the public throughout the year.
On October 16, 2001, President
George W. Bush
approved legislation requiring the United States flag to be lowered to half-staff on all federal buildings to memorialize fallen firefighters. Public Law 107-51 requires this action to occur annually in conjunction with observance of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.
[1]
[
non-primary source needed
]
The dates of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend is now the first weekend in May as of 2023. A candlelight vigil service is held the night before the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. Both services are held at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. These services memorialize fallen firefighters from around the nation.
[2]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
39°41′42.05″N
77°19′32.78″W
/
39.6950139°N 77.3257722°W
/
39.6950139; -77.3257722