The Summit Fire Department will be participating in three upcoming events to honor fallen firefighters, held by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters, and Bells Across America.
This annual series of events honors firefighters who have died in the line of duty. The 2025 events will honor a total of 140 firefighters; 70 that lost their lives in 2024, and 70 that lost their lives in previous years.
Members of the Summit Fire Department have been attending the memorial weekend event in Emmitsburg, Maryland, since 2005, and plan to attend this year’s event on May 3 and 4. The foundation invites the families of the honorees to attend the event and pays for their accommodations for the weekend. The event features counseling sessions, family activities, a candlelight service and vigil, and a memorial service during which families are presented with a flag and badge for their fallen firefighter. Each firefighter’s name is added to a plaque that is placed at the memorial located on the foundation’s campus, where the memorial weekend takes place.
The Summit Fire Department will also participate in two additional events leading up to the memorial weekend. The firehouse at 281 Broad Street will be illuminated in red each evening from April 27 to May 4, as part of Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters. Businesses and individuals that are interested in participating at their own location/residence can visit firehero.org/light-the-night to sign up. As part of Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters, members of the Summit Fire Department will ring the fire bell located outside of the firehouse at 10AM on Sunday, May 4, to honor the fallen.
“We are very proud to support the foundation’s efforts each year to honor the fallen and their families,” explains Summit Fire Chief Eric Evers. “This year, seven members of our department will be attending the memorial weekend event and will play a critical role in event operations, helping to ensure a successful and meaningful weekend for all attendees. Combined with the Light the Night and Bells Across America events, we can help create a powerful tribute in recognition of the bravery and sacrifice of our fallen heroes.”
More information on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation memorial events is available at firehero.org. More information on the Summit Fire Department is available at cityofsummit.org/fire.