Calgary memorial ceremony honours metropolis’s fallen firefighters

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A whole lot of Calgarians paused in silence exterior Metropolis Corridor on Tuesday as a bell tolled 77 instances to acknowledge the variety of metropolis firefighters who’ve given their lives in service to the town.

The gang of round 300 included the households of fallen firefighters, Mayor Jyoti Gondek, metropolis councillors and round 150 present and retired firefighters.

The dad and mom of firefighter Derek Sharman, who died in Might 2021 at age 35, spoke at Tuesday’s ceremony — the primary time relations have addressed the annual gathering.

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“He was a person completely dedicated to being a firefighter,” Andy Sharman mentioned of his son.

“It was his ardour … his calling in life. It was all he ever needed. It was his purpose for being,” he advised the group, accompanied by his spouse Donna.

Derek Sharman was a 15-year veteran of the Calgary Fireplace Division and died whereas serving with Station 10.

“Once we misplaced him we misplaced what we had immediately, however we additionally misplaced all of the hopes and desires we had for tomorrow and all of our future along with him.

“We miss him each single day,” Sharman added, noting different households have tales identical to theirs.

“We’ve all misplaced a cherished one. All of us have a unending ache in our hearts. A vacant seat on the desk. An empty stocking at Christmas time. And an enormous empty gap in our lives.”

Majority of Calgary’s firefighter deaths the results of sicknesses

Calgary Fireplace Chief Steve Dongworth mentioned the annual ceremony is necessary to honour firefighters and their households whereas recognizing the necessity to cut back firefighting dangers.

“We’re always making an attempt to enhance our processes, the form of gear we provide to our individuals, the form of decontamination processes, their medical screening, the varieties of apparatus, the sorts of approaches we take to fires,” he mentioned.

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Of the 77 firefighter deaths in Calgary, 9 are thought of “traumatic.” 4 others died whereas preventing in World Struggle I. The remaining 63 deaths are thought of “presumptive” — the results of sicknesses comparable to most cancers that may manifest years later, Dongworth mentioned.

“There’s quite a lot of proof to recommend that firefighters are at increased threat of plenty of cancers,” Dongworth mentioned, noting elevated dangers comparable to smoke that’s extra dangerous immediately than when he started his profession.

‘We are going to all the time bear in mind them’

Just one title was added to the listing of fallen firefighters this yr — Billy Stewart, who died of a work-related sickness, mentioned Dongworth.

This follows final yr’s 12 firefighter deaths, which Dongworth referred to as a “freak yr,” with 5 to 6 deaths being on the excessive finish for the annual tally.

Dongworth didn’t attribute the decline to any improved measures, and mentioned he expects extra within the coming months, noting many retired Calgary firefighters are at increased threat, having began their careers earlier than security precautions got here into impact.

The annual firefighter memorial occurs on the second Tuesday of September, with different main memorials in proximity. A nationwide ceremony was held in Ottawa final weekend. The Worldwide Affiliation of Firefighters will maintain its annual memorial in Colorado Springs in about 10 days’ time.

“As we replicate on these Calgary firefighters whose days numbered far fewer than they deserved, we bear in mind their tales,” Dongworth mentioned. “We stand shoulder to shoulder to recollect not solely how they died, however how they lived.

“We are going to all the time bear in mind them. We are going to always remember.”

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