Remind me of calendar occasions
Workers within the firefighting industry are one such group that deserve recognition, responding to thousands of incidents every day with a speed and efficiency that saves countless lives and properties.
On December 2, 1998, a tragic event shook the Linton Community, Australia and the world. Firefighters in Linton - a populated region in Victoria- were fighting a large bush fire and called for mutual aid. This urgent mutual aid call brought the Geelong West Fire Brigade to the scene not knowing the despair and tragedy that was in store. Garry Vredeveldt, Chris Evans, Stuart Davidson, Jason Thomas, and Matthew Armstrong all loaded into company’s truck. They were part of a strike team and were being sent to help extinguish the flames. As the five headed into the hot zone, the wind suddenly switched direction, engulfing the truck in flames and killing all five members.
International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is observed on May 4. It was instituted after proposal emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999 due to the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a bushfire in Australia. May 4 used to be a traditional Firefighters’ Day in many European countries, because it is the day of Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters.
On this date you are invited to remember the past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all. At the same time, we can show our support and appreciation to the firefighters world wide who continue to protect us so well throughout the year.
In 2009, 90 lines of duty deaths were recorded amongst fire fighters in the United States of America.
“The role of a firefighter in today’s society – be it urban, rural, natural environment, volunteer, career, industrial, defence force, aviation, motor sport, or other is one of dedication, commitment and sacrifice – no matter what country we reside and work in. In the fire service we fight together against one common enemy – fire – no matter what country we come from, what uniform we wear or what language we speak.” – Lt JJ Edmondson (volunteer lieutenant and firefighter), 1999.
By proudly wearing and displaying blue and red ribbons pinned together or by participating in a memorial or recognition event, we can show our gratitude to firefighters everywhere.
Source: facebook.com | wikipedia.org | firefightersday.org
