Thousands to gather in Memorial Park to honor firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice in 2025

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Every year in the middle of September, firefighters and families of the fallen come to Memorial Park in Colorado Springs.

It's been that way since the mid-1980s. Back when Curt Crumb first got involved in the annual event, the crowd was around 50 or 60 people; this weekend it'll be close to 6,500.

"It's a tradition that we've built with the IAFF and our local [firefighters union] into what this is. And all the people that come in are a part of that as well," Crumb said.

Crumb is now the president of Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Local Five.

This year, 288 new names on the black granite walls are being honored. One of them is for a retired Colorado Springs Firefighter, Patrick Rogacki.

"I put two friends on the wall," Crumb said. "Now, I've put a family member on the wall. To honor their memory. And every family here that has lost someone.

We have families that have lost multiple family members. They have multiple family members on the wall. You have to be able to honor that. And then it drives home the consequences. What you have to think about when you've taken this on as an occupation or a job, it doesn't end."

The memorial will be livestreamed here.

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