IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony to be held Saturday in Memorial Park

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) will host a memorial ceremony to honor fire fighters who made the ultimate sacrifice this coming Saturday in Memorial Park in Colorado Springs.

According to the IAFF, this year's ceremony will honor the 469 fire fighters that were unable to be memorialized in person in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony honors all line of duty deaths and the memorial wall includes the names of those who died on the scene or succumbed to occupational illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and suicide, the IAFF said.

Prior to the upcoming ceremony the names of 8,652 fire fighters, dating back to 1918, have been added to the Memorial Wall of Honor, which is a series of polished granite stones at Memorial Park.

The ceremony will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. in Memorial Park in Colorado Springs.