Fallen firefighters recognized during Lethbridge ceremony

“It is a solemn occasion, but it is also one that we remember and honour all of the fallen firefighters throughout North America that’ve given their lives in the line of duty over the last year,” says McKeown.

There have already been two Alberta firefighters who died this year. Morgan Kitchen, 24, of Calgary, died on August 3 while battling the wildfires in Jasper National Park. Aaron Brooks, 42, of Lethbridge, passed away on April 11 after several years of working as a college instructor.

McKeown says losses like these are even harder on him because of how recent they were.

@lethbridgenewsnow Lethbridge’s fallen first responders recognized on 23rd anniversary of 9/11. Learn more at LethbridgeNewsNow.com #YQL #LNN #Lethbridge #911 #Alberta #News ♬ original sound – Lethbridge News Now

LFES Honour Guard Commander Troy Hicks thought back to 9/11 and the impact it not only had on the world, but on himself personally.

He was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces at the time and was on the first rotation to Afghanistan shortly afterward.

“That day in 2001 also brought to limelight the perils of emergency services, of firefighting and police, that have helped to bring it into the public’s eye and into the professional eye to make [people] realize the amount of safety and the amount of equipment and training we need so we can do our jobs effectively,” says Hicks.

According to Hicks, the leading causes of death among firefighters are cancer and cardiac arrest, while collisions are what most frequently leads to traumatic deaths for firefighters.

He says fire departments across the world, including Lethbridge, have taken significant steps towards making the fire service as safe as it can be, and that this work will likely always continue.

The Fallen Firefighter Memorial Parade and Ceremony in Lethbridge, September 11, 2024. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

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by David Opinko / Nadia Kearl

Fallen firefighters recognized during Lethbridge ceremony

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