THE CALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION HOSTS THE 2023 CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL CEREMONY AND PROCESSION ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 IN SACRAMENTO
Listen: Rick Martinez Executive Director, California Fire Foundation, Fire Chief Emeritus
To honor firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty, the California Fire Foundation is hosting its 2023 Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony and Procession on Saturday, October 14, 2023 in downtown Sacramento, California.
To kick off the ceremonial weekend, a traditional bagpiper will solemnly perform at the Memorial Wall at Capitol Park on Friday evening, October 13, at 6:00 PM. On Saturday, the public can view a memorable procession to the Memorial Wall in Sacramento’s historic Capitol Park from 4:30 – 5:30 PM. The outdoor procession will feature over a dozen firefighting apparatus lining 13th Street, a “sea of blue” with hundreds of firefighters from across California, the Pipes and Drums of California Professional Firefighters, honor guards from dozens of fire departments, the families of fallen firefighters from across the state, and dignitaries.
This year, the names of 35 fallen firefighters will be added to the California Firefighters Memorial Wall, to honor the memory of their heroism. Their names will be etched alongside those of more than 1,500 California firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty since California became a state in 1850.
Before the procession, the Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony will be held at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel, with over 800 guests. Featured speakers include Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Fire Foundation President Brian Rice, among others. A formal presentation of the U.S. flag will be presented to the families of those whose names are being added to the Memorial Wall.
The Memorial Ceremony will be livestreamed in high definition on YouTube @TheCafirefoundation and Facebook @CAFireFound. (details below) Learn more about the Memorial Ceremony at CAFireFoundation.org HERE.
WHO:
CEREMONY PARTICIPANTS AND DIGNITARIES:
o GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of California
o BRIAN K. RICE, President, California Professional Firefighters (Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, Retired)
o ROB BONTA, Attorney General of California
o TONY THURMOND, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
o DANIEL A. TERRY, President-Emeritus, California Professional Firefighters
o MIKE LOPEZ, Secretary-Treasurer, California Fire Foundation (CAL FIRE, Retired)
o DENNIS RODRIGUEZ, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Singing National Anthem
o KEVIN SNIDER, Senior Chaplain, Captain (Retired), Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District
o SACRAMENTO PHILHARMONIC STRING QUARTET
PROCESSION:
o “Sea of Blue” - hundreds of uniformed firefighters from across California (all regions of Southern California, Sacramento, San Francisco Bay, Central Valley, Sierra Nevada, North Coast)
o Families of fallen firefighters from across California
o Pipes and Drums of California Professional Firefighters
o Honor Guard personnel from throughout California