On Sunday, Toronto firefighters paid tribute to 21 of them who have died in the past few years in the line of duty or as a result of illness directly resulting from their work.
Firefighters gathered at Toronto Fire Services Station 334, 339 Queens Quay West, for a ceremony. The City will add the names of 21 firefighters to the Memorial Honor Roll, a black granite monument in HTO Park, adjacent to the fire station.
Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said the addition of names will be done heavy heart and the City remembers the professionalism of the firefighters who died.
May we never forget their courage, their compassion, or their servicedid he declare.
Mr Pegg told the crowd that firefighters continue to face daily dangers and dangers as they battle fires across the city.
In a city as vertical as Toronto, working at ground level is a reality often overlooked by our firefighters. Our teams regularly work hundreds of meters in the air or deep underground, which adds to the challenges we face every day.
Since 1848, a total of 319 firefighters have died in the line of duty, the city said in a news release Friday.
Toronto Mayor John Tory expressed his condolences and gratitude to the firefighters on behalf of the city’s residents.
Today we are here to pay tribute to the 21 people whose names have been added to the honor list, so the total number is 319said Mr. Tory.
Sacrifice is not only about people and their lives, but also their families, relatives and friends, he added.
Mr Tory said firefighters respond to 130,000 calls a year in the city.
I am proud of our firefightersdid he declare.
The following names, along with the date of their death, will be added to the monument’s honor roll:
Acting District Chief Brian GH Kirby, November 17, 1991.
Captain Gordon W. Crawford, April 30, 2019.
Fire William B. Gibson, Jan. 30, 2019.
Fire Edmond F. Lynch, May 15, 2019.
District Chief Paul Dzuba, September 12, 2019.
District Chief Herbert Hammond, Nov. 3, 2019.
District Chief James (Jim) Ritchie, Nov. 24, 2019.
District manager Karl Dieter Bertram, Dec. 20, 2019.
Captain Gregory A. Simerson, June 26, 2019.
District Chief Wayne Elford, January 16, 2020.
Firefighter Roger Martin, Feb. 21, 2020.
Captain Victor Patrick Kelly, April 25, 2020.
Firefighter Glenn Grieve, May 4, 2020.
Firefighter James Duffney, June 19, 2020.
Captain Gary Campbell, August 11, 2020.
Firefighter Robert A. Chalmers, Nov. 4, 2020.
Acting platoon leader Glenn Sherwood, Feb. 20, 2021.
Captain Johnnie Walker, June 14, 2021.
Captain Daniel Thompson, August 11, 2021.
Captain Martin Costoff, Aug. 17, 2021.
Firefighter Ted J. Szabunia, May 2, 2022.
Radio CanadaGerald Fillion
Source: Radio-Canada
