On Wednesday, May 5, the County of Los Angeles Fire Department hosted the 2010 Firefighters Memorial Service at the Los Angeles County Firefighters Memorial Wall at headuarters. Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman and Chief Deputy John B. Tripp, chairman of the Los Angeles County Firefighters Memorial Committee, co-hosted the service to pay tribute to four of our members who died in 2009 in the line of duty or from job-related illnesses.

The names of fallen Station Fire heroes Fire Captain Ted Hall and Fire Fighter Specialist Arnie Quinones, and those of Fire Fighter Specialists Tonya L. Burns and Richard Carr, who both died from job-related cancer, were all added.

Hall, Quinones, Burns and Carr were poignantly remembered at the ceremony with sometimes humorous stories of their lives, service to others and common love of firefighting. Chaplains Paul Rusin and Elvin Miranda read the names of all fallen members of the Department whose names appear on the Wall, dating back to 1929. More than 80 family members of these fallen heroes were in attendance, along with the Department’s Executive Team and seven active and retired members of our Chaplain Corps.

Special guests at the ceremony included Secretary Matt Cate of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Second District Board Deputy Randi Tahara and Los Angeles County Sheriff’ Department Commander Dave Fender.

The ceremony was capped off with a dramatic flyover of four of the Department’s helicopter fleet – one for each of the 2009 honored heroes!

From official County of Los Angeles Fire Department Website