Legislature hosted Fallen Firefighters Memorial March on Monday

Prince Rupert had a delegation of four firefighters from the 
Prince Rupert Fire/Rescue Department taking part in 
Monday's BC Fallen Firefighter Memorial march
(Photo from MLA Jennifer Rice's FB page)

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice has saluted the contingent of four Prince Rupert Fire fighters who travelled to Victoria for Monday's BC Fallen Firefighters Memorial March, the Prince Rupert group joining firefighters from across the province at the event.

Ms. Rice noted of the members of the Prince Rupert delegation which included James Danielle, Ryan Fuzi, Jordan Venditelli and Steve Fodor. 

The MLA's social media post also provides for some photos of the Monday march in Victoria.

Inside the Legislature on Monday, Skeena MLA Ellis Ross paid tribute to the firefighters with a statement in the House, the MLA noting of a delegation from his home base of Kitimat as having taken part in the Monday event.

The B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association is a non-profit organization that represents professional firefighters across British Columbia. Founded in 1919, the association advocates for their rights and working conditions as well as promoting public safety and awareness. 

Firefighters play a crucial role in protecting communities and ensuring public safety, responding to emergencies such as fires, floods and earthquakes and providing critical support and assistance to those in need. 

In B.C., firefighters face a particularly challenging task due to B.C.'s geography and the unpredictable nature of wildfires, which can have devastating effects in our communities, people and the environment. These fires can cause extensive damage to forest, homes and infrastructure. 

The Kitimat Firefighters Association, who is here with us today, is a non-profit organization that represents professional firefighters in the town of Kitimat, located in northern B.C. The association works to ensure firefighters have the necessary resources and support to respond to emergencies and protect our communities. 

As a small town and remote location, Kitimat faces unique challenges when it comes to emergency response. The Kitimat firefighters play a critical role in addressing these challenges, providing specialized training and support to its members and advocating for the needs of the communities, and not just their community but my community, as Kitimat does as well, whereas previous years, they came to our aid, which I am totally grateful for. 

The association's work in community outreach and education helps promote fire safety and prevention, highlighting the critical role that firefighters play in protecting communities and the environment. 

I was at the ceremony today in the backyard here at the memorial, and I think it's important to remind citizens of the incredible sacrifice that our front-line workers incur in their efforts to keep us safe. 

In the past four years, 48 firefighters didn't make it home. 

In their introductory speech today, it was referred to as the "empty spaces" that these women and men left behind, empty spaces in our communities and our families. 

On behalf of Skeena and my family, I extend my deepest condolences to those families whose members made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and trying to keep the rest of us safe.

You can view his presentation to the Chamber from the Video archive starting at 1:55 PM

You can lean more about the Memorial March, which is held every two years and review a list of the fallen from  the current period through this link.

More notes on the work of Emergency Responders across the Northwest can be explored here.