Memorial Foundation Report – July 2022

Please take a moment to recognize the 61-firefighters which passed during 2021 and previous years for causes other than line-of-duty-deaths. They are listed in alphabetical order by department.

The LODD names recognized in our May 2022 service were included in the May-June article at least those finalized prior to the March 30th cut-off. There were several names involving COVID deaths that were not. There were 6-administrative determinations just released but pending one more step in finalizing of process. I hope we can provide a complete list to date by our next article. Brain Zinanni continues to work tirelessly through these extended and frequently extrapolated processes. Our apologies to those families which continue to wait due to a process outside of Foundation control.

Thank you to our candlelight speaker and Saturday night Chaplin Dr. Ronald Baker, former Foundation Board Member/Treasurer and our Sunday morning Keynote Speaker Fire Chief Donna Lake, Kansas City Missouri Fire Department. Both presented very good and inspiring messages. For those attending or watching the live stream on Sunday morning we were just able to complete the service and put everything away 5-minutes before the first rain drop arrived. Good thing we started 15-minutes early and with that said, my apologies to anyone arriving or joining the live stream having already started.

We are for the most part pleased with the 2022 revisions made on behalf of LODD family advocacy and process before and during both services. This continues as a work in progress for the next service. Also introduced for the first time was a new ceremonial all brass LODD bell which will only be used for LODD recognition. 

Brian arranged for a special stand that can be rolled or carried as needed. Perhaps it was additionally symbolic that the first official 3-rings were given to a previously missed line of duty name from 1908, Cornelius C. Crowley, St. Joseph, MO.

Hopefully most of you that are on Facebook have checked out and “liked” our new Facebook page titled Fire Fighter Memorial Foundation of Missouri and the website at ffam.org/memorial/ Please invite your friends to the page. Our description is “A place to honor and remember the service of Missouri Firefighters and reverently honor those who sacrificed their lives protecting Missouri citizens.”

We have a new online store which allows custom product shopping with your credit or debit card and direct to home shipping at any time vs. having to wait until fire school, convention or our May services. We now offer over a dozen different items plus hats and shirts, just two of the items with options on 6-8 colors, 2-4 logo options and full range of sizes. A challenge coin is also in the works. The online store is further detailed in the magazine, so check us out.