MEMORIAL SERVICE HONORS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED LAST YEAR IN THE LINE OF DUTY
This year’s annual Fallen
Firefighter Memorial Service, held at the State Fire College in Ocala,
honored a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter who died last year in the line
of duty.
Wayne Mitchell, 37, was overcome by heat during a simulated shipboard fire
training at the Resolve Marine Fire School in Port Everglades, and died
while in transit to the hospital.
“His death, and the 126 others who have been memorialized, will not be
forgotten and will not be in vain,” said Chief Financial Officer and State
Fire Marshal Tom Gallagher. “We study every line-of-duty death to determine
how we can help firefighters avoid unnecessary risks in a job that is
already inherently dangerous. I know I speak for all Floridians when I say
that we are deeply grateful to these men and woman for answering the call to
serve and to their families for supporting them.”
Mitchell’s name will be added to the Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial,
located at the Florida State Fire College in Ocala. The memorial includes
the names of firefighters who died while on duty as far back as 1885.
His
name also will be added to the Fallen Firefighter Wall of Honor that
Gallagher unveiled the design for earlier this year. The Wall of Honor,
expected to go up next year, will be in Tallahassee in the Capitol.
The memorial service was hosted by
the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Florida Joint Council of Fire and
Emergency Service Organizations and concludes Fire Prevention Week.
Rand Napoli, Division Director of the State Fire Marshal's office, addresses the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service in Ocala on Saturday, October 9, 2004
The skyline for October is Daytona Beach,
photo courtesy of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.