16 California fallen firefighters to be honored at national memorial next month
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will host its annual Memorial Weekend next month, a yearly opportunity to remember and celebrate firefighters and emergency personnel who died in the line of duty.
Among the more than 200 firefighters to be honored are 16 who served in the state of California.
CAL FIRE and Los Angeles County accounts for the majority of those firefighters. Many died from complications of cancer, which was later deemed by the State of California to be a line-of-duty death.
The California firefighters to be honored next month are below:
Assistant Chief Joshua Bischof, 46, of CAL FIRE
Captain Timothy Rodriguez, age 44, of CAL FIRE
Pilot Tony Sousa, 55, of Air Shasta Rotor & Wing Inc.
Bischof, Rodriguez and Sousa died on Aug. 6, 2023, when two firefighting helicopters collided in Cabazon while fighting the Broadway Wildland Fire in Riverside County.
Firefighter Specialist Robert Brantley, 50, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Brantley died on Jan. 5, 2018, due to complications of cancer.
Firefighter Russell Fagan, 56, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Fagan died on Nov. 24, 2018, due to complications of cancer.
Capt. Brian Falk, 47, of the Kern County Fire Department
Falk died on July 14, 2022, from a heart attack suffered while working an overtime shift at Station 23 in Fellows. Falk had responded to a residential structure fire the previous morning.
Firefighter II Jacob Flores, 45, of CAL FIRE
Flores died on Jan. 14, 2022, due to complications of COVID-19.
Firefighter Joseph Gandara, 63, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Gandara died on Nov. 3, 2023, due to complications of cancer.
Firefighter II Daniel Geary, 38, of CAL FIRE
Geary died on July 5, 2018, due to complications of cancer.
Capt. Scott Gomes, 53, of CAL FIRE
Gomes died on Nov. 17, 2022, due to complications of liver and throat cancer.
Capt. William Lee Knott, 65, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Knott died on Nov. 29, 2019, due to complications of cancer.
Firefighter Specialist Samuel Neubauer, 47, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Neubauer died on March 2, 2020, due to complications of cancer.
Capt. Manuel Ramos, 62, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Ramos died on Sept. 8, 2019, due to complications of cancer.
Capt. Kenneth Renz, 58, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Renz died on April 29, 2023, due to complications of cancer.
Battalion Chief Mark Tolbert, 60, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Tolbert died on May 19, 2019, due to complications of cancer.
Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Valenta, 33, of the Vista Fire Department
Valenta died on April 25, 2021, due to complications of metastatic melanoma.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is a nonprofit organization originally established by Congress, which aims to honor those who have died in the line of duty while also providing resources and programs for their surviving colleagues and loved ones.
Images show a firefighter symbol at the 2023 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Maryland. (National Fallen Firefighters Association) Images show a large bell and plaque that honor fallen firefighters at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park on the grounds of the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. (National Fallen Firefighters Association) The National Fallen Firefighters Monument sits at the center of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park on the grounds of the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. (National Fallen Firefighters Association)
Each year, the organization hosts the national tribute to the firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year, which is attended by thousands annually.
“National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend is a time for our nation to pause and reflect on the heroic efforts and selfless service of the fallen firefighters we are paying tribute to this year,” said Victor Stagnaro, CEO of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “We will always remember the bravery, commitment, and sacrifices of each of these 226 heroes—and their families.”
This year marks the 43rd time the ceremony will be held. It takes place May 4-5 in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where the Foundation is headquartered.
The tribute will honor 89 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and 137 firefighters who died in previous years but have not yet been honored.
Detailed information about all of the firefighters being memorialized can be found on the organization’s 2024 Roll of Honor.
Public events will be streamed on Firehero.org, as well as on the organization’s social media pages.
On Saturday, a candlelight service will be held beginning at 4:30 p.m. Sunday will feature the morning Memorial Service beginning at 7 a.m. All times listed are in Pacific Time and streaming will begin 30 minute prior to the event.
For more information about the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, including information about attending, click here.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, firefighters are 9% more likely to develop cancer compared to the general public, and 14% more likely to die from it. Cancer is among the leading causes of firefighter deaths in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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