LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville firefighters gathered Tuesday morning to carry out a tradition to honor fallen firefighters. First, they met at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial at Jefferson Square Park. The wreath-laying ceremony was followed by a moment of silence. 

Louisville Fire Maj. Bobby Cooper said other departments usually join in. This year, because of the coronavirus, that was not the case.

“This monument commemorates their last alarm. Each of them were firefighters, but they were also people just like us with family and friends. They had hopes and dreams. All of which changed in an instant,” Louisville Fire Chief Greg Frederick said.

The group then moved to Louisville Fire Headquarters to hold a similar ceremony at a memorial honoring the 66 Louisville Fire Department firefighters who died in the line of duty since 1874. Each name carved into the stone serves as a reminder of the important job ahead every time these men and women suit up.

“It is also to remind us of their sacrifice, to encourage us to respect this profession, the dangers it presents, and the service we provide every day,” Chief Frederick said.

This ceremony comes on Fire Prevention Week, which is observed across the country to remember several devastating fires across the Midwest on a single day in 1881. 

“We are reminded that the preservation of life and property requires learning from the past and implementing public safeguards like fire safety education and fire code enforcement to reduce the risk of fire to our community,” Lt. Col. Brian Meurer said.

The department has several initiatives throughout the year aimed at fire prevention. For example, there are school visits to teach kids what they need to know. The department also goes out to check and install new smoke detectors if needed, free of charge. You can call 311 to have a fire prevention expert come check your home. 

Firefighters also have some tips as we approach the holiday season. Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association. You should never leave food unattended when cooking, keep anything that could catch fire away from the stovetop and have a kid-free zone around the hot surfaces.