National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend Remembers 226 Firefighters, Seven From Illinois

EMMITSBURG, Md. – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will host the 43^rd National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend (Memorial Weekend) on May 4-5, 2024 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This year’s national tribute will honor 89 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and 137 firefighters who died in previous years. The honorees will include the following Illinois firefighters:

Fire Chief Bradley Liggett, age 55, of the City of Freeport, died on 1/8/2022 due to complications of COVID-19.

Fire Chief Larry Peasley, age 76, of the Maroa Countryside Fire Protection District responded to the fire station on 12/7/2022 for a call for mutual aid to assist the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department at a structure fire. He collapsed while changing into his gear and went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital where he remained until he died on 1/4/2023 due to a heart attack.

Firefighter/EMT Jermaine Pelt, age 49, of the Chicago Fire Department, responded to a multi-home fire on 4/4/2023. A mayday was called. He was rescued and immediately transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead due to smoke inhalation.

Firefighter/EMT Michael Pickering, age 45, of the Chicago Fire Department, died on 10/8/2021 due to complications of COVID-19.

Firefighter/EMT Andrew "Drew" Price, age 39, of the Chicago Fire Department, was on the roof of the mixed-use building opening holes for ventilation when he fell through a skylight shaft. A mayday was called and he was located immediately; however, firefighters had to open a wall to reach him. He was transported to the hospital where he died due to the injuries he sustained in the fall.

Lieutenant Jan Tchoryk, age 55, of the Chicago Fire Department, responded to a high-rise fire in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago on 4/5/23. He was climbing the stairs to the 25th floor when he collapsed on the 11th floor. He was immediately treated by crews on the scene and transported to the hospital where he died a short time later due to a heart attack.

Lieutenant Kevin Ward, age 58, of the Chicago Fire Department, responded to a fire at a single-family residence on 8/11/2023. While fighting the fire in the basement, he was critically injured. He was transported to the hospital where he died on 8/28/2023 as a result of the injuries he sustained in the fire.

Detailed information about each of the 226 firefighters being memorialized can be found on the 2024 Roll of Honor.

“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 NFFF CEO Victor Stagnaro. “We will always remember the bravery, commitment, and sacrifices of each of these 226 heroes—and their families.”

There are two eventsopen to the public at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park on the grounds of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) during Memorial Weekend.

• The National Fallen Firefighters Candlelight Service is on May 4 at 7:30 pm ET and will be hosted by Fire Captain Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department.
• The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service is on May 5 at 10:00 am ET and will be hosted by actor Jeremy Holm.

Fire service and government leaders are scheduled to address the thousands of attendees at the Memorial Service on Sunday, May 5. The NFFF will live stream both events on the NFFF’s website (firehero.org),YouTube channel, and Facebook page.

There are additional events during Memorial Weekend provided exclusively for the families and fire departments of honored firefighters. These include small group sessions and other activities throughout Friday and Saturday; they are open to the families and coworkers of newly honored and previously honored firefighters.

Schedule

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Candlelight Service

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm ET

Streaming begins at 7:00 pm ET

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Memorial Service

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET

Streaming begins at 9:30 am ET

The NFFF will provide live satellite feeds of both events. Technical support is being provided by VISTA Worldlink, Comcast Beltway, and INTELSAT. Satellite coordinates can be found at live.firehero.org. Images from the 2023 Memorial Weekend are here.

Location

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park

National Emergency Training Center (NETC)

16835 S. Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

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