AFD Chief Filipe Hernandez and Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department president Jay Johnson salute after placing the wreath at the Fallen Firefighters memorial Oct. 10 at Ivy Hill Cemetery.
Alexandria firefighters were joined by city officials as the public gathered at Ivy Hill Cemetery Oct. 10 to honor its fallen fire and EMS personnel during the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony. Held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week, the event paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the line of duty and remembered department members who passed away in the past year.
“Today we are honoring all of those we have lost serving the community,” said Alexandria Fire Department Chief Filipe Hernandez. “This ceremony has a lot of meaning to those who participate. It’s always important to remember those from the past and also learn from what happened in the past to prevent those tragedies from occurring again.”
The ceremony, a tradition dating back to 1856, took place in front of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial
obelisk, a granite monument erected in memory of seven firefighters who perished in the Dowell China Shop Fire of 1855. This year also marked the 170th anniversary of that fire, adding historical weight to the proceedings.
Hernandez and Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department President Jay Johnson led the wreath-laying portion of the ceremony, saluting the memorial as the names of the fallen were read aloud during the Roll Call of the Fallen.
City officials stood alongside uniformed firefighters, retirees, and family members of the fallen as roses were placed in remembrance of those lost. Former AFD Chief Robert Dube was among those placing a wreath in remembrance of a fallen firefighter.
Honored firefighters lost in the line of duty or from line of duty related illness include Harry Moss (1975), Louis Farri (2002), Joseph Underwood (2010), Joshua Weissman (2012), Charles Davis (2018), Briant Atkins (2023), and Brian Hricik (2023). Recently deceased AFD members include Rebecca Bohn, Cecil Carr, Elizabeth Kirk, Deidre Marr, and Pamela Boggan.
Historian Catherine Weintraub delivered the keynote remarks followed by Chris Moss of Alexandria Pipes and Drums playing Amazing Grace.
The ceremony concluded with a moment of silence and the tolling of a ceremonial bell, a symbolic gesture marking the final call for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“It's great to see the camaraderie here of people participating in this event,” Hernandez said. “It's good to see familiar faces and I think it shows how special this ceremony is to everyone coming here.”