PHOENIX — Firefighters from all across Arizona took the time to remember their fallen brothers and sisters outside the State Capitol building on Sunday.
It is a tradition that dates back decades, and this year, it is especially meaningful for the Scottsdale Fire Department after they lost one of their own to cancer.
“It feels like we lose a family member any time that we have a line-of-duty death,” said Phoenix Fire Captain Shaun Dubois.
“It is honestly one of the most rewarding things that I do,” said Phoenix Fire Honor Guardsman Al Quintana.
While Local 493 firefighters had their own ceremony, the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona put on the main event for departments statewide at Wesley Bolin Plaza.
Data shows 166 firefighters and paramedics have been killed in the line of duty in Arizona since 1902.
“To have somebody of such a great stature within our department pass, it really is changing our department,” said Scottsdale Fire Captain Tony Ambrosia.
For firefighters in Scottsdale, this year’s ceremony is hitting harder. One of their captains, Kory Yule, died one week ago after a battle with multiple myeloma, a cancer that has impacted more first responders after 9/11.
Yule had served more than 20 years at Scottsdale Fire.
“We lost a really good person, firefighter, captain, mentor and the list goes on and on. I could talk for 20 minutes about the accolades that Kory did for our department and for us personally,” said Ambrosia.
Those firefighters say this day is not just about mourning the loss. It is a day to celebrate the lives lived in the service of others.
