The West End Fire Company hosted a Fallen Firefighters Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday at Chestnuthill Township Park in Brodheadsville.

The ceremony was part of the nationwide Light the Night weekend event begun by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to honor military, fire, police and emergency responders who died while in service. Nearly 100 firefighters nationwide lost their lives in the line of duty in 2018. So far in 2019, 50 have died, including five from Pennsylvania.

The colors were presented by American Legion Post 927 from Gilbert and the West End Fire Company Honor Guard. After the invocation by Bill Campbell, chaplain of the Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company, the U.S. Honor Flag was presented by Brian Johnson of the United States Honor Flag Network, an organization that has brought a single flag over 7 million miles to over 1,000 events and funerals of fallen military, police, firefighter and first responders’ funerals.

Carl Gould, chairman of the Chestnuthill Township supervisors thanked West End Fire Department for holding the event. State Rep. Jack Rader, 176th District, said emergency responders are “the pride of their communities.”

Rich Nadeau, a Monroe County fire instructor, then spoke about the dangers faced by local responders, saying, “Dedicated responders never know if their next call will be their last.”

He said that in 2018 there were 85 deaths of responders nationwide, eight of them alone in Pennsylvania.

“As of yesterday, there were 41 more deaths, five of them in Pennsylvania, including two within the last two days.”

Dave Morton, Emergency and Disaster Services, Salvation Army, repeated the Fireman’s Prayer and said, “We in the Salvation Army are privileged to serve along with you.”

One of the services that the Salvation Army provides is the canteen, a food truck that supports emergency responders at accident scenes with coffee, sandwiches and emotional support.

State Sen. Mario Scavello, 40th District, said, “Firefighters are soldiers who bring life instead of death. He quoted Edward Croker, New York City fire chief from 1899-1913, who said, “I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even of supreme sacrifice.”

Scavello then thanked the mothers, sisters and wives of firefighters, adding, “If you think it’s tough being a firefighter, try to be a firefighter’s wife.”

Beau Pence of Warriors Watch Riders group of NEPA and Common Ground Motorcycle Club then presented challenge coins and patches made from the stars of retired U.S. flags to Chris Heisler, founder of the United States Honor Flag Network and his wife, Cynthia.

Pence said the experience of being in the procession that brought Kunkletown native Zachary Anthony’s remains back home after his death in a York City fire in March 2018 changed him.

“I met a man without meeting him. I regretted not being able to say ‘thank you’ to him.”

Supervisor Chris Eckert, a member of the West End Fire Company, read the list of names of the fallen.

Members of the West End, Jackson Township and Polk Township fire departments worked together to take down and fold the giant flag which had been flying over the park.