JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Twenty-six Jacksonville firefighters who gave their lives serving the community were honored during a special ceremony Wednesday morning.
This year, the fire department added the 26th name, Engineer Heath O’Shea, on the wall of remembrance to be eternalized.
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The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue held the memorial ceremony at Fire Station 1 on Liberty Street.
Press play below to watch the full ceremony
The ceremony started with firefighters lining the sidewalk as a city bus transporting family and friends of those who died arrived. Their names were read aloud, followed by a symbolic ring of the memorial bell.
Engineer O’Shea died following a medical emergency while on duty this past April. Fire Chief Keith Powers said the loss is still very raw.
“It’s sad for Melanie and her family,” Powers said. “It’s an honor to put Heath on the wall, but it’s sad to see what they’re going through, the pain they’re still feeling, and they’re going to feel for a long time.”
O’Shea’s wife rang the bell in his memory and accepted the American flag. Moments later, the program continued with a 21-gun salute and a prayer.
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Terona Feacher understands this pain all too well. Her son, Engineer Michael Freeland, died when he suffered a brain aneurysm while on duty in 2021. Freeland’s name is now just above O’Shea’s on the memorial wall.
“My heart goes out to them because I know what this feels like,” Feacher said. “We are a family, we are a family of survivors. The beautiful thing about that is we will always remember the sacrifices that our loved ones made for us and for our community.”
As the department still copes with the death of O’Shea, Jacksonville firefighters are also mourning the loss of yet another brother.
Engineer Jason Woodruff died just three weeks ago from brain cancer. It is believed he contracted the disease while performing his duties as a firefighter. Chief Powers said Woodruff’s name will be added to the wall at next year’s ceremony. He said though the community’s support brings comfort, the loss of yet another firefighter cuts deeply.
“A third of our life we spend with our brother and sister firefighters,” Powers said. “And when you do that, you develop those close bonds, those close relationships. And when we lose somebody in the line of duty that hurts them, just like it would be losing a blood relative.”
Mayor Donna Deegan, families, friends and other fellow JFRD employees attended the ceremony to recognize the fallen firefighters.
“Firefighting is a call to serve. It is a sense of duty to keep neighbors safe from harm,” Deegan said.
Chief Powers said his department is strong to have a strong peer support system in place.
