Mackenzie Bodell
The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
(TNS)
Starting Thursday, families and friends of firefighters from around the world will meet in Colorado Springs for the annual Fallen Fire Fighter remembrance weekend, which dates back to the 1980s.
The weekend’s main event is the 10 a.m. Saturday remembrance ceremony at Memorial Park, where the International Association of Fire Fighters will add the names of 306 fallen firefighters from the United States and Canada to the Wall of Honor.
Each honoree’s name will be read aloud followed by the tolling of a bell, and the name etched on a granite wall beside those who fell before them.
For the first time since 2011, a former member of the Colorado Springs Fire Department will be one of the honorees.
Bobby Keese was a Colorado Springs Fire Department driver and engineer who died on Oct. 20, 2023, due to causes associated with his duties.
Keese joined Colorado Springs Fire in May 1993 and served 30 years with the department, 24 spent as a driver/engineer.
Colorado Springs firefighter Bobby Keese remembered for a life of service — on and off duty
Family, friends and members of the firefighting community gathered at New Life Church on Nov. 2 to honor and remember Colorado Springs firefighter Bobby Keese.
Because of rain in the forecast for Saturday, the memorial has been moved up an hour and will now start at 10 a.m. instead of the typical 11 a.m. The annual Honor Ride procession will start at approximately 9:15 a.m. near the Olympic & Paralympic Museum parking lot and end near Memorial Park around 9:30.
The Fire Fighter Memorial Wall is located at the northwest corner of Memorial Park, and the ceremony will be held outside. Sunscreen is recommended alongside drinking plenty of water as temperatures are projected to be in the mid-70s. An umbrella also is also encouraged with rain developing toward the afternoon.
Curt Crumb, president of IAFF Union Local 5, who is helping run the event, says he is expecting nearly 15,000 people to flock to Colorado Springs for the weekend’s events, with as many as 10,000 attending the ceremony on Saturday.
Crumb encourages those coming to the event to arrive early, because parking is limited and attendees probably will need to walk some distance to the ceremony.
For downtown travelers, Tejon Street between Colorado and Pikes Peak avenues will be closed Friday and Saturday night for the annual bagpipe parade that will start at 8 o’clock. Roads will be closed for the remainder of the evening, Crumb said.
Below is a schedule of events that are open to the public:
Friday
4-6:30 p.m. — Family and friends gathering at Weidner Field featuring food, live music and games.
8 p.m. — Massed Pipes and Drums Band parade will begin in front of Jack Quinn’s, 21 S. Tejon St.
Saturday
11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Memorial service scheduled at the Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial. After the ceremony, a shuttle will take attendees back to their hotels in 20-minute intervals.
8 p.m. — Massed Pipes and Drums Band parade begins in front of Jack Quinn’s, 21 S. Tejon St.
To learn more about this year’s scheduled events and ceremony, click or tap here.
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