VIDEO: Firefighters come from different walks of life and share a common purpose, which is serving the community. For some, the call to serve comes with a price.
โWe lose more than 100 firefighters in this country every year,โ Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian OโNeill explained. โOne of the biggest killers is actually cancer because of all the toxins we are exposed to in our careers.โ
The Louisville Firefighter Memorial is a reminder of the sacrifices they make to keep communities safe. โWe are just regular people. We are someoneโs brother, son, dad, or mom,โ Louisville Fire Department Captain Nick Groft said. โItโs nice that on a day like today that the public does remember that. We want to go home to someone every day.โ
The memorial is also a way to honor the lives and legacies of those who have died. โMy brother passed away in 2017 from occupational cancer. He is a lot of the reason why I am on this job,โ Captain Groft said. โI followed in his footsteps to get into the fire department.โ
