Bagpipes, helicopters, and heartfelt tributes honor fallen Timber Mesa firefighter and EMT Damon Thompson

Hundreds of first responders and members of the public gathered Saturday to honor Timber Mesa firefighter and EMT Damon Thompson, who was killed earlier this month in the same head-on crash that took the life of Firefighter Paramedic Brenna Kulikowski. The Show Low community lined the streets as a procession escorted Thompsonโ€™s casket to the memorial service at Show Low High School. Among those paying their respect from the sidewalk was a former dispatcher named Kayla.

โ€œI dispatched for 6 years for the department and I unfortunately didnโ€™t get the pleasure of knowing these two, but, just a close place in my heart for both of them.โ€ Nancy Wilson also stood to watch the line of fire trucks from all over the state. โ€œWeโ€™re not a big town, weโ€™re not a tiny town, but weโ€™re not a big town but everybody bands together and supports each other,โ€ Wilson said. At the request of Thompsonโ€™s family, news cameras stayed outside of the memorial service. Five medivac helicopters flew over the ceremony before Thompsonโ€™s flag-draped casket was placed center stage.

KPNX-TV NBC 12 Mesa

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