Blackshear Assistant Fire Chief Leon Davis will be honored at the 44th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend this weekend, May 3-4, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will host the event.
Davis will be honored as one of the 70 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2024 and 70 firefighters who died in previous years. Davis is one of three firefighters from Georgia being honored.
Davis, 69, died early Friday, September 27, 2024, after a tree fell on his truck while Hurricane Helene was tearing through our community.
“This weekend is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary courage and commitment of those who put their lives on the line to protect others,” said Troy Markel, Chair of the NFFF Board of Directors. “We come together not only to remember the fallen, but to stand in solidarity with their families and departments, letting them know their loved ones will never be forgotten. Two events are planned during the observance.
The National Fallen Firefighters Candlelight Service will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 3.
The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. May 4.
The NFFF will live stream both events on the NFFF’s website (firehero.org), You-Tube channel and Facebook page.
There are additional events during Memorial Weekend provided exclusively for the families and fire departments of honored firefighters. These include small group sessions and other activities throughout Friday and Saturday. The events are open to the families and coworkers of newly honored and previously honored firefighters.
Communities can also participate in the observances by participating in Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters. Citizens are asked to light their homes, businesses, landmarks or fire departments with red lights. Other ways to remember include Bells Across America, Sound the Sirens and by signing a virtual Remembrance Banner.
In addition, the American flag will be lowered to half-staff on all Federal buildings Sunday, May 4. The public is also encouraged to lower their American flags that day to recognize the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Memorial Weekend is supported by individual and corporate donors, a grant from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, and in partnership with the U.S. Fire Administration, a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
