Savannah, Chatham County area firefighters honor the fallen

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah’s historic fire bell rang 30 times Saturday morning to remember firefighters who have died in the line of duty or from cancer.

October 4 marked “Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day” in the city of Savannah and “Fallen Firefighters Memorial Week” in Chatham County. Firefighters, family members of those fallen, and local leaders gathered outside Savannah Fire Department Headquarters on Oglethorpe Ave. Saturday to mark the day with a ceremony remembering the 29 firefighters who have died serving Savannah, Chatham County or our surrounding communities. The names of those fallen are etched into a stone memorial next to the city’s historic fire alarm bell “Big Duke”.

Saturday’s ceremony featured city of Savannah Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Estrella Edward Shabazz, Chatham County Commission Chairman Chester Ellis, and city of Savannah City Manager Jay Melder. Savannah Interim Fire Chief William Handy welcomed everyone and SFD Chaplain Chris Menzies read each of the names on the memorial out loud as a firefighter rang the historic fire alarm bell. After the names of those who have died were read, a “last alarm” tolled from inside the fire station. The last alarm is a set of five bell strikes repeated four times. The tradition dates back to the time of the telegraph and signals the death of a firefighter in the line of duty.

Those honored at the memorial were:

• James Houston, Savannah Fire Dept., 1825
• John Butler, Savannah Fire Dept., 1865
• Charles Schreck, Savannah Fire Dept., 1871
• George Puder, Savannah Fire Dept., 1873
• William E. Harrold, Savannah Fire Dept., 1887
• John Weihrs, Savannah Fire Dept., 1889
• Henry B. Goodman, Savannah Fire Dept., 1889
• Frank McStay, Savannah Fire Dept., 1896
• Aug Whitman, Savannah Fire Dept., 1898
• William Michael, Savannah Fire Dept., 1898
• Michael F. Kain, Savannah Fire Dept., 1904
• Frank N. Harris, Savannah Fire Dept., 1905
• George Mouro, Savannah Fire Dept., 1906
• N.J. Eady, Savannah Fire Dept., 1906
• E.P. Daily, Savannah Fire Dept., 1906
• H.J. Larkin, Savannah Fire Dept., 1911
• Henry F. Corley, Savannah Fire Dept., 1912
• A.S. Christiansen, Savannah Fire Dept., 1921
• J.F. Smith, Savannah Fire Dept., 1935
• Jimmy Kavannoi, Savannah Fire Dept., 1935
• D.T. Ethridge, Savannah Fire Dept., 1937
• William L. Dufour, Savannah Fire Dept., 1924
• Thomas R. Dudley, Savannah Fire Dept., 1967
• Clifford K. Burton, HAAF Fire & Emergency Services, 1979
• Raymond Waters, Jr., Montgomery Fire/CFES, 1982
• Norman L. Simmons, Savannah Fire Dept., 1991
• Terry Nielsen, Bryan County Fire Department, 2010
• Michael W. Curry, Savannah Fire Dept., 2016
• Michael McFadden, Savannah Fire Dept., 2018

A single red rose was laid at the base of the memorial for each fallen firefighter. A white rose was placed at the memorial to honor those firefighters who have died from cancer, the leading cause of line of duty deaths among firefighters due to their exposure to smoke and burning materials, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.