2023 Calgary Fallen Firefighters Memorial

September 12, 2023 Calgary has lost 76 firefighters in the line of duty, nine during active firefighting and 63 due to illnesses related to firefighting, as well as four related to military service. To honour our city’s fallen firefighters, Mayor Jyoti Gondek, members of City Council, the Calgary Fire Fighters Association (Local 255) and citizens joined the Calgary Fire Department and families of the fallen at a ceremony remembering the Calgary firefighters who have given their lives in service to their community. Sadly, this year the Calgary Fire Department added twelve more names to the three-story monument called Walls of Memory/Lantern of Light located at the Police Officers and Firefighters Tribute Plaza, including: Captain Ervin Boettcher Senior Firefighter Derek M. Sharman Captain Leonard Maddison Captain Ted Stewart Captain Raymond D. Ross Captain Robert G. Yeats Captain John Wallebeck Captain R. Scott Bothwell Captain M. Wesley Carr Captain Troy E. Koch Captain Allan O. Little Captain Grant P. Shultz All died due to occupational illnesses. While The Calgary Fire Department's Memorial Wall has traditionally honoured those who made the ultimate sacrifice during active duty or training, this year all names of the fallen have been inscribed on the wall, including presumptive deaths (such as those caused by occupational illness and injury), as well as firefighters who were sent overseas during the First World War but never returned. This upgrade honours the broader range of sacrifices that Calgary firefighters have made and acknowledges the diverse range of challenges they encounter throughout their service. The Calgary Fire Department has made many changes to the culture around health and safety, and continues to modify its practices, all of which support making today’s firefighters safer from risk and illness.