Oct 26
Busy Firefighters Pause to Remember Esperanza Tragedy
On the anniversary of the tragic Esperanza fire which took the lives of five of their comrades, firefighters observe a moment of silence at noon today.
Ironically engaged in battling their own firestorms, the living firefighters don't want to forget that it was a year ago to the day that the five team members lost their lives in the arson fire named "Esperanza." The name of that fire, of course is another irony in that "esperanza" is the Spanish word for "hope."
Here is the complete text of a message which is being read over the fire radio system and in group settings:
| Today, October 26, marks the one-year anniversary of the tragic events on the Esperanza incident. | |
| Five fellow crew members have left us . . . and we continue on . . . as the friends, co-workers and comrades. | |
| We are bound by a common thread as we share in this great loss. | |
| Today, let unity bring us together in a special way. Reflect on the moments in life when hope and appreciation serve as guides and change us for tomorrow. | |
| Now, please join together to respectfully observe a moment of silence in honor of fallen firefighters Mark Loutzenhiser, Jess McLean, Jason McKay, Daniel Hoover Najera and Pablo Cerda. | |
| (Pause) | |
| Thank you for joining us in this special moment. Always remember October 26, 2006. |
###