LCFA PRESIDENT STEVE ROY MESSAGE

On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of the Lancaster County Firemen’s Association, I welcome you to the dedication of the Lancaster County Emergency Services Memorial Park. The importance of this memorial cannot be overstated, especially for the families and friends of those who gave their lives in service to this community.

On this day when we remember those who gave all on September 11, we also commemorate the sacrifice of 43 Lancaster County first responders. This memorial will serve as a permanent reminder of the strength and dedication of those who chose a life of service, those who put others before themselves. With the recent completion of this memorial, the names of each of these heroes will not only be etched in our minds, but etched in these stones as well, forever recording their selfless acts.

This place of reverence will stand as a place of healing, not just when we gather each year, but each and every day. A place where family, friends and members of the community can always gather to remember those made such a difference in the lives others.

Whenever we are confronted with a line of duty death, two of the overwhelming feelings we face are how do we pay proper tribute to someone who makes the ultimate sacrifice, and what can we do to so this doesn’t have to happen again.

Firstly, I can think of no better tribute than where we are standing today. This most dignified and solemn place shall stand as a permanent marker in time, a place that reflects the dangers of our chosen vocation, while at the same time providing inspiration to continue serving all the members in our community in their time of greatest need.

For the second part, we have an immense responsibility to learn what caused the tragedies we have faced and dedicate ourselves education and vigilance to prevent their recurrence.

On June 13, 1981, the Wheatland & Bausman Fire Companies, West End Ambulance and Medic 1 from St. Joseph Hospital, were all dispatched to a report of a child who had fallen into an abandoned septic tank on Hamilton Road in Lancaster Township.

One by one, four rescuers went into the tank, only one made it out alive. Bruce Ditlow and Kevin Weatherlow from Medic 1 and Jeff Jones from the Bausman Fire Company were pulled out but sadly they perished and their names are listed on the memorial we dedicate today. The news of this tragedy was carried on the media world wide.

From this tragedy, incredible strides were made. In the months and years following, the lessons learned drastically changed how emergency services react to these situations. The term “confined space” became a regular part of our language.

All firefighters are now taught the dangers of confined space rescue from their very earliest training. Almost every fire training facility has confined space rescue simulators, there is extensive specialized equipment designed specifically to allow rescuers to operate safely in these environments.

These changes also impacted EMS and police departments. When an EMT student is taking his or her practical test, and they are given a scenario, the first response expected is simple, “Is the scene safe?”

Police departments throughout the country also have very strict prohibitions on entering hazardous environments. There is no doubt the lessons we learned from that day have saved many lives and will continue to do so.

It is critically important that we remain vigilant. From week to week, month to month, year to year and even generation to generation we must pay heed to the lessons we have learned. We must NEVER forget.

This past Monday, a Department of Public Works employee in Tarrytown, NY went down into a sewer behind the farmhouse to investigate a back up in the line and was quickly overcome. This man was also an experienced volunteer firefighter. Another volunteer firefighter went down the manhole in an attempt to rescue him. Neither survived.

It is our duty that each new generation of first responders learn the valuable and sometimes tragic lessons of those that went before them.

The last of many acts of heroism performed by the people you see memorialized here was to provide those of us who continue to serve a very clear teachable moment. It is up to us to make sure these lessons continue to be embraced and communicated with passion that never fades. June 13, 2011 will be the 30th anniversary of the incident on Hamilton Road. With the events of this week, we must be mindful that we cannot let up, not even for even a moment, in our quest to keep our brothers and sisters safe.

Please join us in the coming weeks, months, and years, whether it is in thought, prayer, action, or all three, in making sure we never have to add a 44th name to this memorial!

Thank you.