RICHMOND, Va. -- Firefighters, EMS workers, and their families gathered in Richmond's Byrd Park Thursday to honor those killed while serving the community.
"Today we are honoring the men and women that paid the ultimate sacrifice and their families," Richmond Fire Chief Melvin Carter said. "Unfortunately we will be here every year, because of the dangers of this profession but none the less rest assured, this profession will live on and the memories of those men and women will live on."
Forty-eight Richmond firefighters have died working in Richmond over the last 163 years.
Bill Gregory came to the memorial service to pay his respect to his uncle Capt. Granville Wyatt.
Wyatt died while running a call with the Richmond Fire Department in 1974.
"It was at the Coliseum. April 3, 1974, and he died April 11," Gregory said. "He died Easter Sunday and my birthday was that Monday.”
The Richmond Fire Department responds to over 30,000 calls for service each year, according to information posted on the department's website.
