Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) honoured active and retired firefighters who have died in the last year on Friday. The Firefighters Memorial Plaza ceremony is held each year on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre, in which 343 members of the New York City Fire Department died. Friday marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11. It remains the single greatest loss of firefighters in history. EFRS, government officials and families paid tribute to local firefighters – retired, active members of line of duty deaths (LODD) from 2025-26. This year’s memorial honoured 21 EFRS members who died; one active member and 20 retirees. Of those retirees, five were designated as line of duty deaths. Fire chief David Lazenby said the turnout in rainy weather on Friday was a testament to the respect Edmontonians have for their first responders. “It’s to remember the tragedy in New York, and also serves as an opportunity to remember our fallen. It serves two purposes … It means they’re forever remembered. So often in some professions, people pass away, and they’re never spoken of again.” Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, who attended the ceremony, said the firefighting has only gotten “harder and harder” as synthetic materials mean longer burning and a growing city means increased demand. “A lot of the members that were lost in the line of duty in the last five or six years, it’s cancer, so there is a question about materials that are being used … And that shouldn’t be the case. We want everyone to have that opportunity to retire and enjoy their life after.” Both Knack and Lazenby say more work needs to be done advocating for occupation-related cancer and other exposure supports. “Our people have always highly trained, we’re always adapting and evolving … The incidents we’re responding to are changing, and we’re trying to adapt with that and use scientific research,” Lazenby said. “We’re looking at ways that we can keep our members as safe as possible in what is an inherently risky business.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
