EMMITSBURG, Md. – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will host the 42nd National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend (Memorial Weekend) on May 6-7, 2023 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This year’s national tribute will honor 79 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2022 and 65 firefighters who died in previous years.

Each firefighter’s name will be inscribed on a bronze plaque and become a permanent part of the National Memorial in honor of their sacrifices. The honorees will include the following Oklahoma firefighters:

Firefighter April Partridge, age 56, of the Edgewater Park Volunteer Fire Department, responded to a wildfire on 3/20/22. During firefighting operations, she was separated from the crew and apparatus. She was discovered deceased on-scene by fellow firefighters.

Captain Jason Smith, age 43, of the Balko Fire Department, was burned on 4/5/2022, when the truck rolled over in a ditch while operating at the scene of the Beaver River Fire in Beaver County, OK. He was treated in the burn unit at the University Medical Center in Lubbock, TX. Captain Smith was released from hospital on 4/19/2022. He died on 5/8/2022 due to a pulmonary embolism, which was a complication from the injuries sustained in the accident.

Detailed information about the 144 firefighters being honored is included in the 2023 Roll of Honor.

Those not attending Memorial Weekend in person can also pay tribute to this year’s honored firefighters. The public can participate in Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters (May 4 – 7) by lighting their homes, businesses, landmarks, or fire departments with red lights. Other ways to remember these firefighters include Bells Across America, Sound the Sirens, and by signing the virtual Remembrance Banner.

In addition, the American flag will be lowered to half-staff on all Federal buildings on Sunday, May 7. The public is also encouraged to lower their American flags that day to recognize the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.