Fallen firefighters honored at annual ceremony

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The sound of bagpipes and bells filled the air Sunday afternoon along the banks of the Scioto River in Downtown Columbus as the city’s Division of Fire held its annual firefighter memorial ceremony at the Fire Fighter Memorial Park and Eternal Flame.

"We take this day to honor all of our members that have passed away in the last year, whether they were on duty or even retirees,” Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Jeffrey Geitter said. “We take this moment to cherish the legacy they left us. We know some of these names and it really hits home. And so definitely, you know, some tears and eyes at times and, you know, just emotional for sure, but in a positive way.” 

The flame atop the four pillars burns for each firefighter past and present. 

"The spirit never dies, it is always inside of us,” Geitter said. “Every person that takes the oath to serve the citizens, it will always be there, even in retirement.” 

Watch: Columbus Fire holds firefighter memorial

A crowd of friends and family members of the firefighters who died in the last year filled the chairs in front of the flame. Their loved ones will now have their names added to the monument, remembering all they gave to the city of Columbus and its people. 

Sharleen Stanley came to Sunday's ceremony to honor friends of her father, who was a CFD firefighter for decades.  

"My dad was a Columbus firefighter before I was even born, so I was born into that family,” she said. “And it really was and probably continues to be a family that you feel a part of. I now have a son who followed in his grandfather's footsteps. [..] I was so grateful my father was still living when my son got on the division of fire. And they gave my son my dad's badge number, and he was able to be there at the ceremony and pin it on him.” 

Stanley spoke of the fire department like family, because to her, it literally is all in the family.  

"I was always so proud of my father and what he did,” she said. “He's just a wonderful, wonderful guy. I miss him terribly.” 

She stood talking with old friends and new family members after the ceremony, like Thomas Christ, a retired firefighter. 

"It's just a special family like this guy,” Stanley said. “I'm not related to him, but I consider him my uncle, and he's in that family. 

It's these relationships that make a ceremony like Sunday's a priceless time for those in attendance. 

"I've been coming to these for years and the sad part about it for me now, I'm, I know all these guys they're calling out there because I worked with all of them, and it's it just, brings back memories," Christ said. 

He served the city of Columbus for more than 30 years. He's been retired now for 23 years, but looks back fondly on his time with fire department. 

"I had a lot of good times in those 30, but, I mean, a lot of sad times,” Christ said. “You know, we had a lot of tragedy but we had an awful lot of good times and the camaraderie that we built and the brotherhood that we had.” 

Those men and women were family to him then, and still are today. 

"It was the greatest job in the world, and I'm sorry I had to leave it, but my body was telling me I couldn't take any more beatings,” Christ said. “But, I thought it was the greatest job in the world, and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world.” 

Many of the 15 men honored Sunday were a part of the Columbus Division of Fire for more than 30 years.