Sacramento, Capitol Park — Saturday, October 3, 2026
This fall, the name of one of our own will be carved into brushed limestone alongside more than 1,500 California firefighters who did not come home. At the 2026 Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony, Bob Smith will be added to the California Firefighters Memorial Wall in Sacramento’s Historic Capitol Park.
Bob spent his career doing the work most people never see and rarely think about until they need it. Those of us who rode with him, trained with him, or sat across the table from him at a union meeting know what he gave to this department and to the people it serves. His name on that wall is a permanent, public acknowledgment of it.
About the Ceremony
The Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony has been held every year since 2002. It is presented by the California Fire Foundation, the nonprofit arm of California Professional Firefighters, and it honors firefighters who have died in the line of duty or from a job-related illness.
The ceremony follows the traditions of the firehouse: a uniformed firefighter procession, personal tributes to each of the fallen, and the presentation of a United States flag to the family of every firefighter whose name is newly added to the wall. Hundreds of firefighters, family members, and ordinary Californians gather in the heart of the state capital for it.
The Memorial Wall itself was unveiled on April 6, 2002, and carries the names of California firefighters lost since statehood in 1850. It is framed by two bronze statues: Holding the Line, depicting four firefighters working a hose line, and Fallen Brother, an anguished firefighter carrying his brother out. The second was sculpted by Jesus Romo, a retired Sacramento firefighter who understood exactly what he was carving.
Join Us
ARSCCFDE members are encouraged to attend and stand with Bob’s family. This is what the association exists for. We look after each other during the career, and we keep showing up long after the badge comes off.
Details on ceremony start time, parking, and ARSCCFDE group seating will be posted here and sent to members by email as they are confirmed. If you plan to attend, let us know so we can gather as a group beforehand.
More information about the ceremony and the Memorial is available from the California Fire Foundation, or by phone at 800-890-3213.