Fallen Portland firefighters honored - KPTV - FOX 12
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Legendary Portland fire Chief David Campbell's sacrifice has now been honored for 101 years now. The annual ceremony takes place each year on the day he died in a fire in 1911.
The sandstone memorial that bears his name on West Burnside Street played host to the event that featured several speakers and bagpipes.
Campbell died in a building collapse after ordering all his firefighters to get out of the burning warehouse.
But the ceremony isn't just about him - it honors the 36 Portland firefighters who have died in the line of duty.
"They are the ones that run toward danger while we're all running away from it," said Terry Shanley, a trustee on the Campbell Memorial Board. "They are the ones that give their lives to make sure we're safe."
The most recent firefighter death in Portland happened in 1977. Organizers said an American firefighter dies every four days and the risks they take need to be appreciated.
"It's always kind of a sad event for us," said Paul Corah, a public information officer. "We are honoring the 36 firefighters who died in the line of duty but we're also honoring the firefighters who are working right now, which is good."
There is a push by the Campbell Memorial Board for a new memorial to be built in a more visible location.
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