Canadian firefighters killed on duty passes 1,000

The national list of firefighters who have died in the line of duty since 1848 has surpassed 1,000 names.

The Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation recently asked fire services to document all line-of-duty deaths as part of preparations for a national monument to be unveiled in Ottawa in 2012.

The effort uncovered some names from many years ago and some from as recently as last year.

The foundation holds ceremonies on Parliament Hill each year to honour firefighters who died on duty or from work-related illnesses. It pays tribute to firefighters who are volunteer, part-time and full-time — industrial, military, urban, rural, wildland, aboriginal, airport and marine.

The foundation is currently raising funds to complete construction of the Canadian Firefighters Memorial.

"The fact that more than 1,000 firefighters have died since 1848 demonstrates to us the significance of the Canadian Firefighters Memorial project," foundation president and fire Capt. Robert Kirkpatrick said Friday. "The foundation is committed to making sure that no fallen firefighter is forgotten."

Even with improvements in firefighter safety, Kirkpatrick said, there is a growing list of firefighters who lose their lives to work-related illnesses, including cancer.