NEXT MEMORIAL CEREMONY
The 2025 Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025. More information will be announced in the spring of 2025.
APPLICATION FOR MEMORIAL WALL ADDITIONS:
To be eligible for inclusion in the 2025 ceremony, the line-of-duty death must have occurred on or before December 31, 2024. In addition to a completed application, supporting documentation verifying the firefighter death was a line-of-duty death must be submitted. Download the Memorial Application here.
SEARCH MEMORIAL WALL FALLEN:
Enter the name of a fallen firefighter to see where their name is engraved on the wall or select a department to find the names of the fallen associated with the respective department.
See the complete list of California Firefighters Memorial Wall Names HERE. (Link to PDF of full list)
HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL
The California Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento’s Historic Capitol Park is a unique and stunning tribute to the more than 1500 firefighters who have died in the line of duty since California became a state in 1850. The California Firefighters Memorial was unveiled on April 6, 2002, and is a lasting tribute to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their fellow Californians. Over the preceding decade, more than $2 million was raised privately for the construction and maintenance of the California Firefighters Memorial with most of the funding coming from firefighters themselves, through the specialized Firefighter License Plates and The Firefighters’ Memorial Tax Check-off.
The California Fire Foundation continues to raise the money for the ongoing care and maintenance of the Memorial. Currently, the California Fire Foundation is raising funds to expand the Memorial to ensure the honor and memory of California’s fallen firefighters for the next 100 years can be memorialized in the same way. Learn more about the California Firefighters Memorial Expansion here.
THE ANNUAL MEMORIAL CEREMONY
Each year since 2002, the Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony has honored those firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty or from a job-related illness. The solemn remembrance is steeped in the traditions of the firehouse and hundreds of firefighters, family members and grateful citizens gather in the heart of California’s capital, to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate price to keep us safe.
The ceremony features a moving uniformed firefighter procession, personal tributes, and the presentation of a U.S. flag to the families of those whose names are newly added to the Memorial Wall. The ceremony has become a touchstone for the profession, and a chance for firefighters, families, and ordinary citizens to grieve and remember together. You can see videos of past ceremonies here.
A FITTING TRIBUTE:
This stunning memorial in Capitol Park depicts the heroism of the profession and the anguish felt when a firefighter falls in the line of duty.
The centerpiece of the California Firefighters Memorial is a stunning brushed limestone Memorial Wall that currently carries the names of more than 1,500 California fallen firefighters who died in the line of duty. Individuals qualify for placement on the wall if it is officially determined that their death occurred either on duty or as a result of illness or injury directly related to their job.
The Memorial Wall is framed by two bronze statues depicting firefighters in action.
“Holding the Line” honors the profession of firefighting and depicts four firefighters in action working a hose line. The statue was created by renowned artist Lawrence Allen Noble.
“Fallen Brother” honors our fallen heroes and portrays an anguished firefighter carrying his ‘fallen brother’. The statue was created by Jesus Romo, a retired Sacramento firefighter.
