WHEREAS, The California Firefighters Memorial, located on the grounds of the State Capitol, serves to honor and commemorate California firefighters who unwaveringly serve our great state with pride, courage, and honor; and

WHEREAS, The California Firefighters Memorial is maintained by the California Fire Foundation to ensure that it continues to be a symbol of gratitude and appreciation to the men and women of the fire service who put their lives on the line each day to protect the people, property, and beauty of California; and

WHEREAS, Each of the over 1,500 names engraved on the brushed limestone walls of the California Firefighters Memorial serves as a timeless tribute to the finest and bravest of our state who have made the ultimate sacrifice as firefighters; and

WHEREAS, The California Firefighters Memorial is the only state monument capturing the names in perpetuity of those courageous firefighters in California who have put service to our great State of California above all else, and these names are currently listed chronologically and include the name of the department where the firefighter served; and

WHEREAS, The California Fire Foundation has embarked on an important effort to expand the California Firefighters Memorial to preserve and continue the everlasting tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great state; and

WHEREAS, The California Firefighters Memorial must be modified in a way that is sufficient in size to inscribe the names of the fallen for decades to come. To ensure that Californians can continue to honor the brave professionals who keep our communities safe, it is imperative that ample, respectful space remain available at the California Firefighters Memorial site for the inscription of the names of future fallen firefighters; and

WHEREAS, The design, construction, and maintenance of the California Firefighters Memorial is financed entirely by donations made to the California Fire Foundation. Historically, donations include those made by firefighters through the purchase of the special Firefighter License Plate and by voluntary contributions from Californians made through a special state income tax checkoff; and

WHEREAS, California firefighters respond to approximately 3,000,000 incidents across the state each year and the scope of their work goes beyond fighting fires. They also provide emergency medical services and respond to natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, water rescue emergencies, high-angle and confined-space emergencies, and other general public service calls; and

WHEREAS, Many of the fallen firefighters whose names adorn the California Firefighters Memorial died either under tragic, traumatic circumstances, or suffered from and ultimately succumbed to work-related diseases, such as occupational cancer, as a result of the hazardous nature of their work, including routine exposure to toxins; and

WHEREAS, The California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023, in the City of Sacramento to commemorate the line-of-duty service and sacrifice of 34 California fire service professionals; and

WHEREAS, As it did when the California Firefighters Memorial was formally unveiled over two decades ago on April 6, 2002, this year’s ceremony will feature a solemn, uniformed personnel procession. State and local elected officials and other dignitaries, as well as hundreds of Californians, family members, and friends of fallen firefighters, will travel to the City of Sacramento to honor their lost loved ones; now, therefore, be it