ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – A ceremony in Albany Tuesday honored firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice, including two from the north country who died in the line of duty.
Etched in stone. Forever remembered. West Stockholm Fire Chief Robert White and Watertown Firefighter Peyton Morse were honored.
White collapsed and died at a fire scene two years ago. Morse died while training at the state fire academy in March.
“I think it brings it full circle…To kind of come and see it through and see his name on the memorial, it means a lot to this group,” said Torey Russell, West Stockholm fire chief.
“We’d do this for any one of our fallen brothers or sisters. Especially with Peyton, it’s such a tragic event. We really want to show our support for him and his family,” said Andrew Naklick, Watertown Fire Department captain.
Both Russell and Naklick spoke before departing for Albany Tuesday morning with other firefighters. At the ceremony, state flags flown over the Fallen Firefighters Memorial were bestowed on each family.
White had decades of experience as both a volunteer and a professional firefighter. Morse was at the beginning of his career. But both are now united by the sacrifice they made.
There are nearly 2,600 names inscribed on the memorial at the Empire State Plaza; 45 in all were inscribed at this year’s ceremony covering two years. Hundreds of firefighters were there.
“We’ve had a lot of support from our local departments, surrounding communities, and then to go down there at the state level and have that kind of support – on a state stage,” said Russell.
Morse’s death at the fire academy remains under investigation by two state agencies. So far, his parents say they’ve received no answers to the many questions surrounding his death.
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