Pasadena Will Salute Firefighters, Police Officers Who Died in the Line of Duty in Ceremony This Week

Pasadena will pay homage to first responders who died in the line of duty serving the people of Pasadena on Wednesday.

The City will host the 2023 Pasadena Police and Fire Memorial in front of Pasadena City Hall in a solemn and moving tradition that starts at 10 a.m. The public may attend, and many residents usually do.

The memorial event is an opportunity to remember and honor the sacrifices made by first responders who put their lives on the line to protect the community.

It will feature speeches by Mayor Victor Gordo, Police Chief Gene Harris and Fire Chief Chad Augustin.

Family members of the fallen heroes will be honored with a public reading of their loved ones’ names and year of passing. This tribute is important to the many families, who return year after year. 

To date, seven Pasadena Police officers and twelve firefighters have lost their lives serving the community.

The Police officers who will be remembered are:

• Motorcycle Patrolman John T. Slade – End of Watch 1909
• Patrolman Clarence E. Peck – End of Watch 1911
• Detective James A. Hand – End of Watch 1949
• Juvenile Officer Dennis P. Lamar – End of Watch 1961
• Sergeant Robert W. Speight – End of Watch 1964
• Agent Richard F. Morris – End of Watch 1969
• Officer Kyle Ballard – End of Watch 2006

 After their names were read they will receive a 21-Gun Salute.

The firefighters who will be remembered are:

• Hoseman Arthur L. Johnson – Last Alarm 1928
• Hoseman Edgar R. Talbot – Last Alarm 1930
• Hoseman Daniel Rogers – Last Alarm 1932
• Engineer Erwin C. Draper – Last Alarm 1940
• Hoseman George Flannery – Last Alarm 1944
• Engineer Hobert Surbur – Last Alarm 1956
• Asst. Chief Donald G. Palmer – Last Alarm 1964
• Firefighter Henry Salas – Last Alarm 1983
• Engineer Kevin Moore – Last Alarm 2011
• Captain John Tennant- Last Alarm 2013
• Captain Norm Wiles- Last Alarm 2016
• Firefighter Andre Jones- Last Alarm 2017

These firefighters will each be honored by the Fire Service Ringing of the Fire Bell in their honor.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 64 police officers died from gun violence and 54 officers lost their lives due to COVID-19 in the line of duty in 2022 in the United States. Additionally, 11 firefighters fell to on-duty fatalities during the same period. These figures show a slight increase in gun violence deaths compared to the previous year. 

Pasadena’s memorial is one of many across the country hosted close to National Police Week, which begins on the 15th.