Chief Fire Officer lays wreath on behalf of Isle of Man Firefighters

      On Sunday 9^th September 2007 I attended the Firefighters National Memorial Act of Remembrance and Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Firefighters National    Memorial in London. This annual event along with the Service of Memorial held in the Church of St. Mary le Bow is to commemorate those man and women who died in the service of their country and their communities by fire flood or accident and whose names are inscribed on the memorial. The Church Service which includes an entry of the Massed Standards from Fire and Rescue Services of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is followed by a Pipe and Band parade to the site of the Memorial alongside St. Paul’s Cathedral in central London. At the Memorial, the Standards are blessed and Prayers are said on behalf of all those who’ve lost their lives and whose names are inscribed on the Memorial. This is followed by a very moving wreath laying ceremony led by the families of those firefighters who tragically lost their lives this year. They were Mick Bird of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Geoffrey Wicker and Brian Wembridge of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Paul Mallaghan of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and our heartfelt condolences go out to the their families and loved ones. Following this, wreaths are laid on behalf of Fire and Rescue Services throughout the country and I was particularly privileged to do so on behalf of the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service. After the service, I took the opportunity to read many of the names inscribed on the memorial, with one or two very sadly being colleagues with whom I’ve shared courses over the years. As many of you will be aware, there are two firefighters from the Isle of Man who lost their lives in the line of duty and they were Robert Kenna who died in September 1938 and his brother Bert Kenna who died in November 1965, both names are inscribed in bronze on the Memorial.