“They are, in fact, true heros.  But they are also men and women, mothers and fathers.  They are from varied backgrounds and cultures.  They are a true reflection of the community they serve.”

That was how Mayor Kerry J. Donley summarized the members of the Alexandria Fire Department at the annual wreath laying and memorial service held Oct. 12 at the Circle of Honor in Ivy Hill Cemetery.

 This year’s ceremony was punctuated by the events of Sept. 11 and the magnitude of the loss suffered by the Fire Department of New York City.

 “The events of Sept. 11 give added meaning to today’s ceremony,” Donley emphasized.  “Ours were of the first on the scene at the Pentagon.  It’s become fashionable to honk horns and tip hats when we see them now.  But let’s make sure we don’t forget, as the years go by, what they do everyday.

 “They are working daily to prevent tragedies.  There is something within them that says they desire to serve others, to help others.  It is that desire to serve the public within their souls that sets them apart.  We need to always thank them for being there.”

 In honor of the more than 410 dead and missing firefighters at the World Trade Center disaster, the Friendship Fountain in front of the 1856 obelisk monument within the Circle was rededicated to their memory and sacrifice.  In so doing, Alexandria Fire Chief Thomas M. Hawkins, Jr., read the new granite fountain’s inscription: “911 - The numbers used to summon fire and emergency services, have been given a terrible, new significance by the terrorist attack on America.  Today, October 12, 2001, we rededicate this Friendship Fountain and remember, with awed respect and humble gratitude, all from F.D.N.Y. who gave “the last full measure” on 9-11-2001.”

 Chief Hawkins noted that this ceremony in Alexandria was “probably the first memorial dedicated in America to the events of Sept. 11.  These events have impacted everyone and it is fitting we respect those who lost their lives.”

 The rededication was made even more poignant when Alexandria firefighter Daniel A. McMaster placed the wreath at the foot of the monument.  He had been a lieutenant in the Alexandria department when he decided to move to New York City and join the FDNY.

 He returned to the Alexandria Department about a year ago.  The crew McMaster had been assigned to in New York were all lost in the September attack.

 He will be delivering a check for $25,000 to the FDNY to aid the families of the fallen firefighters.  The money was part of the $40,000 collected Oct. 7 by the local firefighters in the Boot Collection Campaign.  Several former Alexandria firefighters, now members of the FDNY, have been involved in World Trade Center operations.

 Reverend Stewart Perry, Baptist Temple Church, who gave the invocation and benediction, made special note that he was inspired by McMaster’s “willingness to participate after such a personal loss.”  He noted that he had performed McMaster’s wedding approximately one year ago.

 The New York catastrophe was also brought home by the fact that one of those being added to the local Heroes Honor Roll as deceased in the past years was firefighter Andrew Fredericks.  He was a member of Alexandria’s department through 1987, and is now confirmed dead as a member of Squad 18, FDNY.

 His family will receive $7,000 from the collection.  The remaining $8,000 will go the department’s Helping Hands Fund.

 Others recognized at Friday’s ceremony, who have died in the last year were” lieutenant Charles Beach; deputy fire Marshall Henry Harvey; volunteer Robert “Buck” Henry; fire chief Charles Sampson and firefighter Eugene “Wizzer” White.

 As the fire bell tolled, the Roll Call of The Fallen was read by Battalion Chief Christopher Leischner, and a rose for each name was placed in a hand held horn in front of the monument by fire department retirees accompanied by a firefighter.  The Honor Roll now contains 20 names, the first being recorded in 1950.

 Preceding the Roll Call, master of ceremonies Chief Deputy Fire Marshall Robert Luckett, introduced Callie Terrell to sing “Here I Am Lord” which was followed by the playing of “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes by Lieutenant Bob Purdy, District of Columbia Fire Department.

 Terrell opened the program by singing the national anthem, acappella, in conjunction with the presentation of the colors by the department’s Honor Guard.  A single bugler rendered taps following the wreath laying.

 This year marks both Ivy Hill Cemetery’s and the monument’s 145th anniversary.  It was erected in the then new cemetery in 1856 to honor seven Alexandria firefighters who lost their lives in a fire on Nov. 17, 1855, at the Dowell China Shop on King Street.

 According to accounts of that tragedy, dynamite stored in the basement exploded during the fire causing the walls to cave in on the firefighters.  Supposedly the fire was the act of an arsonist.

 In 1856, the citizens of Alexandria dedicated a stone obelisk, as a memorial to the fallen firefighters, at the entrance of the cemetery.

 However, none of the seven deceased firefighters is buried at Ivy Hill.

 Thomas C. Bowling, III, CCE, has overseen a continuous enhancing of the firefighters memorial throughout his 39 years at the cemetery.  He started at age 15 by scraping and painting the fence to earn money for school.  He ended up chairman, president, CEO, and general manager of the Ivy Hill Cemetery private non-profit corporation.

 “I grew up in the Beverley Hills section of Alexandria and passed the firehouse every day on my way to and from school,” Bowling explained.  “We used to stop in for a candy bar and a coke.  I guess I’m just a frustrated firefighter.”

 Improvements to the memorial have included the creation of the Circle of Honor and the Friendship Fountain in 1970, the addition of a bronze relief depicting the men and women of fire and rescue services in 1993, the incorporation of the first memorial service with the wreath laying ceremony in 1997, and last year, three additional flags were added to the Circle of Honor.

 Today the American flag, Virginia flag, City of Alexandria flat, Alexandria Fire Department flag, and Ivy Hill Cemetery flag are flown at all times, under lighting at night, forming a half circle backdrop for the memorial.

 This year the original brick Friendship Fountain was reconstructed in granite with a panel on every block for the inscription of future names.  The granite was delayed in arrival and the new fountain was finished only a couple of hours before the ceremony.

 “These panels will be reserved for the names of firefighters only,” Bowling said.  “If they choose to be cremated their ashes can be buried in the walk surrounding the fountain.”

 “We are running out of land in the cemetery but we will be able to isolate the walkway for the firefighters.” he explained.  Bowling estimated the cemetery be completely out of ground space in 10 to 15 years.

 The fountain is fed by water spouting from the nozzle of a fire hose imbedded in the granite.  Ivy Hill has also commissioned Matthews International for the creation of the bronze emblem of the Alexandria Fire Department badge to be added to the rededicated fountain.

 A prototype of the emblem was presented to Chief Hawkins by Mayor Donley, who was joined at the ceremony by City Council members, Claire M. Eberwein, William D. Euille, Redella S. Pepper, David G. Speck, Joyce Woodson, Assistant City Manager Mark Jinks, Commonwealth Attorney S. Randolph Sengel, and Clerk of The Circuit Court, Edward Semonian.

 “We try to add and improve the memorial every year,” Bowling said.  “We just want to do something for the community and fire department each year.  The only place we spend any company money, other than on the cemetery, is on fire department events.”

 The wreath laying Ceremony is held each year as a part of Fire Prevention Week.  “Fire prevention is the key to everything,” Bowling insisted.  “Not only does it protect property and lives, but it also reduces firefighters being put in harm’s way.”

 Emphasizing the desire to return to a business as usual image of protecting the community, Chief Hawkins announced that at the end of the ceremonies the flags would be returned to full mast, the bunting at the fire stations would be taken down, and the black strip on the individual badges would be removed.

 As the flags were being hoisted, a siren of a fire truck or EMS vehicle could be hears in the distance giving particular meaning to Hawkin’s pronouncement, “No matter what the situation, we are America’s homeland defenders.”