FWFD hosts Fifth Annual Fort Wayne-Allen County Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service

Fort Wayne Fire Department (FWFD) hosts the Fifth Annual Fort Wayne/Allen County Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 9 at FWFD Station 1, 419 East Main Street, Fort Wayne.  We will be honoring 16 Firefighters who have died in the line of duty serving Fort Wayne and Allen County.

This year's speakers include:

  • Mayor Graham Richard, City of Fort Wayne
  • Chief Timothy Davie, Fort Wayne Fire Department
  • Tom Hanify, President of the Indiana Professional Firefighters Union
  • Bishop John M. D'Arcy, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
  • Family Members of Fallen Firefighters 

The ceremony usually lasts about one hour and will include recognition of the 16 firefighters who died in the line of duty.  Fifteen of the firefighters who died were serving the Fort Wayne Fire Department.  One firefighter, Harry Stapleton, was serving the Wayne Township Volunteer Fire Department, now part of Southwest Allen County Fire Department. 

These firefighters are listed below along with the year in which they died.  They are: Joseph Bahlinger, 1924; William Bandt, 1928; John Fleischman, 1916; Thomas Hazelett, 1936; Henry Hilbrecht, 1925; William Himmelein, 1936; Louis Hensel, 1910; Fredrick Hilsman, 1871; Edgar Miller, 1952; Michael Rager, 1972; Harry Stapleton, 1975; Raymond Steup, 1948; Laverne Strodel, 1947; Joseph Talarico, 1952; Roscoe Wehr, 1931; and, Charles Winkelmeyer,1908.