In 1996, the Strathcona Firefighter’s Honour Guard formulated a two-part program to uphold the fire service tradition of honouring its fallen comrades: the construction of a memorial site, and the development of a memorial foundation. In October 2002, phase one of that dream was realized with the unveiling of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial: a location for members of the department and citizens of Strathcona County to honour all emergency service personnel (fire, police and emergency medical service) who have lost, or will lose their lives as a result of response activities.

As one takes a moment to review the losses continually being suffered by the emergency service industry, there is [often] the tendency to view those numbers as nothing more than statistics; losing site of what they truly represent. For each one of those “numbers” represents someone’s son or daughter; mother or father; and brother or sister. Borne out of this realization, the Strathcona Firefighters Honour Guard and the members of the Strathcona County Fire Fighters Union – I.A.F.F. Local 2461 focused their attention on phase two of the program—development of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation.

As an extension of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial, the Foundation was registered as a non-profit organization (NPO) in the Province of Alberta in January, 2004. Its membership is formed from the members of the Strathcona County Fire Fighters Union – I.A.F.F. Local 2461. Primary funding for the Foundation is derived through a voluntary payroll deduction program from its members, as well as through donations from outside agencies and organizations and assorted fundraising activities.

The objectives of the Foundation can be summarized into six (6) basic areas:

1. To provide scholarships and/or trust funds for the children left behind following the loss of a Member of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation due to a Line-of-Duty Death or Job-related Illness;

2. To provide scholarships or trust funds for children left behind by the loss of personnel from other fire, emergency medical and police services who perish in the Line-of-Duty or as a result of Job-related Illness;

3. To provide financial assistance with respect to funeral expenses incurred by the families of Members of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation who perish in the Line-of-Duty or as a result of job-related illness;

4. To provide funds for an annual scholarship to be awarded to the child of a Member of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation;

5. To provide funds for any ongoing maintenance of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Site; and

6. To provide funds for supporting the registered charities recognized by the Strathcona County Fire Fighters Union – I.A.F.F. Local 2461.

Administration of the Strathcona Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation is provided by a five-member Board of Directors with shared responsibility between the Strathcona Fire Fighters Honour Guard and the Strathcona County Fire Fighters Union – I.A.F.F. Local 2461.

Further information about the Foundation can be obtained by contacting the Strathcona Fire Fighters Honour Guard at strathconaguard@shaw.ca.