Fallen Heroes Day To Honor 8 Maryland Police And Firemen

TIMONIUM, MD — Maryland's police and fire officials who died in the line of duty this year will be honored Friday during the annual Fallen Heroes Day ceremony. The 2018 observance will memorialize five heroes, from LaVale Volunteer Fire Department, Prince George's County Police Department, Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, Baltimore Police Department and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.

Three people who died in the line of duty in the 1970s, before the fallen heroes ceremony began, will also be memorialized.

Gov. Larry Hogan has ordered flags around Maryland at half-staff as of sunrise on Friday, May 4, to recognize those who lost their lives serving the state.

Approximately 2,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium on Friday afternoon, including families, friends and public safety leaders. After addresses are given to memorialize those who have fallen, there will be wreath-laying at the Fallen Heroes Memorial; children of the heroes can put a wreath on the memorial wall, followed by a 21-gun salute, Taps, and a flyover.

The 2018 Fallen Heroes Day ceremony will honor the following:

• Assistant Chief Christopher C. Pryor, LaVale Volunteer Fire Department, Feb. 25, 2018.
• Sergeant Mujahid A. Ramzziddin, Prince George's County Police Department, Feb. 21, 2018
• Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Sander B. Cohen, Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, Dec. 8, 2017
• Detective Sean M. Suiter, Baltimore Police Department, Nov. 16, 2017
• Master Firefighter Rescuer Charles “Rick” Gentilcore, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, April 7, 2017

Held annually to honor Maryland's first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice, Fallen Heroes Day recognizes law enforcement and correctional officers as well as fire and EMS personnel who have given their lives in service to others.

Three first responders who died before Fallen Heroes Day began in 1986 will also be honored on Friday:

• Firefighter George Driggers Jr., 16, Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company, died in 1976 battling a three-alarm Brooklyn Park rowhouse fire
• Firefighter Patrick Bauer, 21, Odenton station of Anne Arundel County Fire, who died in 1976 battling a three-alarm Brooklyn Park rowhouse fire
• Police Officer Norman Buchman, 24, a four-year veteran of the Baltimore City Police Department, who was shot and killed by a known drug dealer in 1973 in the Northwest District.

Including this year's honorees, a total of 181 fallen heroes been honored at the ceremony, now in its 33rd year. There are 71 members of the public safety community are buried at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Timonium.

The 2018 Fallen Heroes Ceremony will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 4, at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 East Padonia Road, Timonium, MD 21093.

SEE ALSO: One Fallen Hero Recognized In 2017

Photo courtesy of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.