People across the country, and especially members of the firefighting community and residents living in or near the area of Yarnell, Ariz., where 19 firefighters were killed battling a blaze on June 30, continue to mourn the great loss of the fallen young men.
Closure, understanding and perhaps one day acceptance of such tragedy will be a long time coming, but for those enduring this ordeal, the first steps in that journey may come with the news that a memorial service for the fallen firefighters has been set.
The Professional Firefighters of Arizona (PFFA) announced on Wednesday that the memorial service for those who died in the fire will be held on Tuesday, July 9 from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. There will be seating for 6,000 attendees with overflow outside. There will be audio and visual feed for all, according to PFFA. Funeral services for the men have not yet been scheduled.
Those members of the Granite Mountain hotshot crew that have fallen were relocated to Phoenix for autopsies. In an event that will take place at 10:00am on Sunday, July 7, a ceremonial "Escort of the Fallen" will proceed from the Medical Examiner's office in Phoenix to the Medical Examiner's office in Prescott, the PFFA announced.
Under escort by the Joint Arizona Honor Guard, the victims will be transported by 19 separate hearses escorted by motorcycles from various agencies. An honor guard member will ride along in each hearse and a flag will accompany each fallen firefighter.
Honors will be bestowed upon the victims as they are moved from the Medical Examiner's office to the vehicles that will carry them home. Lining the path to the vehicle will be flags of the United States, the State of Arizona, and local fire departments. Honor guards will flank the path to the vehicles holding ceremonial axes. A fire engine will accompany the procession from Phoenix to Prescott, the PFFA said.
Members of the Yavapai County Community Health Services (YCCHS) have pledged to help those affected cope with tragedy by providing resources for firefighters and their families.
According to a recent YCCHS news release, the agency has partnered with West Yavapai Guidance Center and Magellan Health Services of Arizona to provide counseling to members of the Fire Service and their families in a bid to help them process feelings of grief, sorrow and depression.
For those members of the Fire Service, as well as their families, who are overwhelmed or having difficulty with the grief process, they are encouraged to call the Firestrong Hotline at (602) 203-2273 to connect with crisis response specialists or to request counseling services.
"Tragedies of this kind impact everyone," YCCHS said in a statement. "With a community grieving the loss of loved ones and the destruction of an entire town, [we] want to ensure every Arizona resident has access to professionals who can help counsel them through these feelings."
Meanwhile, an official investigation into the deaths of the hotshot crew battling the Yarnell Hill Fire has begun, according to reports from various agencies. The official, independent investigation will be carried out by members of multiple federal and state agencies. Local liaisons assigned to assist the nine-member investigative team include Arizona State Forester Scott Hunt and Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo.
According to an announcement from the Arizona State Forestry Division, as part of the investigation, the team will review Sunday's weather conditions, fire department records, radio logs and any other evidence that may help determine how to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.
"We are confident that the investigative team will find lessons to be learned from this tragedy," Hunt said. "We have a responsibility to those lost, as well as to current and future wildland firefighters, to understand what happened as completely as possible."
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