GOV. RITTER ORDERS FLAGS LOWERED TO HONOR FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS

Gov. Bill Ritter has ordered that U.S. and Colorado flags be lowered to half-staff on state buildings across Colorado on Sunday, Oct. 3, in observance of the 29th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. Two Colorado firefighters, who died in the line of duty in 2009, are among 80 firefighters who died in 2009 across the country. Twenty-five other firefighters who died in previous years also will be honored Sunday at a service at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The Colorado firefighters to be honored are:

· Pilot Thomas L. Risk, Neptune Aviation Services Inc., who died on April 25, 2009, in an air tanker crash while en route from Montana to a wildland fire in New Mexico.


· Capt. Brett M. Stearns, U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Little Snake Field Office, who died June 26, 2009, after being struck by a falling tree while working a hazardous tree abatement project in Colorado.

Fire departments across the country will conduct simultaneous services, lower flags to half-staff, sound sirens at noon, and observe a moment of silent tribute.