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Federal Shutdown Forcing Firefighters Ceremony to Move

firehero.org

The partial shutdown of the federal government is forcing organizers to move a ceremony honoring fallen firefighters.

The annual event is held at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Maryland.
But that's a federal site, and is closed to the public.

Two local firefighters killed in an ambush last Christmas Eve, Mike Chiapperini, and Tomasz Kaczowka, are being remembered along with 79 others who lost their lives in the line of duty last year.

President of the West Webster Volunteer Fireman's Association, Ken Smith, says he was unaware the Fallen Firefighters Memorial is a federal site, but the ceremony will go on at another location, Mount St. Mary's University.

He says it's disappointing that a failure to reach an agreement in Washington has forced them to move the ceremony to another site.

Smith says over 120 people from the West Webster Fire Department plan to attend.
A candlelight vigil has been rescheduled to 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon in Emmitsburg,  followed by the enshrinement ceremony Sunday morning at 10 at the PNC Sports Arena at Mount St. Mary's University.