The lives of several Mesa firefighters will be honored Sunday during a service at Wesley Bolin Plaza in Phoenix.
They will be among 14 who will be remembered during the 10 a.m. ceremony that memorializes firefighters and paramedics who have lost their lives in the line of duty and “recognizes their service, sacrifice and enduring legacy,” according to a release from the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona.
“This memorial is one of the most important moments of the year for the Arizona fire service,” PFFA President Dan Freiberg said prior to the Jan. 11 event.
“We come together to honor the bravery and selflessness of those we have lost, to support their families and to ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten.”
Four Mesa firefighters who will be memorialized died from cancer.
"Yes, we still face fire. Yes, we still face machinery, hazmat calls and the unpredictable violence of the world. But we are also facing an enemy that doesn’t always strike on scene.
“It attacks quietly, over years. Too often, it robs firefighters long after the last siren fades. That enemy is cancer. Cancer is now the number one killer of firefighters worldwide. It is running rampant through our profession. Among the 14 names we honor . . . are eight firefighters taken from us by cancers caused by the job."
Here is the complete list of those who will be honored:
Ron Bird, Mesa Fire Department, 1990, occupational cancer
Charles Inman, Mesa Fire Department, 1996, occupational cancer
Pat Brown, Mesa Fire Department, 2007, occupational cancer
Paul Shupe, Mesa Fire Department, 2025, brain cancer (glioblastoma)
Mark Keller, Mesa Fire Department, 2025, medical emergency/cardiac incident
Steven K. Keffer, Adventure Medics, 2023, medical emergency while deployed on the Gila Fire
Don E. Williams, Phoenix Fire Department, 2024, occupational cancer
Shane J. Gage, Copper Canyon Fire and Medical District, 2024, cause of death not released
Scott Leatham, Tempe Fire Medical Rescue, 2024, occupational cancer
Anthony Mock, Phoenix Fire Department, 2025, occupational cancer
Patrick F. Quinn, Tucson Fire Department, 2025, brain cancer
Brenna Kulikowski, Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District, 2025, ambulance crash (head-on collision)
Damon Thompson, Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District, 2025, ambulance crash (head-on collision)
Glenn Collins, Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District, 2025, motorcycle crash
The memorial, which takes place 10 a.m. Jan. 11 at 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix is expected to draw fire service personnel from throughout the state, honor guards, pipe and drum units apparatus displays and hundreds of family members and community supporters, organizers said.
Meet Dan Dan McCarthy joined Independent Newsmedia as web content editor after a 40-plus year career as a reporter and editor in New Jersey and Arizona. During his time in Arizona, he has been an editor of daily and weekly papers in Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Sun City, Sun City West, Surprise, Peoria and Glendale. Prior to moving to Arizona in 1984, when he was hired to be assistant city editor at the Tempe Daily News, he covered regional police/fire news, municipal, county and state governments in New Jersey, the latter as bureau chief at the state Capitol.
Community: He has served on several boards over the years, including the Tempe Community Action Agency and the Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital Board of Governors. He is a graduate of the Tempe Leadership and Scottsdale Leadership programs, serving as media adviser for subsequent classes of Tempe Leadership.
Education: Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism.
Random Fact: Set winter/summer track records in the 60-, 100- and 220-yard dashes at his high school in New Jersey.
Hobbies: Tai chi, cooking, dining at his must-eat-once places around the U.S. and the Cincinnati Reds, his favorite team since 1961.
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