‘Occupational illness’ kills two more Calgary firefighters as city marks annual memorial

Two more Calgary firefighters’ names have been added to the city’s monument honouring fallen firefighters.

Captains Robert Alland and Gary Pozzo died of “occupational illness” in the past year, joining the majority of their fallen colleagues whose deaths did not come during active firefighting.

“Each of the names we recognize today were more than just our colleagues and friends — they are an empty chair at the dinner table and someone who is missed every day,” Calgary Fire Department Chief Steve Dongworth said in a statement. “Their service and their sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

Names of the now 60 dead firefighters — nine died during active fires and 51 due to illnesses related to firefighting — adorn the three-story Walls of Memory/Lantern of Light monument in the Police Officers and Firefighters Tribute Plaza in the city’s Municipal Complex Plaza.

The firefighters were honoured at an annual memorial service midday Tuesday, with Mayor Jyoti Gondek, councillors, the Calgary Fire Fighters Association and members of the public in attendance.

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Gondek said it’s easy to focus on types of deaths for firefighters.

“We talk about presumptive or occupational cancers and line of duty death,” the mayor said. “We speak of PTSD and suicide in hushed tones.

“The cold reality is that these statistics and discussions of mental health are necessary to ensure that we are supporting those who choose firefighting as a profession.”

Dongworth said two firefighter deaths in the past two years is low compared to previous years.

“I wish it was a trend down to zero, but alas, we’re still dealing with people who are passing away from cancer based on the way they fought fires 20 (to) 30 years ago,” the CFD chief said. “And we really can’t do anything about that now.

“What we have to make sure is that in 20 or 30 years from now, we’ve had a real impact on how safe those people are.”