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International Firefighters Day is held on May 4th of every year. Fire accidents occur in all places, including rural, urban, and forests. Firefights or firemen come to mind when it comes to saving the lives of those fire accidents. They are the rescuers who are extensively trained in firefighting and put their lives on the line to save the life and property of people and animals. Firefighters put their own life into handling risky situations to save the life and property of so many unknown people and save the environment where we live. These real heroes need to be recognized and celebrated with a special day for all their incomparable work. International Firefighters Day is one such celebration dedicated to all the firemen and firewomen who deserve appreciation for all the hard work they do in saving so many lives.
“Firefighters are some of the most selfless public servants you will ever encounter.” – Denis Leary
History of International Firefighters Day
International Firefighters Day (IFFD) has been celebrated since the year 1999. A firefighter named JJ Edmondson was the first person to come up with such a celebration. A December 2 fire accident incident held in 1998 in a bushfire in Australia had killed the lives of five firefighters named Chris, Garry, Jason, Matt, and Stuart. The tragic event has shaken the Linton Community, the whole of Australia, and even the world. Thus Edmondson has sent an email to all his colleagues and called them for an international holiday that would indeed honor the sacrifices and achievements of all the firefighters globally. Since then, people from all over the world including the USA, the UK, and Canada are celebrating International Firefighters Day every May 4.
The unfortunate incident has inspired Edmondson to come up with this international holiday as a way to support the dedicated firefighters who lost their lives and those who risk their lives every day to save the life and property of others. The date coincides with the feast day of Saint Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. Saint Florian was found to be the first known commander of one firefighting squad in the Roman Empire in 300 AD. It is mentioned that St Florian had saved the entire village coved by fire by using a bucket of water. Thus, St Florian is recognized as the protector of those who had come in danger of fire. Therefore May 4th has been celebrated as traditional Firefighter’s Day in many European countries. It is also called a Day of Fire Service or St Florian’s Day, and it has been a tradition for more than 150 years in Europe.
Thus the International Fire Fighters Day has been chosen to honor on May 4 to honor the saint. A piece of red ribbon and a piece of blue ribbon pinned together at the top like blue over red is the symbol of this international observance. The symbolic depiction of the colors of these IFFD ribbons represents the main elements with which the firefighters are working. The red color represents the fire and blue water. Both the colors are internationally recognized as representing the emergency service. The communities observe a minute’s silence on remembering the sacrifices of firefighters in the form of a “Sound Off.” As an international way of support, the Sound Off is annually held on the first Sunday of every May for the firefighters to stop and remember our fallen and past firefighters who have been lost in duty.
Other Celebrations on May 4
May 4 is also celebrated as
- Petite And Proud Day
- National Candied Orange Peel Day
- Star Wars Day
- National Renewal Day
- Free Comic Book Day
- Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
- Join Hands Day
How to Celebrate International Firefighters Day
Show and share your appreciation and recognition for the firefighters on this Day. If you know any, then meet in person and share your thoughts about the selfless risky works of those real heroes. Also, thank them for their Heroic activities. Support those firefighters in every other need by showing some real form of gestures. You can provide your support in the form of donating money to those retired and injured firefighters. Wear a red and blue ribbon in the way of sharing your support for the IFFD. Take part in the Sound Off to remember and respect all those firefighters who lost their lives because of their passion for fire. Share your views and appreciation for the firefighters on social media using the hashtag #FirefightersDay.
Thank you for reading the post. You can celebrate every day with Happydays365.org and Happy International Firefighters Day 2024.