Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Wall adds two names at this year’s ceremony
On the afternoon of June 15th, fire service agencies, the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard, communities, and fallen fire fighters’ friends and families gathered at the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training in Salem for Oregon’s annual Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony.
Sadly, this year two new fire service member names were added to the memorial wall: Fire Fighter Austin G. Smith and Fire Fighter Logan H. Taylor.Â
The Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial stands as a daily reminder of the sacrifices made by brave individuals from diverse backgrounds, who died in the line-of-duty protecting our communities and natural resources around our state. To date, Smith and Taylor represent the 175th and 176th line-of-duty deaths approved for the memorial wall from as far back as 1881.
Each year, the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony recognizes all Oregon fire fighters who have died in the line-of-duty, which encompasses every aspect of the fire service including career, volunteer, wildland, and structural fire fighters.
Austin G. Smith, a volunteer with St. Paul Rural Fire Protection District, was responding to a barn fire on February 3rd, 2022 when a catastrophic explosion caught him in its blast. After being given immediate first aid at the scene, he was transported to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) by Life Flight helicopter and succumbed to his injuries en route. At just 30 years old, Smith was heavily involved in his community as a volunteer fire fighter, a sixth generation hop farmer, and a business entrepreneur who was set to open a taphouse and restaurant in St. Paul. Smith is survived by his wife and young daughter.
Logan H. Taylor was a wildland firefighter and owner of Sasquatch Reforestation, an Oregon Department of Forestry-contracted wildland firefighting company. On August 18th, 2022, while responding to the Rum Creek Fire in southern Oregon, he was struck by a falling tree. Jackson County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team was deployed, and Taylor was flown to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. Despite lifesaving efforts, Taylor passed away from his injuries. Taylor was just 25 years old and was known as being a humble and caring individual who loved his family and friends and enjoyed bringing people together through food and conversation. Taylor had a passion for the outdoors, becoming the fourth generation of foresters in his family.
Last week, in preparation for the ceremony, Smith’s and Taylor’s names were etched into the memorial wall alongside the names of 174 other fire fighters who are already honored and remembered on the State's memorial. Families of the fallen were in attendance at the engraving event alongside members of the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard who stood watch while the names were added.
For more information on the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Fire Certification Coordinator Brooke Bell-Uribe at 503-569-8260 or brooke.bell-uribe@dpsst.oregon.gov.
