Portion of Email from Chief Bashoor to Department today.
January 12, 1992 marked a tragedy that will forever live with our fire service family. Morningside Volunteer Fire Department member, Firefighter Kenny Hedrick made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our community, 25 years ago today. As our Department experienced again in 2016, it is never easy when we lose one of our own. While we continue to analyze and work through the after-actions, it is our duty to ‘Never Forget’, especially our own. Kenny’s sacrifice is forever enshrined and memorialized at station 827, at the Fire Services Building, and Nationally in Emmittsburg - yet enshrinement and memorialization is not enough. We owe it to Kenny, and to each other to always strive for improvement and ultimately towards an environment where everyone will go home.
Les and Cathy Hedrick along with the rest of the family have dedicated their lives to sharing Kenny’s story and urging firefighters to take safety seriously. Their unwavering support and work with the PGFD, the MSFA, and The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is my inspiration and should be an inspiration for us all. Cathy has announced she will step down from her employment with the Foundation this year, however I suspect she and Les will continue to advocate for the 16-Life-Safety Initiatives and the other work of the NFFF.
Thank you to the Hedrick family for sharing Kenny with us. Your sacrifice is not taken lightly and will be forever etched in our collective history and memory.
Marc S. Bashoor, Fire Chief
Prince George’s County Fire/EMS
9201 Basil Court, Suite 452
Largo, Maryland 20774
Safety First, Everyone Goes Home!
Check a smoke alarm today, you might save a life tonight!
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