The City of Columbus and Columbus Fire Department has announced participation in the 2019 “Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters.” This is a national campaign calling for the illumination of landmarks and fire stations to recognize firefighters who have died in the line of duty.

The Columbus Fire Department submitted a request to the City of Columbus Engineering Department, requesting that the Robert N. Stewart Bridge be illuminated in red from Sept. 29- Oct. 6, to coincide with the annual observation the of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

According to the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation website, Indiana currently has 4 cities that have landmarks scheduled to be illuminated. Outside of Columbus, they include:

– The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge- Fort Wayne;
– IPL Building – Indianapolis;
– River Lights Plaza – South Bend;

Fire Chief Andy Lay said he hopes that motorist will see the Robert Stewart Bridge glowing red and share in a moment of respect and reflection for all firefighters who have laid down their lives during the call of duty. Chief Lay states, “When a member of the fire service makes the ultimate sacrifice in a community hundreds of miles from Columbus, we feel the loss here at home. The Light the Night program illustrates our respectful connection with the communities and fire departments who’ve suffer a loss.”