Stewart Bridge to be illuminated to honor fallen firefighters

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.”