Time To Honor
1 year ago today, we lost Figueroa, Jones Memorial service at 4 p.m. today on Porterville Fire Department Facebook page
It’s the one-year anniversary of what someone on Facebook referred to in their post as “probably the worst day in our city’s history.”
It was one year ago today a fire destroyed the Porterville Public Library and took the lives of two Porterville Firefighters, Captain Raymond Figueroa and Patrick Jones. So it will be an emotional day today for the entire community of Porterville when the Porterville Fire Department broadcasts a memorial service in honor of Figueroa and Jones. The memorial service will begin at 4 p.m today.
The comment that February 18, 2020 could have been the worst day in this city’s history was posted on the thread of the Porterville Fire Department’s Facebook post announcing the memorial service. Since the fire department placed the post it has received well over 1,000 views and shares and numerous comments of support from community members.
A public memorial service can’t be held due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the Porterville Fire Department has still made sure Figueroa and Jones will be honored.
A service has been prerecorded and will air on the Porterville Fire Department’s Facebook page at 4 p.m. today. The video will include an Honor Guard Ceremony and speeches from Porterville Fire Chief Dave Lapere, family members of Jones and Figueroa and other community leaders.
Dispatch will also alert all stations at 4:16 p.m. as a moment of silence over the radio honoring Figueroa and Jones will be held. The video will be broadcast at the approximate time last year’s Porterville Library fire happened.
All COVID precautions were taken during the making of the memorial video, the fire department stated.
This month all Porterville Fire Department personnel are also wearing a special memorial shirt in honor of Figueroa and Jones.
The shirts can be purchased by the public for $16 from Glory Graphics Studio located at 44 W. Mill. For more information visit https:// shopglorygraphics.myshopify.com/collections/ all
The Porterville Fire Department is also beginning a tradition today that will be held every year in February. Figueroa loved fire axes, so Porterville Firefighters can participate in a cleaning of all of their axes today.
And Jones loved to wear his cap backwards — which was against policy. But today Firefighters will be allowed to wear their cap backwards in honor of Jones.