BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, medical personnel, dispatchers, and others risk their lives every day.
- Historic Union Cemetery to hold First Responders Recognition Day on October 28, 2024.
- Event will honor firefighters, law enforcement, EMTs, paramedics, and medical personnel.
- Fire captains Matt Haskins and AJ Albertalli recognized for their service, including fighting the Borel Fire.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, medical personnel, dispatchers, and others risk their lives every day.
Those at Historic Union Cemetery honored and recognized first responders for their sacrifices.
Denice Boshers says, "First responders are so unique, they are people who run to things that I think the rest of us run away from."
Fire captains Matt Haskins and AJ Albertalli were honored for their service, not only fighting Kern County's largest fire in history, the Borel Fire, but going out to other stations and fighting fires for neighboring counties.
Andrew Freeborn explains, "And at one point San Bernardino was dealing with historic fires and they reached out to our department and asked for firefighters to bring equipment and fill their fire stations because their fire stations were empty while they were out fighting these wildfires and these two captains were specifically hand-picked."
Local officials, politicians, Saint Francis Parish, Bessie E. Owens Elementary, and Garces Memorial High School gifted first responders and wrote speeches highlighting the gratitude they have for their sacrifice.
Brandon Antongiovanni tells me, his speech focuses on humanizing first responders and sharing the struggles they go through.
"Most people don't look at the statistics on who died or how many fires were there, they just hear about them but not really know the total destruction in our country or in our world."
First responder Larry Boshers has served for 16 years in the U.S Air Force and worked in for California Highway Patrol for the unincorporated areas of Kern County and throughout California.
He tells me that there is significance of the day of being recognized.
"Other communities throughout California really don't hold their first responders in very high regard but here in Kern County it is kind of a different story because they do look at first responders to be there and be helpful, not to only make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing but they're there to provide that assistance when they need it the most."
The Historic Union Cemetery are partnering with Kern Community Foundation to build a new monument for veterans and first responders.
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