"We've got your back."
That was the message Gov. Eric Greitens gave to firefighters who came to Jefferson City from across the state for the annual Fire Fighters Day at the Capitol on Wednesday.
Missouri's fire service includes more than 24,000 career and volunteer responders working across more than 850 departments. Greitens noted some of these responders spent several hours working Tuesday night into Wednesday morning after a tornado hit southwestern Missouri.
"The men and women of the fire service are pillars in their communities," he said. "When it came time to choose the members of our public safety team, we chose people who have calluses on their hands and knew how it was to have to wake up at 2 a.m. and put on their boots and gloves to go to an emergency situation."
Greitens told firefighters he knew what it was like to live a life of service, having served in the military.
"I, like you, have seen friends and neighbors make the ultimate sacrifice," he said. "They push themselves and challenge themselves. As you are out there serving us, you need to know that we are here serving you and your families. It's our job to make sure you have everything you need to be successful."
Jefferson City Fire Chief Matt Schofield attended Wednesday's event and echoed Greitens' message.
"Missouri is fortunate to have so many exceptional fire service organizations; that is evident when we gather at events like this," Schofield said. "It's encouraging to see the team at the state level equally committed to making Missouri's fire service the best in the country. Everyone from the governor, the director of Public Safety, the state fire marshal, to the members of the Jefferson City Fire Department, is completely committed to improving the service."
The annual memorial services for Missouri's fallen firefighters will take place May 20-21 at the Fire Fighters Memorial in Kingdom City. The May 20 service will be a candlelight vigil at 9 p.m., and on May 21, the service will be at 10:30 a.m. Both events will be held rain or shine.
This year, honors will be given to two firefighters who died in the line of duty last year as well as two firefighters whose 1969 deaths just recently came to the attention of fire officials.