West Virginia fallen firefighters remembered in Capitol memorial

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — A ceremony took place at the West Virginia State Capitol on Sunday to pay tribute to all of the state’s fallen firefighters.

The ceremony was held on the outside patio of the West Virginia Cultural Center, where family and fellow firefighters laid flowers and wreaths at the foot of a statue bearing the names of firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey was also in attendance.

State Fire Marshal Ken Tyree announced a proclamation by the governor naming Oct. 12 ‘West Virginia Fallen Firefighters Day.’

“My father and her husband, Benny Filiaggi III, was placed on the memorial this year,” said Asst. Chief of the Montgomery Fire Department Michael Filiaggi, alongside his mother Stephanie.

“He passed June 14, 2024, while on duty as the fire chief of the Montgomery Fire Department,” Asst. Chief Filiaggi.

“He’d be honored for his name to be put up there,” said Stephanie. “He loved the fire department and everyone in it, and I’m proud of him.”

An average of 80 firefighters are killed in the line of duty each year in the United States.