Forney Fire Department stands guard for fallen brothers in West, Texas

An explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, on April 17, 2013, killed 12 first responders that were battling an initial blaze. Departments from all over Texas immediately responded to contain the fires that now spanned several city blocks – in a town of only 3,000 people.

Nearly every member of the West community was impacted by the explosion and the same can be said for firefighter community across the country. It's estimated that an event this catastrophic hasn't impacted the fire community since September 11, 2001.

Forney Fire Department Chief Townsend said that several of their volunteer firefighters who work for other area departments responded to the initial explosion call. Last week, they returned again with other members of the Forney Fire Department to stand as members of the Honor Guard. Fire service tradition says that a firefighter will never be left alone, so typically one or two members will stand guard of the caskets of their brothers for 24 hours a day until burial.

“This became a daunting task due to the number of fatalities that had occurred and the fallen firefighters were located in several different cities,” said Townsend. “Thankfully, The Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force was in place to offer assistance for such a tragedy as this.”

Forney firefighters alternated shifts with firefighters from all over the country – protecting, guarding, and accompanying their fallen brothers.

The LODD Task Force is a volunteer group made up primarily of firefighters who assist with the needs of families who have suffered the loss of a first responder while on duty. For more information about the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force visit their website, here.

A Youtube video of the changing of the guards, that includes members of the Forney Fire Department, can be seen by clicking here.