Fire chief plans to launch department honor guard

0
0

Elk River Fire Chief T. John Cunningham is launching a fire department honor guard.

The honor guard is a ceremonial unit that will appear at public functions, such as fire academy graduations, firefighter funerals and community events, and represent the department in a honorable fashion, Cunningham said. Five firefighters have expressed interest in being in the honor guard, he said.

He has $5,000 in the preliminary 2016 budget to cover start-up costs such as uniforms, but is hopeful some community donations will help defray that expense. He hopes to have the honor guard up and running within the next year.

Nyle Zikmund, executive director of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, said the large fire departments in Minnesota like St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth all have honor guards

Read Full Story