Names of three fallen Jacksonville firefighters added to memorial site

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville is honoring three firefighters who lost their lives this year while serving the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

Firefighters and neighbors gathered at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial at Fire Station 1 on Liberty Street to remember Fire Captain Thomas Barber, Lieutenant Mario Moya, and Engineer Michael Freeland.

Fellow firefighters shared their fondest memories of their time together and supported these firefighters’ families as they cope with the loss of their loved ones.

The ceremony began with honoring Captain Barber who died on June 14 of a heart attack.

”Tom was a devoted husband, a loving father, and one hell of a friend,” said a fellow lieutenant who shared a more than 20-year friendship with him. “Tom was always smiling, always smiling.”

Then, the crowd remembered Lieutenant Mario Moya, who died from complications of COVID-19 August 17. “He made people heard and cared for,” said JFRD Engineer Jamie Dunlap. “His demeanor around the station was always one of joy. I don’t think I ever saw a frown on his face but only the biggest smile.”

After, the group celebrated the legacy of engineer Michael Freeland, who died of a stroke on November 11 while rescuing a woman from a car crash. “Friendly, always willing to help,” is how a fellow engineer described working with Freeland. “The worst thing I can say about Mike is he was too nice.”

Before 2021, it had been 13 years since JFRD had lost a firefighter, and this marks the second time in its history it has added the names of three fallen firefighters to its memorial in the same year.

These names are joining 22 others, and a bell ring for each name signified their induction into a special fraternity of heroes.

“There are very few people in the world that will have words like dedication, service, and courage used to describe them when they’re memorialized,” said JFRD Chief Keith Powers.

The City of Jacksonville and JFRD also unveiled a new life-sized statue of a firefighter holding the helmet of a fallen firefighter and an eternal flame, which serves as a permanent reminder to everyone to honor the fallen, and remember their sacrifice.

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