On June 30, 2013, America saw its biggest loss of first responder lives since the 9/11 attacks. The wildfires that had been scorching across the Yarnell Hill area in Arizona took a vicious turn and claimed the lives of 19 members of the Prescott Fire Department's Granite Mountain Hotshots.
Two years later, the sacrifice of those elite first responders has been honored in the Gulf Coast town of Naples, Florida. Eagle Scout Max Goin and Troop 2001 unveiled a memorial outside North Collier Fire and Rescue Station 45, which also serves as the troop's headquarters. Encased in the red brick square are 19 shovels to symbolize the lives of each firefighter lost in Arizona. The inscription on each shovel reads, "In memory of Granite Mountain Hotshots," and has the date of the tragedy.
Goin and Troop 2001 were at a scout camp in New Mexico the day the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed. Part of their camp was closed because of brush fires, and the devastation of the wildfires stuck with them. In addition to honoring the memory of the fallen Arizona firefighters, they want their project to remind people to appreciate the service of first responders. Goin wants people to recognize the bravery, commitment and sacrifice of these individuals everywhere.