Families dressed in memorial t-shirts and special occasion fire uniforms walked hand-in-hand Saturday morning through rows of signs, each one commemorating a fallen firefighter.
Kristi Walters, widow to firefighter David Walters, stopped to stand in a crowd of over 200 people while bagpipe melodies drifted through the air and a wreath was placed at the foot of a memorial statue.
The wreath, covered in red, white and blue flowers, was part of a ceremony honoring the Walters’ family loss and 81 other Dallas Fire-Rescue line-of-duty deaths since 1901.
Among those honored were Adrian Cal, Wayne Clark, Jerald Dibbles, Guy Hall and John Hendrix, all of whom died while on duty.
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The memorial ceremony pays tribute to the sacrifices first responders made to protect Dallas citizens, Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball prepares to lay the wreath in front of the Dallas Firefighters Monument as the Dallas Fire-Rescue honors 82 firefighters who died on the job between 1901 and 2021 during a ceremony at the Dallas Fire-Rescue Training Academy in Dallas on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
“The job of a firefighter is inherently unpredictable and dangerous, not knowing what will come or how it will end, but one thing that remains consistent for all those in the fire service is their commitment to serve,” Ball said.
“Heroics happen every day in the city,” Ball said. “Some of these actions we are privileged to see; others will only be known by the firefighters and those who benefited from their actions.”
The ceremony is held once every five years and takes place at the Dallas Fire-Rescue Training Academy at 5000 Dolphin Rd.
This year’s memorial included speeches from Dallas Fire-Rescue officials, bagpipes, a performance by the Dallas Police Choir, wreath-laying and a bell ceremony.
The Dallas Firefighters Pipes and Drums lead a procession of family members as the Dallas Fire-Rescue honors 82 firefighters who died on the job between 1901 and 2021 during a ceremony at the Dallas Fire-Rescue Training Academy in Dallas on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Officials read a statement from Gov. Greg Abbott, was read by officials and unveiled three street markers honoring line-of-duty deaths were unveiled.
A street topper for Jerald L. Dibbles is unveiled as the Dallas Fire-Rescue honors 82 firefighters who died on the job between 1901 and 2021 during a ceremony at the Dallas Fire-Rescue Training Academy in Dallas on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Walters said these ceremonies are bittersweet; While it is wonderful her husband’s life is not forgotten, she would take it all back if she could.
“It’s inclusion into a club I don’t want to be in,” she said. “But it is hugely important that people know these are the shoulders we’re standing on, and it’s things like this that teach us and remind us of our history.
“It makes me cry, but in a good way because I know they’re doing it for firefighter David.”
Walters lost her husband to a heart-related disease in 2018, when he was 49, leaving her to raise her three sons alone, she said.
“I met my future husband when I was 13, then as young adults we started dating and got married,” Walters said. “He was my best friend, and the most amazing father he could’ve been.”
“I miss him every day,” she said, with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. “I don’t cry 24/7 like I did five, six or seven years ago, but when people ask me about him, I feel it.”
Right after he passed, Walters said her family lost health insurance coverage and did not receive survivor benefits. The family filed a lawsuit, which was settled for $600,000 in January.
“Now maybe widows don’t have to do all the things I’ve had to do. They can just grieve that loss,” Walters said. “Let’s put it out there that a door has opened for people who have died from similar occupational illnesses.”
Walters said finding people to help navigate the path of loss helped her.
DRFFA Chaplain Denny Burris watches as the wreath is laid in front of the Dallas Firefighters Monument as the Dallas Fire-Rescue honors 82 firefighters who died on the job between 1901 and 2021 during a ceremony at the Dallas Fire-Rescue Training Academy in Dallas on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
“You’re gonna be sad, but it gets better,” she said. “It’s a long road…Oftentimes, the people who can help best are others who’ve had losses like this.”