Memorials to honor fallen firefighters took place around the country while in Ohio flags were flown at half staff,

In Youngstown, firefighters took the time to honor and remember their brothers in blue who died on duty.

The ceremony was held for decades but stopped during the pandemic.

This year the memorial was back.

At 1:00 p.m. Amazing Grace on the bagpipes could be heard on the Spring Commons Bridge in Youngstown.

Names of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives on duty were read and their sacrifices were remembered.

"Although we have done this in the past, it's important to our guys to honor the firefighters who paid the ultimate sacrifice in our department," Jon Racco President of the Youngstown Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 312 said.

A rose was placed in the Mahoning River to remember the fallen firefighters locally, across the state, and our country.

Of the 19 who died, some died from walls falling on them. 

Some passed away from a heart attack while others were rushing to an emergency call for help. 

Now the number one cause of death for firefighters is cancer.

The billowing smoke often creates a toxic soup of chemicals. 

"Clothing, bedding, and furniture to make it fire resistant, those chemicals release a lot of toxins out of them that cause a lot of cancer," YFD Captain Gene Cook said. 

No one has succumbed to their injuries in Youngstown since 1984, about 40 years.

The firefighters union wants to keep it that way and emphasizes having enough firefighters in this high-stress and high-risk job can make the difference between life and death.

Not just for the community's safety but for firefighter safety.

"There's a lot of things firefighters face every day. It's dangerous work we have structure fires. We have emergencies, accidents that really put a toll on our guys and unfortunately, it can turn tragic sometimes," Racco said.