The City of Madison Common Council passed a resolution last night honoring the late Richard Garner Jr., a firefighter and paramedic who died in the line of duty on Easter morning this year – just four days before his 30th birthday.
The resolution officially named Engine 10 in Garner’s honor and memory. A plaque bearing his name now adorns the fire engine serving Madison’s north side.
Garner passed away shortly after finishing a 48-hour shift on the job. He had had a long and stressful two days and by the time he finished his shift at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, he had responded to 19 emergency calls.
“It’s an extremely humbling gesture and a great way to honor Rick’s service to the city,” Doug Johnson, Garner’s good friend and fellow firefighter, tells Madison365. “It’s also fitting that it be on Engine 10, the rig that protects the city’s north side, a community that Rick loved and had such a positive impact on. I know his spirit will protect all those that ride that engine, as well as the citizens of that community that it will serve in the future.”
The @CityofMadison Common Council passed a resolution Tuesday night officially naming Engine 10 in honor and memory of Firefighter/Paramedic Richard Garner, Jr. A plaque bearing his name now adorns the fire engine serving #Madison's north side. pic.twitter.com/GBHawhITwF
— Madison Fire Dept. (@MadisonWIFire) June 20, 2018
You can read more about the life of Richard Garner Jr. in this recent Madison365 in-depth article.
