This weekend Colorado Springs will honor almost all fallen firefighters from around the country. And rightfully so. We should and must honor these fallen heroes.

The reason I say almost all is because if a fallen firefighter happens to be a volunteer firefighter, such as we have in many communities in Teller County and many other places in this country, these firefighters will not be honored or remembered. Why, because only firefighters who belong to International Association of Fire Fighters are remembered on the Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial.

What a shame. The volunteer firefighter puts his or her life on the line no less that a bigcity firefighter, and if dying protecting others, is just as much missed by family and friends and deserves to have their name placed on that same memorial.

John Froehle Colorado Springs