The Annual "19" Installation Honoring Granite Mountain Hotshots Will Come To An End, Finding A Permanent Home In Prescott.
Yesterday, the Prescott Fire Department and supporters of the “19" installation on Badger "P" Mountain in Arizona announced that the annual installation will end and continue to be commemorated at the Granite Mountain Hotshot Tribute installation at Courthouse Square in Prescott.
This will conclude the annual installation on the mountain, as the group feels it is time to end the 19 installation on "P" mountain. The group includes dedicated community members, former hotshots, and some of the family members of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died on the Yarnell Fire.
This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Granite Mountain Hotshots tragedy, which took place on June 30th, 2013.
Here is the full press release:
Prescott Fire Department and Supporters of the Prescott "P" 19 Display Announce Transition of Granite Mountain Hotshots Tribute
(June 26, 2024) - The Prescott Fire Department, on behalf of the group responsible for the annual "19" installation on Badger ("P") Mountain, is honored to announce that those responsible for initiating and maintaining the installation have decided that the intent of the display is now firmly and fittingly commemorated at the Granite Mountain Hotshot Tribute installation of Prescott at the Courthouse Square. Therefore, the group feels it is time to let the "19" installation on "p" mountain come to an end.
The anonymous group includes dedicated community members, former hotshots, and some of the family members of the 19.
According to the group, the "19" installation on "p" mountain was created to show deep respect and honor for the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot crew and epitomize the spirit of "I've got your six." The "19" symbolized the crew's silent commitment to fighting valiantly and was an enduring example of bravery, brotherhood, and selflessness.
Over the years, the group made this gesture quietly, allowing the tribute to speak for itself without fanfare. This supports the ethos of the GMIHC and hotshots everywhere. The group's decision reflects their perspective that the crew's spirit and memory are now forever enshrined in a place of prominence where the community can gather, reflect, and honor their sacrifice throughout the year. This allows the spirit of the "19" installation to be reflected in the memorial in the courthouse square thereby ensuring their legacy lives on in the hearts of all who visit.
"The Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot crew will always be remembered for their bravery and camaraderie, serving as an inspiration to all, "said Prescott Fire Chief Holger Durre. "The City of Prescott and the Prescott Fire Department are dedicated to honoring the legacy of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot crew and strive to uphold the values of bravery, brotherhood, and selflessness they embodied. We support the group's decision to transition this legacy to the memorial in Courthouse Square.
In order to honor the wishes of the committee, we will not be able to take further questions or comment further about this.
A special thank you to the group that has maintained this annual tradition for 10 years and to the new home of the commemoration in Prescott.
There will still be a remembrance this year on June 30th at the Yarnell Hill Fire Memorial Park, located at 22556 South State Route 89, Yarnell, AZ.
This year's remembrance event will include: music by local musicians, recognition of the late Chuck Tidey, who led the effort to build the park, brief comments from Arizona State Parks and Trails (the new owners of the Park), a reading of the names of the fallen Hotshots by the grandparents of one of the fallen Hotshots, and a closing moment of silent tribute to the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew.
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