The People: Grant Rinas
You know, the friendships that you make on an international level, with other brothers and sisters that we have, is just amazing and that’s truly a gift to be treasured.
Rubbing from the IAFF Memorial Wall in Colorado Springs, showing the name of CFD firefighter David Allan
When tragedy strikes, a huge network of people feel the trauma. That’s why one of the main purposes of the Honour Guard is to care for and support the families of fallen firefighters. When a father or mother, husband or wife, fails to come home from duty, the Honour Guard take care of the family by any means necessary. Whether it be a story of their loved one’s career, a cup of coffee, or a distraction from the emotional trauma, the family should not want for anything.
CFD Members carrying the flags at IAFF Memorial 2014.
This emotional support motivated Guardsman Grant Rinas to join, after meeting the sister of fallen CFD firefighter David Allan.
Helping the family make a connection with the department, and observe the memorials to all of the CFD’s fallen, really drove home the importance of continuing their legacy for the sake of the families. Feelings of loss and despair are something that we can all associate with, and the Guard aim to make these feelings more bearable in any way possible. Even something as simple as a joke, or sharing the Honour Guard cowboy hat with the child of a fallen firefighter, offers happiness and hope in their time of need. For Grant, firefighters are warriors and deserve to be remembered as such, and Guard duty offers a way to do this. Emotional families need to know that their loved one was cherished and appreciated.