Merchantville celebrated International Firefighter’s Day (IFFD) during a service at St. Peter Church on May 4th. IFFD is celebrated every year on May 4th, a date chosen and linked to the feast day of St Florian - the patron saint of all firefighters. St Florian was the first known commander of one firefighting squad in the Roman Empire. He lost his life, as well as those of his colleagues, for protecting the same humane ideas which firefighters all over the world share even today. Firefighters in most of the European countries celebrate their day on 4th of May as a ‘Day of Fire Service’ as well as St. Florian’s Day.
This date is also known as St Florian’s Day worldwide and has been tradition for more than 150 years in Europe. OPictured are Dennis Merrigin, retired lieutenant from the Philadelphia Fire Department, Joe Lipka, retired fire chief from the Pennsauken Fire Department, and Matt Gaskill, lieutenant with the Merchantville Fire Department and owner of Gaskill-Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services, LLC. We would like to thank our firefighters for their commitment and dedication and also our mutual aid partners for their assistance on this International Firefighters Day. May the force be with you.