National service honours CFA members
Photos courtesy: ACT Emergency Services Agency
The families of three CFA volunteers who lost their lives in the line of duty were presented with memorial medallions at the 2026 AFAC National Memorial Service on Friday 8 May.
Held annually at the National Emergency Services Memorial in Canberra, the service honours fire and emergency service personnel who have died while serving their communities.
As part of the ceremony, AFAC Memorial Medallions are presented to the families of those being commemorated.
Recently, CFA recognised a further three historical deaths in the line of duty: Joseph Smith (1906, Lilydale Fire Brigade), Francis Symington (1937, Bacchus Marsh Fire Brigade), and Walter Anderson (1961, Kangaroo Flat Fire Brigade). This year, their names were added to the CFA Honour Roll.
Their names were also inscribed on the National Emergency Services Memorial this year, alongside 31 other emergency service personnel from across Australia, recognising their dedication and sacrifice in protecting their communities.
CFA Chief Executive Officer Greg Leach AFSM and Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook AFSM attended the service to honour Joseph, Francis and Walter, as well as the 82 fellow CFA members who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
This year, the memorial medallions were presented by Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Photos courtesy: ACT Emergency Services Agency