Kankakee Times

In an Oct. 7 Facebook post, Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) wrote about the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Ceremony at the Kankakee Courthouse.

“It’s always a humbling experience to attend the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Ceremony as I did once again today at the Kankakee Courthouse," Haas posted. "Last year, I had the honor of being the speaker at this ceremony, but I attended with my dad. He dedicated his life to the fire service for 60 years. This year was a little more painful than I expected as I felt my dad’s absence; we still grieve his sudden passing earlier this year. Last year I spoke about growing up the daughter of a firefighter, and now being the wife of a firefighter - I understand dealing with the daily worry of a loved one’s safety and the risks involved with doing this work. I’m grateful I had to opportunity to directly participate in this event last year with my dad. Thank you Jim Rowe for giving me that blessing. Thank you to the firefighters who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our families and communities. Thank you to all of the firefighters who risk their lives on a daily basis to keep us all safe. And thank you to the families who share their loved ones at the risk of helping all of us each and every day. We will never forget."

Kankakee County State's Attorney Jim Rowe also attended the ceremony.

"Thank you to all who attended yesterday’s Kankakee County Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service," Rowe posted on Facebook. "Manteno Community Fire Protection District FF Noah Hubly posted the colors for the ceremony; this was especially meaningful as his father, Chief Matthew Hubly, is one of our fallen firefighters whose name is inscribed on the Memorial Wall. Special thanks to Chief James Eggert for his Memorial Speech, and to Coroner Robert Gessner for reading the Firefighter’s Prayer. In the one photo you can see the families of fallen firefighters who gather every year at this ceremony for the laying of the wreath; they lost their loved one in service to our community, please keep them in your thoughts and honor their sacrifice as well."

The Illinois Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Firefighting Medal of Honor ceremony was held in May, on the State Capitol Lawn and at the Bank of Springfield Center. The event presented a variety of awards and recognitions, including the Gold Badge, presented to the families of firefighters who died in the line of duty. Those honorees included: Firefighter Mehdi Mourad, Wabash Fire Protection District; Firefighter/Paramedic Michael Pickering, Chicago Fire Department; Firefighter/EMT MaShawn Plummer, Chicago Fire Department; and Lt. Garrett Ramos, Sterling Fire Department.

Haas has recently been in the news with a visit to Kankakee Community College: In a Sept. 15 Facebook post, Haas shared how Kankakee Community College is using Illinois Green Energy Networks funding. "I had the opportunity to visit Kankakee Community College yesterday to see first-hand their use of Illinois Green Energy Networks (IGEN) funds; these funds are a direct result of bipartisan legislation passed in Springfield and it was something I was proud to back to help make our state better, cleaner, and safer—starting with clean energy," Haas said. "As a state lawmaker, it’s always nice to see firsthand how funds are put to good use right in our community, and I enjoyed taking a tour, seeing the college’s facilities, and learning about KCC’s renewable energy training program for the future vision of IGEN. Thanks for having me Kankakee Community College!”