FORT SMITH -- A River Valley firefighter who died in the line of duty will be among those remembered in a national ceremony this weekend.
Eric Morrison, 42, who served in the Fort Smith Fire Department until his death from pancreatic cancer on Nov. 21, 2019, will have his name added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md., according to a news release from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
The state of Arkansas deemed Morrison's passing to be a line-of-duty death, the news release states.
He will be one of 215 firefighters from across the nation who will be honored today and Sunday as part of the 40th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.
Fort Smith Fire Chief Phil Christensen said adding Morrison's name to the memorial is a special recognition for any firefighter who dies in the line of duty.
"It's heartbreaking that his name has to be added to the wall, but it's exciting that he's able to still be a part of the fire service in our hearts and in our minds," Christensen said.
Christensen described Morrison, who began his tenure with the Fire Department on Feb. 3, 2003, as an "absolute go-getter," as well as an excellent cook who prepared meals for his fellow firefighters.
"He never stood still," Christensen said. "He looked at everything as a challenge, and he was going to beat that challenge."
Morrison will be honored alongside two other firefighters from Arkansas, the news release states. These include Michael Watkins, 75, of the Northeast Lakeside Fire Department, who died April 24, 2019, after he suffered a heart attack while responding to a brush fire, and David Haynes, 62, of the M&M Air Service of Beaumont, Inc., who died July 30, 2020, in a mid-air collision while fighting a fire near Caliente, N.M.
A plaque with the names of all these firefighters will be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial during a candlelight service with their families at 7 p.m. today, according to the release. A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday.
"87 firefighters died in the line of duty in 2020," the news release states. "82 firefighters died in 2019. 46 firefighters who died in the line of duty in previous years will also be honored. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will present each family with an American flag flown over the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the U.S. Capitol."