The Associated Press
KENAI, Alaska — The Kenai Firefighters Association is working to memorialize firefighters killed in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York by naming an Alaska mountain in their honor.
The group successfully petitioned the state of Alaska to name a mountain after St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. The name change still must be approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
"It may not seem like a real big thing to people, but the response we’re getting already tells me a lot of people out there are impressed and appreciate the significance of having a mountain named after the firefighters," Kenai Fire Chief Scott Walden said.
The mountain, now unnamed, is a little over 4,000 feet tall and is located eight miles west of Mount Redoubt in the Chigmit Mountain range across Cook Inlet in southern Alaska.
The idea was suggested by Walden’s father, Ron Walden of Soldotna. Association members waded through paperwork to gather the necessary information to submit to the Alaska Historical Commission.
"We didn’t know how the process works, so we just started looking for a mountain," Walden said.
Along the way, they ran into several regulations and restrictions. The National Park Service frowns on naming a mountain in a national park, Walden said, so firefighters shifted their search for one that wasn’t part of the nearby Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
In addition, there is a five-year wait after death to name a landmark in memory of person, so rather than name the mountain after a specific victim, St. Florian was chosen to represent all the lost firefighters.
The Alaska Historical Commission approved the request at its Nov. 14 meeting. If approved by the federal board, Mount St. Florian would begin appear on Alaska maps as they are updated.
A national firefighters publication picked up the Kenai Firefighters Association’s success at naming the mountain and, since then, Walden has received e-mails from firefighters in New Hampshire, Wisconsin and New York congratulating their efforts.
To further dedicate the mountain, Kenai firefighter John Harris plans to climb the proposed Mount St. Florian next summer and possibly place a memorial plaque on the summit. Some firefighters from New York and other states may joining the climb, Walden said.
"I’m looking forward to doing it, absolutely," said Harris, an avid climber who has reached the summit of Mount McKinley. "And there are a couple of guys that are going to start training here. It’s a small gesture of our heartfelt sympathy for the firefighters and their families."
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