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'We've experienced a lot of tragedy' | Greensboro Fire Department to honor fallen firefighters

The department will hold a historical memorial service at the Green Hill Cemetery Saturday.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro Fire Department is holding a historical memorial service to honor its fallen firefighters.

Deputy Chief Dwayne Church says while the department has experienced a lot of exciting things, they've also experienced a lot of tragedy.

Most recently, the department lost former Greensboro Fire Chief Ray Flowers in July.

Flowers was Greensboro's first black fire chief. He died after battling an illness.

The department also lost Greensboro firefighter Rick Murrell who died in a car crash in the same month.

"We are really still recovering from that loss and it’s a lot of people in the fire department that really miss Rick and those wise words of advice he would give to each of us," said Church. 

Church said Ray Flowers is also heavily missed within the department. He says the department became an accredited department under Flowers' leadership. 

"Chief Flowers is very special to me because he gave me an opportunity in this fire department and he was the person that hired me, so he always held a special place in my heart and did a great job as the fire chief," said Church. 

WFMY News 2 also spoke with Retired Battalion Chief Larry Cockman.

His brother, Captain Raymond Cockman died in 1987. He experienced a heart attack while working at a fire station.

"We got there before he passed and they were doing a lot of things to him and I was holding his hand and of course praying for him and wanted him to make it but, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case," said Cockman. 

Cockman said his brother was someone he always looked up to.

The memorial event will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Green Hill Cemetery.

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