There are many Star Wars fans that are excited for the 4th of May each year because they can use the phrase “May the Fourth be With You." For firefighters throughout the world and the National Park Service, the fourth of May has a greater and more serious meaning.
On Dec. 2, 1998, five firefighters battling a bushfire in Australia perished while trying to protect their community. The death of these firefighters was strongly felt within the community and across the world. On January 4, 1999, a proposal was e-mailed out around the world by Lt. JJ Edmondson to mark the 4th of May as International Firefighters’ Day. The fourth of May was selected for International Firefighters’ Day because it is Saint Florian’s day, who is said to be one of the first commanding firefighters of a Roman battalion in the 3rd Century CE credited with saving many lives and is recognized as the patron saint of firefighters.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
