Community asked to honor fallen Celestine firefighter

The Celestine Volunteer Fire Department is asking local residents to help honor fallen firefighter Lucas A. Gehlhausen as he is remembered at the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service on Sunday, May 3rd.

Gehlhausen will be honored alongside nearly 200 other firefighters who have died in the line of duty in recent years at the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Members of the Celestine Volunteer Fire Department will accompany his immediate family to the service.

The department is requesting community support in several ways:

Lower flags to half-staff on Sunday, May 3rd, in honor of the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service.

Display red lights from April 26th through May 3rd as part of the “Light the Night For Fallen Firefighters” campaign. This nationwide tradition helps raise awareness and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Listen for sirens at 12 p.m. on May 3rd when area fire departments throughout Dubois County will “Sound the Sirens” to coincide with the start of the Memorial Service itself.

“There are many traditions in place across the fire service and these are some of those most sacred that departments hope to never be personally involved in, but we will continue to do our best in honoring Luke and the many others whose lives have been lost in the line of duty,” said Ryan Wineinger, Celestine Fire Chief.

For more information about the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend, visit firehero.org.