Premier John Horgan has issued the following statement in honour of Firefighters' National Memorial Day:
"Today, on Firefighters' National Memorial Day, we honour the brave Canadians who have lost their lives while answering the call of duty for the last time.
"As flags fly at half-mast over the B.C. Parliament Buildings in memory of these fallen heroes, my thoughts are with families here in British Columbia and across Canada who are remembering their parent, child, grandchild, sibling or spouse.
"It's hard to think of a profession more selfless than firefighting. Firefighters are real life superheroes - people who run into danger that the rest of us run away from. They put their own lives on the line to protect our homes, our communities and our loved ones.
"We ask a lot from firefighters. We ask them to be role models to our kids, ambassadors for our communities and to spend precious time away from their own families and loved ones while they keep ours safe. When we lose a firefighter in the line of duty, we all feel it.
West Kelowna firefighter Troy Russell passed away two years ago this month after battling occupational brain cancer.
Russell's cancer was attributed to his work as a firefighter for 20 years.