St. Johns County Fire Rescue’s permanent Fallen Firefighter Memorial now sits at Fire Rescue headquarters at 3657 Gaines Road in St. Augustine. | St. Johns County Public Affairs office.
Published on January 16, 2026 at 2:23 pm
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St. Johns County Fire Rescue’s permanent Fallen Firefighter Memorial now sits at Fire Rescue headquarters at 3657 Gaines Road in St. Augustine.
The gray stone wall marked “Remember the Fallen” honors firefighters who died in the line of duty and seven names are individually commemorated on plaques. A sculpture of a fireman’s helmet and jacket draped over a pair of boots recognizes the courage, sacrifice and commitment of the profession.
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In a ceremony Jan. 9, the dedication also included a 9/11 memorial tree planted on the site that commemorates those lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
The memorial project moved through months of planning and design before a groundbreaking in May 2024. Fire Rescue Engineer Chris Naff helped see the project through to completion, as he described in an Office of Public Affairs video:
“Our memorial will be forever hallowed ground, a place to come, to remember, to reflect and to heal,” Naff said. “What started as an idea on a piece of paper slowly evolved into what you see today.”
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The names of the fallen firefighters with their end of watch dates are inscribed on the memorial:
- Frank Schilsky, Dec. 18, 1987
- Dean Cherry, Aug. 22, 2002
- Ryan Reed, Aug. 25, 2007
- Kenny Krulish, Jan. 22, 2013
- Garrett Opper, April 27, 2022
- Matt Martin, Aug. 21, 2022
- Brandon Estes, Oct. 2, 2022
Board of County Commissioners Chair Clay Murphy said at the dedication: “This memorial exists for a clear and necessary reason. It gives this department and this community a permanent place to recognize firefighters who lost their lives while serving others. Their work mattered. Their sacrifice mattered.”
Murphy emphasized the responsibility firefighters accept when responding to emergencies and the lasting legacy of those honored.
“When a call comes in, they go — often into uncertainty, danger, and risk — because someone else needs help,” he said. “For the individuals honored here, that responsibility ultimately came at the highest cost.”
