Annual conference honors West Tenn. fallen firefighters

JACKSON, Tenn. — People from across the state gathered Friday to remember three fallen firefighters killed in the line of duty last year. The special ceremony is part of the Tennessee Firemen’s Association 83rd Annual Conference going on in Jackson.

The special service honored two lieutenants from Memphis and Madison County Firefighter Chris Blankenship.

“Things are getting a little easier, but it’s still — we have our hard times, hard days,” Don Chism, Blankenship’s father-in-law, said.

Blankenship died in May 2015 after a tree fell on him while out on a call. He left behind a wife and two children. “He was always one of the first ones up and going whenever we got a fire call,” Chism said.

Departments from across the state came to pay their respects. “These guys are our family,” Ripley Fire Chief Tracey Worlds said. “May not personally know them, but you have that connection with them.”

Bolivar Fire Chief Lynn Price said most of these fallen firefighters have family. “We take it,” Price said. “We build on it. We learn from it and we try to make sure it don’t happen again.”

Chism, who also serves with the Madison County Fire Department, said services like this are tough on his family. “All of us know that there’s a certain danger in it, and we all watch out for each other,” he said. “We all take care of each other.”

Organizers said they have about 125 people from across the state in town for the convention. It includes training courses, motivational speakers and social events. The convention runs through May 21.