Who Are We?
The Associated Firefighters of Illinois (AFFI) Honor Guard was established on January 30th, 1993 in Springfield, IL. On that day, 69 Firefighters from across Illinois came together with one goal in mind; to form an organization that would properly Honor our Brothers and Sisters that lose their lives in the line of duty.
Since that day, the AFFI Honor Guard has grown to over 600 members, making it the largest non-military Honor Guard in the United States. Any member in good standing of an AFFI Local is able and encouraged to join the AFFI Honor Guard. Induction into the Honor Guard takes place each January during a ceremony at the Annual Honor Guard Convention.
Honor Guard Members of Normal Firefighters Local 2442 belong to District 3 of the AFFI Honor Guard. Honor Guard members are recognizable by the black, white and grey cords that they wear on their left shoulder.
What Do We Do?
The primary responsibility of Honor Guard members is to respond to and assist AFFI Locals when a Line of Duty Death occurs in their Department. Fallen Firefighters are Honored by our Members in several different ways.
For larger Locals who have the resources and experience to coordinate services, Honor Guard members may only be asked to show up and stand with our Brothers and Services in their time of loss and grief. For smaller Locals that need assistance with services, Honor Guard members may be asked to stand casket guard, provide caisson services, perform a bell ceremony, play the pipes and drums, or just provide direction for the Local. Regardless of the situation, the AFFI Honor Guard is always ready to assist in any way possible.
AFFI Honor Guard members also participate in annual Memorial Services during the Medal of Honor Ceremony each May in Springfield, IL. Services at the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs and The National Fire Academy in Emettsberg, MD are also regularly attended by Honor Guard Members.
Since they may be activated at any time, Honor Guard Members are required to attend several training sessions per year to keep their skills sharp.
In Our Community
While the primary responsibility of Honor Guard members are to provide services for AFFI Line of Duty Deaths in the State of Illinois, their skills in flag posting and marching often put them in situations to assist in community events. Some of these events include posting the Colors of the United States for large sporting events, dedications, and marching in the Irish Heritage Parade in Uptown Normal, and the Labor Parade in Downtown Bloomington.
For these events, our Members serve in the Normal Firefighters Color Guard. Color Guard members wear red cords on their left shoulder. The majority of Color Guard Members are also Members of the Honor Guard.
To make a request for Color Guard or Honor Guard assistance, email the Local on the Contact Us page.
Our Members
Carlos Aguilar
Mark Coats
John Grussing
Matthew Hill
Jeff Lawson
Mike Morrison
Chad Pacey
Deimantas Paulikus
Darrell Reeps
Jim Street
