WARNING: This story contains discussion of suicide and may be triggering for some people.

A Winnipeg firefighter who died by suicide earlier this year – whose death has since been ruled the result of a workplace injury – was among those honored at Saturday’s ceremony honoring a fallen firefighter in Manitoba.

Dozens of people attended the ceremony at Memorial Park, which honored five additional firefighters who also died in the line of duty, including family, friends, co-workers and community members.

Manitoba firefighters Gordon Earl White, Richard Johnson, Lionel Gauthier, Brian Fuller and Ronald Murray were also honored on Saturday. Each of their names was engraved on the Manitoba Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

“It’s a shame there weren’t any names on that wall, but at the same time that’s the reality we live in. It brings up a lot of emotion,” said Tom Bilous, president of United Firefighters of Winnipeg.

“These were the guys I made pizza with, these were the guys I dragged hoses through snowdrifts with. These are not just names on the walls, these are personalities, so seeing your loved ones here today and sharing this moment, (is) very important.”

Union chief remembers fallen firefighter as ‘an amazing, caring person’

The death of Preston Heinbigner last spring sparked calls for better mental health support for first responders and for the death to be considered a line-of-duty death.

Heinbigner (40) committed suicide on April 9. He and his wife, Shayda, had a two-year-old son at the time and another child on the way.

According to his friends and co-workers, he had been a firefighter in Winnipeg since 2007 and was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder related to trauma he suffered while answering calls on the job.

In June, the Manitoba Workers’ Compensation Commission found that the firefighter’s death was the result of an on-the-job injury.

“We all know that the demons and unnatural things that he was dealing with were absolutely work-related,” Bilous said. “It won’t bring him back to life, but … if we can honor him, remember him and move the stick forward to avoid this in the future, (that’s) the best we can do.”

Bilous said it means a lot to Heinbigner’s family, co-workers and loved ones that he was honored at Saturday’s ceremony.

“He was an amazing, caring person,” Bilous said. “I really believe that’s what he would want to know: ‘OK, my death wasn’t in vain, let’s help the next person, the next one.'”

United Firefighters of Winnipeg vice-president Derek Balcaen shared his opinion.

“To have his name etched on these walls forever is something extremely precious,” he said.

The Manitoba government also pledged to fund three mental health counselors for first responders following Heinbigner’s death.

“A day like today really reminds us that we have firefighters, and today, with a drug crisis on the streets, we’re not just asking them to put out fires,” said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.

“We are also asking them to be on the frontline with naloxone and responding to overdoses, and because of all the things that people encounter at work, we need to provide more support on mental health issues as well.”

During the ceremony, the doorbell to the home safe also rang.

Fire Department Chaplin Ian Scott explained that fire departments across North America used the home safe bell when “a company or piece of equipment left to fight a fire or deal with an emergency and were then welcomed back by the home safe bell,” so everyone can know that everything is okay, he said.

In addition, a safe home alert was activated at fire stations across the city to express that the people being honored “are safe at home,” Scott said.

“The smoke has disappeared, the fire has gone out, our fallen comrades are resting.”

Bilous said he knew several of the firefighters whose names are on the monument and hopes they will be well remembered.

“Our ultimate goal remains a year where there are no names on this wall, and then a year after that and so on and so forth, that would be great,” Bilous said, addressing the audience.

“We must never lose sight of the possibility of achieving this goal.”