Aaron Lybarger, West Metro Firefighter, Remembered In Maryland
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Among the 119 names added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmetsburg, Maryland this year was a local firefighter, Aaron Lybarger. He served with West Metro Fire Rescue.
Ten people for West Metro Fire, along with Aaron's father Glenn, attended the ceremony in Maryland.
"Every day we think about the ones we've lost in the fire service and Aaron was a very special man," said Capt. Kevin Reichenbach who served with Aaron.
"He was an individual who came to work smiling every day, you never saw him upset, he was always there to do his best," he said.
In the wake of 9/11, Aaron was part of the Colorado Taskforce 1 team sent to Ground Zero. For two weeks the team sifted through the rubble, looking for survivors and recovering bodies.
Colorado State officials say this service was most likely the cause of Aaron's cancer which took his life on June 2nd, 2018.
He left behind a wife and two daughters.
"We keep them in our hearts we are always there for them continually. The fire service is a family and we never forget that so we continue to bring those spirits with us every day when we get onto the fire truck," Reichenbach said.
A legacy of selfless service to honor Aaron and all of the names etched in stone and in the hearts of those who knew them.
"People call us heroes, but we don't look at ourselves as heroes, we look at ourselves as just helping others and wanting to be there to help other people," he said.
The Colorado Fallen Firefighters Memorial was dedicated in 2000 and is located across from the Lakewood Cultural Center.
