Families Of Fallen Firefighters To Gather In St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Families of fallen firefighters are expected to gather on the Capitol grounds for a new firefighter's memorial.

A bronze statue of a fire rescue that was at the airport has been moved and a permanent memorial was built in honor of all firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Members of the St. Paul Fire Department and other firefighters contacted hundreds of families to attend the dedication Sunday.

Joy Klasinski plans to attend with her two sisters. Their father, Warren Clasen, was a single father and a firefighter.

Klasinski was 16 when she watched the fire at the Phalen Shopping Center in 1969. A live wire hit a ladder and electrocuted her father.

She says he lived for golf and wanted to be remembered more for golf than firefighting.

Governor Mark Dayton has ordered all U.S. and State flags be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings from sunrise until sunset on Sunday, September 30 to memorialize fallen firefighters.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)