Orland Park firefighter bell ceremony honors fallen comrades

At the closing of the Orland Park Patriot Day commemoration, firefighter-paramedic Nick Perez led the firefighter bell ceremony, a longstanding tradition that uses bell tolls to honor those who died in the line of duty.

Perez explained the history and symbolism of the bell: in past practice a bell signaled the beginning and end of duty, and a mournful toll marked a comrade's passing. He described the special signal—three rings, three times each—as representing the "last alarm" for firefighters who made the supreme sacrifice.

Organizers and attendees observed the ritual as part of a program that also included remarks from local officials and musical performances by the Orland Park Children's Choir and the Southwest Community Concert Band.