INCREDIBLY EMOTIONAL AND SOMBER MORNING INSIDE THE CHICAGO FIRE ACADEMY AS SCORES OF PEOPLE GATHERED TO REMEMBER THE LIFE OF FALLEN CHICAGO FIREMEN LIEUTENANT KEVIN WARD, A MAN CHERISHED FOR HIS DEDICATION AND SERVICE TO OTHERS. >> BELLS TOLL INSIDE THE CHICAGO FIRE ACADEMY AS THE ALL TOO FAMILIAR SOUND OF BAGPIPES ECHOED THROUGHOUT THE SOLEMN CEREMONY. >> IT IS MY PRAYER THAT MY GATHERING TODAY WE WILL PERMANENTLY ETCH HIS MEMORY INTO THE STORY OF CHICAGO, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY HONORING THE LIFE OF FALLEN CHICAGO FIREMEN. >> LIEUTENANT KEVIN WARD WARD DIED ONE YEAR AGO TODAY, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AFTER HE WAS CRITICALLY INJURED BATTLING A HOUSE FIRE NEAR O'HARE. ON AUGUST 11TH. HE BECAME TRAPPED IN THE HOME'S BASEMENT, WAS PULLED AND RUSHED TO LOYOLA MEDICAL CENTER IN MAYWOOD, WHERE HE DIED SURROUNDED BY HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. HE SERVED WITH CFD FOR NEARLY THREE DECADES. >> THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MEANT EVERYTHING TO HIM. UM, HE FELT THAT HE HAD THE ABSOLUTE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD THIS MORNING, WARD'S FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND FELLOW FIREFIGHTER LEADERS GATHERED INSIDE THE ACADEMY TO REMEMBER THE LONGTIME FIRSTRILLIONESPONDER. >> WITH STANDING ROOM ONLY WARD'S BADGE NUMBER, 1054, ADDED TO THE MEMORIAL WALL AT THE FIRE ACADEMY, ENSHRINING HIS LEGACY IN CFD HISTORY. >> LIEUTENANT WARD, EXEMPLIFY WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE WITH COURAGE, DEDICATION, AND SELFLESSNESS. >> AFTER THE CEREMONY, A BRICK WAS DEDICATED IN WARD'S HONOR AT FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL PARK BY THE LAKE, SERVING AS A REMINDER TO ALL WHO PASSED BY OF THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICES MADE BY SO MANY OF CHICAGO'S FIREFIGHTERS RETIRING. >> THIS BADGE DOES NOT MARK THE END OF LIEUTENANT WARD'S LEGACY . IT IMMORTALIZED HIS 2023 WAS A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT.