08/31/2026
On August 31, 2026, the Gadsden Fire Department gathered at Central Station to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic August 31, 1976 explosion that claimed the lives of three of our brothers and injured many others.
We will come together to honor Fire Chief James Ralph Speer, Fire Medic Michael Patrick, and Fire Medic Michael Thornton, and to remember all those whose lives were forever changed that day.
Fifty years later, their sacrifice has not been forgotten. We remember. We honor. We will never forget.
