Hundreds gathered in Kings Park as Western Australia added three firefighters who died from duty and cancer to the Fallen Firefighters’ Honour Roll.
A memorial in Kings Park brought hundreds together to ensure that the bravery of Western Australia’s firefighters is never treated as something that fades with time.
At the Fallen Firefighters’ Honour Roll service on Sunday. three new names were added to recognise Western Australian volunteer and career firefighters who have died in the line of duty. or as a consequence of their service.. Wreaths were laid as families and supporters gathered to pay respects and reflect on the lives behind the uniform.
Among those honoured was Gregory Mark Mudie, a Western River Bush Fire Service volunteer firefighter with 27 years of service, who died while battling a fire near Ravensthorpe in December last year.
The roll also includes Damian Keiran Buswell, a career firefighter who spent 32 years in emergency services and later died from cancer. His service included periods as a district manager in the Southern Region, with work across communities including Welshpool and Albany.
Another name added was Denis Jung, who joined the Carnarvon Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service in 2001 and later served as an aviation firefighter at Perth Airport. Jung died of cancer in 2022.
Insight: For many first responders, the risks of the job do not end when a shift finishes. This kind of acknowledgement matters because it turns private grief into public recognition, and it reinforces that communities remember those who serve in uniform.
In this context, the honour roll process is shaped by Western Australia’s Presumptive Legislation.. Under that framework. it is presumed that a firefighter diagnosed with any of a specified set of cancers acquired the disease in relation to their duties. guiding both access to support and the way names are added to the memorial.
Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said the honour roll now includes more than a hundred names, held in memory at the Firefighters’ Memorial in Kings Park. He described the roll as a way to honour individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice for their friends, families, and communities.
Later, emergency services commissioner Darren Klemm told attendees that remembrance reflects the courage and commitment of fallen firefighters, while also calling on first responders to continue standing together and supporting one another through loss.
Insight: These ceremonies are more than formalities. They help families feel seen, encourage public awareness of service-related health impacts, and strengthen the bond between emergency workers and the communities they protect.