South Zanesville Fire Department Honors Fallen Firefighters

SOUTH ZANESVILLE, OH – The South Zanesville Fire Department held a heartfelt ceremony to remember the heroes of September 11th and to celebrate a new memorial honoring two of their own fallen firefighters.

The new memorial, which now stands outside the South Zanesville Fire Department, honors two brave firefighters, Runt Savage and Richard “Dick” Guss Sr. who gave their lives in the line of duty over the last 100 years.

The ceremony brought together first responders, families, and community members to remember their sacrifice and reflect on the bravery of all firefighters.

“I never met Runt, but from everything I’ve heard about him, he was a great firefighter. He was always here when the alarm went off, and he was always good to the community, especially in youths’ sports in Maysville. Dick, I worked with him here. He actually got me on the fire department in 1994. He was my neighbor. The last fire he fought; I was on the call with him the night he fell off the truck,” South Zanesville Fire Chief Russell Taylor said.

The new memorial serves as a powerful reminder of the courage and dedication of these local heroes. Their memory will continue to inspire future generation of firefighters.

“It’s to recognize two fire fighters that paid the ultimate price for their community. It also gives our guys a reminder every time we go on a call to be safe and come back,” Chief Taylor said.

Chief Taylor also expressed his deep appreciation, thanking everyone for their support of the South Zanesville Fire Department.