Whelen Engineering, a global leader in the emergency warning industry for more than 70 years, Richard Childress Racing (RCR), and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) have teamed up to honor fallen fire heroes at FDIC International on April 18, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
At 12:30pm ET in Whelen Engineering’s booth #3223 at FDIC International, RCR’s No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet will debut a special paint scheme in honor of the 226 of firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and years prior. Members of NFFF, Whelen Engineering, and the No. 2 Driver, Jesse Love, will be on hand to unveil the car. The event will also be broadcast live on Whelen Engineering’s Facebook page.
All 226 names are memorialized on the deck lid of the car. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will pay tribute to these 226 fallen firefighters at this year’s National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend— 89 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and 137 who died in previous years. Each spring thousands of people gather in Emmitsburg, Maryland to participate in the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. This year’s events include a candlelight vigil, family activities, and the 2024 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.
“We are incredibly grateful that Whelen’s No. 2 Chevrolet carries the names of 226 fallen firefighters who died in the line of duty serving their local communities. These firefighters will also be memorialized at this year’s National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, taking place the first weekend in May,” said NFFF CEO, Victor Stagnaro. “Remembering these heroes means so much to our Fire Hero Families, and it’s a true demonstration of Whelen’s commitment to the core mission of the NFFF: honoring our fallen heroes and supporting their families.”
Supporting first responders and their causes is an important part of Whelen’s company culture and many employees are first responders themselves. “Including the names on the trunk lid helps drive the focus of honoring the fallen and further supports their families, colleagues, and organizations, aligning with the spirit of the Foundation’s mission,” said Whelen Engineering’s Director of Fire, EMS, and Amber Sales, Matt Kehoe. “We thank the Foundation for helping Whelen bring awareness and remembrance to fallen fire heroes. And we’re honored to partner with NFFF for the third year in a row.” In 2022 Whelen helped honor fallen firefighters at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Races at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, and in 2023 at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
Whelen has partnered with Richard Childress Racing for the past three years. The partnership includes sponsorship of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet driven by Jesse Love for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. Whelen Engineering Company designs and manufactures reliable and powerful warning lights, white illumination lighting, sirens, controllers, and high-powered warning systems for Automotive, Aviation (Whelen Aerospace Technologies – WAT), and Mass Notification industries worldwide.
Whelen is also the official warning light supplier of NASCAR and a steadfast supporter of motorsports at many different levels including title sponsorship of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series, and sponsorship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
