RICHMOND, Va. β The Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial will honor 19 new fallen heroes Saturday, including a Henrico County firefighter whose legacy extends far beyond his decades of service.
Lieutenant Willis "Buddy" Barnes, served Henrico Fire for more than 30 years before retiring in 2017, will be among those memorialized at the ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. at the Capitol grounds.
Barnes died in 2022 of esophageal cancer, a disease that has become the leading cause of death among firefighters.
"Firefighting has changed over the years. When firefighters used to go into a fire, it was wood and cotton and leather and and natural materials. Now, when we're fighting a fire, it's synthetics, it's oil-based products. They're releasing just a carcinogenic soup, we call it, of chemicals that are infiltrating our bodies," said William Boger, president of the Henrico Professional Firefighters Association.
Former colleagues and friends of Barnes said he was instrumental in developing Henrico County's HAZMAT program β from developing training and designing equipment and vehicles.
"He had been a part of this HAZMAT program, really, since its inception," said Deputy Chief Jim Courtney. "He was great with his hands, very mechanical guy...Loved his family, loved the fire department and was just a mentor to a lot of people."
"Buddy, was quiet, he was very faith driven, but he was a jokester at heart. And even though he was quiet, he was always doing something behind the scenes, you just didn't know he was doing it."
"I learned a lot from him to try to rely on his experience to make my shift a little bit better," added Captain David Newell.
To honor Barnes' contributions, Henrico County placed his name on the side of one of the trucks at Fire Station 21 that he helped design and rode in. This rare recognition has been given to only one other firefighter in the county: Stephen Whitson, who died of a heart attack.
"Speaks to his standing in the agency and the way that people felt about him and thought of him," Courtney said.
The county said it has taken steps to put preventative measures in place to mitigate cancer risks among its firefighters, including giving them two sets of turn-out gear and on-site cleaning services.
But members with the department added they have also made efforts to address cancer concerns at the state level in Barnes' honor.
Boger said they successfully passed legislation they called "Buddy's Bill" that expands what throat cancers are recognized by workers' compensation, including esophageal.
"That's helped not only Buddy, but other firefighters across the state that may develop their certain cancers," Boger said.
Boger said they also had legislation to expand how long after retirement a death can be considered in the line of duty in order for the family to receive compensation. He said it passed the Senate, but failed to progress in the House.
"Unfortunately, you know, a lot of these cancers take a lot longer to develop, so Buddy's was deemed that it was not compensable because it was past five years," Boger said.
Boger said they plan to push for the legislation again next year and to push for expanded cancer screening programs for firefighters.
But, friends said while that work will continue into the future, in the short-term they are focused on Saturday and another chance to honor Barnes' service.
"I think it's a great thing for his family to see that," said Courtney. "It's been kind of a long time in the works, and I think we're all just glad to see it come to fruition and and honor him for for the service that he that he gave."
Barnes' name was added to the International Association of Firefighters Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2023.
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