Yuma, AZ - The memorial service started with an opening prayer. Hundreds of people came out in support of Anthony Polk, a firefighter who lost his life last Friday when the firefighting truck he was in rolled over while responding to the Montezuma fire near Sells, AZ.
Polk was a Fort Yuma Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighter for the Quechan Tribe and a Yuma resident. He would have turned 31 years old on June 22.
Polk worked with several organizations including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Land Management, and other local fire departments. Many of which were in attendance.
"He put himself out there to protect the people, it was more than a job, it was his calling. He was straight American in every sense of the way. He loved this country and he loved the community he served.
Friends and co-workers share stories about Polk and talked about some of his passions. "His passion was cooking, he loved to fish, he was a loving father and did everything he could for his daughter. He will always be remember by his smiles and he will be in our hearts."
Anthony Polk is survived by a 5-year-old daughter, his mother, grandmother, and numerous relatives and friends. One speaker said Polk will be missed but that he is now with his spiritual family.
Tomorrow a wake will be held starting at 3pm at the Yuma Mortuary Chapel. (It's primarily for tribal members, but the public may also attend.) Anthony's traditional cremation will take place at dawn on Saturday.
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