Memorial sees spike in number of names added this year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A memorial to fallen firefighters was inscribed Saturday with 425 new names -- most of them men who died in the World Trade Center attacks.

During last year's ceremony honoring firefighters who died in the line of duty in the United States and Canada, 74 names were carved into the granite of the Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial.

This year, the number is nearly six times that.

"We hope and pray this year's memorial is the largest we ever have," said Jesse Ortiz, a firefighter and spokesman for the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Last year's ceremony was held four days after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Organizers expected at least 10,000 people to attend the 16th annual ceremony, including relatives of many of the fallen firefighters.

A total of 343 New York City firefighters died in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Many families of firefighters honored at last year's ceremony were unable to attend after flights were grounded following the attacks. Some are expected to be present Saturday.

The memorial was established in Colorado Springs in 1988. There are about 1,500 names of firefighters killed since 1976. Last year, about 7,000 people attended the ceremony.