Trump Proclaims Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend for May 2026

President Donald Trump signed Proclamation 11024 on April 30, 2026, designating May 3 and 4, 2026, as National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, per the Federal Register notice published on May 5, 2026.

The proclamation affects federal agencies, military installations, and public buildings nationwide, where U.S. flags must be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on May 4, 2026, unless that date falls on a Sunday, in which case the order applies to May 3.

It also calls on state and local governments, as well as private organizations, to participate in memorial activities. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which organizes the annual memorial service in Emmitsburg, Maryland, serves an estimated 1,400 families of fallen firefighters each year, based on the foundation's documented outreach programs.

The weekend honors more than 100 firefighters who die annually in the line of duty, according to standard federal statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration.

Prior to the proclamation, no specific designation existed for 2026, following the pattern of annual presidential actions required under Public Law 107-51, which mandates the recognition each year. The new state establishes May 3-4, 2026, as the official weekend, with the flag-lowering order taking effect on those dates.

The change formalizes the observance starting immediately upon publication, though the events occur in 2026.

The proclamation triggers federal agencies to lower flags on the specified dates, prompting coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Fire Administration for related communications. It sets in motion planning for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service, requiring the foundation to finalize attendee lists and logistics by early 2026.

State governments now face deadlines to align local proclamations or events, potentially activating grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for memorial-related programs.

This marks the latest in annual proclamations issued since Congress enacted Public Law 107-51 in 2001, which established the permanent recognition of the weekend. The 2025 proclamation, issued under the previous administration, similarly designated the first weekend in May and honored 89 firefighters who died that year, per prior Federal Register records.