By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A number of Sitkans gathered at the fire hall Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil in memory of Molly Ahlgren, the only member of the Sitka Fire Department to die in the line of duty.
Fire Chief Dave Miller said he conferred with a number of others about having a brief remembrance of Ahlgren on the 15th anniversary of her death.
“We don’t want her to be forgotten in the public,” the chief said.
Ahlgren, a volunteer EMT and rescue diver, was fatally injured Nov. 30, 2004, when the boat she was in ran aground in the dark as she and two other volunteers responded to a medical call. The boat was headed to a nearby island in response to a call for medical assistance for someone injured in a state trooper training exercise.
Ahlgren was an aquatic ecologist and a highly respected fisheries professor at Sheldon Jackson College. Apart from her fisheries and volunteer work with the fire department, Ahlgren loved to dance and performed as “Mother Ginger” in a local production of The Nutcracker.
“Molly was the most enthusiastic person about all things marine, especially the unsung heroes – invertebrates,” said friend Lisa Busch, director of the Sitka Sound Science Center. “She was a kind and lovely person who gave so much to the community.”
Sitka Fire Department volunteers and staff, and friends of the late Molly Ahlgren, gathered Saturday evening to honor Ahlgren on the 15th anniversary of her death in the line of duty. They are, from left, back row, Eric Matthes, John McCrehin, Greg Raschick, Sherry Raschick, Karen Kluting, Mike Motti, Matt Hunter, Dave Miller, Jenny Klejka, David Birky, Lolly Dahl, David Johnson, Robert Dennard. Front row, Cindy Edwards, Lisa Busch, Bob Reid and Cathy Watson. (Photo provided)
A year after her death the Sitka Fire Department established The Molly Ahlgren Memorial Award for Community Act of Valor. It’s conferred for an extraordinary selfless act in service to others, regardless of the event. Only a few people have received the honor, Miller said.
The award is listed on the city website.
“Those of us who knew Molly well, knew a compassionate and caring person who always had a smile on her face,” it says. “We will never forget her.”
Miller said the candlelight remembrance had been talked about for a month, but it finally came about “in the spur of the moment,” with the help of fellow volunteer John McCrehin.
“She was one of those unique ladies out there to help people,” Miller said. “It wasn’t about her – it was about everyone else. ... She was always such a great leader, everybody liked her. She was an active volunteer, that’s what made her well-known in the department.”
While Ahlgren is the only volunteer or staff member of the SFD to die in the line of duty, Miller said serving as a first responder always comes with risks, whether responding to a fire, a medical emergency, a dive mission or a search and rescue. Nationwide, 100 responders die in the line of duty each year.
“Any time we go on a call ... there is a risk,” the chief said. “It’s one of those things that happen.”
