In Minnesota, the last Sunday in September is reserved for remembering our fallen firefighters.

Every year since 2011, a crowd gathers at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the State Capitol grounds to etch their sacrifice into steel.

The inscription of Burnsville firefighter paramedic Adam Finseth’s name added to the memorial on Sunday marked 249 Minnesota firefighters lost in the line of duty.

Finseth, 40, was shot and killed responding to a domestic call in February. Two Burnsville police officers were also killed and a third was wounded.

Investigators say Finseth was rendering aid to officers when he was shot.

Finseth’s sister, Amber Smith, and brother-in-law, Austin Smith, spoke to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS for the first time at the memorial.

“We’re having to let go of the future that I thought I would have with my brother. Thinking about his children is a daily concern. Everything has changed,” Amber Smith said.

“He was a brother to me that I never had growing up,” Austin Smith shared.

“Under the circumstances where he lost his life is unbelievable. You know, he was there trying to protect seven kids, and it was his day off, and he came in to do his duty as a SWAT medic.”

Finseth’s death sent a shockwave across the state. He’s the first firefighter in Minnesota history to be shot and killed in the line of duty, said Minnesota Fire Service Foundation President Jay Wood.

“It’s unprecedented, first ever. We hope there’s never, ever another one,” Wood said.

“And it’s been really challenging because it really brings home that it could happen to anybody.”

Burnsville Fire Chief BJ Jungmann said Finseth was an asset and a role model for the department.

“Such a great team member brought so much to the team, positivity and energy, and so good at his job. And, he was always caring for everybody else, including his own team members,” Chief Jungmann shared.

Fire officials, joined by state leaders, added Finseth and four other names to the ever-growing memorial.

Kayla Giefer died last year serving the Courtland Fire Department, St. Paul Firefighter Thomas McDonough died in 2020, and Lloyd Conley, Sr., and Arthur Clark, Sr., of the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office were etched into the memorial more than 100 years after their line of duty deaths in 1921 and 1913 respectively.

The families on Sunday were united in grief and in pride.

“We felt proud of Adam before February 18, but even more so now,” Amber Smith said. “As a big brother, he taught me to not take life so seriously, and he’s always the calm in the storm.”

“These moments are good to be here and remember Adam,” Austin Smith added. “Then after these moments, is when it gets really hard again.”

Several speakers noted their hopes for a year when there are no new names to inscribe in steel.

“It’s hard to think about losing somebody,” Jungmann said. “It’s through a heavy heart that you come today to try to do the best you can, at this point, to memorialize everything he did. It’s just really tough.”

Two of the firefighters added to the memorial this year died from complications of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Wood. Minnesota now recognizes PTSD as a line-of-duty death because of the risk and tragic experiences firefighters encounter on the job, he explained.

Help is growing too, he added, including free mental health training available to all Minnesota fire departments and their families.