By Debbie Adams
Bill Price, founder of the 501c3 non-profit Sirens and Salutes, was asked by the Vinton Veterans
Outreach Committee to place a Fallen Heroes Tree in Vinton. The organization is committed to
honoring and memorializing first responders and veterans. The location they selected is in the
Municipal Building, in the hallway next to the Vinton Police Department.
the organization placed in the Vinton Municipal Building. He served in the Navy, as a firefighter,
and now as a volunteer firefighter. (photos by Debbie Adams)
The town supplied the tree; Price brought the ornaments – over 200 stars, each one honoring and
memorializing a hero who died in 2024 in the line of duty across the United States.
The wooden star ornaments are hand painted and marked with the names, departments, and dates
of death of all fire, police, EMS, military, and K9s.
those who have died in the line of duty while serving in the military, in law enforcement, as
firefighters and EMS first responders, and even K9s. EOW stands for End-of-Watch.
Red stars (56 this year) represent firefighters and EMS. Blue stars (187) are for law enforcement.
Paw prints are for K9s (19 stars). There are also stars labeled 9/11 who belong to fire and police
who have died from 9/11 related cancer in 2024. Tan stars belong to those in the military (16 lost
in 2024). One of those red stars is for a Virginian, along with three blue stars.
Stars for those who served in the military display their names, branch of service, and the date
they passed away. Stars for canines have paw prints. The stars for firefighters say “Last Alarm”
on the date of their passing. The stars for law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS display the
name of the department or organization the individual worked for.
Price is continually updating the names from many sources, most recently on December 1. At the
end of the year, Sirens and Salutes will mail the ornaments to families upon request. A new tree
will begin in January 2025.
Price and Vinton Director of Human Resources and Risk Management Donna Collins, who is
also the chair of the Vinton Veterans Outreach Committee, set up the tree and display.
According to Price and the Sirens and Salutes website, “Sirens and Salutes, Inc. was founded and
incorporated by Bill and Cindy Price in April 2021. Bill is a Navy Veteran, who served 10 years,
and retired firefighter (36 years of service), now volunteering at his local fire department. He
also is Commander of the local VFW Post.” Price’s father was a police officer.
“Cindy Price is a Registered Nurse with many years of experience working in the ER and ICU.
She now also volunteers with the Buchanan Lions Club. Both come from service families with
military and police backgrounds, instilling the value of community service in their children.”
When Bill Price retired in 2019, he wanted “to do something for the military and first
responders,” so they began the non-profit.
In addition to the Prices, Sirens and Salutes has an active board to assist with the organization’s
projects.
For the past three years, Price has entered a Fallen Heroes Tree in the Hotel Roanoke Fashions
for Evergreens competition. One year, their tree won the prestigious People’s Choice Award.
The trees make the public aware of various organizations like Sirens and Salutes, their goals, and
their activities.
While the stars on the tree are meant to honor those who have died in service, they are also
meant to comfort families and make them aware that their loved ones are not forgotten on this,
their first Christmas without them.
“While you sit with your family, they have an empty chair now because someone lost their life
protecting us,” Price says.
Early on, Sirens and Salutes started “as a passion for attending 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs and
making sure we ‘Never Forget’ those killed on September 11. It turned into hosting our first 9/11
Memorial Walk in our hometown of Buchanan, Virginia, in 2019. In 2021, as our first official
year as Sirens and Salutes, we had the ‘Walk of Heroes’ trail, American flags placed on both
sides of the track, with ID photo tags of those who died on 9/11, and a biography on the back.
Those flags and tags were adopted out after the walk, so no hero was left behind.”
The Fallen Heroes Tree began in the Price’s front yard. Then it moved in front of the Buchanan
Volunteer Fire Department for all to see.
Some of their other activities have included placing hundreds of wreaths on graves of veterans in
a cemetery in Buchanan and beyond, sending CARE packages to veterans in nursing homes,
giving Christmas cards to veterans at the Salem VA, taking photos with Santa at Limestone
Park, a free movie night for veterans on Veterans Day, Military Appreciation Night in
conjunction with the Railyard Dawgs, cards, gifts, and goodies for veterans in local nursing
homes, and more.
Price thanked Vinton “for showing respect to our first responders and military members who lost
their lives in the line of duty in 2024,” by requesting the Fallen Heroes Tree to be placed in
Vinton.
For more information go to www.sirensandsalutes.org or visit their Facebook page.
