Cape Fire Department Dear family and friends, Please…

Dear family and friends, Please accept our deepest gratitude for all of the assistance we received this past week with the passing of Captain Ivan LaGrand. It is quite amazing how everyone who knew Ivan came together to honor him in their own way. A line of duty death certainly isn’t something any firefighter wants to experience in their career, but we all know the risks and accept those accordingly in order to serve others. It was our privilege to give Ivan the most honorable funeral. Thank you for everyone who helped us over this past week. We give a special thanks to the Missouri Funeral Assistance Team for their help, as well as our mutual aid partners (Gordonville FPD, Fruitland FPD, East County FPD, and Jackson Fire Rescue) for coverage of our firehouses during the visitation. Thank you to 2 Sides Grillin', Honey Baked Ham, and Firehouse Subs for feeding our crews during our time of need. Thank you to the Farmington Fire Department, Sikeston DPS, Dexter Fire Department, Kennett DPS, and St. Genevieve Fire Department for traveling long distances to cover our stations so that agencies in our area could attend the funeral. Thank you to all the agencies that created a spectacular procession of emergency vehicles. Thank you to Cape Girardeau Parks and Rec and Public Works for assisting in our parking plan and set up for the procession. Thank you to the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol for traffic control during the lunch hour. Thank you to our dignitaries (Battalion Chief Mike Ramsey, State Fire Marshal Tim Bean, IAFF 2nd District Vice President Mark Woolbright, Missouri State Council of Firefighters President Demetrius Alfred, Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox, City Manager Dr. Kenny Haskin, Deputy City Manager Molly Mehner, Public Information Officer Nicolette Brennan, City Clerk Gayle Conrad, and Councilwoman Stacy Kinder) for honoring Ivan; your profound words about Ivan reminded us to remember what a great man he was. Thank you to the St. Charles Pipes and Drums for the beautiful music. Thank you to Billy Joe Thompson for providing the antique fire truck to transport the casket. A special thanks to our Cape Girardeau Fire Department Honor Guard along with Firefighter Mike Smith and Driver/Operator Mike Schmidt who performed the drill and ceremonies at the burial grounds. Thank you to 911 Communicator Mary Beth Jones for announcing the last call. Thank you to our former members and retirees that came out to support our department during troubled times. Thank you to Dana and the Ford and Sons Funeral Home team for being patient with our firefighters and everything you did to make the funeral successful. Very special thanks to LaCroix Church for hosting the visitation and funeral. Your staff was helpful and compassionate to our needs. Thank you to our community who lined the streets to pay respect to our fallen; it was nothing short of amazing. And thank you to the members of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. Your professionalism, compassion, and pride in our organization and the fire service were remarkable. For anyone we missed thanking, please know we appreciate your help in our time of need. Let’s never forget the legacy Ivan has left behind. Always remember that a little piece of that legacy rides with us as we answer that next call to help others. Learn More