Golden Valley, Minnesota — The Burnsville Fire Department is in Maryland this weekend to honor Adam Finseth.
Finseth’s name will be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, which also includes the names of 69 other firefighters who died in the line of duty last year.
“Unfortunately, February 18, 2024, one of our firefighter/paramedics Adam Finseth along with two Burnsville police officers; Paul Elmstrand and Matt Ruge were murdered by a suspect,” BJ Jungmann, fire chief of Burnsville, said.
Jungmann traveled to Maryland with 60 firefighters and their families to honor Finseth and support his family as his name is inscribed on the memorial.
“First time we’ve had somebody from our department added to the memorial,” Jungmann told me. “You don’t want to see your own firefighter up there, you know, you want to keep everybody healthy and going home to their families.”
He stated that everyone in the department is processing Finseth’s death differently and in a different place, but it was critical for them to be present.
“It’s a shared experience, and it’s part of the grieving process. I wouldn’t say it gets us over it, but it does allow us to grieve alongside the family and support one another on our journey of grief,” he said. “It’s definitely a journey, it never goes away, we’ll never forget Adam and it’s always going to live with us, it’s always in our hearts in our minds.”
Jungmann believes it will be difficult to see his name etched into the memorial, but it is important to see.
“At the same time, it provides us with a permanent memorial to him, his service, and who he was. “He’s permanently etched on that memorial, and anyone who visits the National Firefighter Academy campus can always find him there,” he explained.
According to Jungmann, Finseth always looked after his patients and colleagues and advocated for mental health.
“He’d be the first one to call you after something bad happened, whether that’s personal or a bad call you were on to make sure you were doing alright,” Jungmann told me. “It’s important that we remember him, and that we all try to be more like Adam.”
He described Adam as a great firefighter/paramedic, but an even better person.
“He was a great family man first, and then at work, he was an amazing firefighter paramedic; nothing could shake him. He was the most gentle soul you could find. Jungmann said, “He knew his job very well.” “He was always honest, caring, and supportive, and he never turned away in any situation. He demonstrated more bravery and courage than we can all hope for in a situation like this.”
On May 3 at 6:30 p.m., a candlelight service will be held. The memorial service will be held the following morning, at 9 a.m. Both events will be live streamed, allowing people all over the country to watch.
Governor Tim Walz declared May 3-4 as Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend to honor firefighters who were killed in the line of duty. He has directed that all US and Minnesota flags at state buildings be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
Jungmann stated that everyone should remember Adam, Matt, and Paul’s sacrifice to protect their community.
“I want everybody to remember Matt, Adam, and Paul and not forget them and the sacrifice they made to protect the community and the bravery that they showed,” according to him.