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On Friday, December 14, 2018, the City of Cuyahoga Falls and Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department will unveil memorial signage for fallen Firefighter Frank Schumann at the corner of State Road and Maitland Avenue in the northbound lanes of State Road. The unveiling ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. Schumann was killed while on duty as a result of being struck by an automobile on December 15, 1957.

“Our safety forces risk their lives when answering every call that comes into dispatch each day,” stated Mayor Don Walters. “The death of Frank Schumann is still remembered this day and it is fitting that we will now have a permanent public memorial that will honor his life, service to the City of Cuyahoga Falls, and sacrifice.”

“The men and women of the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department maintain a strong commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of all Cuyahoga Falls residents. The memorial pays tribute to one of our own who paid the ultimate sacrifice while working to keep the community safe,” said Fire Chief Fred Jackson.

“Our firefighters and street department have been placing a wreath at the memorial site on the anniversary of the incident, but we are proud that the memorial will be on permanent display.”

Schumann and his partner John Moore had been dispatched to a two-car accident at the corner of State Road and Maitland Avenue. To clear the roadway after the accident, gasoline was hosed and ice formed. As firefighters unloaded salt to treat the road, a drunk driver traveling along State Road drove left of center and struck both Moore and Schumann. Schuman was pinned between the driver’s car and the Fire Engine. Both firefighters were transported to Akron City Hospital where Moore was treated, but Schumann later died from multiple internal injuries. 

Schumann was 33-years-old at the time of his death and had worked for the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department for nearly four years. He was a resident of Cuyahoga Falls and was survived by his wife and two young children.