Photo: Ford, Brad
On Friday, November 5, 2021, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue will hold a funeral procession and public memorial service for Captain Rick Ilg. A funeral procession will depart from the Forest Grove Fire Station at 9:00 a.m. on Friday November 5, and travel at no more than 35 miles per hour into Hillsboro. The procession will turn north on 1st Avenue, and eventually Evergreen Road, before it enters the Hillsboro Stadium Complex, where the memorial service will be held. Captain Ilg will receive the full funeral honors that are traditional with the long standing history of our nation’s fire services. This memorial service is open to the public, and is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.
Rick was an influential part of Washington County’s emergency medical services, with decades of service to both Metro West Ambulance and Forest Grove Fire & Rescue. Firefighters, on average, have a higher risk of cancer than the rest of the American population. This is due to the exposures to significant amounts of carcinogens that are present when the modern American home burns, therefore, it is considered a line of duty death for Oregon firefighters who pass away as a result of cancer caused by exposures in the workplace. After a courageous battle against brain cancer, Captain Ilg passed away peacefully at his home on September 12, 2021, he is survived by a wife and daughter.
Source: Forest Grove Fire & Rescue