Playground named for fallen firefighter

Fannie W. Fitzgerald Elementary School got its own personal hero Thursday.

The playground at the Dale City school was dedicated to fallen firefighter Kyle R. Wilson at a morning ceremony.

Pupils at the school—two from each class—sat in rows of chairs set up on the basketball court and wore yellow plastic firefighter helmets.

In the front row were Wilson's parents, Bob and Sue Wilson, and his older brother Chris.

And standing in the back of the court were a number of Wilson's fellow firefighters,  some of whom worked with him at the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue's Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Station 12.

"Truly this is a beautiful day for a wonderful celebration of life," said Deraine F. Simpson, the school principal. "We are so pleased and honored that members of Kyle Wilson's family are here today … My heart is truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the fire department."

The ceremony honored Wilson, who died April 16, 2007, at the age of 24 while searching for occupants in three-alarm house fire in Woodbridge, and was attended by Prince William school and government officials.

"Those of us in the department of fire and rescue think about Kyle every day," said Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee. "Because of Kyle, the entire nation's fire service is changing for the better."

But McGee said it was just as important to remember that Wilson was far more than a firefighter and that the playground would serve as a reminder for years to come of the "outstanding" person he was.

He closed his remarks with: "Together, we will always remember."

When the principal of the school asked one of the Wilsons to share a few thoughts, Bob Wilson walked to the lectern and spoke about his son—some of his words got a few laughs and others left a stillness.

"I've always hid my true feelings with humor and I'm going to continue today," his father said. "I thought there was a budget problem in this county. They managed to squeeze out capital expenditure again. I knew there was money somewhere.

"It's kind of fitting that a playground was named after him," he said, his tone turning somber. "When our kids were young we didn't do a whole lot of fancy things. We took a lot of drives out in the country and a lot of times we stopped at playgrounds at schools to play."

And being active remained a passion throughout his life, and he showed it on the baseball field and in the classroom, majoring in athletic training at George Mason University, where he graduated in 2005.

After the ceremony, the children were free to explore the playground that is fitted with slides and even a miniature fire truck.

Looking over the playground, Jason Trainum, who was Wilson's field training officer and a close friend, said, "This suits him, his personality."

He walked over to look at the sign bearing Wilson's name, his date of birth and death and a quote that reads "A bright light that continues to glow through the hearts of our children."

"It's weird, it's still hard to believe," he said looking up a sign.

Although nothing will ever be able to truly fill the hole the Wilson's death left, his mother said things like the playground help.

Chris Wilson said it was painful to sit through the ceremony, but that down the line the playground could become a place of solace for him—somewhere to go to reflect on his brother's all too brief life.

"I know he would appreciate this, because he was a big kid at heart," he said.

Staff writer Elisa Glushefski can be reached at 703-878-8062.