Last month, four injured LaGrange firefighters were recognized at an Atlanta Falcons home game as honorary team captains and walked to midfield for the opening coin toss. LaGrange Fire Department lieutenants Josh Williams and Jonathan Williamson and firefighters Jordan Avera and Pete Trujillo were honored at the Dec. 16 Falcons game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The four firefighters received second and third degree burns during a blaze that occurred on Labor Day last year.

LFD Sgt. Matt Oubre said he contacted the Falcons’ community relations office in October to ask for gift baskets for the firefighters. Oubre said another member of the office contacted him to invite the firefighters to a game.

“It evolved from that,” Oubre said. “I was given the contact of [Maddy Scarnecchia] who was in charge of community relations for the Falcons. We talked on numerous occasions, monitoring the guys wellbeing and how they were doing, whenever they would get out of the hospital and when they were going to be healthy enough to come up to a game.”

Oubre said he let the firefighters know they we’re going to the game and that they would be on the sideline, but not that they were going to be honored.

Oubre said once they got to the stadium, Scarnecchia surprised them with the news about being honorary captains and the coin toss.

Trujillo was unable to attend the game, but all four names were honored. Oubre said they got to stand on the sidelines for the national anthem.

“It was really cool,” Oubre said. “I know Josh, Jonathan and Jordan, all three of them, said it was really cool because some of the players for the Falcons stepped back and let those three step up to the sideline in line with all of the other players for the national anthem. They gave up their spots so those three could walk up there.”

Oubre said the firefighters also received gift baskets from the University of Georgia and Auburn University.

“All of this was just for our guys to show them support and let them know that everybody is behind them,” Oubre said.