ORLANDO, Fla. — A touching tribute also took shape Sunday afternoon among tailgaters.
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The parents of Austin Duran were there to keep the memory of their son alive more than a year after the tragic incident that took his life.
The Apopka firefighter died on the job in June of 2022 after a trailer full of sand fell on top of him.
Channel 9 caught up with Austin’s parents to talk about their foundation working to help other first responders.
They came out here where they knew there would be big crowds hoping to garner attention for a cause that aims to save lives in ways that honor Austin’s memory.
“We still miss Austin; this is so very, very fresh for us. I’m not quite sure if that’ll ever go away,” Duran’s dad said.
Read: Apopka funeral procession honors fallen firefighter Austin Duran
Gail and Mike Duran are Austin’s parents, and they are the leaders of ‘Austin’s Army’ and creators of the 2650 Foundation, named after their son’s ID number.
Their mission is to build upon his legacy as a firefighter and promote training, education, and mentorship opportunities.
“Austin was already talking about as a very, very young firefighter, wanting to bring some mentorship into fire service,” Duran’s father said.
Duran worked with the Apopka Fire Department as a fire explorer in high school before officially becoming a firefighter in 2020.
Read: ‘He was strong’: Firefighter Austin Duran remembered after passing from on-the-job injury
He was critically injured last year after a sand trailer fell, pinning down his legs and stomach, and died two weeks later.
“It’s still hard to this day when I’m talking to somebody, and they say, how was Austin, or who was Austin? And I’m just like, I’m still crying tears my eyes to tell the story,” Duran’s mom said.
His parents went to Camping World Stadium Sunday and set up a tent to spread the word about what they’re doing in his memory.
Austin Duran death: Consultant review on ‘dysfunctional’ Apopka Fire Department to be released
They were hoping to raise money, raise awareness, and make the change he always wanted.
“To make sure that our firefighters that are presently still working had the opportunity to go home. If they don’t go home, it should not be because they were not trained on an apparatus like Austin,” Duran’s father said.
Apopka also hired a consultant to look into the fire department’s practices, finding issues in both training and mental health help issues.
Consultants said that when it came to stressful events at the Apopka Fire Department, they were only 10 percent compliant with state standards.
Read: Safety review after death of firefighter says Apopka Fire Department is ‘dysfunctional’
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