Bellingham, Whatcom County honor those killed from workplace exposure, accidents
Union workers, state and local officials, friends and colleagues gathered Tuesday to honor people around the nation who were killed on the job in 2025, including two Whatcom County men — a firefighter and a public works employee.
Names of 115 Washington state workers killed in job-related incidents last year were recited aloud in a solemn ceremony to mark the anniversary of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. A bell rang as each worker’s name was read.
Tony Zempel of the Northwest Washington Central Labor Council discussed the importance of health and safety laws in an interview with The Bellingham Herald and in remarks to about 50 people in attendance.
“This impacts us every day. Our workers need to be able to go home at the end of the day,” Zempel told The Herald.
Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund and County Executive Satpal Sidhu read a joint proclamation marking April 28 as Workers Memorial Day. Lund, an engineer, told The Herald that she and several people in her family worked in jobs where machinery and chemicals were present and safety was paramount.
“I’ve seen the impacts. We need our workers to go the distance,” she said.
Local workers who died last year include Whatcom County Public Works Department employee Brandon Gipson, who was hit by a dump truck Jan. 28 at a job site at Smith and Noon roads, and North Whatcom Fire Division Chief Shaun Ward, who died March 19 of job-related cancer.
Friends and co-workers from both public agencies attended a ceremony on the lawn north of the Bellingham Public Library, site of a memorial marker to fallen workers.
Bellingham firefighter-paramedic Zach Scott told The Herald he was there to honor Ward, with whom he served for several years at North Whatcom Fire and Rescue. Ward had been in charge of a local fire academy for several years.
“He was a true fireman. He would have done anything for anybody. He put a lot of time into training the young firefighters of this county,” Scott said in an interview.
