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Procession route for fallen Naples Fire Rescue Anthony "Tony" Christensen

 Anthony “Tony” Christensen
Posted at 11:39 AM, Aug 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-07 11:40:00-04

The City of Naples Fire-Rescue Department, Firefighter Anthony “Tony” Christensen passed away on August 4th, 2020, after battling Covid-19 for over 30 days.

Firefighter Christensen will be placed on Engine Co. 1, and a procession will take him from the Gendron Funeral Home in Fort Myers to Cambier Park, where the services will take place.

The Memorial Service will be a traditional fire service ceremony scheduled for 1100 hours, Saturday, August 8th, 2020.

Fire apparatus from Lee and Collier counties will be escorting Engine Co. 1 with Firefighter Christensen and his family.

The procession will be passing by both City of Naples Fire Stations, where Firefighter Christensen served his community and ending at Cambier Park, 755 8th Avenue South, Naples Florida, 34102. After the ceremony, there will be a reception at Fire Station No. 1 in the bays.

Below is the funeral procession route:

Leaving the funeral home West on E. Mall Drive to Soloman Blvd. South on Soloman Blvd to Colonial Blvd. East on Colonial Blvd to I-75.

I-75 South to exit 105 Golden Gate Parkway. Units will exit I-75 Westbound and travel to US-41. Units will turn Northbound on US-41 to 26th Ave N and turn right. The procession will travel past Fire Station #2 and continue to Goodlette Road N. Units will turn right onto Goodlette Road N and travel South to 5th Ave S. Units will turn right onto 5th Ave S. City of Naples Fire-Rescue units only will turn left onto 10th St S. All other units in the procession will continue on 5th Ave S to Park Street and turn left (South). Parking will be two rows of fire apparatus as far East on the road as possible.

When Park Street is full, units will stay on 5th Ave S and pass Park Street to the next Southbound intersection, East Lake Drive, and turn left. Continue to 8th Ave S and turn left, one lane of 8th Ave S heading East may be utilized to park apparatus, taking care not to block any driveways. Additional parking after that will be 1 row of vehicles on any Avenue South of Cambier Park again taking care not to block driveways.

Command vehicles in the procession can park in the parking lot at 7th Ave S and Park Street.

Naples Fire-Rescue procession units that turn onto 10th St S will travel South to 8th Ave S and turn right. Engine Co. 1 will drive to the front of Station 1 and stop to assemble the off-duty personnel behind the apparatus. All other Naples Fire units will stop on 8th Ave and not block the 9th St S and 8th Ave S intersection.

8th Street South from 8th Ave South will be closed to any parking from 8th Street S to 5th Ave S and will be reserved for any non-Fire Department public to view the procession of Naples Fire-Rescue vehicles and Naples Fire Rescue personnel.

7th Ave S East of 8th Street S. (next to City Hall, Northside) will be reserved for parking of any media vehicles.

The City Hall parking lot will be reserved for members of the Naples City Council, the City Manager, Deputy City Manager, and City Department Directors that are attending.

Off duty, Naples Firefighters will need to park in the City parking garage at 6th Ave S and 8th St S.

The parking lot across from Station 1 is reserved for the Color Guard personnel, the Drum and Pipes band, and the Fire and EMS units covering the City for calls.

Additional parking for Fire Apparatus attending can be in the parking lot East of 9th Street on 5th Ave S. (old St. George and Dragon lot), at the parking lot at 3rd Ave S and 8th Street S., the bus loop at Gulf View Middle School and the bus loop at St Ann’s school.

Other people, including out of the area Fire-Rescue personnel interested in attending the memorial, should utilize the public parking garage at 8th St. S and 4th Ave S. and any parking on 5th Ave S. not already taken.