Pinetop Lakeside cancels annual parade to allow support for two fallen Timber Mesa first responders

Pinetop Lakeside officials announced during their meeting that the town’s annual parade will not take place this year after two Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District first responders died in the line of duty earlier in the week. The mayor said town leaders concluded the most respectful course was to pause the event so police, firefighters and EMS personnel can stand with grieving colleagues and family members rather than be assigned to public-safety duties for the parade.

The decision was framed as a show of support for the families and colleagues of the fallen responders and as a matter of public-safety staffing. The mayor said town staff consulted “key members of the Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District” before the decision and that the fire district expressed gratitude that the town prioritized support for first responders and their families.

Council members did not record a separate vote on the cancellation during the meeting; the mayor read a public statement announcing the decision and asking the community for understanding. The statement said parades and celebrations will return in future years but that honoring the families and giving first responders space “is something we only have one chance to do right.”

The cancellation followed a moment of silence and a brief invocation earlier in the meeting for the two first responders. No public comments about the parade were on the meeting’s “call to the public” list, and the mayor said there were no requests to speak during that agenda item.

Town officials said they appreciate community support for the families and the fire district and that the parade will be rescheduled only in a future year; no new parade date was set during the meeting.