Roses for Burnsville first responders: Volunteers prepare red- and blue-tipped flowers for memorial

Dozens of volunteers spent Tuesday dying thousands of white roses to hand out during the memorial service for the three Burnsville first responders killed in the line of duty earlier this month. They were part of an effort organized by Backing the Blue Line, a nonprofit that represents the spouses of Minnesota police officers.

“We are deeply saddened at the senseless loss of these heroes,” Backing the Blue Line wrote on Facebook. “Our hearts go out to their families, the law enforcement community and the people of Burnsville.”

More than 60 members of the nonprofit dipped the tips of 4,000 white roses in red and blue dye at a Savage Fire Department station, the group said. They attached cards that read “Forever in Our Hearts” to the stems, which also included the badge numbers for Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth.

The three men were shot and killed while responding to a domestic dispute in Burnsville in mid-February.

Grace Church in Eden Prairie is hosting a public memorial for the fallen first responders Wednesday morning. The church will provide a livestream of the event beginning at 11 a.m. Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district schools are closed for the day, as is Burnsville City Hall.

Members of the public are invited to line the 21-mile procession route, which begins in Eden Prairie and ends in Burnsville.

Burnsville Police Sgt. Adam Medlicott, who was wounded during the standoff, is one of several officials scheduled to speak during the memorial. The event will include an “end of watch” call, a ritual in which the colleagues of a fallen public servant pledge to carry on their mission.