Project Tribute Foundation paid homage on Monday to the men and women that died in the line of duty in 2020.

A red, white and blue Jeep owned by Executive Director Jon Beckloff has the names of these heroes decaled to the back of the vehicle. Beckloff said there are just under 500 names on the Jeep, a sizable jump from the 280 first responders that lost their lives in 2019. He said the tribute pays respect to the Military, Police, Fire, EMS, and K-9 responders that gave up everything to keep the public safe.

Beckloff said its important for us to realize what our first responders are going through because they have a tough job and there are less and less people that have a desire to answer the call to public safety. For the ones that are answering the call, Beckloff wanted to take a second and really recognize these unsung heroes. He said Project Tribute Foundation wants to ensure them that they're never going to be forgotten; the Foundation wants them to realize that their sacrifice means something.

Highway Man Signs between Bartlesville and Dewey created the decals to put on the Project Tribute Foundation Jeep. Beckloff said the names of the fallen on the Jeep are the names that they know about after extensive research. He said they want to raise awareness for the first responders and military personnel that struggle with suicide as well.

Now more than ever is the time to step up and show appreciation for our first responders. Beckloff said it can be difficult to go up to someone and say "thank you" for their service, but it's needed in today's society. He said Bartlesville has an amazing capability to rally and help people in need, and when a great culture is matched with comparable training and facilities across the nation, it motivates more of the best first responders to locate to our community.

Project Tribute Foundation has been raising funds to purchase approximately 300 tourniquets for first responders in the Bartlesville area. Beckloff said 26 tourniquets have been donated so far. He said donors have made monetary commitments as well that he's waiting on.

One tourniquet that Project Tribute Foundation traded out with an officer looked worn and tethered. Beckloff said the officer swore that he had been carrying the old tourniquet since his time in Afghanistan. He said another tourniquet they traded out for a new one was 16-years-old, which is well passed the life expectancy for the lifesaving tool.

Testimonial videos have been shared by Project Tribute Foundation of officers talking about the importance of the tourniquets they've received. Beckloff said the videos are for transparency. He wants to show people what their money did or could do for our first responders. Some testimonial videos can be found below.

To learn more and show your support for our first responders, you can visit Project Tribute Foundation's website.