SENECA, Mo. -- A firefighter from southwest Missouri who was killed in the line of duty will be honored at a national memorial this October, but his family could have a hard time getting there. Tyler Casey was killed while warning people of the approaching tornado in Newton County on May 11, 2008.

Casey will be honored in the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md. Now comes the task of raising the money to get eight family members and six fellow firefighters to the memorial event.

Casey, 21, was warning folks in the path of the approaching tornado.

"From his radio traffic and everything else, he knew what was going on, and he warned those three parties, 'You need to get out of here,'" said Seneca Area Fire Chief Steffen Wiest.

Before his pickup was thrown from the road in rural Newton County, Casey warned two motorists and a couple coming out of a bridal shop.

"You always knew that, whatever was going on, he was involved in the thick of it," said Wiest.

He died the following day. For Casey's stepfather and fellow firefighter, Kyle Hinz, there is great pain but also pride.

"When he turned 18, he asked me one day: 'I want to join the department,' he said, 'I want to get in the fire service.' I said, 'Tyler, it's not a game. We deal with life and death situations anytime they call us out. You've got to commit yourself.' He said, 'I know.' He said, 'I want to do it.' He said, 'I've seen you do it. It's what I want to do. I want to be a fireman,'" said Hinz.

Casey took EMT and firefighting classes. He was also a certified storm spotter, and planned on a career as a firefighter.

"All the thoughts started running through my mind: 'If I hadn't gotten into it, would he have gotten into it?'" said Hinz.

But he knows Casey shared the passion and knew the risk.

"If he didn't like it, he wouldn't have been doing it, and I know Tyler doesn't hold it against me. As a matter of fact, he's watching over me now and the rest of the guys on this department," Hinz said.

Now they want to see Casey's name among the rest of the heroes who gave their lives in the line of duty.

"We're told it's one of the neatest things that you never want to go to," said Wiest.

"By the grace of God, we're going to be there, one way or the other, but anybody that's willing to help, we'd greatly appreciate it," said Hinz.

Eight family members and six firefighters hope to go to the memorial Oct. 3-5, and they're trying to raise about $6,000 for the trip. Seneca Area Fire has a tight budget, and if it used money for the trip, it would be taken away from training or other needs.

If you are interested in contributing, call the Seneca Area Fire Protection District at (417) 451-8333 extension 0.

For more information, visit the Web site of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.