( CNN ) -- The 19 `` hotshot '' firefighters killed in Arizona on June 30 were trained to get close to a blaze , dig barriers and clear out the brush that otherwise would fuel it . But a sudden shift in the Yarnell Hill Fire 's direction trapped the group . The deaths are under investigation , but officials have said it appears the 19 were forced to lie down under blankets meant to protect against flames and heat as a last resort against an inferno that overwhelmed them . Just one member of the elite 20-man wildfire-fighting crew survived . It was the deadliest day for U.S. firefighters since the 9/11 attacks . Now the firefighters ' families -- many with small children -- must figure out how to cope , as they mourn their losses . There are organizations that assist the families of lost firefighters , and several are already mobilized for the families of the Prescott , Arizona-based crew . Ronald Siarnicki is the executive director of one such group , the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation . `` In general , needs end up being the same for fallen firefighters , no matter where it is in the country . The immediate needs are going to be some financial support to help them deal with costs associated with the death . Oftentimes the firefighter is the main breadwinner in the household , so you 've got to worry about food on the table , shoes for the kids and those kinds of things , '' Siarnicki says . The foundation also helps with the necessary paperwork for each family as well as providing emotional support . `` We use survivors from other line-of-duty death incidents to be in our survivor support network , and we kind of match survivors up from previous events with the new families , so they have somebody to talk to . Sometimes they just need somebody who understands what they 're going through , '' explains Siarnicki , who was a firefighter in Prince George 's County , Maryland , for 24 years . Siarnicki 's group also helps the children of fallen firefighters cope with their loss , because they often do n't understand the spotlight such an event puts them under . There are also long-term needs for the entire family to help rebuild their lives . The foundation holds conferences to teach life skills and financial planning . Siarnicki says the 19 firefighters lost in Arizona were a special breed -- like many others who choose to be firefighters . `` The fire service is a very dangerous profession , whether you 're career or volunteer , wildlands or industrial or even military firefighters . We understand the risks to being a firefighter and we accept those . And we try to do everything humanly possible to prevent tragic occurrences , but unfortunately they do occur . And so our families kind of know that . '' `` And so there is a bonding effect within the fire service , '' Siarnicki continues . `` There is that fire service family . And I think the uniqueness of that is we function as a team . A fire crew , you know , they live together , sleep together , eat together , laugh together , go home to their families , but when they 're at work , there 's a secondary family . And both of those have very special unique bonds . '' Additional groups also offering support to the families of the Prescott hotshots are : . Prescott Firefighter 's Charities . 100 Club of Arizona . Wildland Firefighter Foundation .
The memorial service for 19 firefighters who died in Arizona is on July 9 . A firefighter was killed and another injured when a tree fell onto their truck while responding to the scene of an explosion at a home near Phoenix International Airport early Sunday. Several organizations are on the ground in Prescott helping these families cope . Head of one support group says the help these families need will be long-term .