VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A highway sign dedicating the bridge over South Rosemont Road in memory of Captain Matt "Chevy" Chiaverotti was unveiled Wednesday afternoon inside Fire Station 7 in Town Center.
Chiaverotti passed away from occupational cancer in 2023.
He had been diagnosed with Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC), metastatic carcinoma.
The ceremony was attended by city leaders, friends and loved ones of Captain Chiaverotti, who served 20 years with the Virginia Beach Fire Department and responded to the 2012 Good Friday Miracle jet crash.
Two years after his passing, a memorial sign will now be visible on Interstate 264 as motorists make their way to the Oceanfront.
It marks the first time a bridge has been named in memory of a Virginia Beach firefighter.
The bridge renaming was made possible through House Bill 1793, introduced by Delegate Michael Feggans.
“There are so many millions of visitors going to the Oceanfront; we hope that when they see Captain Chevy’s name, they’ll research it and learn not just about the firefighter he was, but the man and the leader,” Feggans said.
After the ceremony, Matt’s wife, Sara Chiaverotti, expressed her feelings about the bridge.
She said when she drives over it, she thinks of her husband and how she hopes another family never has to feel the same way.
“It should not be there, firefighters go to work to fight fires, and now we are learning that cancer is the leading cause of firefighter deaths, so change has to happen,” she said.
News 3 spoke with Chief Ken Pravetz, who indicated work is being done to better monitor and protect firefighters.
The department plans to implement the first round of increased cancer screenings and enhanced physicals for staff starting in January.
“We’re excited to keep attention on the cancer issue and to catch it early before anyone has to deal with the long-term disease,” Pravetz said.
The memorial sign is expected to be officially displayed on Interstate 264 over the next few days.
