Earlier this month Tampa's mayor, Bob Buckhorn, and Tom Forward, the city's Fire Rescue Chief, dedicated a memorial to firefighters who have died in the fire service.
The Fallen Firefighter's Memorial honors 16 men, and was dedicated on May 11.
Mayor Buckhorn, who was at the Fire Rescue headquarters in Tampa's downtown, said the memorial was “long overdue”. He noted that very few people get up each day and put on rescue gear, or answer 911 calls. Firefighters willingly go out each day and put themselves in danger on behalf of the community, he said, calling them “our heroes”.
The memorial, which is a life-sized statue of a firefighter in full gear, is the work of Steven Dickey, a local artist. The work cost $110,000, which was raised by private donations to the Friends of Tampa Firefighters, a nonprofit organization.
Chief Forward said creating a memorial like this one has been a top priority for him since he took over as chief. He noted the names on the memorial serve to remind people that sometimes firefighters lose their lives to save others, and that such dedication shows their commitment to the community.
The 16 names are listed chronologically, and begin with Jeff Saunders, who died November 12, 1890. The latest is Jack K. Barker, who died January 21, 2001.
City officials might work with brochure printers to create a booklet about the memorial and the firefighters it honors.
