Connecticut Fallen Firefighter Memorial

There is deep empathy for the fallen firefighters while visiting this memorial. To think of someone going to work and not coming home is a personal painful thought. To have known families where this has been the case is like an itch that can never be scratched. This memorial is an honor to view and quite humbling. I run out of words for the feelings.

The CT Fire Academy is home for training and educational programs for the state’s firefighters. But its also home to the awesome Fallen Firefighter Memorial that honors all of the Connecticut firefighters that have died in the line of duty.
The monument is a 6 foot by 12 foot, 13 ton slab of black granite. The front of the monument contains an etched image of four firefighters standing in a line, holding a fire hose as they battle a blaze. An eternal flame burns in silent memory for those lost. The statue was dedicated in 2001 and contains over 300 names.
The reverse of the monument contains a fireman’s crest above an inscription that reads «In Memory of those Firefighters Who Have Given Their Lives In the Line of Duty».
Around the memorial’s base are 20 slabs listing the names of those remembered.
There are eight benches surrounding the memorial, one for each county in Connecticut.
On September 25, 2011, the memorial was expanded to include a beam from the World Trade Center, as a reminder of the 343 New York Firefighters lost on September 11^th.
I was greatly affected by the beauty of the granite memorial, the eternal flame, and the steel beam from New York City.
Its a lovely memorial.