New York State to dedicate Fallen Firefighters Memorial
New York State`s new Fallen Firefighters Memorial will be unveiled at 11 a.m. on October 5, 1998, at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. All firefighters and supporters of the fire service are invited to attend the dedication ceremony.
The 10-foot-high cast bronze sculpture, created by Robert Eccleston of Schuyler Falls, New York, depicts two firefighters rescuing their injured comrade. The sculpture will be mounted on an eight-foot-high podium set on a Maltese Cross fashioned of red paving stones. The backdrop, a 54-foot-long and 15-foot-high gray granite wall, will have sandblasted on it the names of some 1,400 fallen New York State firefighters. The $675,000 park-like site is 106 feet 2 120 feet and is bordered by maple trees. The project was funded by a state appropriation.
On October 4, the first annual New York State Salute to Firefighters, a cocktail reception and dinner, will be held in the New York State Museum on the Plaza. James J. McGowan, New York State Commissioner of Labor, will be master of ceremonies. Proceeds from the event will be used to bring the families of fallen firefighters to Albany each year for the memorial observance and to establish a scholarship fund for the children of firefighters who have died in the line of duty.
For additional information, contact the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control at (518) 473-3590.
