Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial

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File:WisconsinStateFirefightersMemorialBuilding2010.jpg
The Memorial

The Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial is a non-profit memorial and park dedicated to firefighters from the state of Wisconsin who have died in the line of duty.[1]

History

The memorial was signed into law in 1996 by Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson.[2] The memorial is funded completely by tax deductible donations and no tax money was used to build the memorial.[3] On October 3, 2003, the Wisconsin Legislature designated the week which contains October 8 as Fire Prevention week.[4] The Saturday of that week is designated the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial Day; the week also commemorates the Peshtigo Fire and Great Chicago Fire from 1871.[4][5]

Location

It is located at Ben Hansen Park on Wisconsin Highway 54 / Wisconsin Highway 73 just south of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin and north of Port Edwards, Wisconsin along the Wisconsin River.[6] Locations considered for the memorial included Milwaukee (the state's largest population) and Madison; it was placed at Wisconsin Rapids to be near the center of the state for the easiest possible access for state residents.[3][7]

Memorial

The centerpiece of the park is a statue of three life-sized firefighters engaged in a rescue situation.[8] One firefighter is dragging a disabled firefighter with another nearby ready to help.[1] There are benches for reflection and the American flag flies over the park.[1] A tower with a firefighter's bell commemorates the bell that firefighters historically used to signal an alarm and a fire call.[1] The memorial has a smaller bronze statue that it brings to funerals for firefighters who died in the line of duty.[9]

Fundraising

File:WisconsinStateFirefightersMemorialSign.jpg
Sign at the Memorial

Governor Jim Doyle signed a bill that allows Wisconsin income tax filers to donate money to the memorial's funds.[10] As of the 2009 tax form, filers can fill in a donation amount to the memorial which decreases their refund or increases the amount owed.[11] The group has held an annual motorcycle bike ride since 2004 to raise money for a planned visitor's center and to raise money to maintain the center.[12]

References

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External links

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