Referred to by many as the City of Fountains, Kansas City, Missouri features numerous fountains and statues that depict a variety of subjects and honor various elements of Kansas City history. The Firefighters Fountain and Memorial is one of the few that does so in a way that ties to the contemporary community, which is why it has been embraced by the community to enable a legacy that resonates with both residents and visitors.
Commemorating Fallen Firefighters
Located at the south end of Penn Valley Park in downtown Kansas City, the Firefighters Fountain and Memorial was created to honor six firefighters who died suddenly in a huge explosion in 1988. Originally built in 1991, it features two bronze figures surrounded by 48 streams of water falling into an 80-foot wide basin. A larger than life bronze sculpture of a firefighter with his head bowed is located directly to the north of the fountain.
In 2015, the memorial was updated with an entirely new section that rests between the fountain and the old memorial. Two curved walls made of perforated aluminum are set on top of stone walls. Aluminum plaques that list the names of the firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty are mounted on the north sides of these walls. As part of this update, the granite pedestals of the old memorial were topped with metal plaques that detail significant moments in the history of the Kansas City Fire Department.
This update illustrates the importance of the monument to the community and demonstrates what it can mean when a monument both establishes and builds on a larger legacy.
Building on a Legacy
While the numerous fountains and monuments across Kansas City attract visitors by the thousands, few have enabled the same type of connection with the community as the Firefighters Fountain and Memorial. Members of the Kansas City Fire Department gather at the site to remember the loss of life, illustrating what it can mean when a monument combines history and community.
