Idaho Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park is a 5-acre site on the Greenbelt west of downtown Boise, Idaho. Featuring an open grassy area, numerous places for seating, public art and a significant memorial to fallen firefighters, the plaza highlights what it can mean to become an essential element of a bigger monument while still providing plenty of significance in and of itself.
Honoring Idaho’s Fallen Firefighters
In 1876, thirteen years after becoming a city, Boise established its first volunteer fire company. Comprised of merchants, bankers, blacksmiths and saloon keepers, this force represented the community in a very real way. This all-volunteer force served until it was reorganized in 1902, forming a professional fire department. With the hiring of six full-time firefighters, the modern fire department was born.
Idaho Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park honors this past in many different ways. Opened Aug. 17, 2008, the plaza features a life-size bronze statue by Idaho artist Agnes Vincent “Rusty” Talbot and a memorial wall with the names of firefighters who died in the line of duty. “The Last Alarm” and “Fireman’s Prayer” personify the life and sacrifices of firefighters across the ages.
The site is also contains other memorials and pieces of public art, include the World Trade Center Memorial, the Firefighters Respite by Mark Baltes and bricks and other artwork engraved with the names and memories of the Boise community across the decades. A 10-foot beam from the World Trade Center (WTC) is the centerpiece of a memorial to honor specifically emergency responders lost on 9/11.
With events and services taking place at the park on a regular basis along with a memorial walk in the park, this connection to the past and present of the area and the entire country is something that residents and visitors can interact with in numerous ways.
A Much Larger Legacy for Boise
Like other firefighter memorials, Idaho Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park personifies a commitment to pride, family values, and commitment to service that firefighters represent. The commitment along with the access it provides to the Boise River Greenbelt as well as the additional monuments it contains showcases what it can mean for memorials to become part of a much bigger legacy while still retaining an identity that is appealing to various audiences.
