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Construction To Begin Soon For New Fallen Firefighter Memorial In Capitol Courtyard

Sascha Cordner
/
WFSU-FM
An artist rendering of the future Fallen Firefighter Memorial

The courtyard between Florida’s old and new Capitol buildings will soon have a new addition. The State’s Fire Marshal office is partnering with other firefighter agencies to erect a Fallen Firefighter Memorial.

“The purpose of this memorial is to remember those firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty and to provide a place of solace for their families, and then of course, for other citizens of the state who visit the Capitol to be able to see that memorial and be able to reflect on that sacrifice that both the individuals and their families have made,” said Rand Napoli, who's been involved in the project.

Napoli, a retired director of the Florida State Fire Marshal’s office, says construction is set to begin soon.

“Phase one is the majority of the memorial, which are going to be knee walls and on top of those knee walls, will be etched the names of all the firefighters in the state who have died in the line of duty,” he added. “And, then there will be some benches and a couple of other pieces of the walls in the area.”

After Phase one is completed, a ceremony will be held in April of next year. Phase two will include a couple of statues, which is expected to take awhile to sculpt and construct.

Last year, the Governor and the rest of the Cabinet approved a resolution that authorizes the memorial. It’s expected to cost about $400,000. Through donations, the project has already raised $300,000.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.