Today, the City of Tempe will dedicate the Tempe Public Safety Memorial at 2 p.m. at Tempe Beach Park. The memorial honors the Tempe firefighters, police officers and canines who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The Tempe Police Department has lost five officers since 1919 and Tempe Fire, Medical Rescue has lost one firefighter. Tempe has also lost three canine officers. Read the stories of those who died in the line of duty.
“Our police and firefighters truly help hold our community together. They keep our community at peace. They keep our children safe, our traffic moving and so much more,” said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell. “In order to do this, our police and firefighters put their lives on the line every day. The Tempe Safety Memorial is a way we can honor those who gave their all to keeping us safe.”
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Fire Chief Greg Ruiz said, “This memorial is a reminder of the commitment our public service members make each day to protect and to serve us. It will forever be a reminder of the sacrifices made in the past and the sacrifices we hope will never be made again in the future.”
Artist Benjamin Victor sculpted Answering the Call, the name of the Tempe Public Safety Memorial. Victor’s work includes several police, firefighter, and war memorials and is shown at the National Sculpture Society in New York City at the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol and around the world. You can view his portfolio at www.benjaminvictor.com.
“Answering the Call is an appropriate name for the Tempe Public Safety Memorial, as this exemplifies the commitment to selfless service at the center of the design. The memorial depicts a police officer, firefighter, and canine as they move towards someone in need,” Tempe Chief of Police Sylvia Moir said. “This memorial guarantees that we will never forget the brave souls who lost their lives guarding others in Tempe.”
Money for the memorial was raised by community donations, with donations matched by the City of Tempe.
Not only does this memorial serve as a tribute to our fallen heroes, it is a place where families, friends and the community can come together to honor them.
The Tempe Police Foundation is still accepting donations to fund ongoing maintenance for the memorial here