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COMMITMENT, FREEDOM, DEDICATION
from
those who serve to those they
serve
“Whatever the cause
. . . whatever it takes – we’re proud to
serve”:
This is the commitment of the Loveland
Community Firefighters Association.
Built
in 1997 on the Little Miami Bike Trail at the
corner of Harrison Street and Railroad Avenue in
downtown Loveland, the Loveland Firefighter’s
Memorial stands as a testament to the Loveland-Symmes
Fire Department’s commitment to NEVER FORGET.
Originally created
to draw the community’s attention to the
sacrifices made by all public safety officials
who serve, thousands of visitors pass by the
memorial each year to remember those who
dedicate their all to their communities each and
every day.
The
Firefighter’s Memorial is home to many
significant artifacts that represent Loveland’s
public safety services, as well as the nation’s
first responders.
Designed by David
Camelle and built by local contractor Crapsey
and Gilles, the Firefighter’s Memorial consists
of four pillars that surround
a large concrete
vault.
Inside the vault is
a time capsule that contains current renditions
of the LSFD’s badges and uniforms, as well as
copies of local newspapers and department
documents that describe the state of the
department in 1997.
A great method of
preserving and passing on our department
history, this time capsule is scheduled to be
opened by department members many years down the
road.
On the top of the
concrete vault is a bell from the riverboat
Ruben
Springer.
This bell was
acquired from a local resident who had served as
a riverboat captain.
The bell served as
the alarm for Loveland’s firefighters to respond
to an emergency until 1934.
Recent additions to the memorial include a
plaques to remember those first responders
who made the supreme sacrifice on September
11, 2001 and the nine firefighters who lost
their lives in a furniture store fire in
2007 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Both plaques are permanently affixed
to one of the four pillars.
The Loveland Firefighter’s Memorial
is also home to a section of an I-beam
retrieved from the North Tower of the World
Trade Center (see below).
September 11, 2001
Memorial
Everyone
who serves the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department
is consistently reminded of those who gave the
ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.
Secured prominently within the firehouse bay,
American flags from our September 11, 2002
memorial proudly bear the name of each and every
public safety service worker who perished while
serving their community. In addition,
every piece of apparatus is adorned with a
September 11th Memorial decal. 
After adding a 9/11 memorial plaque to the
Firefighter’s Memorial on September 11,
2002, the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department
was given the opportunity to take the
Firefighter’s Memorial one step further.
A section of an I-beam from the North
Tower of the World Trade Center (see picture
below) was added to the Firefighter’s
Memorial during our third anniversary
memorial service on September 11, 2004.
This donation, arranged by
Firefighter Lee Ielpi (ret.) from Rescue 2
of the FDNY is a high honor. Portions of the
World Trade Center were rarely given out.
After seeing the beam when it was
first delivered, LSFD Deputy Chief Andrew
Knapp said, “To realize that this – this
3-foothigh, 1-foot-wide beam – was once a
portion of the North Tower, is incredible.”
Weighing about 200 pounds, this beam has and
will continue to serve as a physical
connection for all to remember the horrible
events of that fateful September day.
"Although
we serve by choice, and we serve gladly, we
wanted the community to realize that the guys
who care for this community are not like the
regular professionals who go home at 5 p.m.,”
Battalion Chief Andrew Knapp said.
This section of an I-beam from the North Tower
of the WTC is permanently on display at the
Loveland Firefighter’s Memorial.
The LSFD was given the privilege and honor to
receive this piece of the World Trade Center
because of the department’s never-ending
dedication to remember all who serve their
communities in times of need.
The
department made an eternal commitment after the
tragedy of September 11, 2001, to never forget
those who perished.
Every year since 2001, Loveland has held
one of the largest 9/11 memorial ceremonies in
the country and has committed to honoring those
individuals who paid the ultimate price in every
year that follows. “It’s not just about a yearly
ceremony,” Chief Knapp said. “We are forever
connected (to that event) every day in
everything we do. We want our community to know
that connection and be a part of it.” And so,
the Loveland Firefighter’s Memorial lives on.
LET US NEVER FORGET 9/11/01
"The
Charleston 9" Memorial -- 9/11/07
On
June 18, 2007 nine firefighters perished in the
Sofa Super Store fire in Charleston, South
Carolina.
Once the memorial
plans were finalized, Chief Huber gathered a
team of Loveland-Symmes firefighters and the crew made the trip to Charleston for the
memorial service (pictures below).
(L to R): FF/Medic Clay
Morton, FF/Medic Jon Frye, Chief Huber,
Lieutenant Matt Rose stand with Charleston’s
Ladder 5. Ladder 5 lost three brothers in the
fire.
Inside the North Charleston
Coliseum during the memorial service held on
June 22, 2007.
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The beginning of the memorial
procession on June 22, 2007. |
