Wednesday, August 28, 2019
By JESSICA HARDIN
jhardin@vindy.com
BOARDMAN
The Safety Services Memorial in front of the new fire station on Market Street will serve a reminder that township firefighters and police officers are poised to protect the community at all times.
Two pillars are the focal point of the memorial, one bearing the etching of a firefighter and the other displaying a police officer. The pillars are flanked by two walls that feature the firefighters’ prayer and the police officers’ prayer.
Names of local first responders who have died in the line of duty are etched on the walls.
In the center of the memorial stands a circular flower bed surrounded by benches.
“We want to bring color and life to the memorial,” said fire Chief Mark Pitzer. “We’re paying homage and tribute to those who have lost their lives, but that doesn’t mean that they’re dead.”
The memorial will be dedicated in a ceremony at 10 a.m. Sept. 11. The Boardman fire and police departments will be joined by other local first responders. The Mahoning County Pipes and Drums will march in with the joint honor guard.
“We will talk about the history and significance of the memorial not only on a local but also on a national level. This is a tribute to all police officers and firefighters across the country who have lost their lives in the line of duty,” Pitzer said.
The memorial was a project of the Boardman Lions Club in affiliation with the Western Reserve Building & Trades Council, the Boardman Police Fraternal Lodge 43 and the Boardman Firefighers Local 1176.
Multiple local businesses also donated materials for the memorial.
Its location in the center of the township was deliberate. At night, the pillars will be illuminated red and blue.
“We are protecting this community 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Pitzer said. “It’s a constant reminder to the public that we’re always here.”