September 2, 2009

 

 

At 9 a.m. on Friday, September 11, 2009, the City of Chandler will dedicate a new memorial and plaza honoring police officers and firefighters who have been killed while serving their community. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will include speeches by Vice Mayor Bob Caccamo, Police Chief Sherry Kiyler, and Fire Chief Jeff Clark, and presentations by the Fire and Police honor guards and pipes and drums. The ceremony will also recognize the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The Chandler Public Safety Memorial is located in a new plaza adjacent to the current Fire Department Administration building at 221 E. Boston St., and directly between the Police Department and the new Fire Dept. headquarters currently under construction.

The memorial features two larger-than-life bronze panel sculptures – one representing Police and one Fire personnel. The panels sit on two granite walls, and the back of each wall will list the names of Chandler officers and firefighters lost in the line of duty. On Sept. 11, the Police memorial will list the names of two officers: James R. Snedigar and Robert J. Nielsen. The Fire memorial will not have any names listed.

The Chandler Arts Commission selected the artists and finalist proposal and the City Council approved the $145,000 expenditure from the Municipal Arts Fund, an allocation for art of one percent of the construction dollars for the new Fire Administration building. Artists Jesus and Adam Romo, who will be present and speak at the event, created the memorial.