Nov
The Rescue
Posted under Features, |
"The Rescue" recognizes the members of the City of Edmonton Fire Service who have made the ultimate sacrifice. This important monument is not just a beautiful work of art, it will for all time allow families and the citizens of Edmonton to remember and honor the contribution the fire service makes to their community.
The Statue was created by Danek Mozdzenski, a local sculptor. Danek's work is shown throughout Alberta. Edmontonians will best recognize his work, as he created the Ezio Farone Statue and the Francis Winspear Bust.
"The Rescue" portrays the ultimate role of a firefighter; that of saving lives and stands as a memorial to honor the fallen firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The firefighter dressed in protective clothing representative of the pre 1980 era, reaches out to save a young child which reaches back to him in a gesture of ultimate trust.
The Edmonton Firefighters Memorial Society began holding an annual ceremony at the foot of "The Rescue" in 2001, following the attacks on the World Trade Center.
However, not only are the 343 firefighter deaths on 9-11 remembered; family members of fallen Edmonton firefighters also use the annual ceremony to pay tribute to those who lost their lives as the consequence of their duty.
Carolyn Field, a widow of a local firefighter, said the statue and annual ceremony shows her she is not alone in her loss. "It was a very proud moment to be able to honour him," she said. "We're just glad to be here and proud to represent him."
Hundreds of Firefighters, EMS, police personnel, all in uniform, march Edmonton's streets every September 11th to show their respect for the fallen. The parade makes its way to the Firefighters Memorial Plaza, located at 10318 83 Avenue, where friends and relatives listen to speeches by emergency personnel from past and present.
Deputy fire Chief Ken Block exclaimed that the impact of 9-11 still weighs heavy on people's hearts across North America and that this statue makes us stop and remember the men and women whom take it upon themselves to respond in the face of chaos and danger in the hope of helping and protecting their neighbours in times of distress.
