Fallen firemen honored An honor guard procession honors Sept. 11 victims at Bay Park Square Mall.. Sponsored by the Brown County Fire Chief's Association and the Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department, the new statue appears in the background (photo by Tina Gohr). State statue visits Ashwaubenon By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle A traveling statue commemorating the lives and work of Wisconsin firefighters was unveiled during the Fifth Annual Fire Expo at Bay Park Square mall on Saturday. The statue will be displayed permanently at the new Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial in Wisconsin Rapids. The 3,500-pound bronze statue depicts two firefighters coming to the aid of a colleague trapped under debris from a collapsed building. It will stand in front of a wall containing the names of all Wisconsin firefighters who have died on duty. Ronald Naab, 2nd assistant chief of the Allenton Volunteer Fire Department and spokesman for the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial group, said one figure, an African-American woman carrying an Emergency Medical Service bag, represents the diversity among firefighters and symbolizes the multiple tasks they perform. The statue was conceptualized in 1998. It reflects the danger firefighters face when called for help. Carol Dalchow, a De Pere firefighter and paramedic, knew a fellow De Pere firefighter who died of a heart attack while putting out a car fire in February 1998. "It's a wonderful tribute to those who passed in service," she said. Adam Van Rite, a De Pere firefighter and EMT, said he would have been appreciative of the statue no matter what its shape. "It's just the symbolism. That's good enough," he said. The Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial will consist of the statue as well as a walkway, gazebo and center housing a computerized database of all of the state's firefighters, past and present. The memorial group has collected $400,000 of cash and in-kind gifts for the $1.5 million project that will be entirely funded by donations. Saturday's Fire Expo, held on the third anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, honored firefighters, men and women serving in the armed forces and innocent people who died three years ago in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. During the midmorning ceremony, Ashwaubenon Village President Norbert DeCleene led the public and firefighters from a number of Brown County communities in a prayer that was recited by passengers on one of the hijacked flights on Sept. 11, 2001. Gary Wieczorek, director of the Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety, presided over a bell ringing symbolizing the deaths of firefighters, and an Ashwaubenon High School student trumpeted taps. White doves were released. Among the flock were three black doves symbolizing the number of years that had passed since Sept. 11, 2001. The Fire Expo encompassed more light-hearted activities, as well. The public participated in egg drops from an extended fire truck ladder and tried aiming water gushing from a fire hose at a target. Peshtigo firefighter Sarah Pahl said she liked the activities that held the children's interest. While the public viewed fire department vehicles and interacted with area firefighters, Pahl said an event like Saturday's is not needed to remind her of Sept. 11, 2001. She would never forget the day, she said. Pat Lovick of Oneida, whose husband was a volunteer first responder in Oklahoma for 10 years, said sometimes the public forgets the work firefighters do. "They (firefighters) are in the news all the time, it's just we take it for granted," she said. "It's like other things we know are there taking care of us," she said. Firefighters address a lot of situations that are hard to prepare for because there is no way to practice undergoing a real emergency, Naab said. Firefighters assist people in a variety of situations, including car accidents, heart attacks, hazardous material spills and tornados, he noted. "Anytime things go wrong ... the first ones on the scene to render aid and begin the healing process are the firefighters, along with the police officers," he said. Gary Wieczorek, director of the Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety, said firefighters are facing new dangers, including chemical or biological terrorism. Some new buildings actually collapse sooner than would old buildings made of solid wood. Metal plates that fasten manufactured trusses melt and loosen before wooden supports would burn, he said. "(New construction) is nice and it's sturdy, but it doesn't face up to a fire like an old, old home used to because it was built with solid wood," Wieczorek said. In a fire, chemical treatments on furniture, paints and pesticides become dangerous for firefighters, he said. Naab said in 2003, five firefighters died in Wisconsin while on the job while two have died this year. The statue, transported on the flat bed of a trailer, is touring the state before it is permanently added to the memorial in Wisconsin Rapids. FYI: To make a donation for the memorial, send donations to the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial, P.O. Box 248, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-4440. For more information, visit www.wsfm.org.