HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania began construction on Tuesday on its first permanent statewide memorial dedicated specifically to career firefighters killed in the line of duty, advancing a roughly $650,000 project that took more than a decade of advocacy to reach the groundbreaking stage.
The Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association (PPFFA) is leading the project at North Front and Forster streets in Harrisburg, along the Susquehanna River near the state Capitol complex. Construction is expected to be completed in November 2026.
Gov. Josh Shapiro joined firefighters, state lawmakers and surviving family members at this week’s groundbreaking ceremony, marking a milestone in efforts to establish a permanent public tribute to professional firefighters who died while serving Pennsylvania communities.
The memorial will provide a statewide location for families, firefighters and the public to recognize those deaths. Its establishment follows more than 10 years of advocacy by the PPFFA and its supporters.
Robert Brooks, president of the association, emphasized the memorial’s significance for surviving families and firefighters who continue responding to emergencies across the commonwealth.
State Sen. Patty Kim, who supported the project in the legislature, characterized the memorial as a long-overdue recognition of the sacrifices made by Pennsylvania’s professional firefighters.
Shapiro also addressed the personal significance of emergency response, recalling the firefighters who responded to an arson attack at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg in April 2025.
The incident brought the governor and his family into direct contact with the dangers faced by firefighters responding to emergencies, providing context for his remarks at the ceremony.
Members of the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire participated in the groundbreaking alongside state representatives and relatives of fallen firefighters.
The project distinguishes itself as a permanent statewide memorial specifically honoring professional career firefighters, rather than a memorial dedicated to all categories of emergency responders.
With construction underway, the PPFFA expects the memorial to be completed next month, establishing a permanent site near Pennsylvania’s Capitol for commemorating career firefighters who died in the line of duty.
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