The Memorial Wall of Honor and Statue

Welcome to the internet home of the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial Park.  Please take the time to look around at all the points of interest we have provided.  Just follow the links and enjoy the tour. We encourage you to tell others about this site and to make plans to visit Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin to see the Park in person.  

The WSFM Inc., Board of Directors

Our Mission

Every year approximately one hundred firefighters die in the line of duty in the United States.  The Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial Board of Directors has chosen to provide a unique and lasting way to pay tribute to firefighters from the State of Wisconsin who have made this ultimate sacrifice while in service to their communities. This tribute has taken the form of a Memorial Park dedicated to preserving their memory.

WSFM Profile

The Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit charity organization dedicated to preserving the memory of firefighters who have died in the line of duty.  This challenging task was started in 1994 by seven members of the Fire Service from central Wisconsin.  The WSFM founding members were Tom Anderson, Peter Augustyniak, James Gignac, Carroll Knutson, Rick Moscinski, Mitch Waite and Ken Zarecki.  Together they laid out plans to build a memorial park to honor firefighters for their service.

On April 16, 1996 then Governor Tommy G. Thompson signed into law, legislation designating Wisconsin Rapids as the site of the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial.  "Wisconsin firefighters put their lives on the line every time they battle a blaze and it is only fitting that we honor those who were lost in the line of duty," Gov. Thompson said.  "The State Firefighters Memorial is a tremendous project that will make sure we never forget the courage, bravery and dedication of our firefighters.  And Wisconsin Rapids is an ideal location for the memorial because of its central location in the state."

With the city chosen, the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial Board of Directors set about finding a suitable existing park in the city to house the memorial.  They placed the utmost importance on peaceful locations without high traffic or an industrial image.  After a careful examination of the sites in the area, the memorial committee selected Ben Hansen Park on the southwest side of the city.  The park is along the west side of the Wisconsin River, providing the peaceful and somber atmosphere the memorial requires.  In addition, the park's existing tall trees and rolling terrain add greatly to the tranquility and serenity of the location, making it the perfect place for the memorial.

After the site for the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial was decided, the real work began. Donations were solicited and various fund raising activities took place all across the State.

Those who have given include families, loved ones and entire fire departments. Please give to the memorial today and support our fund-raising efforts for this worthy project. Send your tax deductible contribution to...
 

Contact Information

Postal address

Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial, Inc.

P.O. Box 248, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-4440

Telephone

WSFM President: (715) 421-0863

Electronic mail

General Information: ffmemorial@aol.com

Sales:
Customer Support:
Webmaster: Webmaster@wsfm.org

Email Webmaster@wsfm.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 03/31/08