Last June, Richard Kron was putting finishing touches on the three figures in the memorial. File photo by Walter Horylev.

Behind the scene at Brockport’s 911 Firefighter Memorial

Final touches are being made for the installation of Brockport’s Firefighter’s Memorial marking the September 11 heroism, deaths and injuries of New York City firefighters at the World Trade Center.

From its inception, the monument has been the inspiration of and, in large part, has come to life by the dedication and perspiration of Colby Street resident and 42-year volunteer firefighter, Scott Warthman.

Warthman says the idea of doing something to honor the firefighters came to him almost immediately upon watching on television the devastation of the twin towers.

Since that day, work on designing and funding a memorial has been a labor-of-love and one to which Warthman has been singularly dedicated. His dream will be realized August 18 at 2pm at Capen Hose Station #4, 237 South Main Street in Brockport with the ceremonial unveiling of the memorial.

The three sculptures were created out of the trunks of three large white oak trees by Brockport artist Richard Kron. They are sculpted and painted to resemble the ash covered firefighters who appeared in Thomas Franklin’s moving photo of three firemen raising the American flag amid the rubble of Ground Zero.

The memorial pedestal upon which the sculptures will be affixed was built almost single-handedly by Warthman. The stone work along the bottom of the foundation is constructed primarily of gray dolomite, a stone native to the Town of Sweden and a bit of pink granite Warthman collected from the Thousand Islands.

Completing the foundation are a circle of bricks donors can opt to have inscribed and laid around the memorial.

Warthman also wears the hat of historian of the Brockport Fire Department and is leading the move toward establishing a firefighting museum in the Capen Hose Station. The Capen Hose Station will mark its centennial in 2003. Warthman hopes it will be cited by then by the National Registry of Historical Places.

The station houses several antique and historical pieces of firefighting equipment and will be open for tours following the opening ceremonies on Sunday, August 18.