Firefighter/Engineer Larson Leidig shares with us the following:
Plano Fire-Rescue will soon hire our first firefighter who was born after September 11, 2001. As a department, we strive to keep alive the memories of lives that were lost and the sacrifices made during the attack, and during the events that followed. In the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks, our world changed forever.
At the World Trade Center tragedy, 2,763 lives were lost when the two planes slammed into the twin towers. That number includes 343 FDNY firefighters and paramedics, 23 NYPD police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers. All of these first responders were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped in the buildings.
We all have our own personal story of where we were the morning of 9-11 and how the events of the day affected our life. A group of fire personnel at Plano Fire station 8 have been working on ways to preserve those memories.
We are coordinating the creation of a mural inside the fire station that will showcase an artist’s rendering of events of 9- 11 and connect us as a department with the many FDNY personal who lost their life that day. Included in the mural will be a piece of steel from New York’s Ground Zero and other memorabilia that tells the story of 9-11.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 to cover the cost of the mural and the trip to obtain the Ground Zero steel and memorabilia.
• Donations of $1,000 or more will be added to the sponsorship plaque mounted alongside the mural.
• Donors will receive their own plaque as thanks from Plano Fire-Rescue for their support.
• Donors will also be recognized at the mural’s dedication ceremony when scheduled.
Plano Fire-Rescue Associates (PFRA) is assisting Station 8 with the collection of donations for the Station 8 9/11 mural project. Donations can be made via check (payable to PFRA), or via PayPal (including credit cards) at this link: http://pfra.net/mural
PFRA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization made up of Plano citizens who volunteer their time and resources to assist Plano Fire-Rescue and its personnel. Donations made through PFRA are tax-deductible and a receipt will be provided. For more information about PFRA, please visit http://pfra.org or https://pfra.net. Checks can be mailed to:
Plano Fire Rescue Associates, Inc.
2701 W. 15th Street
Suite 192
Plano, TX 75075
If you have any questions, please contact Larson Leidig, at Richardle@plano.gov or call 817- 707-014.
Plano Fire-Rescue Station 8’s 9-11 Mural Concept
The mural depicts the iconic picture of three FDNY personnel raising the American flag over the ruble of ground zero, as it represents our perseverance as a country, to rise up in the face of such devastation. Riding out from the ruble are three horse soldiers, America’s unconventional military response to 9-11. Ninety Special Forces soldiers were dropped into the deserts of Afghanistan in the days following 9-11, and each unit carried with them pieces of 9-11 steel. They were our country’s first response to the attacks on 9-11. These soldiers, who became known as the Horse Soldiers, buried the steel at major battle locations in Afghanistan. They made a map of the pieces of steel they buried and gave that map to the PDNY and FDNY. A Horse Soldier monument, called The Response Monument, was built at NYC’s Liberty Park overlooking Ground Zero.
The background of the mural of Old Glory signifies what our country overcame and that the terrorist did not defeat us. The mural, as a whole, represents the devastation of the loss of life, rising up, responding, and overcoming.
About the Artist
Michael McPheeters also known as Mr. Mural, is a multifaceted contemporary artist, activist, and graffiti writer living and working in Dallas, Texas. Originally from Los Angeles, he grew as a street artist and a scenic painter in the film industry. During the day his work is tailored to meet the needs of his clients, ranging from movie sets to high-end
kids rooms. His large-scale works, most notably expressed by countless murals, act as spatial monuments to his ability to transform an area. As a street artist, McPheeters continues to use graffiti’s growing power as a visual mass- communicator to raise awareness of human issues, with his recent focus on modern-day-slavery.
Michael McPheeters – michaelmcpheeters.com
Dedication / Sponsorship Plaque (Indicative Example)
