The long awaited creation of the Ocean City Firefighter Memorial is now complete.

This project was over a decade in the planning, and on the fifth anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks, it was finally dedicated. To see the memorial take shape and begin to have a life of its own was truly a monumental experience and also a proud accomplishment in the history of your local volunteer fire company.

For those of you who are not familiar with the undertaking, allow me to present a brief history. The idea for a monument honoring Ocean City firefighters was born in the mid 1990s. During the initial planning stages, places to construct the project were minimal. Those that were available turned out to be less than desirable; mostly because of visibility and accessibility concerns. Additionally, the projected costs were more than the fire company wished to incur alone. Because of these and other perceived barriers, the project was abandoned. Thankfully though, it was not forgotten.

Shortly after the passing of some rather prominent members early in the new millennium, donations in their memory began to arrive. Since these funds were specifically given in their memory, it seemed like the appropriate time to breathe new life into the memorial project. After countless hours of research, planning, meetings and presentations, we today find ourselves proud to have been able to present the citizens and visitors of Ocean City with a great gift.

This memorial does not only honor Ocean City Firefighters of the past, present, and future, it also recognizes firefighters from around the world, of which countless thousands visit our fine town each year. The memorial also acknowledges the losses of 11 September 2001 by memorializing the victims of the attacks and specifically the 343 firefighters from the Fire Department of the City of New York.

The memorial features a bronze firefighter, six feet in height, majestically poised on a black granite block. Five flags, United States, Maryland, Worcester County, Ocean City, and Fire Service adorn the memorial site and add vibrant colors to an already breathtaking presentation. All of this is set in a 2500 square-foot plaza of engraved brick pavers, which are still available.