City's Emergency Service Board Holds Early Talk on Design, Site, and More on First Responder Memorial
By Jeff Toquinto on February 16, 2024
Although a timeline or price is not in place, or even a design, it appears another project in honor of those who have fallen and those who have served is on its way to the City of Bridgeport.
During a Wednesday meeting of the Bridgeport Emergency Services Council, discussion was held on a First Responder Memorial. Bridgeport 
Emergency Services Director Tim Curry led the discussion on the project.
Emergency Services Director Tim Curry led the discussion on the project.
“We’ve settled on location for it at the new police department headquarters,” said Curry. “That seems to make the most sense.”
What that means is that it will be located on Main Street on the site of the former Towne House East Motel. The new Bridgeport Police Department will be constructed on that site, which the city purchased.
For those that have been following the police department’s new building, it is known that a timeline has not yet been formally put in place. However, it appears that the Fire Responder Memorial will be done in conjunction with the construction of that building.
The reason for doing it at the same time is that the plan is to have the memorial located inside the new building. Essentially, it would be situated in the lobby of the new police department, which may mean adding additional space to whatever layout is eventually done.
What the memorial will look like is in the infancy stage. Curry showed multiple memorials as part of a slideshow to the ESC Board. They included granite memorials as well as concrete-based memorials and others, including some featuring bronze.
“We do need to start working towards a direction to go so that we can work with the designer and the police department to get this figured 
out,” said Curry.
out,” said Curry.
This would mark the second memorial on Main Street. The Bridgeport Veterans Memorial was dedicated in May of 2016. The veteran’s memorial is located outside, near Main Street’s intersection with Philadelphia Avenue.
“We want this one inside so that it will stay clean and so that it’s safe from anyone having a bad idea,” said Interim City Manager and Police Chief Mark Rogers, who pointed to an uptick of government property and monuments seeing a defacing. “… We don’t want that to be an issue.”
Council member John Wilson, a member of the board, liked the idea. He said anytime anyone from the public enters the building they’ll go by the memorial.
Wednesday’s discussion in front of the Emergency Services Council was only the second formal group discussion on the project. Curry
said a Council appointed group has already met, and that the group suggested discussing the matter with the ESC.
said a Council appointed group has already met, and that the group suggested discussing the matter with the ESC.
As for the funding, it was not discussed in great detail. The memorial will look to have private contributions to make it happen.
“We’re looking at setting up something like the Friends of Bridgeport Recreation, creating a 501(c)(3) where people can donate to make this possible,” said Curry, who said there isn’t a budget in mind at this time.
More on the Bridgeport Veterans Memorial as it becomes available in the months ahead on Connect-Bridgeport.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Tim Curry looking at other first responder, military, and veterans memorials during Thursday's meeting. Second photo shows Interim CIty Manager and Police Chief Mark Rogers talking about keeping the memorial inside, while Board and City Council member John Wilson looks on below.
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