Retired Florida Fire Fighter Sculpts 9/11 Tribute

April 9, 2009 – A series of steel sculptures crafted by a retired Miami-Dade, FL Local 1403 fire fighter commemorating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks will find a permanent home at the future site of the Pembroke Pines (Florida) City Hall. City planners hope to have the revitalization project -- which includes the new city hall -- completed by 2011, the tenth anniversary of the attacks.

Felix Gonzalez was commissioned by the city of Pembroke Pines to do the work after the city noticed some of his work displayed at a local art show. “I was really honored to get the commission and wanted to craft something from the heart,” says Gonzalez, a 28-year veteran fire fighter.

He continues, “The first thing I wanted to do was a three-dimensional fire fighter, but I wanted to make it out of steel.”

Because steel is hard to bend and mold, Gonzalez had to experiment with his technique before moving forward. Eventually, he built the two towers and a fire fighter. The fire fighter alone took two years and stands 8.5 feet high, weighing 2.5 tons.

Detailing on the fire fighter includes a helmet with a shield that reads FDNY 343, traditional turnout gear and a large pike pole (used to look for fire). Upon completion, the sculpture became the only three-dimensional structure made of steel in the world.

Gonzalez is now working on the accompanying sculptures, which include a little girl, a woman and a police officer with a search dog. Fortunately, the city has provided the retired fire fighter a large studio space to work on the project.

“There was an old firehouse being used for storage, but the city agreed to clear it out so that I could use it for the project. The space just feels right,” he says.