First Responders Memorial unveiled in moving tribute to Fresno’s public servants

A new First Responders Memorial was unveiled outside Fresno City Hall on Wednesday during a ceremony to honor those city police officers and firefighters who lost their lives while serving the community.

The 14-foot wide granite memorial wall, which is inscribed with the names of 17 Fresno police officers and 13 Fresno firefighters, has been in city leadership discussions for the past five years, officials said. The memorial features a bronze police officer’s cap and firefighter’s helmet resting in front of stone American flag hanging vertically.

The memorial is located in a permanent space with public access off of P Street just northwest of the Fresno City Hall Building and opposite of the Veterans Memorial wall, which was dedicated in 2019.

Both memorials were designed and built by Bell Memorials of Clovis.

Dolores Marie Durney, wife of former Fresno Fire Capt. Oney Durney, who died in 2018, took a few close-up pictures of the memorial and her husband’s inscribed name following the ceremony.

“To come over and spend this time and see his name and the appreciation of all the community — it has so much meaning,” Dolores Marie Durney said. “There’s so much love.”

Prior to the memorial’s unveiling, the ceremony included words from Fresno City Mayor Jerry Dyer, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama, Fresno Fire Chief Kerri Donis and city councilmembers Miguel Arias and Garry Bredefeld, who initiated the process of getting the wall put on city hall grounds.

After saluting Fresno veterans memorialized on the city’s Veterans Memorial, City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld also honored the city’s public servants.

“Today we honor more Fresno heroes,” Bredefeld said. “Those that fought crime, those that fought fires, all with the goal to make their neighbors, citizens and families safe.”

Mayor Jerry Dyer closed the ceremony with words directed toward the families of those fallen first responders.

“It is our way,” he said, “of honoring those who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and to demonstrate to the families that we honor their loss and their sacrifice.”