The Firefighters Fountain and Memorial

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Memorial fountain in Penn Valley Park honoring Kansas City firefighters who died in the line of duty. Bronze firefighter figure atop water-feature basin; engraved memorial wall lists every KCFD line-of-duty death.

History

The Firefighters Fountain and Memorial was dedicated in 1991 in Penn Valley Park as a tribute to all Kansas City firefighters who have died in the line of duty since the founding of the Kansas City Fire Department. Sculpted by Tom Corbin (the same artist responsible for the Children’s Fountain at North Oak + Vivion), the memorial features a life-size bronze firefighter atop a water-feature basin, with an adjacent memorial wall listing the names + dates of every KCFD line-of-duty death.¹

The memorial was the product of a multi-year fundraising campaign by the KC firefighter community + civic donors, anchored in Penn Valley Park’s location — central to KC, accessible to civic gatherings, with the Liberty Memorial visible in the near distance to the south.

Sculptor

Tom Corbin — see Children’s Fountain for biographical details.

Architecture + materials

Life-size cast-bronze firefighter figure
Concrete basin with water-feature
Adjacent stone memorial wall with engraved names of fallen firefighters
The wall is updated whenever a KCFD line-of-duty death occurs

Current status

Operating. The fountain is the focal point of annual KCFD memorial ceremonies held each year for fallen firefighters, including the regional commemoration around 9/11 Patriot Day.

Cultural significance

The Firefighters Fountain holds particular significance to the KC firefighter community + their families. Annual memorial ceremonies bring active-duty firefighters, retirees, and family members to the fountain. The location in Penn Valley Park — visible from the Liberty Memorial / National WWI Museum complex to the south — places the memorial within KC’s broader civic-memorial corridor.

Visiting

Address: Penn Valley Park, 31st St + Penn Valley Park, Kansas City, MO
Best time to visit: Spring through fall for the active fountain; year-round for the memorial wall
Public access: Free; 24-hour public space
Annual events: KCFD memorial ceremony (date varies)

Sources

KCMO Parks + Recreation — Firefighters Fountain documentation.. ↩