New buffalo statue honors BFD firefighters
There are new additions at the Buffalo Fire Station 1, located at 215 Central Avenue, Buffalo. One exciting addition is a new buffalo statue to recognize individuals who have served in the Buffalo Fire Department for 10 or more years.
Buffalo statues can be seen all around the city of Buffalo at businesses, parks, and other destinations.
The Buffalo Fire Department made a group effort to purchase a Buffalo statue for the fire department. The Albertville Body Shop painted the buffalo red at no charge. KJ Branding in Buffalo wrapped the buffalo. The wrap is a detailed thin red-line flag, which is a black and white American flag with one red stripe to honor firefighters. On the flag are names of firefighters who served in the Buffalo Fire Department (BFD) for 10 or more years.
“KJ Branding designed the flag and did a great job of making our idea work on the buffalo,” Harnois shared. The project altogether took over a year from start to finish. KJ Branding completed the wrap in three to four hours.
“We will be adding more names in the future,” Buffalo Fire Chief John Harnois said. “We have firefighters on here going all the way back to 1889,” Harnois shared. According to Harnois, throughout the department’s history, approximately 300 firefighters have served in total. There are just over 100 represented on the buffalo and have been recognized for 10 or more years of service.
The most recent firefighter represented on the buffalo is Glen Lawrence, who retired in April of this year. “This was a way for us to honor firefighters that have served,” Harnois stated.
For anyone interested in viewing the Buffalo, it is located just inside the door on the north side of the building. If the door is locked, please use the buzzer outside the door.
A dedication to the community
Another recent addition to the fire station is the dedication plaque that has been hung on the wall as you enter the fire station.
The plaque reads “The City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Fire Department dedicate this facility to the citizens and businesses of our community.” The date is listed as April 11, 2022. The plaque lists the city council, city staff, building committee and architect at the time of the project.
The Buffalo Fire Department and the City of Buffalo have worked hard to represent their community with the new fire station, and have continued to do so after the building’s completion.
