CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON NEBRASKA FIREFIGHTERS MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER
Released On: December 9, 2008

Nebraska needed a way to honor its firefighters. And now it’s going to get it.

The Nebraska Firefighters Museum and Education Center will break ground for a new facility near the Great Platte River Road Archway Museum on Friday, December 12, at 11:00 am, according to Gregg Ericksen, chairman of the Firefighter Museum’s Design and Project Development Committee. Construction is expected to be completed by spring, with a grand opening planned for June, Ericksen said.

“We were set to start construction in our current location last spring, when a committee from the Archway approached us and proposed this location,” Ericksen said. “We decided to move to the new location because we feel there will be a mutual benefit. We expect to have more people coming through our door because of the location, but by the same token, we will attract visitors to the Archway.”

The new facility, which is being designed and built by BD Construction of Kearney, will be modeled after a turn-of-the-century fire station. According to BD Construction President, Mark Benjamin, in addition to generous display space, the museum will feature offices, a gift shop, a conference room and “party room” for birthday parties and other events.

“We’re eager to create a space which will not only appeal to visitors but be highly functional as well,“ Benjamin said. “We’ll be incorporating a number of design features which will enhance the project but provide practical benefits to the museum as well.“ Benjamin said the completed facility would have about 10,000 square feet of interior space in all.

Ericksen said the Nebraska Firefighters Museum and Education Center will feature historical displays of trucks and equipment, but also devote space in the museum to educating the public about preventing fires and fire safety.

“We’ll also have a Hall of Fame for firefighters who have made particularly valuable contributions to the firefighting service in Nebraska,“ Ericksen said.

“Firefighters have devoted time, effort, sweat and sacrifice to fighting fires throughout Nebraska?s history,” Ericksen said. “Most have worked without pay, interested only in making a contribution to their communities. We hope to make the Nebraska Firefighters Museum and Education Center an honor to their legacy.”

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