On February 6th, 1997, Stockton Firefighters Brett Laws and Bryan Golden were advancing a hose line with reports of a woman trapped in a structure fire at 26 West Mendocino Avenue. As they advanced, the burning structure collapsed onto them, killing our Firefighters Laws and Golden. In the wake of their ultimate sacrifice, Stockton Firefighters were dedicated to creating a Fallen Firefighters Monument.

The monument design was selected and created in the park space overlooking McLeod Lake. Fire historians verified 13 Line of Duty Deaths in the Stockton Fire Department since its inception in 1850. For nearly 20 years, the Monument was a cultural focal point for our department. In the presence of the Monument multiple times a year, we’ve held formal observances, badge pinning ceremonies, and fraternal toasts. There are not enough words to describe the significance of our Monument to our fire family.

Beginning in the late mid 2010’s, the twin fallout of a opioid epidemic and financial recession created a dramatic increase in homelessness and crime. By the late 2010’s, both call volume for the department and vandalism in the City climbed significantly. For reasons beyond reason or belief, our beloved Fallen Firefighter Monument was targeted repeatedly by vandals. Multiple times, the statue was defaced and the brass metal work was removed or destroyed.

In 2018, Stockton Firefighters made the difficult decision to remove the Monument from the public space where it had stayed for 2 decades. Through multiple iterations over that last 5 years, the Stockton Firefighters Relief Association has brainstormed the reintroduction of the monument. In early 2021, new leadership and a passionate group of individuals dedicated themselves to the redesign process.

On January 31st, 2022, tragedy struck the Stockton Fire Department. While on an exterior fire, Captain of Engine 2 Vidal ‘Max’ Fortuna was shot and killed. Our membership and the community are still devastated.