Emmitsburg, MD—Better Angels: The Firefighters of 9/11 is an inspirational exhibit that features individual monochromatic oil portraits of the fallen firefighters on 6″ x 4″ charred blocks of wood. The name of each firefighter and his company is written below.
The exhibit was created by Dawn Siebel, a Colorado artist and former from New York City resident. She began working on Better Angels in 2005 as a tribute to those 343 firefighters and as an expression of appreciation to all members of the fire service. In 2009, Siebel and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation forged a partnership to bring the exhibit to a broader audience of firefighters and the public.
With support from the Department of Justice, the exhibit has expanded to include information about the department’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program (PSOBs) for survivors of firefighters who died in the line of duty. Additionally, the names of all firefighters honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD are listed.
“We recognized that working together, we could achieve Dawn’s goal of honoring those brave 343 from FDNY, as well as all members of the fire service, who willingly put their lives on the line to save another,” said Ronald J. Siarnicki, executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
The NFFF and Siebel are working on plans for Better Angels to appear in New York City for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.
For more information, visit www.firehero.org or www.betterangels911.com.
