Description
A close up of the statue at the Iowa Firefighters Memorial, located in Coralville, Iowa. The statue is of a firefighter who holds a young girl in one arm. Though climbing down a ladder, his gaze goes towards the young charge clasping onto him.
The statue was carved out of clay by Rick Poldberg and stands on a granite base. The firefighter depicts Rick Klein of the West Burlington Fire Department; the girl depicts his niece, Heidi. Her father and Rick's brother, Bill Klein, was also a firefighter. He died in 1990 during an arson fire (Reuman, p. 27).
The statue was placed at the site on December 10, 1993 and unveiled during the Dedication of The Iowa Firefighters Memorial on April 4, 1994 (Reuman, p. 5-6).