Connecticut Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial was conceived by the Connecticut Firefighters Memorial Committee as a plaza-like setting with a brick patio in the form of a Maltese cross, the universal symbol of the fire service. Its centerpiece is a six-foot by twelve-foot, thirteen-ton polished impala black granite stone bearing the likeness of four firefighters fighting a blaze, with the artist's rendition designed by Lieutenant Paul J. Walsh of the New Britain Fire Department. The centerpiece rests on a base of concrete and gray granite with stone panels engraved with the names of Connecticut firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. Those names were placed in random order, requiring visitors to search through many panels to find a colleague or loved one, while numbered panels help locate specific names. In front of the centerpiece, atop the base, an eternal flame honors this group of brave and noble firefighters and signifies that their memory will never be extinguished. Eight granite benches surrounding the stone represent Connecticut’s eight counties. The memorial was unveiled and dedicated on August 18, 2002, and then-Lieutenant Governor M. Jodi Rell played a major role in raising nearly $250,000 through private donations and state funding to design, build, and maintain it, later speaking at the dedication about the importance of a permanent place to honor Connecticut’s fallen firefighters and praising the firefighters and residents whose contributions made it possible.