Assistant Chief Michael J. Kilpatrick of the North Lake Volunteer Fire Department in North Lake, Wisconsin, died in the line of duty on October 7, 2004, and is remembered along with all Wisconsin firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities. Family, friends, and members of the North Lake Volunteer Fire Department helped provide the memorial's metalwork. The fire service faces a dangerous and changing work environment, but its enduring goals remain saving lives and protecting property, sometimes at great cost. Among its traditions is the sound of a bell, which once signaled the start of a shift, summoned firefighters to alarms through the day and night, marked the completion of a call, and, when a firefighter died in the line of duty, solemnly announced a comrade's passing. A special signal of three rings, three times each, symbolizes the end of a fallen firefighter's duties and the return to quarters, honoring those who gave their lives in service to others.