30 Oct 110 fallen Panhandle first responders named on new memorial dedicated in downtown Amarillo

A memorial in downtown Amarillo carrying the names of 110 peace officers, firefighters and EMS workers from the Panhandle who died on duty was dedicated Wednesday, per the Amarillo Tribune.

The Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial stands at 1018 S. Polk St. in a city-owned lot beside the historic Bivins home, close to 11th Avenue. It recognizes people who served 50 agencies in the region’s 26 northernmost counties and is open to visitors at all hours.

A nonprofit, Friends of AJ Swope, led the fundraising and construction. Its August 2022 city lease on the property costs $1 a year, and construction began with a groundbreaking in January. Todd Beckum, the group’s board president and a former police officer, described the dedication as somber and happy at once and said the memorial is a gift for relatives and friends of those lost and for the entire Panhandle.

A Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting was held at the site Tuesday. Wednesday’s program included a combined honor guard from several agencies, a 21-gun salute and the firefighter tradition known as the Last Alarm, and organizers read aloud the name of each of the 110 people honored.

Delonda Dunn, whose husband, Amarillo police Sgt. Michael Dunn, is among those listed, told KVII that having his name on a wall close to home makes the tribute easier for relatives to visit. Jesse and Shannon Torres, whose son, Dalhart firefighter Brendan Torres, was killed when a semi-truck struck his vehicle in late 2022, told KAMR he was known for helping others, from friends moving to strangers with broken-down cars.