Assemblymember Monica Wallace (D-Lancaster) recently joined Village of Lancaster Mayor Lynne Ruda and members of the Lancaster Fire Department to unveil upgrades to Firefighter’s Park in the Village of Lancaster, which utilized $75,000 in state funding that she had secured. The upgrades include a circle of monuments to first responders, interpretive signage, a new park identification sign, a new walkway, benches, relocation of the water tower access road, and removal of a shelter.

In April of 2022, Assemblymember Wallace announced she had secured $125,000 for the Village of Lancaster, including $75,000 for park improvements and $50,000 for the Lancaster Fire Department to purchase a cascade air system.

“Our volunteer firefighters work tremendously hard and put themselves at grave risk to protect the public. At the very least they deserve high-quality equipment and recognition for all they do,” said Assemblymember Wallace. “I’m thrilled to see the completion of these beautiful park improvements to enhance the core of downtown Lancaster and pay tribute to our courageous volunteer firefighters.”

“As our Lancaster Fire Department celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, we wanted to take the opportunity to renovate Firefighter’s Park into a space that not only celebrates the service of our incredible volunteers, but also educates the public on the many aspects of the fire department,” said Mayor Ruda. “I am grateful to Assemblymember Monica Wallace for helping to fund this project. The Firefighter’s Park committee worked tirelessly over the course of years of planning to create a beautiful space that will be treasured by our community for generations to come.”

Since taking office, Assemblymember Wallace has secured significant funding to support volunteer firefighters and improve local parks. She has secured over $800,000 for local fire departments for equipment, such as breathing apparatus, emergency traffic signals, emergency medical equipment, an off-road vehicle, hoses, and technology, and she helped approved a $25 million capital fund for volunteer fire departments across the state. She has also secured funding to install a new splash pad in the Village of Lancaster, create public art in downtown Lancaster, and improve public facilities, including the Lancaster Public Library and Lancaster Historical Society.