Plaques for Heroes Mission - First Responder Memorial Plaques

In 2021, I began a mission that I had been tossing around for a few years prior.  Working as a first responder for two and a half decades at the time, I saw first-hand the tragedies affecting our profession.  We had experienced a time when first responders were loved which was just after 9/11.  Not only were firefighters and paramedics loved, but even the police officers were loved.  Fast forward almost 20 years later and the pendulum swung drastically the other way and the defund the police movement began.

So as I planned the mission, I wanted to find a way to give back to the families of first responders who unfortunately paid the ultimate price while protecting their communities.  I had to do a lot of research and planning on how to carry out this mission.  I had to figure out a way to give back, a way to honor these heroes and to let their families know that their lives, their sacrifices, and their dedication was meaningful to the communities. 

During my time as a police officer, I have witnessed and experienced losing partners in the line of duty as well as partners ending their own lives due to the experiences that they had while being a first responder.  These experiences, these losses, are unbearable - especially when they were close friends.  

After careful planning, I decided that the mission should include something that would ensure the legacy of fallen first responders that would live on for generations.  I decided to learn how to laser engrave and bought my first "hobby" engraver in order to create memorial plaques for these fallen heroes.  I initially thought this would be an easy undertaking, but it took a long time to master the designing process and other tasks that came along with it.

The first memorial plaques were given to the families of fallen heroes that I personally knew here in the State of Minnesota.  When I met with these family members and presented the plaques to them, seeing their reactions and how much this simple gesture meant to them, I knew that I had to proceed with the mission.    

As the mission grew and more memorial plaques were being engraved and sent to families and departments nationwide, I had to figure out how to pay for all of these plaques and the cost of shipping them. There is no way that I would charge these families for the plaques as they had already paid enough when their loved one paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.  So, I expanded even more and began making custom engraved merchandise for sale with an emphasis on first responders to help further the mission.  Simple things like tumblers, challenge coins, plaques, wood flags, memorial bands, and more.  In order to be successful with the mission, I have dedicated allocating ALL sales to this mission.  My goal is to send as many memorial plaques as possible and we will not take a profit on our sales in order to achieve this objective.   

I started out sending these memorial plaques to the fallen first responder's department and requesting their assistance in getting the plaques to their closest relatives.  After a while, it dawned on me that this was asking a lot of a department to do us a favor, especially since they have also lost one of their own, someone they also considered a family member.  So, now two memorial plaques are sent - one for the department and one for the family members of the first responder.  Occasionally we will also include some engraved memorial bands or memorial challenge coins.

These heroes who have put their lives on the line to protect the American people should be recognized and that's what these memorial plaques are meant to do.  They will be put on a wall, desk, or mantle as a constant reminder of their service, their heroism, and their sacrifice.  These memorial plaques will be cherished for generations to come.  

I invite you to join our mission in honoring our fallen first responders.  Follow our mission on social media (Facebook.com/BlueLineEngravers) or through our blog.  If you want to sponsor a memorial plaque for a specific first responder, or for any first responder, please reach out via email at troy@bluelinecustomgifts.com.  Or, if you just need a personalized gift for someone, consider ordering that gift through us as it helps in furthering our mission.  If you don't see a specific item on our site, please let me know as we do a lot of custom work that does not end up on our website.

May God bless ALL of our first responders who do the work that many are not willing to do.