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New mural honors members of the St. Louis Fire Department

Chief Dennis Jenkerson said it's a great morale booster for a department hit hard by the pandemic

ST. LOUIS — There's a new piece of artwork hanging inside the St. Louis Fire Department's headquarters that's special to Chief Dennis Jenkerson. 

"It took a lot of collaboration and few iterations, but the end result is just magnificent," Jenkerson said. 

He's referring to a mural that now hangs on the dining area wall. It shows two ladder trucks near the Arch and the downtown skyline in the background. When you take a closer look, you can see the mural is formed by tiny pictures. There are more than 2,200 pictures showcasing the nearly 800 members of the fire department. 

"It came out so much better than I ever thought it was going to come out. Last year with the difficulties with the morale we had with COVID-19, everybody learning to work in a different way, we were overworked with trying to fill the seats and trying to provide for the people of the city. This is a big present," Chief Jenkerson said. 

Tony Torretta with Independents Graphic and Display spent 40 to 60 hours creating the mural. He didn't charge the department a dime, donating his time and materials to make Chief Jenkerson's vision a reality. 

"It became a way for us to say thank you to the St. Louis Fire Department," said Torretta. "We're honored to have participated in the process. The focus should be on the men and women of this department."

The title of the mural is "Justifiably Proud" which is the department's motto. 

"I hope it presents to all the members that they are the most important part of this department," said Chief Jenkerson. 

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