SACO — Thanks to the efforts of a local veterans group and community members, a flagpole has been replaced at the firefighters’ monument at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Laurel Hill Cemetery is located at 293 Beach St. and was founded in 1884, according to the book “Laurel Hill Cemetery of Saco, Maine” by Leslie and Emory Rounds.

Near the front of the cemetery is a firefighter’s memorial with a monument honoring the Saco Fire Department and a flagpole. The monument reads “in dedication to all those who have served.”

Fire Department call member Mike Tremblay said another member of the department paid a visit to the monument a few weeks ago and saw that the flagpole was crooked and in disrepair.

Tremblay said a replacement flagpole was estimated to cost about $700. Tremblay and others asked the Owens Davis American Legion Post 96 for help, and the post funded the entire cost of a new flagpole.

“We thought we’d have to do fundraising but the Legion came through. That was fantastic,” said Tremblay.

Post 96 had also donated the last flagpole in 1996, according to Tremblay and city officials.

The new pole was installed last week through a community volunteer effort.

A dedication ceremony at the memorial will be held in October during Fire Prevention Week, Tremblay said, and a plaque thanking the American Legion for its donation will be put up.

“The memorial is meant to honor past, current, and future Saco firefighters, and was made possible due to generous donations from citizens and businesses in the community,” said city officials in a Facebook post on Friday.

The Saco Fire Department was organized in 1834, according to information from the city’s website. The department has 35 career firefighters and a call force of 42 firefighters operating out of three stations – Central Station on North Street, North Saco Station on Rocky Hill Road and Camp Ellis Station on Bayview Road.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.