Fund-raising for a new public-safety museum on the first floor of the Lexington History Museum will begin Sunday at the second annual Tribute to Lexington's Heroes memorial service and concert.
The new museum is a way of paying tribute to police, firefighters and corrections personnel, said Becky Estep, an aide to the mayor. Estep, who is responsible for special events, plans to showcase the history behind the public safety division, displaying such things as uniforms and pictures.
"The museum will be strictly volunteer-driven," Estep said. "We're not using any money to staff or pay for janitorial services."
The public-safety museum, which was proposed to the mayor's office by police Capt. Mark Barnard, would be a first for Kentucky.
"It's a great idea," police Sgt. Rick Curtis said. "It's just going to be a lot of work."
Estep said plans are still in the early stages. "The biggest problem is we are probably going to outgrow the space we have."
The public-safety museum will occupy four renovated rooms on the first floor of the Lexington History Museum in the old courthouse on West Main Street. The rooms were originally renovated for the Downtown Development Authority, but it did not move in.
"We will cooperate with them," said Ed Houlihan, executive director of the Lexington History Museum. "Hopefully we can work together."
The museum has potential sponsors, Estep said, but she said she could not announce them yet. Donations from the public are welcomed.
Estep has not set an opening date for the museum or a fund-raising goal.
"A lot depends on how many volunteers and how much funding the project will have," she said.
