The Cedartown Fire Department’s new mural is meant to recall times past and honor the fallen.

In a ceremony last Wednesday, the mural, painted by local award-winning artist Ann Yarbrough at the fire department, was presented to the public and to city officials.

Painted on the wall above the truck bay and titled “From Past to Present,” the mural features Cedartown’s two previous fire departments, as well as the current one, set against a bright blue sky.

Vehicles used from each respective era are featured as well, along with the names of each current member of the Cedartown Fire Department and names of the current city commission and city manager.

In a speech to approximately 30 guests and members of the fire department, Yarbrough said that she was honored to have been chosen to paint the mural.

“They could have picked a lot of artists in our town,” she stated.

Yarbrough went on to say that she enjoyed the five months she spent at the fire department while working on the mural. She also commended firefighters for the work she saw them do while at the department.

“When the alarm goes off, they are out the door like a precision clock,” she said.

Cedartown Fire Chief Sammy Stephens also spoke at the event, thanking commissioners for approving the mural and Yarbrough for her hard work.

“This is a big asset to the City of Cedartown,” he said.

Stephens also spoke of the mural’s theme, stating that it well represents how the fire department is constantly changing and evolving. It also serves as a reminder of the roots of today’s department.

“We don’t need to forget where we came from,” he said.

In addition to sprucing up the walls of the department, the mural is also meant to honor firefighters that died on 9/11. A special emblem was painted on the right side of the mural that features the twin towers and a New York Fire Department helmet.

Yarbrough also personally dedicated the mural to her friend Sarah Perry, who died tragically in a car accident in May.

“I wanted to do it for her, in memory of her,” she said.

According to Yarbrough, who began painting in 1982, first as a hobby and now as a profession, she has painted numerous murals at local nursing homes and churches. She also designed and painted the mural on South Main Street with the help of the Art Lover’s League.

She explained that the fire department’s 14X46-foot mural, which was completed with acrylic paint, was the largest she has ever painted by herself.