Illinois State Fair's fire display combines fun, grief of Sept.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Diana Gisinger stepped forward, quietly, to touch the twisted metal. She ran her hand across the scarred red paint and then moved back, pain evident on her face.

The metal was the door from a fire engine that had once been buried under the rubble of the World Trade Center. Now it is part of a sculpture honoring the 343 firefighters who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

"It still just chokes you up," said Gisinger, who lives in Cerro Gordo. "I guess as a parent, I think of the children who lost their parents and grandparents."

The sculpture, designed by a Chicago firefighter, is on display at the State Fair, part of an attraction that mixes lighthearted fun with moments of tragedy.

The state fire marshal's tent offers children free popcorn, the chance to blast a fire extinguisher at a target and buttons with pictures of the kids next to an antique fire engine.

It also slips some education into the activities.

Children who show they know how to "stop, drop and roll" can have their faces painted. They can make a simulated 911 call to learn what to do during an emergency. They can tour a mock house to get safety tips on dealing with fireplaces and hot stoves, then practice scrambling out the window as a room fills with smoke.

"I went in!" said 7-year-old Emily Tomzik. "It was good. They teach you all about fire safety."

Some of the lessons -- ones that aren't aimed directly at kids -- carry an emotional wallop.

The displays include a presentation by the not-for-profit Knapp Burn Foundation that features photographs of serious burns.

Next door, in the Illinois Fire Museum, a presentation on sprinkler systems includes a photo taken after a fire. The white silhouette of a girl leaps out from a soot-covered bed. The girl had been killed by smoke inhalation.

Not far away, another photo shows a firefighter crawling across a roof as flames eat away from beneath. It's a vivid reminder of the risks firefighters take.

Not everything in the museum is so dramatic.

There are displays of fire helmets of all shapes and colors from around the world. There are books about a firefighters' life -- novels, cookbooks, even a jokebook.

One room is devoted to a huge display of the patches from firefighters' uniforms, from Sao Paulo's red-and-blue to Boston's green to Rockford's symbol of some kind of orange monster with a firehose.

But there is no escaping the reality of what firefighters do.

Displays honor firefighters who have won medals for bravery -- including one that was awarded posthumously. Another display reveals a folded flag that was draped over the body of a firefighter as he was carried away from the rubble of "Ground Zero" after Sept. 11.

And, of course, there is the Sept. 11 sculpture.

It was designed by Chicago firefighter and artist John Alaniz. It includes the door from Ladder 10, metal from the rubble of the World Trade Center, a fire hydrant from the site and bronze castings of firefighter's helmet, boots and coat.

"It sort of brings tears to your eyes," Springfield resident Fred Baskett said as he gazed at the sculpture. "It brings back memories of 9-11."

On the Net:

State Fire Marshal: http://www.state.il.us/osfm/