Firefighters remembering fallen comrade

By Andrew Carranza
ALLIED NEWS (GROVE CITY, Pa.)

GROVE CITY, Pa. March 17, 2008 10:59 am

— What started as a show of support by fellow firefighters for a fallen comrade will turn into a communitywide effort and fundraiser.
Pine Township firefighter Bradley Paul Holmes died March 5 from burns he suffered in a duplex fire at 132 Garden Ave., Grove City, on Feb. 29. Lt. Scott King suffered first- and third-degree burns on his face and arms.
More than 400 firefighters took part in a processional March 7 to honor Holmes, while more than 2,000 people attended the 21-year-old’s funeral the next day.
Many local firefighters expressed surprise over how many community members turned out to honor one of their fallen brethren.
“As we escorted Brad to his final resting place, we were simply in awe as the community lined the streets to offer their support,” Fire Chief Chris Holmes, Brad’s brother, wrote on the Pine Township Engine Co. Web site. “Those hundreds of people who braved the cold and snow brought warmth to our hearts and to the Holmes family.”
Aside from showing their support at the funeral, many community members have asked how they can further support the Pine Township Engine Co. and the families of Holmes and King.
They will be able to do so in a few weeks.
Several Pine Township firefighters, with the help of a few local businesses, are producing T-shirts and car decals honoring Holmes.
“My original idea was to do a design to put on decals for firefighters’ personal vehicles and local department fire trucks,” said Pine Township firefighter Chris Baer, who also is a captain in Jackson Center Fire Co.
Baer took his idea to Adam Coulson of Grove City Creative Images, who produced more than 3,000 decals free of charge.
According to Baer, the decals turned out great and many local firefighters put them on their vehicles. Since the response was so positive, Baer decided that the design would look great on a T-shirt.
Chris Ithen of Ithen Printing Services agreed to produce the shirts.
“It’s amazing what these volunteers do and it can’t be appreciated enough,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to print T-shirts than put out fires.”
Ithen said he donated more than 300 shirts.
Baer gave them to Pine Township firefighters and handed out shirts and decals to members of other local fire departments that have supported Pine Township volunteers in their loss.
The response to the shirts was overwhelming, he said.
“Multiple community folks have been in and have said they were beautiful shirts and they appreciate it,” Ithen said.
The response from the public was so great that Baer asked for a second printing to sell to the public with proceeds going to the families of Holmes and King.
“Ultimately, we hope to raise enough money to also build a permanent memorial” to Holmes, Baer added.
According to Baer, the second printing will have slightly different wording from the originals, as those were made especially for firefighters.
Baer said short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirts, as well as car decals will be sold. Decals will sell for $5; the T-shirts prices haven’t been set.
Baer also thanked Ithen Printing Services and Grove City Creative Images for assisting him.
“They’ve been phenomenal. Times aren’t that good for small businesses to donate significant amounts of time and money to a cause, but both did. Ithen did a lot with the shirts and (Coulson) did so much with the decals,” Baer said.
Coulson said he was happy to help.
“They came to me with the idea and I graciously accepted,” he said. “If they need more decals, I will (make more).”
Baer said many firefighters are still coping with the loss of one of their own.
“It’s going to be a long healing process,” he said. “It’s going to be tough to get through this.”

Andrew Carranza writes for the Allied News in Grove City, Pa.

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