ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The last meeting of the year for Lehigh County commissioners took on a somber tone Wednesday night, as Commissioner Bob Elbich offered a touching memorial for the fallen firefighters of the Community Fire Company of New Tripoli, Station 17.
“The English language still has not come up with the words to truly comfort those who have lost a dear one prematurely,” said Elbich, pausing as he grappled with emotion.
- Lehigh County Commissioner Bob Elbich offered a somber memorial speech for the fallen firefighters from New Tripoli
- Elbich, who is a longtime volunteer firefighter, served at the same station as the fallen firefighters several decades ago
- The commissioner said the community should try to thank first responders for the work they do 'while they are still alive'
Elbich, dressed in the uniform he wears as a volunteer for Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Company Station 51, spoke slowly, considering his words as he took a moment to remember First Assistant Chief Zachary Paris, 36, and firefighter Marvin Gruber, 59, of Station 17.
Paris and Gruber died after being trapped in a burning home in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, on Dec. 7. That fire now is being investigated as “suspicious.”
Elbich said he started as a volunteer firefighter in the region three decades ago at New Tripoli’s Station 17.
“Unfortunately, that was back in the early '90s, and I did not get the chance to know these heroes,” said Elbich. “But I know them. I know who they are, simply by the things they’ve done.”
Elbich said that he was part of the procession that escorted the firefighters’ remains from the Schuylkill County Coroner’s office in New Philadelphia to the Lehigh County Coroner's office in South Whitehall Township — a 26-mile trip.
“It was absolutely incredible the number of people, over the entire trip, starting in rural Schuylkill County," Elbich said. "These firefighters were not from Schuylkill County. But Schuylkill County residents showed up along the road, some families with small children, some individuals at places I wouldn’t expect people to be waiting.
“I did not have a dry eye the entire 26 miles. It was a difficult trip.”
The fallen firefighters are set to be laid to rest this weekend. Public and private viewings, as well as a private funeral service that will be livestreamed, are set for Saturday at Northwestern Lehigh Middle School in New Tripoli.
“The English language still has not come up with the words to truly comfort those who have lost a dear one prematurely."Lehigh County Commissioner Bob Elbich
Elbich said it was a touching experience that he was proud to participate in. But, in the end, he said, the community could be doing more.
“I think we could do better," he said. "I really do. What we need to do in the community is thank these people while they are still alive. That’s what we should be doing as a community.
“They are the silent heroes. The invisible heroes. And we only show up when there are tragedies like this.”
He encouraged people to engage with first responders — at public meetings, open houses or similar events — and learn more about the citizens who put their lives on the line to protect them.
Also during the meeting, commissioners approved a set of bills that will provide temporary pay increases to workers at the 911 Communication Center, Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation and the Department of Corrections.
The temporary increases — which are budget neutral — are intended to help provide incentives for those workers as they deal with staff shortages and put in longer hours.
