WASHINGTON — Nick and Natalie Gruber never thought they'd wind up in the U.S. Capitol with an up-close seat to one of the nation's biggest political events.
But two months after Nick's father Marvin died fighting a 3-alarm fire in Schuylkill County, the New Tripoli couple will be watching from the House gallery as President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address Tuesday night.
"We'll both agree it's a great honor to be here. It's not the circumstances we want to be here on," said Nick Gruber, a deputy chief with the Community Fire Company of New Tripoli. "We're going to make the best of it."
- Volunteer firefighters Marvin Gruber and Zachary Paris died battling a house fire in December
- Gruber's son, Nick, is deputy chief of Community Fire Co. in New Tripoli
- Nick and his wife Natalie have been invited to tonight's State of the Union address
The pair are attending as guests of U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, who wanted to recognize the family's sacrifice.
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Wild said she will push for more federal resources to better equip and train local firefighters. She was optimistic that Congress could agree on such a critical issue even in these hyper-partisan times.
"I will say that if we can't move forward on a bipartisan basis on something as essential as firefighters, I think all hope is lost," Wild said.
Pennsylvania and several other states largely rely on volunteer firefighters. The fire departments frequently rely on fundraisers to support their operations, but rising costs have made that increasingly difficult. New Tripoli will likely need to spend more than $1 million in the next few years for a new tanker truck.
"I will say that if we can't move forward on a bipartisan basis on something as essential as firefighters, I think all hope is lost."U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley
"The days of selling hoagies for a firetruck, those days are over," Nick Gruber said.
Members of Congress are typically allowed to invite one or two people to the State of the Union address. The invitations are often used to honor someone within their districts or to signal political priorities.
Wild said other elected officials have invited firefighters, and that she'll reach out to them as she looks to build political support.
Marvin Gruber, 59, and Assistant Fire Chief Zachary Paris, 36, both of Community Fire Company of New Tripoli, died Dec. 7 after becoming trapped in a burning house in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County.
Authorities found the body of Christopher Kammerdiener, 35, a resident of the home, behind the house while firefighters battled the blaze. Police later said Kammerdiener died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials have labeled the fire suspicious.
A woman who answered the phone for the West Penn Township Police Department on Monday said there are no new details to release in the investigation.
