LYNN TWP., Pa. – On an unusually warm December day in the windswept countryside of the New Tripoli area Thursday, that breeze seemed to spread the sorrow of a close community losing two members whom, it seemed, nearly everyone not only knew but held in high regard.
Pennsylvania State Police said New Tripoli Community Fire Company First Assistant Chief Zachary Paris, 36, and firefighter Marvin Gruber, 59, were killed while battling a house blaze in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, on Wednesday.
- The close community of New Tripoli was in mourning over the death of two volunteer firefighters
- At Katie's Family Restaurant, the co-owner said both men were frequent customers
- Others said First Assistant Chief Zachary Paris, 36, and firefighter Marvin Gruber, 59, were known for helping others
At Katie’s Family Restaurant along Route 309, a gathering place near Northwestern Lehigh High School, co-owner Denise Macalush said both Gruber and Paris were regulars.
Macalush said Gruber often would come to the restaurant after church. She said his family donated to her husband’s cancer treatment fund.
“He had a big warm heart and a big smile,” she said.
She said he never complained about his food.
Macalush added that she didn’t know Paris as well, but he often would come to the diner to get ice cream with his two girls.
“I kept thinking, ‘This can’t be true.’”Denise Macalush, co-owner of Katie's Diner
She also said she was up until midnight looking at Facebook and reading about the deadly blaze.
“I kept thinking, ‘This can’t be true,’” she said.
Katie Walton works at Blose’s Market down the street from Katie's. Walton said Paris was her dad’s best friend.
“I want to thank them for their service,” she said. “They will be deeply missed.”
She said her favorite memory of Paris is that he was always there for her when she was sad; he would make jokes to try to make her laugh if she was upset.
Fllanxa Mujovic, who runs Two Kings Pizzeria with her family, said Paris and Gruber often visited her restaurant. She said they were both very kind people, and their loss is “heartbreaking.”
“It's a very sad story and sad news to lose two heroes of New Tripoli in that fire,” Mujovic said. “It's just, it's very hard to explain the feelings and how sad it is.”
MORE: Tributes pour in from first responders, governor's office
Besides being a volunteer firefighter, Gruber was assistant chief of the Northampton Community College Department of Public Safety.
His death weighed heavily Thursday on the college community, said Keith Morris, chief of the Department of Public Safety.
"Marvin was well-respected and loved here at both the college and the Department of Public Safety," Morris said Thursday morning.
According to a statement issued by NCC, Gruber worked 22 years at the college including the past 15 in public safety,
"He died a hero in the line of duty, doing what he did best, helping and protecting others while selflessly serving his community with honor and integrity," the statement said.
"While at NCC, he always had students’ best interest at heart, and was dedicated to making our college a better place. He will be profoundly missed."
At a somber and grim news conference at the fire company Thursday, Don Smith with the Lehigh County Communications Center spoke about the incident. He said during blaze, Paris and Gruber became trapped in the structure.
They were later removed and emergency medical care was immediately administered. They were both transported to St. Luke's Hospital in Coaldale, where they succumbed to their injuries, Smith said.
Paris, who was the assistant chief for the fire company, has served the fire service since 2010. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a sister, Smith said.
Gruber has been with the New Tripoli fire company since 2020.
“These members made the ultimate sacrifice to their community and country. They are truly heroes,” Smith said.
Sarah Campbell, public relations officer for the Career Firefighters Association of Frederick County, said she got to know Paris through his hiring process.
“Zach was someone who was a candidate that exemplified what you wanted,” Campbell said. “He always followed instructions to a tee. He knew the requirements. He knew the demands of the position, and he knew the loyalty that was required – and he gave it very passionately.”
'Overwhelming ... devastating ... numbing'
She said he spent hours outside of the required class time going over notes and asking questions about the best practices to cultivate for the job.
Some of his colleagues from Maryland visited the Paris family Wednesday night as word of his passing spread.
“It’s a hard blow for the community,” Campbell said. “It’s overwhelming, it’s devastating, it’s numbing.”
She said he was devoted to his daughters.
“He loved his little girls very much, so he talked a lot about them,” Campbell said. “We had a lot of conversations about that, and about farming and stuff like that.”
Campbell said Paris had a huge interest in farming, but she wasn’t sure if he had a previous career in the agriculture sector.
She said he would be remembered by his co-workers as a great person and firefighter.
“Nobody had a bad word to say about him,” Campbell said. “Even though the short time period he had here since February 2022, which is a little less than a year, he made a profound impact on a ton of people within our organization.”
State police spokesman Trooper Nathan Branosky said the cause and origin of this fire is being investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police Troop L Fire Marshal.
Branosky said details of the viewing and the funeral services for the two fallen firefighters will be released at a future time.
A tribute
On Thursday afternoon, state troopers along with other first responders escorted hearses carrying Gruber's and Paris's bodies from the Schuylkill County Coroner’s office in New Philadelphia to the Lehigh County Coroner's office in Allentown.
Along the route — routes 209 and 309 from Schuylkill County, through rural Lehigh County into State Route 100 and Tilghman Street — fire companies lined the route with apparatuses and emergency vehicles.
Early in the route, Minersville Mountaineer Hose Company, City of Pottsville Fire, Goodwill Hose Company in Cumbola, as well as stations in Blythe Township, New Philadelphia, Schuylkill Haven and Port Carbon participated.
Firefighters and onlookers also dotted the route.
As the procession snaked along the roads, Pennsylvania State Police Troop M Bethlehem Station advised the public to prepare for traffic disruptions.
Fire companies throughout the Lehigh Valley joined together to see the procession to its completion as it turned from Tilghman Street toward the Lehigh County joint operations center.
Emmaus Fire Department hung a large American flag overhead to welcome the dozens of first responders and honor the fallen firefighters.
Emmaus Fire Chief John Price said he and others were there "to honor our fallen brothers."
"This service is a family, brothers and sisters," Price said. "And when one falls, we all hurt. And this is a fairly new experience for a company in the Lehigh Valley that it affects us all."
Asked about the number of younger people there, Price said, "They all want to do their part to provide support to the rest of the service.
"It just reinforces the fact that we are in this business all one family and one team."
