160 firefighters volunteer to cover shifts of Cleveland Fire stations during funeral of fallen brother
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - 160 firefighters throughout Northeast Ohio have volunteered to cover shifts for the Cleveland Division of Fire for Saturday’s funeral service of fallen firefighter Johnny Tetrick.
The efforts to cover the shifts began shortly after Tetrick, a 27-year veteran of the Cleveland Division of Fire, lost his life in a hit-and-run on Nov. 19 while in the line of duty.
“This is one of their brothers,” Shaker Heights Fire Chief Patrick Sweeney said on Friday. “We did what we could to allow them to pay their respects.”
Sweeney, the chairman of the Cuyahoga County Fire Chief’s Association, told 19 News he reached out to Cleveland Fire Chief Anthony Luke shortly after the news of Tetrick’s passing to offer support to the department.
With the help of more than six fire chiefs, 25 Cleveland Fire stations will be run by volunteers from firefighters in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake Counties, Sweeney said.
Cleveland will also be staffed with 23 engine companies, among other fire vehicles.
“The fire community is a really tight-knit community, and when a firefighter is killed in the line of duty we take it pretty personally,” he said. “Since it’s close to where we all live, it hit close to home for all of us.
“It’s humbling to know that we have these firefighters in the area that wanted to step up and help out,” he concluded.
The funeral for Johnny Tetrick will take place at 11 a.m. on Nov. 26 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
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