NEOSHO, Mo., March 6, 2019 – Red is a popular color for trucks. But when it came time for CEI driver Randy Rogers to upgrade to a new truck, he had a more specific color in mind – fire engine red.
Rogers is a 16-year veteran of the fire service, having retired from the Seneca Area Fire Protection District (Missouri) in 2008 after fighting fires in both wild land and urban environments. His wife and driving partner Elizabeth was also involved as the president of the local auxiliary volunteer department.
During the latter part of his career, Rogers served as public information officer for his department, and one of his most honored duties was helping to uphold traditions with respect to firefighter funerals and memorial services. Moving into his new life as a truck driver, he realized he rarely thought of his fallen firefighter brothers, except for on the anniversaries of their passing or when he drove past the site of an accident.
“I thought, ‘if I'm forgetting my own guys, what’s the rest of the world doing for all these other firefighters who have given their lives?’ ” Rogers said. “It was a no-brainer when I saw the new Kenworth equipment coming in.”
His new mission, with the full support of CEI, was to turn his new 2019 Kenworth T680 into a rolling remembrance “to honor and memorialize all of our fallen firefighters in this country.”
The truck, christened Memorial Run, is exactly that. The KW T680 was custom-wrapped to honor the brave firefighters of 9/11 and the FDNY (New York City Fire Department). The smooth rear wall of the T680 sleeper made a perfect memorial wall where the name of three of Rogers’ personal friends, Tim Hardy, Tyler Casey and Steve Fierro, along with other local heroes, are depicted on gold ribbons. Below that are graphics commemorating “hotshots” who sacrificed their lives battling Arizona’s Yarnell Hill Fire and the South Canyon fire in Colorado. A bagpiper is also shown, referencing a fire and police memorial tradition going back 150 years.
Skinned in 3M high-reflective vinyl on each side of the sleeper is a giant Maltese cross, known around the world as a symbol of the fire service, and zebra stripes as seen on many fire trucks throughout the Midwest. QR codes can be scanned to take viewers to online firefighting resources.
“The truck has become a healing tool for friends and families of firefighters who have passed. One fireman followed us for 80 miles so that he could get a picture,” Rogers said. “Whenever we show the truck, nobody leaves with dry eyes.
“It’s kind of taken on a life of its own. We respect and honor that, and it’s become a responsibility in which we take great pride,” Rogers added. “I have to remember what I’m driving and who I’m driving for. This special Kenworth T680 has made me a better driver, there’s no question about that.”
