It is with a heavy heart that the Fame Fire Co. No. 3 announces the passing of Third Class Firefighter Eric Duerr. Eric joined the Fame in May 2018 and although his tenure was brief, the impact he left will endure within our walls.

Eric attended Unionville High School and graduated from Sanford School in Hockessin, DE. Eric was a student at West Chester University of PA and was an avid supporter of the University’s baseball team. It was during his college career where we met Eric and was instantly embraced into the Riggtown family.

Eric had an unmeasurable passion for community service and the trade of firefighting. He accelerated himself through our ranks and led the fire company in training with nearly 500 hours in 2018. Eager to answer calls for service, Eric spent countless hours staffing the station answering over 100 alarms in his first six months. Eric was voted Class Speaker for his Firefighter 1 Class (#18112080) through the Chester County Department of Emergency Services, obtained water rescue technician training through our friends at WhiteCap Water Rescue Training, LLC, and was pursuing his Emergency Medical Technician training through Good Fellowship Ambulance & EMS Training Institute. It was Eric’s goal to eventually become a professional firefighter and he travelled near and far to test for the opportunity.

To us, Eric was more than a friend and he was more than a firefighter to the greater West Chester Community. He was our brother, not by blood, but by dedication, a dedication to help other in need. Eric was committed to the Fame’s motto “With willing hearts, we hasten to assist.” We will always cherish the time we had with Eric inside and outside the firehouse and can only hope that new and old firefighters alike can continue to embody the devotion that he had towards the Fame.