OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — Berwick Fire Captain Joel Barnes passed away Friday in the line of duty responding to a four-alarm fire at 10 Bell Street.
Captain Barnes' body was under a 24-hour watch by fire fighters at the Tasker Funeral Home in Dover, New Hampshire.
Captain Barnes' body will leave Dover at 2:00 p.m. and will be transported to a funeral home in Old Orchard Beach on Sunday via a first responder processional.
Joshua Hoffman, Dover Firefighter Paramedic, was called to the fire, says, "you never know how tough these situations are until it hits so close to home".
Hoffman was supposed to be part of the rapid intervention team and were halfway to the scene when everything started to happen.
Hoffman recounts, "There was a retired gentlemen out of Berwick who stood from 9:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m., he said this is my family and I’m not leaving him, I mean that’s pretty powerful”
In a release from John Guilfoil, the Old Orchard Beach Funeral Home is expected to host a private family service this week. Details of a service for the fire community are expected to be released later this week.
