BERWICK, Maine — With a melancholy tone, firefighters met Friday morning at the Berwick Fire Department to honor the late Capt. Joel Barnes who died in the line of duty when saving another in 2019.
In a brief ceremony, members of the community and past co-workers of Barnes paid their respects in a memorial out front of the fire department and afterward headed inside for a reception.
"Tragic incident never goes away, and we will never forget," Fire Chief Dennis Plante, who helped hire Barnes after he returned to Maine from working in South Carolina, said.
"Back then, when Joel was here, he was very smart, very educated," Plante added. "And we talked about him maybe taking over someday. That hurt...when we lost him."
Barnes died at the age of 32 saving fellow firefighter Mitch Manfredi when he was caught inside a burning apartment building.
The Berwick Fire Department has been decorated with memorials for Barnes and even holds a case of the equipment he wore during his last call.
"He enjoyed being a firefighter, he enjoyed being an EMS provider, he enjoyed helping anybody and everybody," Capt. Travis Doiron said. "You can recognize the sacrifices he made that day, that we could make at any point in time."
To continue Barnes' legacy, every year an award is presented to a local firefighter or EMS responder who exudes outstanding community service work, just like the person it's named for.
"I think it's a direct reflection, and important for everybody to really take a moment and remember a real-life hero." Ed Marzano, secretary of the Teamsters Local 340 Union, said.
Mazano helps to present the award each year alongside the Maine Mariners, Teamsters Local 340, and the Berwick Firefighters Association.
This year, the award will be presented at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on March 16.