RED LION, YORK COUNTY, Pa. - York City will hold a memorial service on Wednesday, March 28 for the two firefighters who died following the Weaver building collapse.
Firefighters from across Pennsylvania and the country are expected to make their way to York to pay their respects.
The members of many local firehouses such as Leo Fire Company Station 34, otherwise known as Red Lion Fire, are paying it forward.
With many firefighters from near or far expected in York County on Wednesday, some of them may need a place to stay.
Red Lion Fire will be there to help.
The loss of two members of York City Fire and Rescue could be felt a few miles away in Red Lion.
Red Lion Fire trustee Bill Hoover said “we’re in a mode of anything we can do to help. So, you think about it, but it’s kind of hard to put a gauge on mood, because everybody processes things differently.
Two York City firefighters were killed after a wall collapsed while responding to a building fire on Thursday. The memorial service for Ivan Flanscha and Zach Anthony is expected to bring together a brotherhood of firefighters.
“The outpouring and the support, of people that come in, to honor folks that they didn’t even know, but because we wear the same uniform, because we do the same job we all understand the same risks,” Hoover said.
Memorial services for a fallen firefighter typically bring hundreds of firefighters from miles away. It’s why Red Lion Fire is offering up 12 beds, free for the taking.
Firefighters needing a place to rest their head for a night or two, won’t need to bring much besides themselves.
“All they would need to have is a sleeping bag or basic linens, a sheet and blanket, and a pillow. We don’t have any of that. I’m sure we could work something out if somebody just showed up and said ‘hey, could you help me out here,’” Hoover said.
Red Lion Fire is just one of several York County firehouses opening up its doors to fellow firefighters as they prepare to say goodbye to Flanscha and Anthony.
“We talk about the brotherhood. We are brothers. We’re here for each other regardless, of what state, town, or county you’re from,” Hoover said.
Meanwhile, the deaths of two fallen brothers is a sobering moment for many firefighters.
“To take pause, do a reality check of why we do this. Understanding that there’s a danger, there’s a risk involved and it could happen to anybody,” Hoover said.
The memorial for Ivan Flanscha and Zach Anthony is Wednesday, March 28th. It will be held at the York Expo Center - Memorial Hall, between 1 pm and 3 pm.