Services for fallen firefighters scheduled for Saturday in Pennsylvania
Dec. 13—Memorial and funeral services will be held Saturday for Zachary Paris and Marvin Gruber, two firefighters who died after fighting a three-alarm house fire in West Penn Township, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 7.
Paris, 36, of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, was the assistant chief at the New Tripoli Fire Company, but had also recently become a career firefighter with the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services at the Green Valley Fire Station.
A news release from Lehigh County Emergency Management says a public viewing will be held from 8-11 a.m. at Northwestern Lehigh Middle School for the general public.
From noon to 2 p.m, there will be separate private viewings for all Lehigh County emergency services and Frederick County Fire and Rescue members.
A private funeral will begin at 2 p.m. in the Northwestern Lehigh Middle School Auditorium. The public can watch the funeral service via livestream. Details about how to access the livestream were not available Tuesday.
Paris joined the New Tripoli Fire Company in 2010, and served on the board of directors. He began with Frederick County Fire and Rescue in February 2022 as part of Recruit Class 32 and graduated from the fire academy on Sept. 10.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, sister and parents.
Gruber, 59, of New Tripoli, joined the New Tripoli Fire Company in 2020 and served on the board of directors.
He is survived by his wife, two children and three grandchildren.
On Dec. 7, while fighting the three-alarm house fire, Paris and Gruber became trapped in the house, according to Don Smith Jr., a spokesman for the Lehigh County Communications Center.
Other firefighters worked quickly to get them out and the two firefighters were rushed to the hospital, where they later died, Smith said.
Follow Clara Niel on Twitter:
@clarasniel
