www.firemensmemorial.com
Firehouse a place to reminisce and honor our defenders
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BY MARK CONSTANCE
here do firefighters go when the fires are out? The Firehouse in St. Helen. Since opening on Sept. 7, 2007, the bar / restaurant has been a favorite of firefighters from across the state as a place to catch up with their comrades, reminisce about past battles, and honor those who have fallen.
decorations we haven’t been able to get out because of the COVID,” JR said. “But I expect we will start bringing out some other things this summer.”
Among the dozens of items on display are helmets, jackets and shirts from fire departments across the country. There are a pair of Co2 tanks from when the Holiday on Owner JR the Lake Lorenz and burned down, The pants were donated from his partner, a Traverse City family. They are as well as a Bob Hallauer, from a New York City firefighter melted air worked on who was working on 9-11. conditioning the theme unit from together, but when the it was Bob’s Limberlost personal in Houghton collection the Lake caught restaurant fire. was originally decorated A personal with. item from Although Bob JR’s collection passed away is from an several years oil well fire ago, his items in the Albion The bar was built by Bob anchor the area. His dad Hallauer to resemble a fire theme. was working truck. Hallenauer used his “Bob always personal collection of firefighter for the DNR on the fire wanted to do memorabilia to decorate the restaurant. when worlda fire theme,” renowned JR said. “He thought it fire control expert Red would be nice to have it Adair was called to decorated like that.” extinguish the blaze. And the “collection is A statement about the always growing.” fire and several graphic photos are hung up in “We still have lots of stuff remembrance of the event. that was donated for
JR Lorenz is pictured with the operational fire truck on display in front of the Firehouse.
JR was also quick to point out there is a photo and a hat from his daughter, Ashley. She was stations on the USS Chafee, DDG 90 as a damage control specialist. One of the more interesting mementos is related to 9-11. “We have a pair of pants from a New York
firefighter who was working on 9-11,” JR said. “He brought them to a friend of his in-Traverse City who had a child in the hospital. So, when the kid grew up the family gave them to us.
“There is a lot of stuff in here like that … Firefighters are very proud of the things they bring in here.”
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