By Sandy Reed
The Naples Daily News
NAPLES, Fla. — It’s a family like no other. The Brotherhood Riders have turned a tragic seed into the execution of good deeds. The riders include firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical responders from a variety of Florida counties and beyond.
The Brotherhood Ride organization was conceived shortly after a 2007 warehouse blaze in Charleston, S.C. It was the deadliest disaster for firefighters since 9/11. The conflagration claimed the lives of nine Charleston firefighters, now known nationally as the “Charleston 9.”
North Naples firefighter Jeff Morse and his Station 45 comrades never met their fellow firefighters from Charleston, but a strong feeling of kinship led to offering emotional and financial support to the Charleston families. Brotherhood founder Jeff Morse led the journey.
Undaunted by the distance between Naples and Charleston, 19 Brotherhood Riders rode their bicycles nearly 600 miles to help commemorate the first anniversary of honoring the memory of the Charleston 9. They pedaled for nine days to meet with and donate funds to each family. Each day on the road represented each one of the nine deceased firemen.
“We knew whatever we did to honor these heroes should not and would not be easy. It would represent the pain and loss that the families of these nine brothers would be feeling,” said Morse. “We wanted them to know that their loved ones would not be forgotten in the days, months and years to come. We don’t want these heroes to become just a statistic.”
The Brotherhood Riders continued their annual mission of honor and dedication. In 2009, they honored Fort Myers Police officer Andrew Widman, who was shot and killed on July 18, 2008, while breaking up a fight during a domestic disturbance. The Brotherhood rode for six days through central Florida returning to Fort Myers Police Station and covered 413 miles - the mileage represented Officer Widman’s badge number.
In 2010, the riders honored the memory of Capt. James Hartlow and probationary firefighter Damian Hobbs of Station 26 in Houston who were killed battling a house fire on Easter Sunday. The Brotherhood Riders bicycled from Tallahassee to Houston in 10 days.
On June 24, 2011, the Brotherhood Riders pedaled for two days to Tampa to honor Tampa police officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab, who were shot and killed in 2010 during an arrest at a traffic stop. En route to Tampa, the riders also honored Fort Myers K-9 partner Rosco. Rosco was shot and killed during an armed robbery.
Less than three months later, and the longest ride to date, the Brotherhood embarked on a 22-day journey to Manhattan’s ground zero. They traveled more than 1,700 miles to honor the 411 first responders who died while saving the lives of others on 9/11. In remembrance of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the Riders donated $50,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Concerns of Police Survivors who help the victims’ families. But this ride had more than one mission; the ride also honored one of their own: Louisiana firefighter and 40th Brotherhood Rider James “Rob” Moorhead, who died in Louisiana while training for the trip to NYC. Carrying Moorhead’s ashes on the ride and his spirit in their hearts, the Brotherhood pushed through.
The fifth annual Brotherhood Ride will honor Florida’s 11 fallen heroes who died in 2011. The riders will gather at Cambier Park in downtown Naples on Sunday, June 3, at 8 a.m. After a public ceremony including local government officials, 31 riders will travel down Fifth Avenue South at 9 a.m. for an eight-day trip covering 550 miles that will end in St. Petersburg. The Brotherhood Ride website — www.BrotherhoodRide.com — will be tracking the journey.
All 31 Brotherhood Riders and 15 support team members are volunteers.
Using vacation time for their annual trips, Morse thinks highly of the character of each rider. “They have to have a vision to become a rider. You’d think some might say, ‘Why am I doing this?’ They say, ‘I wouldn’t do anything else.’ That’s how much it means to them.” Firefighters begin their days with a 24-hour shift and train on their days off.
Working in public safety encompasses a variety of skills and expertise. Estero firefighter Jerry Krohnfeldt says he is frequently asked about his job.
“A lot of people don’t know that most of us are firefighter paramedics. They’d say, ‘Why did you guys show up - I didn’t call for a fire truck, I called for an ambulance.’ There are more fire trucks in the county than there are ambulances. If you get hurt, I’m coming out. I will take care of you,” Krohnfeldt said.
He and his wife, Jennifer, have two young boys. Two weeks into her new job last year as an elementary school teacher, Krohnfeldt had mixed feelings about hitting the road to Manhattan.
“Jerry was concerned it would be too much on me, but there was no way we could pass up this opportunity. Neither one of us would have felt OK with him not being a part of the ride,” she said. “We would Skype at night and send pictures--we kept the boys involved as much as possible.”
The support team on each trip is awake and busy before the riders who are awakened at 6 a.m. They hit the road by 8, and pedal a daily average of 80 miles. Fort Myers Police officer Tim McCormick coordinates all law enforcement and drives the lead truck that escorts the Brotherhood Riders into each town. Cheering supporters line the streets, rain or shine. If a rider suffers an injury or a flat tire, the entire team stops.
It takes continuous and generous community support to plan and execute each trip. Morse’s wife, Candy, oversees fundraising efforts and the riders’ support team. On the road, Candy is behind the riders driving the main supply truck. “Our team members always ask, ‘What do you need me to do?’ From logistics to making celebratory peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, they are the spokes in the wheels that make our Brotherhood family stronger.”
Fort Myers firefighter Andy Fisher is prepared for any medical emergencies. He follows Candy driving one of two vehicles fully equipped with emergency lighting donated by Whelen Engineering. The firm heard about the Brotherhood Ride last year and donated state-of-the-art emergency lights for both rear support vehicles. These vehicles help protect the riders while on the road.
Each trip includes visiting fire and police stations holding honorary ceremonies at memorial sites. Their home away from home is generally a local Elks Lodge where the team eats, tosses the football or Frisbee around, and even sings karaoke before grabbing a few winks of sleep on air mattresses. They even received chocolates on their pillows from family members of those being honored.
Pure dedication and commitment enable the riders to push through the pain of bicycling in the hot Florida sun and pedaling uphill in the pouring rain with sore, cramped muscles. Morse said, “Meeting the families and talking with them--that’s what keeps us going and it gives them the energy to keep going.”
The message from the Brotherhood lives on: Never forget. “We’re just the bike riders, not the heroes. We wear the names of the heroes on our backs,” said Morse, referring to the shirts worn by the riders.
Since 2008, the Brotherhood Riders have traveled 3,600 miles throughout 14 states honoring the memory and the sacrifice of 425 emergency responders. The organization has raised more than $118,000. A documentary is in the works. Word about their mission travels fast; riders from several other counties and states have also joined the Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood Riders and support team continue to build a strong, sturdy ladder--each rung representing an unsung hero who died in the line of duty while serving everyday citizens. Our firefighters, law enforcement and emergency medical technicians run in to save our lives, while we run out to save our own.
Along with 30 other Brotherhood Riders, the Krohnfeldts prepare for the 2012 ride. “We always tell my son, ‘Daddy is helping people,’ and now he really sees the value of what his daddy is actually doing. We’ve gained a whole new family,” said Jennifer.
For more information, log on to BrotherhoodRide.com or call (239) 872-1551.
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