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Local
Firefighters Doing Double Duty
You probably have noticed in recent times the increased
number of motorcycles on area roads and highways.
This trend has been nationwide and with the recent increase in gasoline
prices, we can probably expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable
future. Many of us older citizens
remember the days that motorcycle riders were typically thought of as long
haired, hell raising, outlaw type people that you would not want to run into in
a dark alley. Even though,
“bikers” were not all from that mold, some were and the bad boys usually got
all the attention.
Fast forward to 2005 and we see motorcycles everywhere.
It is common place, as we travel about today, to notice a group of
motorcycles traveling down the road together.
The difference now is that the riders are just as likely to be a group of
doctors, movie stars, or “Firefighters” as any other type of person.
Let’s talk about that “Firefighter” type.
Firefighters, in this area are mostly volunteers coming from every
imaginable type of career. They
are the guys and girls that are willing to jump out of bed in the middle of the
night to hurry to a neighbor’s house that maybe in need of help.
From rescuing people from burning buildings, cutting open a car that has
wrecked and trapped people in the wreckage, to directly traffic at various
emergencies and pumping flooded basements after a severe storm; our firefighters
are the ones you can count on for help.
Many firefighters have taken up the hobby of riding motorcycles for recreation
and transportation to work. Recently,
some of these fire fighters have come together once again while riding their
motorcycles to help others.
In the fall of 2004, a group of nine local firemen combined their efforts to
form a local chapter of the “Red Knights Motorcycle Club”.
With 3 firemen from Worthington, 4 from Apollo, 1 from Rural Valley, and
1 from Kittanning; Fred Neal petitioned the Red Knights International
Firefighters Motorcycle Club for a local chapter.
Today, that group is known as Pennsylvania Chapter XVI.
With over 30 members from Grove City to Dayton and Distant to Tarentum
– “RKMC PA XVI” is riding hard, having fun, and bringing assistance to
those in need. RKMC PA XVI has
sponsored 2 fund raisers for the Red Cross, 1 for Mercy Hospital Burn Center,
and participated in several others. Members
have contributed to “Project Fill the Helmet” that will directly help
brother firemen that experienced losses of their own in the recent hurricane
disasters.
Our purpose is a family friendly motorcycle riding group that will enjoy riding
together and social events while attempting to help those in need.
We have logged thousands of motorcycle miles in our first year and raised
a few thousand dollars. Not a bad
start. You may have seen these
leather clad fireman and their wives sporting the club patches at several local
events this summer. It is their
hope that they will continue to grow in numbers thereby offering a greater
potential to lend a helping hand.
Some of the events during the last couple months that members participated in
included traveling to the Firefighters Museum in Erie,
attending the Officer Naim Run in Beaver County, Pa State Police Camp
Cadet Run in Butler, the Worthington Homecoming Festivities, Blessing of the
Bikes, Rolling Thunder in Washington DC, and many others.
PA Chapter XVI President Fred Neal said “We have joined this organization of
nearly 5,000 firefighters and family members from 5 countries US, Canada, New
Zealand, Japan, and Austria and 40 states to do what we do best.
It is not surprising to find these ladies and gentlemen working hard to
try to help people. Most of them
have been doing this all of their lives. We
have people from so many different backgrounds in this club.
We have bankers, mailmen, construction workers, nurses, teachers, cops,
and people in retail sales, business owners, computer repairs, and several
government workers. Any current
fireman with a motorcycle can make application to the Red Knights.
We can use all the help we can get.
You can contact Fred Neal, President of Red Knights MC – PA XVI with questions
or requests for more information regarding this chapter or other Chapters and
the International Red Knights at 724 664 9962.
To
date we have raised $2500 for charity / assistance programs.
Compiled by
President, Fred Neal | 
