“With everything going on in the world…, we want to try to give back to our law enforcement around the county… We can show them that we’re here for them,” said Lt. Dave Rubright of the Shoemakersville Fire Company dedicated the March 7 breakfast held by the fire company to Berks County law enforcement officers.
In addition to his role at the fire company, Lt. Rubright is also a State Constable. He works full time at the Reading Airport as a maintenance person and a fire fighter.
The Lieutenant discussed how fire fighters can relate to the struggles that the branches of law enforcement face because fire fighters never know what is “going on behind the door” when they arrive on an emergency call. He said that they understand that “anything can happen at any time” and that some larger fire companies than what exist in Shoemakersville actually provide their fire fighters with bullet proof vests in case of the unexpected.
The fire company breakfasts, which occur on the first Saturday of every month, benefit the all- volunteer Shoemakersville Fire Company, funding their equipment and any need for new trucks. The March breakfast was different in that a free breakfast was offered to any member of law enforcement who attended.
PA State Trooper Eric Beretsky stated, “The food was great. Thank you for the great breakfast and support that the Shoemakersville Fire Department provides to the community. The service… is greatly appreciated.”
By mid morning, about 100 people had eaten breakfast and Lt. Rubright expected many more to arrive. He personally extended the invitation by mailing letters to more than 80 destinations which included all of the Berks County police stations and any other organizations that have a tie to law enforcement.
LaRoy Fritz of Hamburg said he was “here because my son, Kyle, is the sheriff… and because of all the negativity about law enforcement. It shows respect for law enforcement agencies.”
Kyle Fritz of the Berks County Sheriffs’ Department was also in attendance. He agreed with his father and said he was “very appreciative” of the breakfast “because of all the bad publicity” in the news regarding law enforcement officials in the last months.
Lt. Rubright plans to further engage the community with future breakfasts and is currently planning a breakfast to honor veterans. Breakfasts are held at the Shoemakersville Fire Company, 300 Church Avenue, Shoemakersville, from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. For more information about future breakfasts, contact Lt. Dave Rubright at the fire company at 610-562-8091.
