HARRISBURG – State Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) on Thursday, July 18, at 5:30 p.m. will unveil a new sign renaming state Route 143 in Lehigh County as Heroes Highway in honor of local fallen firefighters Marvin Gruber and Zachary Paris.
The unveiling will take place across the street from Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) Family Medicine-New Tripoli, 7096 Decatur St. (Route 143).
Coleman ushered legislation through the General Assembly to rename part of state Route 143 in Lynn Township from the intersection of state route 309 to the Berks County border in honor of the deceased New Tripoli firefighters.
The firefighters died in the line of duty Dec. 7, 2022, when they became trapped while fighting a house fire in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County.
Paris was 36 years old and served as the assistant fire chief with the New Tripoli Fire Department, located in Lehigh County. Gruber was 59 years old and served as a volunteer firefighter with the New Tripoli Fire Department. He volunteered with the fire service since the late 1980s and served the New Tripoli Fire Department since 2020.
Other participants at the event will include:
- Families of the fallen firefighters;
- New Tripoli Fire Department Chief Gary Kuntz;
- Members of the New Tripoli Fire Department;
- Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-187);
- Members from Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Department;
- Members from Germansville Fire Company;
- Members from Lynnport Community Fire Company No. 1.
- Gary W. Day, district director and director of policy in Coleman’s office;
- Kathy McQuilken, constituent relations specialist in Coleman’s office.
CONTACT: Leo Knepper