FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, March 4, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-752-9877
Email: [email protected]

Funeral Arrangements for Berwick Fire & Rescue Captain Joel Barnes

BERWICK, Maine — Berwick Fire & Rescue Chief Dennis Plante and Town Manager Stephen G. Eldridge announce funeral, memorial service and burial arrangements for Berwick Fire Captain Joel Barnes.

Services and burial will take place on Sunday, March 10. There will be two services: A private family mass and a public memorial ceremony.

The family will attend a Catholic funeral mass, which will be said at a local church early in the morning. That service is only for family and is closed to the news media. The family has asked that their privacy be respected.

Memorial Service

The details of the public fire service memorial are as follows:

WHEN: 

Sunday, March 10, 2019

11 a.m.

WHERE:

Cross Insurance Arena

1 Civic Center Square

Portland, ME 04101

Venue fee was partially waived by management, and the balance has been paid for by Teamsters Local 340, of which Berwick firefighters are members.

MEDIA LOGISTICS

Several thousand people are expected in attendance.

Media logistics, including parking, credentialing, and assigned location(s) in the Arena will be announced, likely tomorrow.

BURIAL

A procession of approximately two miles will follow to Cavalry Cemetery, where Captain Barnes will be buried with full fire department honors. The burial service is private for family members and the Berwick Fire Department.

ATTN. OUT OF TOWN FIREFIGHTERS

Logistics, including hotel accommodations, staging, and mustering of out of town firefighters is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

OUT OF TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTENDANCE FORM

Fire departments planning to attend the funeral are kindly asked to fill out an online form to better give organizers an idea of attendance numbers.

PIPES AND DRUMS/COLOR GUARDS

Any pipe and drum bands or color guards wishing to participate in the services should click here to fill out an online form.

Pipe bands with questions can also contact Dave McLean of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire Pipes and Drums:  (603-661-1940 or [email protected])

MUTUAL AID CONTINUES

Mutual aid station coverage for Berwick has been provided by ambulance companies and fire departments from across Maine and New Hampshire, and that assistance will continue through at least Sunday.

VIGIL CONTINUES

Firefighters have maintained their 24-hour constant vigil over the body of Captain Barnes, and that will continue uninterrupted until Sunday.

FUND ESTABLISHED

The family of Captain Barnes requests that any donations being made in his name go to the Berwick Volunteer Firefighters Association in his memory c/o Kennebunk Saving Bank, 2 School St., Berwick, ME 03901.

ADDITIONAL UPDATES

This is the latest of several updates that will be distributed as new information becomes available.

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Captain Barnes, age 32, was a paramedic and served as the Berwick Fire & Rescue training officer and emergency medical services coordinator. He previously worked for the Horry County, South Carolina Fire Rescue Department, South Berwick Rescue, York Ambulance and the Old Orchard Beach Fire Department before joining Berwick Fire in July 2016. He was also an active per diem firefighter for Town of Acton, Maine.

Captain Barnes died in a large apartment fire on Bell Street Friday, March 1. The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation. Captain Barnes was leading another firefighter in an interior attack of the fire when conditions suddenly worsened.

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