Firefighters say it with tattoos

FREDERICK, Md. | Scott Morgan will never forget Sept. 11, 2001. And he has the ink to prove it.

Mr. Morgan, a firefighter for almost 30 years, is one of many Frederick County rescue workers who have a permanent reminder of the sacrifice others have made.

His tattoo, which takes up a significant portion of his right shoulder, depicts a firefighter’s mask, in which the New York City skyline, with the World Trade Center, is reflected.

The helmet bears the number 343 - in remembrance of the number of firefighters who died in the terrorist attacks.

Many emergency personnel get a tattoo, or get “inked,” and often their designs carry a special meaning - from remembering those who died to commemorating a particular fire company or station.

Mr. Morgan has been a volunteer firefighter in Frederick, at Independent Hose Company, since 1979. He has been working full time for the Alexandria Fire Department since 1982.

On Sept. 11, Mr. Morgan was at work in Alexandria watching the news when the World Trade Center was attacked. Moments after a plane struck the second tower, his unit was called to the Pentagon.

He remembers his unit didn’t return from the Pentagon for two days. He wanted a tattoo for as long as he could remember but could not make up his mind on something that permanent.

Mr. Morgan was inspired by a picture drawn by a Fairfax County firefighter. A tattoo of the drawing, he said, would be an appropriate way to show respect.

His tattoo - done at Marks of the Spark on East Patrick Street in December 2007 - took four hours to complete.

After the terrorist attacks, Mr. Morgan noticed more firefighters getting tattoos to pay tribute to those who served and died Sept. 11.

Employees at Classic Electric tattoo shop said they see a lot of firefighters requesting ink to remember a fellow worker or to show pride in the career, said tattoo artist Jason Markwell. He thinks firefighters help the business because they usually refer one another to the shop.

Mr. Markwell also said that among public-safety workers, firefighters seem to be the most likely to get a tattoo to commemorate their service.

Although several local firefighters said there are less permanent and more affordable ways to show pride in the career, such as bumper stickers, T-shirts, rubber bracelets and temporary tattoos, many opt for ink.

Billy Ahalt has been a firefighter for 23 years. He became a volunteer fireman at 16 and started working in Frederick full time in 2000.

Almost a decade ago, he went for his first tattoo - an image on his left arm of the cartoon cat Sylvester dressed in firefighter gear, ready to save Tweety from a burning cage. He once had the same image on the back of his firefighter helmet.

Mr. Ahalt later added more ink to his right arm - the jaws of life and two helmets leaning up against each other with the symbol for the International Association of Fire Fighters.

In 2000, he became a career firefighter in Frederick County, working at the United Steam Fire Engine Company, on North Market Street.

After Sept. 11, Mr. Ahalt had the U.S. flag added to the tattoos on his right arm.

Eddie “Fyreman” Burke, who has been a firefighter since 1988, works at Green Valley Fire Company, in Monrovia. He commemorated his line of work in 2001 with a tattoo of the IAFF symbol surrounded by flames on his left leg.

A few years earlier, Mr. Burke had his left arm inked with a bulldog wearing firefighter gear.

Firefighters develop close relationships, often spending 24 hours at a time with each other, Mr. Burke said. The career plays a major part in their lives.

Robert “R.J.” James has a bulldog tattoo similar to Mr. Burke’s. Mr. James began working as a firefighter at Independent Hose Company two years ago. He volunteered in the county for five years before that.

“It resembles me being fearless,” he said of the bulldog tattoo.

Mr. James’ tattoo incorporates a Maltese cross, often associated with the IAFF. He also wants to get more ink on his back to commemorate his career.

Mr. Burke, like many other local firefighters, said he would like to get more tattoos related to the service.

“They’re obviously addicting,” he said. “Once you get one, it’s like, time to go get more.”