The Burlington Volunteer Fire Company in Connecticut warned community members that a t-shirt with the department’s patch is not a fundraiser for the department.
Michael Boucher, the fire chief for Burlington, said over the weekend he received a text message advertising a shirt for Canton’s fire department and people also started reaching out to him and said they received a text showing a t-shirt for sale with the Burlington Fire Department patch. The shirt said "Stand for the flag, kneel for the fallen."
With the fire department recently losing a member, Colin McFadden who died in August, Boucher said he didn’t want people thinking the shirt was in any way benefiting the department or have anything to do with McFadden.
“This t-shirt has nothing to do with our department, it has nothing to do with firefighter McFadden and we don’t want people to get that impression in case they, in good will, wanted to make a donation or buy the shirt thinking that’s what the fundraiser was for,” Boucher said.
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Chief Boucher said the department’s patch is not trademarked, so legally someone can use it for promotional purposes.
Other departments from New York to Wisconsin have been posting about it and NBC Connecticut reached out to Gear Launch, the company Boucher said has been sending the messages. So far, the company has not returned our request for comment.
If you are interested in helping the department Boucher said, “They can donate. The fire department is a nonprofit. Also give blood. That was Colin’s big message is to donate blood. So go onto the Red Cross website and look for blood drives.”
Local
There is a blood drive scheduled at the Burlington Fire Department Headquarters Station 1 on December 1 from 8am-2pm.
