Fire Hose Flag Makes Patriotic Splash at Chiefland Meeting

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

Central Florida Electric Cooperative General Manager Denny George on Monday donated a large American flag to Chiefland Fire Rescue made of used fire hoses.

The fire hose used to construct the flag was donated by Chiefland Fire Rescue. Additional used hose from Chiefland, Gainesville Fire Rescue, Gainesville Regional Utilities, and Gilchrist Fire Rescue was used to make American flags that were auctioned at charity auctions for $15,000.

Each fire department that donated used fire hose got a flag for their firehouse.

“Each flag has its own personality because they take paint differently. They have been treated differently, they have different chemicals on them, George said at Monday’s Chiefland City Commission meeting.

The flags can be mounted on a floor stand but also can be attached to a wall with cleats.

George, who does the flag work on his own time for charitable causes said his youngest son and oldest son are fire professionals. His youngest son decided to make an American flag made of fire hose for his home after seeing one on the internet.

When George saw the finished flag at his son’s home, he liked the idea so much that he asked his son to provide some used fire hoses to make other flags.

“I started making flags very similar to the one here tonight that we auctioned off at charity events,” he said.

The first flag auctioned at a charity event was for Friends of Children of North Central Florida and sold for $2,000. The next flag was made for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes of North Central Florida and sold for $2,650. He made one for Haven Hospice that sold for $2,000.

George said the last flag he made was for an Alachua County firefighter suffering from face cancer. Congresswoman Kat Cammack organized a fundraiser for the firefighter and was unaware her staff had coordinated with George to have a firehouse flag made for her office. Cammack’s husband, Matt Cammack, and George’s youngest son, Matt George, work together at GRU.

“That night we collected $2,000 for that fireman. Money in a bucket went to the family and the flag went to the office of Kat Cammack,” George said.