Fairhaven Fire and EMS made a sad announcement this morning to share the passing of longtime resident, John Rogers, who was a critical member of the team for decades. Hearts are heavy today as the town remembers Rogers' dedication to the station, his friends, and his family.

“He was truly Mr. Fairhaven,” said Fire Chief Todd Correia. “Every parade or function in town, he was always there.” He was the man you would see behind the steering wheel of the antique fire trucks, grinning from ear to ear in all his glory, on top of the very trucks he spent so many hours maintaining.

Since the 1960s, Rogers was a staple to the Fairhaven Fire Department. His role evolved over time, from an on-call firefighter to former director of Emergency Management for Civil Defense, and most recently, being the Chairperson of the Apparatus Study Committee for the last 30 years. He’s the man behind the designs of the fleet of emergency vehicles for the town and was extremely invested in every aspect of design.

“We are actually getting ready to replace an engine, and when I went to the nursing home on Wednesday, I brought him the specs for final approval,” Correia said. His passion for the job was strong until the very end.

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While Rogers' focus was primarily Fairhaven, he advocated for fire departments throughout New England. Chief Correia remembered seeing an app on Rogers' phone that followed all departments in the northeast, just so he could stay up to date on everything.

“Everybody here, from full to part time, we have a heavy heart today," Correia said. "We lost a very dedicated advocate for the fire service. He has always been a big supporter for us. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Rogers and Kuechler families.”

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