Linn County Fair and Expo Center
Fire patch collecting is simple, fun and a very rewarding hobby; It is also very easy to start. My name is Bob Brooks and I am a retired Deputy Fire Marshal with the Albany FD here in Oregon. I have been collecting fire patches for nearly 45 years and honestly do not see an end in sight. The United States Fire Service has approximately 25,000 Fire Departments and every day that number changes due to consolidations, mergers, new departments, and those that cannot keep the doors open. What started with one patch from the Kingsley Fire Department in Klamath Falls, has now become a World Record. I spent 35 years in the fire service and retired some 12 years ago. I had no idea when I started collecting what it would become today. My goal is to represent every fire department in the United States by placing their shoulder patch in the Oregon Fire Service Museum. I want to share this collection and our history.
We have a story to tell….. I am so proud to have served in the fire service and now I want to display these patches so that others can see the patches worn proudly by firefighters across this Nation. I have high hopes to break my old Guinness World Record and would like to have you there. Please consider this your invitation to attend this historical event in Albany. On June 22, 2011, I displayed my collection of 8,158 fire patches at the Linn County Fair & Expo and broke the World Record that was held in Madrid, Spain (the first time). The Guinness Book of World records is currently in Oregon and I hope to keep it that way. Now, with the assistance of the City of Albany Fire Department, we will display the over 14,000 fire department shoulder patches in my collection and make the attempt to break the record again.
Click Here For Event Flyer
Hope to see you there.
Bob Brooks
Retired Albany FD