A Lehigh Valley highway is renamed in honor of fallen New Tripoli firefighters

A seven-mile stretch of Route 143 in Lehigh County was renamed Thursday in honor of firefighters Marvin Gruber and Zachary Paris, who died in the line of duty in December 2022 while fighting a house fire.

A New Tripoli fire department truck slowly moved to reveal a green sign with the new name — Heroes Highway. Afterward, family members of the victims and firemen took pictures by the sign.

The highway was closed for the ceremony, which featured state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, along with New Tripoli firefighters, politicians and local law enforcement.

“I don’t think there’s a more fitting name than that to honor these men,” said Nick Gruber, Marvin’s son and Community Fire Company of New Tripoli’s deputy fire chief.

Nick Gruber told the approximately 100 people in attendance that “when most people think of these guys, they think of them mainly as firefighters. But to those that knew these guys personally, they knew them first and foremost as hard-working family members, who worked full-time jobs and had busy lives.”

One of Coleman’s first public events after being elected to the state Senate was attending Gruber and Paris’ funeral.

“I just remember being there thinking of my family and my children in my life and how close this could be, and the gravity of the situation, feeling small compared to the giants that they were in terms of their courage, bravery and selflessness,” said Coleman, who proposed the bill to change the highway’s name.

“So to be able to come today, this was the least we could do to honor them,” he said.

The highway is renamed from the intersection of state Route 309 to the Berks County border.

“Everybody who’s passing through this community, whether it’s on a daily or regular basis, is going to see those names, remember their names and that legacy is going to live on forever,” state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie said.

Mackenzie helped pass the name change through the House.

Gruber, who was 59, joined the New Tripoli fire company in 2020 and worked at Northampton Community College for 22 years before his death. Paris, who was 39, joined the fire company 14 years ago. He served as an assistant fire chief.

Both Gruber and Paris entered a burning house in Schuylkill County because they thought someone was trapped inside.

“That’s who they were,” Karen Gruber, wife of Marvin, told The Morning Call in 2023. “They’re not going to hear somebody’s trapped in a burning house and not go in.”

“[Zachary] would be very humbled to see all things being done to make sure that they will never be forgotten,” Paris’ father, Gerald Paris, said at the ceremony. “We are very grateful for all the fire communities and the support they have given us.”

Fire department members involved with the unveiling included representatives from the New Tripoli fire company, Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Department, Germansville Fire Company and Lynnport Community Fire Company.

Multiple attendees later took photos and touched the sign in honor of the victims.

“They chose to serve their community and do a job that a lot of people don’t want to do,” Gruber said of his father and Paris. “They gave their time, their dedication and ultimately their lives. They served their community and made it a better place, even if it meant putting themselves in harm’s way.

“And they did it without even thinking twice. I mean, that’s a hero.”