GEORGETOWN, DE — One year ago today, 23-year-old Thomas Berry III, a Sussex County firefighter and EMS logistics technician, lost his life while helping at the scene of a crash near Georgetown.
Berry was a member of both the Georgetown and Ellendale fire companies and a logistics technician with Sussex County EMS.
On Wednesday, family, friends, and fellow first responders gathered to honor his legacy with a new memorial at the entrance of the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center.
“We owe it to him to never forget, we owe it to the family to never forget, and to ensure that we honor him. That’s what we hope to do today, and that’s what we hope to do every day,” said Robert Murray, director of the Sussex County Department of Public Safety.
“He just… everything, he breathed the fire service, he breathed EMS, he breathed the public service, that's who he was — that's who his family is,” Murray said.
Deputy Director of Public Safety EMS Robert Mauch said Berry’s commitment to service was evident in every role he took on.
“Thomas was one who put his all into everything, whether it was pulling supplies and delivering items to a paramedic station in his role as a logistics technician, or with the many, many tasks, roles, and responsibilities he fulfilled with both the Georgetown and the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Department," Mauch said. "There's no doubt he was committed to whatever his task was at hand.”
Georgetown Fire Assistant Chief Mark Rodgers reflected on Berry’s presence within the department.
“It’s been a struggle, but also at the same time a lot of laughs,” Rodgers said. “Looking back on what Thomas brought to the department, the way he laughed, I always talk about the big, big smile he had, that big grin. But at the same time, it's also been a tough memory knowing this could happen at anytime."
Rodgers described Berry, even at 23, as one of the most dedicated responders he’s known — someone with a genuine love for helping others.
“Great kid, growing into a great young man, just talking to him here, he loved his family and loved the fire service," Rodgers said. "Overall just a great young man. I was proud to call him my friend, and proud to call him my brother fireman.”
The tribute to Thomas Berry III on his hook at the Georgetown Fire Company
The Georgetown Fire company has put up several tributes, including one outside the building as well as on his old gear hook.
“For us as firefighters, every day we walk in this building we can see this, and remember what he sacrificed, not only for his community but for the fire service,” Rodgers said. “And it also reminds us that every time we get in that fire car we’re not guaranteed to come back to the station. And we know that our brother paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Berry’s family says they are grateful for the continued support from the community.