Western Reserve Joint Fire District bids farewell to longtime captain

POLAND — Members of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District today bid a final farewell to one of their own.

Longtime Captain Don Zimmerman died April 19 at age 64 after battling pancreatic cancer.

Family, friends, and members of the fire department gathered at Poland United Methodist Church this morning. A firefighters' processional will drive past Zimmerman's home, past the fire station on Poland's North Hill that he helped found in the 1980s, and finally to the Pulaski cemetery where he will be buried.

Western Reserve Joint Fire District members remembered Zimmerman as a genuine person who said what was on his mind and didn't mince words.

"He had kind of a crusty exterior with a heart of gold," said Lieutenant Tony Tucci. "Our station, Station 93, gave him a tribute that says, 'Don Zimmerman, captain forever.' We know there will be other captains, but in our minds he'll always be captain."