It’s time to show off some Boston pride. If you love the city as much as we love our first responders then we have something special to share with you.
Meet Boston Fire Gear, a comfortable line of clothing designed and worn by Boston’s very own firefighters. From T-shirts and polos to sweatshirts and jackets, the site offers some great holiday gift ideas with an entire line of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing designed especially in mind for that hard-to-buy-for person.
We recently caught up with Boston Fire Gear’s founder, Roger Kendrick, to find out why he decided to create the line after leaving a successful career in private equity to become a firefighter and what Boston pride means to him. “I worked in private equity for eight to 10 years and was traveling quite a bit,” he said. “I am very family oriented so it became a lifestyle decision and knew I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life on a plane so in 1998, I thought I would take the test for the Fire Department. I used to walk by the fire house all the time and always had an interest in it.”
Since joining in 2000, Kendrick has worked at fire stations from Mission Hill to downtown Boston and is currently stationed at Tower Ladder 3 on Purchase Street in the Financial District. In January, he will be promoted to lieutenant.
When coming up with the clothing line, Kendrick knew marketing the Boston Fire Department would be an easy sell. “The Boston Fire Department is a brand and people love the name,” he said. “People take a lot of pride in the organization. Anything Irish related and Boston is a great seller. I think the pride we have in Boston isn’t something you really see in many other cities. There is a deep pride here and there is also a ton of pride that comes with being a Boston firefighter. People are proud of what firefighters do and justifiably so.”
As for the future for Boston Fire Gear? “We are the main retail vendor being sold at the Boston Fire Museum and hope to be in more retail stores while continuing to offer great new products and working to build our brand and reputation,” he said. “I go to work every day and smile. It’s like working for a big dysfunctional family that stands by each other when push come to shove. It’s a fun place to work but when it’s serious, it’s beyond anyone’s comprehension what it’s like unless you have been in combat.”
Boston Fire Gear can be found at www.bostonfiregear.com or by calling (617) 970-3315.
