‘Let’s all be like Brian’: Hundreds gather to pay tribute to North Park firefighter
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — Hundreds of people filled the Indoor Sports Center on Tuesday to pay their respects to North Park firefighter Brian Rehnberg, who was remembered as a selfless leader who always offered a helping hand and had a story to tell.
The memorial services were attended by firefighters and emergency workers from across the region, as well as a few from other states, and a long procession of emergency vehicles escorted his body from the arena to Fitzgerald Funeral Home.
“The days since Brian’s passing have put me completely overwhelmed by not just the acts of kindness, but the outreach,” Joel Hallstrom, chief of the North Park Fire Protection District, said during the services.
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Rehnberg died from what’s been described as a cardiac event shortly after completing his Christmas Day shift. He was 50 years old.
Hallstrom described Rehnberg as a loving friend, father and husband, a mentor and an outstanding firefighter.
“A lot of us can learn a lot from his selflessness. Brian was a true servant-leader,” Hallstrom said. “We should all strive to be the person Brian was.”
Rehnberg, who was an East High School graduate, started in fire service as an explorer with the Rockford Fire Department before joining the Cherry Valley Fire Protection District in 1999. He also served as an emergency medical technician with Lifeline Ambulance and the Kirkland Fire Protection District. He had served the North Park department since November 2008.
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He married Jennifer Fiorenza on March 18, 2006, and they had one son, Jacob.
Friends said he had a big heart and a big personality. He was talkative and social, and he was one of the first people to razz new recruits in the department, North Park Chaplain Paul Bundschuh said during the services.
“But also one of the first to help them, support them and encourage them,” Bundschuh said.
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Rehnberg loved to hunt and fish, and he had a particular knack for chainsaws. He taught everyone in the department who was interested how to use one, and he was somewhat of a chainsaw whisperer with an ability to fix or start one even when others couldn’t.
“Any time there was a broken chainsaw, Brian had it fixed in five minutes or less, or he’d tell you that you screwed it up so bad you need a new one,” Rockford Fire Department District Chief Dan Zaccard said. “Whatever he said is what we did.”
Rehnberg shared his love of fishing with others, too, volunteering with an nonprofit called Fishing Has No Boundaries, which provides recreational fishing opportunities for people with disabilities.
Zaccard said Rehnberg was a loyal friend who was eager to help people around him.
“If there was any hint that you weren’t happy with what he did he’d be devastated,” Zaccard said.
He recalled Rehnberg helping with roofing when wind chills were 11 degrees below zero. That was one example of Rehnberg’s willingness to help on or off-duty. Others shared stories of him helping at schools or with people in need at the side of the road.
“He set an example I will strive to follow for the rest of my career,” Hallstrom said. “Let’s all be like Brian. We’ll all be better for it.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.
