133. Maintaining Tradition - Bob Stella

Always having a passion for the fire department, Bob Stella chased fire engines on his bicycle growing up in a small city outside of Boston. While many of his buddies found their way to the job, Bob became a phot journalist documenting many incidents and fires across the greater Boston area. His passion remained strong for the fire service and during a chance conversation, he was asked to hand paint a helmet shield for a Deputy Fire Chief and from there, it was off to the races. Full time since 1988, Bob hand paints leather helmet shields from his Weymouth, MA home. From large department orders (FDNY, Boston, Dallas, etc.) to one off custom ordered shields, he loves the process and the stories associated with them. Fueled by history and tradition, Bob continues to paint, 6 days a week, 9 hours a day. He's lost count of how many shields he has painted but he is reminded every time when he turns on the news. His hand painted shields are adorned on most helmets during any news worthy fire on the nightly news. A constant reminder that his craftsmanship is on display. Not stopping anytime soon, Bob continues to paint and share his passion with firefighters all over the world!! His legacy will live on for a very long time to come!!