Honor Guards/Pipe & Drum Bands

Honor Guards and Pipe & Drum Bands are an integral part of funeral and memorial services. What most people remember from fire service funerals are the sharply dressed uniformed personnel who guard the casket and carry the flags as well as the bag pipes that play hallowed notes on the cemetery edge. But beyond what is often seen on the surface, what these two groups provide goes way beyond a salute or a song. Many of the men and women who serve in these capacity spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of hours at practice and then spend dozens of hours caring for many different aspects of a department or families needs before the funeral even takes place.

Honor guards are the work horses of any major event. While the general public will only see them at attention in their dress blues, behind the scenes they are sorting out details at planning meetings, working on the details of the funeral (many of those details can be dirty like building platforms, or riggings), organizing other team members, instructing pall bearers or department members who are not trained in casket watch, and carrying out the wishes and needs of the family. Their participation in putting together a funeral makes the event flow more smoothly and flawlessly for the department, families and their loved ones.

The Pipe & Drum Bands provide the beauty and the sentiment that a family will hold near and dear to their heart for years to come. Often the job is 'hurry up and wait' and no matter the time, the place, or the weather, band members will come to give a family the gift of music and tradition. Many times, members will work along side of the honor guard before a funeral takes place to help carry out the details.

Both groups are a vital part of our response team. Without them, we could not carry out our tasks. In Texas, we have 6 regions for our response team. Each region is represented by an honor guard commander who helps us deliver services and assistance as soon as possible. They also serve as a resource to our team by providing information on services and goods in their area that could help honor guard members carry out their duties. We have also partnered with band managers throughout Texas to ensure that pipes and drums are available at every fallen firefighter's funeral or memorial service.