CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Fire Department and the Cincinnati Reds have a deep-rooted relationship that dates back over 100 years.
"The first professional baseball team in the United States was the Cincinnati Reds in 1869, the first professional fire department was the Cincinnati Fire Department in 1853," said Matt Alter, president of the Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union Local 48.
Just like baseball, Cincinnati’s finest practices routine and uniformity.
"Once you put the uniforms on like our fire gear, we all look the same," Alter said.
Beyond the connection on a macro level, many of the individuals that make up the Cincinnati Fire Department, such as Eric Monahan, love Reds baseball.
"As long as I can remember, since I was a little kid, I kind of remember the ’75 World Series," Monahan said.
Those ties have created traditions. The fire department leads the way in every opening day parade.
A lesser-known tradition, the stars of the Reds leave their mark on the fire department by signing the doors of retired fire trucks.
"You’re never going to believe this but Joey (Votto) wants to come up to the firehouse and visit and sign it up there," Monahan recounted from a conversation he had with representatives from the Reds.
In 2018, Monahan contacted the Reds to see if Votto would come sign the door of their truck.
"Because he’s No. 19 and we are No. 19. It goes hand and hand right?" Monahan said.
"I just felt honored, being invited and signing a firetruck door, which is quite the memory," Votto said.
"It’s humbling because we look at him as the star of the team at the time, and we just look at it’s our daily job. But he wanted to come up and visit us, and it was pretty cool," Monahan said.
Votto was the most recent Red honored by the Cincinnati Fire Department, but he was not the first, just a short drive away at station five.
"The fact that Engine 5, based in Over-the-Rhine, they were one of the original fire companies that date back to pre-1853," Alter said. "They still lead the Findlay Market Opening Day parade, 100-plus years later."
At Station 5, down the stairwell hangs another door, the first door signed by No. 5, the backstop of the Big Red Machine, Johnny Bench in 2010. Starting a tradition, based on tradition.
"In 1869, there were probably professional firefighters from Cincinnati attending the Cincinnati Redstockings game," Alter said.
Other Reds greats such as the late Joe Morgan at Engine 8 and Sean Casey at Engine 21 have also carried on the tradition.
"It changed my opinion on professional athletes ... and him specifically of how nice he was outside of seeing him on the field," Monahan said.
Signing their appreciation for the real heroes.
