Medford chose to express its support for officers and firemen by painting blue and red lines on Union Road.
A prevalent symbol in the United States, thin colored lines are often used by law enforcement to commemorate and show support to fallen and living servicemen alike. In response to the spouts of recent incidents involving police officers across the country, many towns, including Medford, have chosen to express their support for officers and firemen by painting blue and red lines on segments of their roads.
On Friday, Oct. 28, the Medford Town Council allowed employees of Revive Painting & Powerwashing, with help from employees of O’Brien Landscaping & Hardscaping, to paint an approximately 50-foot blue line in the middle of the double yellow line on Union Street in front of the Public Safety Building. They also painted a 50-foot red line in front of the Taunton Fire Company on Gravelly Hollow Road. The company offered its services free of charge.
Revive Painting & Powerwashing said this project would typically costs anywhere between $1,800 to $2,000, however, it chose to do it for free because it frequently takes part in a lot of community initiatives, and it was a good way to show local police and fire support.
“The painting of the blue line is an honor for all of us. To have a citizen suggest this and then garner the full support of the Township Council and the Township Administration reflects favorably on the police department,” Chief Richard Meder said. “We strive everyday to provide the community with our best. Something like this reinforces to the officers that their hard work is appreciated.”
The suggestion to paint the lines originally came from a thread on Facebook in the group, Medford 08055. Revive Painting & Powerwashing was tagged in the post, and the company presented the idea as a suggestion to members of town council at its Oct. 4 meeting. Members of council thought this was an excellent idea and proceeded in figuring out the logistics to the lines painted. At the time, this initiative had already been done in several municipalities across the state, including in Cherry Hill, Evesham, Oaklyn and Mantua.
“The gesture of the thin red line by the residents and local businesses reinforces the support we have from the community we so proudly serve. The thin red line has special meaning to the fire service and is a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice many firefighters have made protecting their communities,” William Webb, deputy chief of the Medford Township Fire and EMS, said. “It will serve as a daily reminder of those sacrifices, and reinforces our desire to serve the residents of Medford Township, and we will continue to put all of our efforts into keeping our community safe.”
At a time when the national dialogue in regard to police-related issues continues, these lines will serve as a daily reminder to all citizens that the town proudly supports its emergency personnel. In a post on the Medford Township Police Officers Association’s Facebook page from Friday, July 15, it reminds the community that, “united we stand, divided we fall,” and the hope is these lines will continue to foster unity.
“The Medford Township community has always provided us with tremendous support in everything we do. More recently, that support has been more vocal and apparent. This, at times, is a very difficult profession, but working and serving in a community like Medford that supports your mission makes even the most difficult time easier,” Meder said. “The officers in Medford recognize how lucky we are to work and serve in Medford.”
