Dennis H. DeVoe wanted to be a firefighter since he was young. On March 11, 1996, he joined the 14th Fire Academy at Harrisburg Area Community College. Exactly 21 years later, on March 11, 2017, he made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. During the years in between, Denny served as both a fireman (1996-2006) and a lieutenant (2006-2017) in the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire. He served for many years at Squad 8, “the Squad,” which was most definitely one of his favorite places to be. His badge number was and still is 401. It was retired in October 2017. Denny will forever be 401.

In addition to serving as a career firefighter, Denny also volunteered his time at several local fire stations in and around his hometown. He served as a mentor to young individuals who had the same dream he did–to become a fireman. Denny was also a member of the Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue, a state fire instructor at Harrisburg Area Community College and taught at the York County Fire School.

Denny was a well-respected fireman and officer. He loved his job and was always ready for the next call. He was known for his dedication to and passion for the job. He often helped with trainings and loved sharing his expertise with the new guys on the job. He was always willing to go above and beyond for anyone who crossed his path, on and off the job. Denny didn’t think twice about stopping to help a stranded motorist or helping a perfect stranger in an emergency situation.

Although firefighting was Denny’s passion in life, his family always came first. He loved nothing more than spending time with his family. He loved taking his wife Amy and his kids (Carson, Aliza, Emma, and Jake) on vacations. They often went camping and to the beach. He loved to take them skiing, snowboarding, four-wheeling, boating, tubing, and fishing. Date nights with Amy were always special to Denny, too. Life was always an adventure with Denny. He loved to spend time outdoors. One of his biggest accomplishments was climbing Mt. Charleston with some fellow firefighter friends.

Denny is deeply missed by his wife and children, as well as his mother and stepfather, his brother and sister-in-law, and a large extended family. Denny brought joy and laughter into everyone’s lives. He touched more people’s lives in his 45 years than most people do in a lifetime. His kind heart is what will be remembered most. Denny’s legacy will live on forever.