Fire trucks, rescue vehicles and ambulances from all over the region lined Gloucester’s Main Street on Sunday as Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad said goodbye to one of its own—Chief Andy James, who died on Thursday, April 23, at his Ware River home.

Unable to pay their respects during a regular funeral service because of the current pandemic situation, firefighters decided to send off their beloved former chief in style, with ladder trucks from six different companies forming arches over the roadway and the lights from dozens of emergency vehicles flashing a solemn farewell.

Around 65 vehicles representing 15 different departments were angled along Main Street, leaving a single lane open as the hearse and family vehicles proceeded slowly down Main Street, escorted by Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office and Engine 10, the department’s first-due truck (the department’s primary response vehicle, the one that’s called first if needed).

The “Firefighter’s Last Call” was ...