OLEAN, N.Y. -- Always smiling, humble a hard worker. These are just some of the words friends used to describe the late Herbert "Herbie" Elmore, a staple in the Olean community.
His dedication to his city and work was recognized Saturday as his family revealed a plaque in his honor at the North Union fire hall.
"He was a hero in Olean and I'm glad we're recognizing that. Well intentioned for our Herbie,” friend Lynda Stephan said.
Elmore got a job with the department in 1964, becoming Olean's first African-American firefighter. His son John said this prompted a change for his family.
"Went from really working less than minimum wage to now all of a sudden our family became middle class, we had a role model,” said John.
Friend and fellow firefighter Al Abdo said they played basketball and volleyball together.
"He was one of us, brother firefighters. That was the main thing, the color of this skin didn't make any difference,” said Abdo.
Tragedy struck the Elmore family 10 years after Herbie accepted the position. He responded to the Olean High School shooting in 1974, and was shot and injured by the gunman. Although he never fully recovered, he stayed involved with the department.
"We didn't leave him out of nothing! Herbie is Herbie. Even though he was hurt, he was still one of us,” Abdo said.
"He didn't let that get him down, didn't let that stop him. He still worked with the firefighters, worked for the city of Olean,” Stephan said.
John tells us it's also a treat for his mother, Lorna, to witness this dedication, adding a lot of credit goes to her for keeping the family together before, during, and after her husband's injury.
"After all these years, it's a wonderful honor to the entire family, and we thank Olean for this recognition,” said John.