In Honor of Fire Chief Jeffory L. Buck

Walnuttown Fire Company — Berks County, Pennsylvania
End of Watch: April 4, 2026

There are men who carry a title, and there are men who become it.
Fire Chief Jeffory L. Buck was the latter — a steady, unhurried presence whose leadership was felt long before it was spoken aloud. He served the Walnuttown Fire Company with a quiet conviction that service is not a performance, but a promise. And he kept that promise every day he wore the patch.

On Saturday, April 4, 2026, Chief Buck responded to a call that was not dramatic or headline‑worthy — a search for a missing 60‑year‑old woman. It was the kind of call he answered without hesitation, because to him, every life was worth the full measure of his effort. He and Assistant Chief Robert Shick climbed into the department’s UTV and began searching the rural edges of Richmond Township, doing what they had done countless times before: looking out for someone who needed them.

As they traveled along Kutztown Road, a Toyota Camry swerved off the roadway and struck their UTV head‑on. The impact was catastrophic. Chief Buck was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, where he was pronounced deceased. He died doing what he had always done — protecting his community with courage, humility, and heart.

Chief Buck was more than a leader. He was a teacher, a steadying force, a man who believed in building people up rather than standing above them. He shaped a department not through authority, but through example — the kind of example that lingers long after the sirens fade.

He leaves behind a fire company that loved him, a community that trusted him, and a legacy that will not dim. His loss is felt in the quiet places — the empty seat at the station table, the radio channel that will never hear his voice again, the men and women who now carry his lessons forward.

Today, we honor a son of Pennsylvania.
A chief in title, a servant in spirit, and a guardian to the very end.

Rest easy, Chief Buck.
Your watch is complete. We’ll take it from here.