Paul E. Miller

Today, we pause to remember Firefighter Paul E. Miller of the Minquas Fire Company No. 2 who died in the Line of Duty on this date seventy years ago in 1955 at the age of 52. Tragically, this was the second Line of Duty death in Chester County in less than two months that year.

While on scene at a fire incident at the Canby Oil Company on Brandywine Avenue in the Borough of Downingtown, Firefighter Miller was found unresponsive in the cab of the fire engine he was operating after suffering a fatal heart attack.

As seen in this photo taken just prior to his passing, Firefighter Miller is proudly holding his grandson — Michael L. Miller — who has followed in his footsteps as a firefighter. The Miller family has a long history of service to the Downingtown community; with grandsons Stephen P. Miller and the then-younger-pictured Michael L. Miller both rising through the ranks to serve as Fire Chiefs of the Downingtown Fire Department. For decades, both of these Chiefs have routinely taken personal time to leave the family business — Miller’s Automotive — to respond to calls and lead the Department. Great-Grandson Stephen L. Miller has also previously served as a Station Chief of the Minquas Fire Company.

Today, all three of these men continue to devote their time as firefighters for the Downingtown Fire Department.

While we continue to see less and less volunteers in today’s society, generational involvement of families like the Millers exemplify the spirit of community service.

We will continue to pay our respects to those who have gone before us while serving the citizens of Chester County. As we carry on through the holiday season, please remember those families who have lost a loved one through their sacrifice as a first responder.