Asheville Fire Dept. Station T-Shirts

When firefighters save lives and property, the equipment they use is standard from station to station. But beyond the usual gear, they each have a source of identity that's unique to the neighborhoods they serve.

'It's a morale booster': Asheville firefighters show team pride with unique shirts

"Everybody's issued a shirt within the department, and it says 'Asheville Fire Department' on the back. This is a way to stand out," said Asheville Fire Department senior firefighter Brian Wohleben.

It's more than just a fashion statement. Custom designed shirts give firefighters a source of identity and connection to their fire station and community.

"The one right now, is the 'Ladder One' shirt. It's our Transformer design," said firefighter Newt Money.

"We have the Quint 10 crab on the back here," fellow firefighter Ross Stewart said, proudly showing News 13 his shirt at Asheville Fire and Rescue Station 10.

"I think it gives a good ownership of the truck and the station. You want to be proud to represent," said firefighter Ross Stewart.

"It's a morale booster," explains Wohleben, who has designed the shirts for the past seven years. "Every design is special. Every design is meaningful to the truck and the apparatus that it goes to and the guys that work there."

It all began with the classic Engine 6 shirt.

Later, senior firefighter Wohleben made a new version of that original design, and he began creating more tees upon request.

"Previously to this profession, I was a high school art teacher," he told News 13.

His creation for Squad One features the squad squid. Meanwhile, the Asheville Logistics t-shirt has a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle motif.

"They're our guys that keep us supplied -- all of our truck needs, all of our station needs," Wohleben said of the Asheville Logistics team.

"A lot of people start coming to you for little bits and pieces of design. So I started doing it from there and it kind of escalated into this little monster of a thing," he said.

Each design becomes part of the fabric of the fire department's culture.

Engineer Brian Lawrence said late Captain Jeff Bowen was an early supporter of them.

"Jeff Bowen first had the Rescue 3 shirt designed, and he brought it up to be able to wear it online, and that started it all off. So that's a really neat historical tie to how this all began," Lawrence said.

In 2011, Bowen was killed in the line of duty. The T-shirts are a fond reminder of their friend.

"Whenever we wear these shirts around, these unique shirts of ours, it's a way for us to keep tight with him. Yeah, it's pretty neat," Lawrence saod.

The colorful tradition is now a conversation starter.

"It can be a little competitive. 'Who has the best design?'" said Wohleben. "So it's kind of a special thing to everybody when you have your own shirt and you're out in public and people recognize you. They see you, and they want to be part of that culture. It's cool to see your designs around the city."

And the common thread is a sense of pride in the teamwork it takes to do their job.