Many faces have come and gone at Navarre Beach Fire Department, but for the few that had the pleasure of meeting him, William “Allen” Acree had a one of a kind personality.
“He cared a lot about other people and always cared about how other people felt,” said NBFD firefighter Kenny Taylor who had the pleasure of working alongside Acree for two years. “He worked on my shift.”
The fellow firefighter tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident on May 19, 2013 in Tiger Point.
Every year since his passing, firefighters at the local agency have pulled together to host an event to remember the fallen brother.
“It’s usually the union that provides for it. We usually have some kind of cookout every year. One year it was fish, another year it was barbecue,” Taylor said. “It’s something different every year.”
This year, the department is hosting a crawfish boil at the fire department on Saturday, June 10. The event will allow firefighters to pay their respects to Acree, who died when he was only 30 years old.
The Jacksonville native had just celebrated his third anniversary with the department when he passed away. Prior to working for the NBFD, he worked for the Midway Fire Department.
“We have his family come down as well and the union usually puts (them) up in a hotel,” Taylor said.
