Firefighters Scott Carr and Rob Demlow, who have no artistic background, are finding success with their unique hobby turned business.
FISHERS, Ind. (NOTE: See video below for Carlos Diaz’s entire interview with Fishers firefighters Scott Carr and Rob Demlow.)
Two Fishers firefighters have discovered a way to honor America and their fellow first responders while also showing off their artistic side — and making a little extra cash.
Firefighters Scott Carr and Rob Demlow are making American flags entirely out of old fire hoses.
“Firefighters around [the country]when a section i [fire]the hose goes bad, whether it’s on fire or during training, they’re just taking them off the truck and throwing them away,” Carr said. “We had a hose laying around the fire getting ready to go in the bin. “What if we could do something with this fire pipe to make a piece of art that symbolizes the flag?”
The end result was a beautiful, unique piece of art.
“When we started this, it started as a fun hobby and it blossomed into this business that’s starting to take off and do well,” said Carr, with neither firefighter having any artistic background.
When Fishers Fire Station 92 was renovated a few years ago, Carr and Demlow decided the walls were bare and boring, so they jumped into action by painting multiple Station 92 logos on the fire walls.
“We asked the station captain and he was gracious enough to let us use our artistic skills,” Demlow said.
The positive response to their artwork was encouraging – as well as surprising.
“I think we were both [surprised]”, Demlow said.
This logo artwork led the duo to create American flags out of fire hoses, which led to them founding Brotherhood Designs earlier this year. Since then, Carr and Demlow have sold 29 fire flags for $2,000 per flag.
“First, we get the hose that’s going to be thrown in the trash,” Demlow said. “We feel like we’re doing something that’s helping the environment as well. We’re cleaning it up, cutting it down to the size we need for the flag. Then we make a prop. The stars are cut from hose, and they’re the same material, the same hose and laser cut. Some of our first ones are cut by hand.”
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Carr and Demlow recently designed and donated a flag to the family of fallen Elwood police officer Noah Shahnavaz.
“We knew his connections to the Fishers,” Carr said. “We have the ability to do something beautiful to commemorate him, and this is something unique. We decided we would make a fine blue flag in his honor.”
Another of their Thin Line series flagships is on display at an art show in Fishers.
And then there’s a certain country music star who’s a huge fan of their flags and has one displayed in his bar in Nashville.
“John Rich!” Demlow said. “He’s the famous country music star who sings ‘Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy’ with Big & Rich.”
So with all this success, do Carr and Demlow finally consider themselves artists?
“I believe we’ve filled a niche that’s artistic in itself,” Demlow said. “We are proud of him.”
We’ll count that as a “Yes!”