Amarillo Firefighters Pipes and Drums

Amarillo Firefighters Pipes and Drums Amarillo Firefighters Pipes and Drums is a group of firefighters dedicated to providing HONOR, DEDICATION and TRADITION to Amarillo area first responders.

We are a group of dedicated members learning to play instruments that bring HONOR and TRADITION to the fire service we love so much. The tradition of bagpipes played at fire department and police department funerals in the United States goes back over one hundred fifty years. When the Irish and Scottish immigrated to this country, they brought many of their traditions with them. One of these was t

he Great Highland Bagpipe, often played at Celtic weddings, funerals and ceilis (dances). It wasn't until the great potato famine and massive Irish immigration to the East Coast of the United States that the tradition of the bagpipes really took hold in the fire department. In the 1800's, Irish immigrants faced massive discrimination. Factories and shops had signs reading "NINA" - No Irish Need Apply. The only jobs they could get were the ones no one else wanted - jobs that were dirty, dangerous, or both - firefighters and police officers. It was not an uncommon event to have several firefighters killed at a working fire. The Irish firefighters' funerals were typical of all Irish funerals - the pipes were played. It was somehow okay for a hardened firefighter to cry at the sound of bagpipes when his dignity would not let him weep for a fallen comrade. Those who have attended a funeral where bagpipes were played know how haunting and mournful the sound of the pipes can be. The most famous song played at fire and police funerals is Amazing Grace. It wasn't too long before families and friends of non-Irish firefighters began asking for the bagpipes to be played for fallen heroes. The bagpipes add a special air and dignity to this solemn occasion. Bagpipe bands represent both fire and police often have more than 60 uniformed playing members. They are also traditionally known as Emerald Societies after Ireland - the Emerald Isle. Many bands wear traditional Scottish dress while others wear the simpler Irish uniform. All members wear the kilt and tunic, whether it is a Scottish clan tartan or Irish single color kilt. Today, the tradition is universal and not just for the Irish or Scottish. The bagpipes have become a distinguishing feature of a fallen hero's funeral.

08/31/2026

There has been some scammers posing as us on here. They have been picking up old posts and pretending to be one of us selling AFFPD merchandise. None of us will do this , so please do not click any links to order.

07/18/2026
07/08/2026

Kyle Joy, battalion chief of health safety with the Amarillo Fire Department, said he has worked with AFD continuously since 2004. He said there was a time in his career when mental health care was just a package of M&M’s and a Dr Pepper before the next call.

“You didn’t talk to anybody about it, and you deal with it, and you better not let anybody see you cry,” Joy said.

In 2019, he learned that su***de had become the leading cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths across the country. Joy said the most recent death by su***de for an AFD line-of-duty firefighter was over five years ago, but that, unfortunately, within the past six years, AFD has grieved the loss of multiple retired firefighters who died by su***de. Joy said those deaths, mixed with an increase in reported mental health injuries—such as PTSD or anxiety—amongst AFD firefighters, made the department say: “We have to do something.”

According to the Ruderman Family Foundation, nationally, in 2017, there were at least 103 firefighters who died by su***de and 140 police officers who died by su***de. According to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, around 40% of firefighter deaths by su***de are not reported. It estimated the true number of firefighter deaths to be closer to 250 firefighters, more than twice the number of firefighters who died in the line of duty the same year. In 2021, the Ruderman Family Foundation released another study that found that since 2018, there has been no change in the rates of death by su***de among first responders.

Joy said that over the years, he has seen discussions around mental health become less taboo. The need for mental health care is there, he said, but resources are still developing.

Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2026/07/08/answering-the-call-local-firefighters-collaborate-to-increase-mental-health-support/

I've spent years trying to articulate why I play the bagpipes. We assemble from all over, acting as though no time has p...
06/24/2026

I've spent years trying to articulate why I play the bagpipes. We assemble from all over, acting as though no time has passed since the last tragedy. Most of us don't personally know those who have passed, but we know their spirit of service and we recognize that belong to a large family of firefighters and first responders. For me, though, I play to send a message to those left behind. My years of practice and preparation directly translate to a performance I hope communicates to those left behind how much a grateful community and our fire service family honors their sacrifices. Memorials end, and loved ones are just beginning one of the most profound and difficult journeys anyone can take: surviving.

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