Florida firefighter turns old fire hoses into American flags: 'That's what unites us'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Florida firefighter who has put a patriotic spin on discarded fire hoses by using them to create U.S. flags told “Fox & Friends” Monday that he embarks on such projects because he “loves his country.”
“There’s a lot of division," said Daryl Paul, who works for the Panama City Beach fire department. "You’ve got the left and you’ve got the right. But that’s [the American flag] the one thing that kind of puts us together. That’s what unites us."
Paul said he collects "out-of-service" fire hoses and that they’re also given to him by other departments. He recycles the old fire hoses by turning them into American flags and selling them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I used to make them a lot bigger. So each stripe was each piece of hose but now I kind of paint it to make them smaller and people like a smaller size,” Paul said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Paul said that a fire hose typically lasts for several years and that it only takes a couple of hours to make the flag, which comes in a wooden frame.
“It’s OK that you have a difference of opinion from me or from you, but when it comes to the flag, that’s what brings us together,” Paul said.
Paul, who served as a first responder in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, started his craft in 2015, making one as a decoration for his firehouse. Then it became popular, being displayed all over the country.
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He’s made more than 100 flags so far--one is displayed at a local restaurant.