GUINNESS WORLD RECORD EVENT: Largest Collection of Fire Patches
Event Overview:
Come see history in the making with this FREE event on August 4th, 2023, at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center! Counting will take place starting at 10am. Retired Albany Fire Department Marshal Bob Brooks will attempt to break his own record set in 2011 (then, 8,158 patches). He estimates he now has 14,000 patches to count!
Past Successful Attempt:
This video, from 2011, highlights the incredible achievement of Albany Deputy Fire Marshal Bob Brooks, who has set a new world record for the largest collection of fire department patches. With a collection of 8,158 patches, Bob has surpassed the previous record of 4,513 set by Juan Carlos Sanchez Cachero in 1992. Watch as Mayor Sharon Konopa, Police Chief Ed Boyd, and professional speaker Howard Baker Jr. act as judges and spend two hours counting the patches and officially recording the count. Despite the potential dollar value of his collection, Bob is more interested in its place in history.
Event Details:
- When: August 4th, 2023 10am to 2pm
- Where: Linn County Fair and Expo Center
- Address 3700 Knox Butte Road NW, Albany, OR 97322
- Cost: FREE
A message from Bob Brooks:
I am Bob Brooks, a retired Deputy Fire Marshal from the Albany FD. I am reaching out to invite you to a momentous event taking place in Albany. With 35 years of experience in the fire service and over 40 years of collecting fire department shoulder patches, I am amazed at how my hobby has grown. What started as a simple collection has now become an extraordinary endeavor.
My ultimate goal is to represent every fire department in the United States by showcasing their shoulder patches in the Oregon Fire Service Museum. These patches symbolize our shared history, illustrating where we came from, what we do, and where we are headed. As a proud former firefighter, I believe it is crucial to display these patches so that others can witness the pride worn by firefighters across our great nation.
I am also thrilled to announce my ambition of breaking my previous Guinness World Record. On June 22, 2011, at the Linn County Fair & Expo, I exhibited my collection of 8,158 fire patches and shattered the existing record held in Madrid, Spain. Now, with the invaluable assistance of the Albany Fire Department, I am eager to display the over 14,000 fire department shoulder patches in my collection and make a new record-breaking attempt.
Thank you for considering my invitation, and I sincerely hope to see you at the event.
Bob Brooks
Retired Albany FD
Other Upcoming Events:
The Great Oregon Steam-Up
Saturday, July 29 - Sunday July 30, 2023
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday, August 5 - August Sunday 6, 2023
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Pacific Northwest Truck Show
Friday, Aug 25, 2023
10:00 AM to 10 PM
9:00 AM to 5 PM
Location
The Oregon Fire Service Museum is located at Powerland Heritage park, just north of Salem, Oregon and just 1 minute off I-5