COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio --
Firefighters who lost two comrades last week in a Colerain Township house fire said their work is helping them get through a difficult time.
"Every alarm drop is significant to us now," said one firefighter. "We still have Robin and Brian the back of our minds."
'We Still Have Robin, Brian In Our Minds,' Firefighters Say
Capt. Robin Broxterman and Brian Schira were laid to rest Wednesday, five days after they died in a burning home.
"We are hurting, everybody is hurting in this area," said Forest Park fireman Mike Rupp.
Firefighters will wear black bands over their badges for the next 30 days, but they'll likely carry heavy hearts underneath for much longer.
"I don't know you how go from experiencing what we've experienced this week to going back to normal," said Colerain Township firefighter Kellie Teller. "I don't know if there will ever be a normal."
Capt. Steve Conn said firefighters must return to their routines, but he admits it won't be easy.
"How we do that is, by what you're seeing here today, we have the crews coming in, the chiefs are addressing everybody, trying to get everybody to get their minds back into the game," Conn said.
Getting back onto their trucks and going on runs would help, firefighters said.
"They hit Springdale and Colerain at the intersection, and they got a little choked up after they got through the intersection, (but) they got themselves together and were good to go," said Capt. Will Mueller.
Firefighters said their work was therapeutic, but stress counselors have spoken to many of them as they returned to the firehouse.
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