Designing a wrap for a motor coach that contained poignant photographs as well as the names of more than 3,000 names was a challenge for all involved.

And, now the people who spent countless hours designing and wrapping the vehicle for the America's Fire Service Whistle Stop tour are being recognized for their efforts.

The design has captured the 2007 BUSride/Avery Dennison Graphics MotorVision award.

In addition to receiving 6,333 online votes, the design also caught the eyes of a panel of judges. The effort will be featured in the November issue of BUSride Magazine.

Designers Amy de Boinville and Patti Odbert were pleased with the recognition.

The women spent hours collaborating on the project. "We wanted to make sure it carried safety messages as well as honoring the firefighters who have died in the line of duty," de Boinville said, adding that they poured over many photographs.

The design also showed firefighters working at a scene, and a commander supervising so everyone goes home at the end of the shift.

"Our hearts were into it. We came up with various concepts, and we worked to make sure everything was correct. I thoroughly enjoyed it," she said. "It was the least we could do. . . "

Making sure the 3,147 names of the fallen firefighters were correct proved challenging. But, Odbert said it was imperative that they didn't drop a letter here or there.

At first, even officials at U.S. Coachways were skeptical. But, when Joe Jacovino learned what the tour was all about, he vowed to make it happen.

"I was impressed when I saw the artwork," he said. "What made it extraordinary were the 3,000-plus names. It involved a lot of prep work to make sure none were misspelled. We had to get blueprints to go around hinges and keyholes."

It didn't take much to get Jacovino on board either because he recognized some of the names. They were friends killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

"It meant a great deal. It was carrying a powerful message," he said.

The tour started in California, and made stops across the country in major cities as well as rural communities. The staff of the National Fallen Firefighters' Foundation shared the importance of embracing safety so Everyone Goes Home.

Seeing people point to a name or tell a story about their hero made it all worth while, Odbert said.

"Everyone got on board with us," she said, explaining that U.S. Coachways and Applied Advertising flew people in to make sure everything was being done correctly. "There was total dedication."

They had to make sure every single thing on the bus was taken into consideration, including taillights, vents, bumpers, handles and keyholes.

While the women were working on the final PDF, their computer crashed . . . leading to an 18-hour stint. "It was not a good time," de Boinville said, adding that there was never discussion of quitting or cutting corners.

Their artwork was transferred to a pressure vinyl wrap. "What took diligence is to make sure the application stayed true. When you are working in one dimension, and transfer it to another, it can change," said Ross Jacobs, of Applied Advertising Inc.

Jason Bergeron, the company owner, personally worked on the project, making sure the material didn't stretch and cut off a letter or name of a fallen firefighter.

"Everything had to be perfect," Jacobs said. "That's why it took a lot of time. Thinking about what it was all about, it was our honor to work on it."

Related Links

• Whistle Stop Tour Web Site