Excel Sportswear’s Interview with our Featured “Design of the Week.”
Our featured Design of the Week is this fire scene from the Mound City Fire Department. The shirt features their truck and firefighters battling a house fire, rescuing a woman from a second story window.
Fire Chief Johnnie Coonrod came up with the design, inspired by the charming history of Mound City, Illinois. “We have several historic buildings in Mound City,” says Chief Coonrod. “like the one featured on the shirt. One of our firefighters lives there, actually.”
It is, in fact, Doris VanHorn’s house, as evidenced by the mailbox. Taking a look at some of the details of the shirt reveals even more “easter eggs.” The firefighter in the foreground with 301 on his back is Chief Coonrod himself. And the two others, 305 and 306, are nods to specific firefighters as well.
“They are two of our more dedicated firefighters,”says Chief Coonrod. “Everyone knows who they are. I wanted to make sure to honor them by having them on the shirt.”
It’s the personalized details like these that make Chief Coonrod, and everyone at the fire department love their shirts. In fact, the shirts have even been drawing attention from all around Mound City.
“I was standing in line at Walmart, and the folks behind me started randomly talking to me about my shirt,” recalls Chief Coonrod. “They weren’t with the fire department, in fact, I didn’t even know them. They just loved the shirt.”
This is the second shirt Excel has produced for Mound City Fire Department. “We had one made a few years ago,” says Chief Coonrod. “I was impressed with how they held up after repeatedly being washed. The print looked as good as when they were first made.”
Pleased again with the smooth process, they are already considering options for their next shirt. “Your artist just did such a good job with this one,” says Chief Coonrod. “We sent the photos, and you put it all together so well.”
You can find the Mound City Fire Department on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/moundcity.firedepartment.9
