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“I am veryproud to have had
the opportunity to make it for
Congressman Michael Guest.”
Local firefighter, Captain Steven Dedmon
shares his own patriotism and sense of brotherhood
with a unique and beautiful dedication to
the flag. He repurposes old and out of service
firehoses into stunning works of art honoring
America and fellow firefighters and police
officers.
Currently serving as captain with the City of
Brandon Fire Department, Dedman has dedicated
the last 28 years of his life as a professional firefighter.
He and his wife of 34 years, Becky, proudly
call Pearl, Mississippi their home. There they
have raised their five children and have become
doting grandparents to seven grandchildren.
The Dedmons’ two sons have taken after their
father and chosen to serve the citizens of Brandon
as public servants themselves, one serving as a
police officer and the other a fire captain/
paramedic.
Dedmon said, “I was inspired by other
firefighters that had taken old firehose and made
American flags with it.” His stunning creations
have gained local attention among his fellow
public servants. Some of them can be seen
hanging in various fire departments and offices
of local law enforcement. One of his creations
hangs in the foyer of Mississippi Congressman
Michael Guest’s office. He added, “I am very
proud to have had the opportunity to make it
for him.”
Late last year, local Madison County Deputy
Brad Sullivan was injured in the line of duty.
Dedmon was inspired to make a “thin blue line”
flag to show support for Sullivan. The “thin blue
line” is a phrase that refers figuratively to the
position of police in society as the force which
hold back chaos. The blue refers to the color of
the police uniform itself. Pieces of hose were
donated by Pearl, Richland, Reservoir, Flowood,
Byram, Ridgeland, Jackson, Gluckstadt, Madison,
Clinton, and Canton fire departments along
with the Mississippi Fire Academy. Dedmon
stated, “This flag is very special to me because the
entire fire service in the surrounding area came
together to help an injured brother.”
To further show his support, he dedicated his
time and talent into creating two additional flags
which he eagerly donated to local fundraisers to
help raise money for Deputy Sullivan. Dedmon
takes such pride in his work and helping his
fellow brothers and is planning to construct
more flags for fundraisers for Sullivan for “as long
as he needs help.”
Flags take approximately 3-6 days to create.
The actual construction takes patience and
dedication, along with skill and precision. Once
a hose is found and decommissioned, or retired
from use, it must be cleaned and dried. Dedmon
explained, “Firehose comes in multiple colors so
the natural color is used when possible, but it can
be dyed or painted to get the desired color.”
Once the hose has been cut the desired length
and colored per the particular design or look to
be achieved, it is secured to a plywood backing.
Adding to the true labor of love that goes into
the flag’s construction, Dedmon carefully hand
cuts each of the 50 stars. He said, “I refer to my
stars as snowflakes, no two are the same.” Each
flag is a hand-crafted, stunning piece of artwork
that holds a special meaning for everyone lucky
enough to have one.
Dedmon’s dedication, loyalty, and honor to
the citizens of Brandon and local law enforcement
and firefighters can be seen in each of these truly
unique, one of a kind pieces. l
52 • JUNE 2020