Combining music with Bryan Fire Lt. Todd Mack's Irish and Scottish roots came naturally.

Firefighting already was in his blood: His uncles and cousins wore the badge and his grandmother served as a firefighter in Round Rock during World War II when the men went off to war.

It's been two decades since he signed up at the fire academy, but it wasn't until two years ago that he decided to start wearing a family kilt passed down from an uncle and begin playing the bagpipes.

His grandmother shelled out the $1,500 for the instrument and from there Mack recruited members to the Bryan Firefighters Pipes and Drums band, following a 150-year-old tradition that originated in the fire houses of New England.

"I knew we needed a band like that here," Mack said. "It's been in my blood a long time."

The band now has four playing members and he's the president. Mack and Marc Murchison play pipes. Kevin Seeber and Adam Temple play drums. Two other firefighters, Chris Martin and Zak Prihoda, are learning to play.

"It's a start," he said. "As far as pipe bands go, that is small."

College Station also has a four-member band made up of James McNeely on pipes, John Paul Moore on snare drum, Leon Moore on tenor drum and Jason Neuendorff on bass drum. .

Starting the bands

Once Mack's band started, the other members agreed to make Mack's family tartan their uniform, but what to wear was the least of their problems. None of the four firefighters had ever played the instruments. They spent about a year just practicing on their own, and now are able to perform.

"It's rewarding to see it finally kind of come together. It seemed like it was never gonna come together," Mack said.

McNeely started the College Station band in 2007. He began playing the bagpipes by himself and attended several events alone.

He then decided to ask other firefighters if they wanted to join him.

"I initially started it mainly to learn how to play the pipes and to honor the fallen firefighters," McNeely said.

Mack said that bagpipes are one of the hardest instruments to learn, and it can take up to 12 years to master the instrument.

"It's pretty challenging, and there's not a lot of instruction around here," Murchison said.

With a second job and a family, Mack still finds time to practice about an hour every day.

Murchison, who said he has always been musically inclined, practices every day and also drives to Houston twice a month with McNeely for lessons.

"It's kind of taken over my life," Murchison said. "It's something I have to do every day."

Murchison and McNeely are the pipe majors of their bands.

Honoring the fallen

Mack said there are about 20 other pipe bands in Texas, but the closest other bands are in Houston, Austin and Dallas.

Both bands are members of the statewide Pipe and Drum Band Association. The men receive emails when pipers or drummers are needed and can travel across the state to honor a fallen firefighter. The Bryan band has played at several funerals, along with two local Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies.

"The benefit [of being in a pipe band] is to actually personally be able to honor someone at a funeral. I feel like I've personally helped more to honor the person," Mack said.

The College Station band had the opportunity to play at several Sept. 11 events in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex this year with other pipers and drummers from across Texas. They also play at funerals for fallen firefighters.

"It's definitely a traditional part of the fire service," John Paul Moore said. "It's an honor for us to be a part of honoring the fallen."

Mack said he feels that it makes more of a statement to the family as a piper rather than an audience member and makes more of an impact.

Tradition, giving back

The tradition of Irish and Scottish firefighters began around the time of the Irish potato famine, firefighters said.

Ellis Island saw an influx of immigrants, who took up dirty and dangerous jobs that no one else wanted.

The Irish and Scottish influence on firefighting caused bagpipes to be incorporated into funerals.

Mack said that almost everything in the fire service is a tradition.

"[The tradition of] bagpipes has lasted because everything else has," Mack said. "We're a bunch of stubborn guys really."

The Bryan band traveled Saturday to Colorado Springs, Colo., to join more than 200 pipers and drummers at the International Association of Firefighters Memorial.

Firefighters from the United States and Canada gathered to honor firefighters who died in the line of duty this year.

"There's so many pipers and drummers that you blend in if you make a little mistake. I know I'll be able to play right along," Mack said before the memorial.

Murchison said that the most beneficial parts of joining the band have been meeting other band members across the state and nation and seeing how it affects the families of the fallen firefighters.

"I wanted a way to give back to the guys who have helped me," he said.