Zachary Paris was born May 10, 1986, in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Gerald and Carol Paris. He graduated from Fleetwood High School in 2005. He had a great love for the outdoors as a hunter and fisherman, starting at an early age. He especially loved fishing and shared that love with his two daughters by taking them out on the boat and teaching them how to fish. Pleasant afternoons were spent at the lake as Daddy taught the girls how to bait their hooks and to wait patiently for a bite. He also enjoyed working on and restoring classic cars and riding his Harley Davidson Road King. One of his favorite adventures was when he and his dad rode their motorcycles to Florida to visit his grandfather and succeeded in getting him on a motorcycle.

At the age of 15, Zach volunteered as a junior firefighter with Blandon Fire Company. Being too young to drive, Zach tied two baskets on the back of his bicycle for his boots and fire gear to faithfully get to fire calls. He joined the New Tripoli Fire Company in 2010 as a volunteer firefighter and worked his way up to assistant chief. He also trained hard as a member of Recruit Class 32 for Frederick County Division of Fire Rescue Services in Maryland from March to September 2022. He graduated to become a career firefighter and EMT for the Green Valley Fire Station, part of the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services. Zach drove between Green Valley and New Tripoli, serving at both fire stations since September 2022.

Zach worked in agriculture with his father-in-law on the family farm; he later became a sprayer applicator for Timac in Reading, an agriculture-related company. However, his lifetime dream was to become a career firefighter, and in 2022 his older daughter, Lila, had the honor of pinning him at his graduation.

Zach leaves behind his wife and two daughters, his parents and sister, along with many nieces and nephews. He also left behind his fire company brothers and sisters.

He left this earth doing what he loved, serving his community as a firefighter.