Imagine racing to help someone in need while your own home caught fire behind you.
For the Garfield Township Fire Department, that terrifying scenario became a reality. When answering a call to extinguish a fire in the community, the volunteer on duty soon realized that an additional blaze had broken out at the Garfield Township firehouse.
With no one else around to quell the blaze, the firehouse and all the equipment inside were destroyed. Luckily, no one was injured in the fire, but with its only fire station gone, the citizens of Garfield Township were left at risk. However, once DTE learned of the situation, we jumped in to help.
With the construction of a new fire station already underway, DTE volunteered to provide much needed safety equipment to the new station, including two state-of-the-art fire suits. And when the surrounding communities rallied to create a fundraiser to finish the work, DTE supported by bringing our children’s tent to the event, full of free, fun activities for kids and their families.
“For DTE, this was about more than helping provide equipment for the brave volunteers who serve Garfield Township,” said Ken Horn from First Land Service who supports DTE community projects. “It was about healing and bringing a community together. It felt like an old-fashioned barn raising, where neighbors show up when someone needs them most. DTE was proud to stand alongside the community and be part of it.”
At DTE, it is our privilege and our pleasure to be good neighbors, lending a hand wherever and whenever we can. We are thrilled that Garfield Township is once again equipped to keep their community—and their brave firefighters—safe.
