Duty. Pride. Tradition. They are the three words that permeate the culture at the Dalton Township Fire Department. Now, your first thought might very well be, "That's nice, but it's probably just something they came up with for the logo." Well, not really. Dalton Township is situated centrally in Muskegon County and it's service are includes a lot of the major parts of our community. From our commute on US 31 to our recreation at places like Michigan's Adventure or maybe some of the inland lakes with growing home ownership in the northern part of the county, the Dalton Township Fire Department is a hub for so many services. Fire, auto accidents, water rescue, medical calls and more, a "small" fire department like Dalton has to be well versed and ready for almost any challenge, day or night and like just about any agency, they have to do it all on a minimal budget and make the best of what they have. They take their duty seriously.
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Time goes on however, and even for the smaller municipalities, costly improvements need to happen. A little over a year ago, the Dalton Township Fire Department asked their voters for a big, and I mean BIG improvement. The need was there for a brand new fire truck. As you might guess, a brand new fire truck with every modern necessity on board and the ability to carry 1000 gallons of water to the scene as there are not a lot of hydrants up around Dalton, well, it was a big ask for the voters, but the need was real and the community made the sacrifice to vote yes and provide the new truck. They took the pride in making the ask for what was truly needed, and voters responded in kind.
Well, Monday night at the Dalton Fire Station, it was time for the dedication. The community gathered for a first look and some refreshments offered up in the fire bay, which Chief Alan Styles was very quick to point out, "This building is yours, we're just here to watch over it, please have a look around and enjoy the treats." It was pretty clear though, the star of the show is 1222. The new truck has been in house for a short while, but shifting over the equipment and accessories takes a little time. As the truck sat there awaiting the blessing and official welcome to the community, it was time for one of the greatest traditions in the fire fighting world to happen, in fact, it's maybe a once in a career happening according to Chief Styles. Take a listen here and learn what the "Push In Ceremony" is all about. Here's your lesson in deep tradition.
Pretty cool huh? Our thanks to Cheif Styles for the invite up to share this incredible tradition with all of us. The community turn out in Dalton Township was great and the atmosphere was one of togetherness. As you heard the speakers, the hope is the truck isn't used all that much. No one wants a visit from a fire truck for any circumstance, but...if it's needed, it's there.
