By Pat Maurer
Correspondent
Four area fire departments, Clare, Surrey Township, Garfield Township and Lincoln Township, got together to help out a fire department in Kentucky which was recently destroyed by a tornado.
Clare Chief Jim Chapman said, “We were contacted by the Fulton County Fire Protection District in Kentucky when they found we had our old Spartan Saulsbury pumper engine for sale.
He said the area was recently ravaged by tornados that completely destroyed two fire stations and nearly all of their equipment.
Although the Clare City Commission has approved it, Chapman said he still doesn’t know if the Kentucky district will buy Clare’s old 2001 Fire Engine #1842 or not, but all four fire departments here wanted to help the Kentucky departments out with equipment that they were not using to help the Fulton County district get back in operation again.
Clare Commissioners agreed to donate their surplus equipment as did Surrey, Garfield and Lincoln departments. “We are all going to donate surplus equipment to help them out,” Chapman told the board at a special meeting Monday.
The items from the four departments that have already been picked up by representatives from the Fulton County Fire Prevention District included turnout gear, a portable pump, portable lights, air bottles and assorted miscellaneous hand tools.