Looking back as we move forward

We should always take time to reflect back at our past to guide the direction we are headed. At the Graafschap Fire Department, we are evolving as the needs of our community grows with its ever-changing diverse population and landscape.

Just like most of West Michigan, Graafschap was once a small farming community just down the road from Holland and as half-days journey to Grand Rapids and back. We still have our farms. Although mostly in the Fillmore part of our district, medium-sized dairy and grain farmers still feed the machine of humanity. Smaller farms still exist and even hobby farms have popped up to supply meat and vegetables for their families.

Most of us now work “in-town” or someplace that requires clean shoes and a shower before we enter. Back in 1942, when our fire department was formed, the majority of the firefighters responded as they were. They left work, the field, the plant, the construction site, the dairy parlor, etc.

Today, our fire department is about as a diverse as the population it serves. We still have good people, but they work different full-time jobs. We have people that work in offices, maintenance, trucking, landscaping, food service, city services, and even professional firefighters. One large difference today versus “back in the day”, is the ability for employers to let their people off work to respond. Our part-paid members work further from the area than ever before. They have commitments that keep them at work. Training requirements are stringent to earn and maintain certification. After all, this job can harm or kill you, so you better keep up. Younger generations are more apt to learn technology jobs than they are to learn how pack up and enter a structure fire, or cut a vehicle apart to gain access to a patient.

This is not a new problem. Recently, an article was found from 1992 on the 50th anniversary of GFD. Then Chief Clare Elders is quoted in saying he predicts problems down the road due to the training requirements. The entire article is below:

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