Band of Friends Keep ‘Old Wooden Town’ Safe From Fires
By Jessica Delaney

Members of the Mackinac Island Fire Department, in front of the fire hall and firetruck onMarket Street.Pictured are (from left, in back) Ed McGreevy, Joe Gugin, Glen St. Onge, Jason St.Onge, Fire Chief Dennis Bradley, Ben Mosley, Clark Bloswick, former Chief Armand “Smi”Horn, and Mike Bradley, and, in front, Chris Szabo.

The last fire that the Mackinac Island Fire Depart-ment put out was one they had started themselves. The firemen have fought some bad fires, and made heroic rescues, but the trend is in prevention.

According to fireman Armand “Smi” Horn, a former fire chief, the department has improved over the years, and people today are more aware of fire dangers, which has helped to prevent fires on the Island.

“Thank goodness for inspections,” said Mr. Horn. “And most new buildings have sprinkling systems and alarms. We get a lot of false alarms, but it’s worth it. Education, such as newspaper and TV, has helped make people more aware of fire dangers.”

With this summer’s hot, dry spell on the Island, firefighters had to keep increasingly alert and on their toes.

“This is a two-hundred-year-old wooden town, and there’s a risk factor,” said Fire Chief Dennis Bradley. Firefighters here, however, remain confident about their ability to handle fires on the Island.

“If there were a major fire here, with the guys we’ve got and the crew we’ve got, Mackinac Island is pretty safe,” said Ed McGreevy, one of the engineers with the department.

The firemen are supportive of each other, inspire and encourage each other.

James Bazinau served with the Army in Desert Storm. When he returned to the Island, he found the fire department to be an avenue to contribute to the community.

“After being in the military,” he said, “I wanted to be a part of something else. Most of the guys in the department I’ve known most of my life, especially the younger guys. It’s something to belong to, a brotherhood, almost.”

Clark Bloswick, one of the oldest members of the department, agreed that the friendships that exist between most of the men in the department is what caused him to join, and in fact to stay.

“Some of my friends were with the fire department, and they wanted me to join,” he said. “I thought it was interesting, what they did, what we do. It’s a lot of fun; there’s a lot of camaraderie.”

It’s not all fun and games, however. Keeping ready takes a lot of work.

Throughout the year there are unpaid monthly meetings at which the firemen set training schedules, review city ordinances, and inventory the gear. In the fall and winter months, they conduct hour-long drills, some of which include starting and putting out fires.

Earlier this year, a building being torn down provided the rare opportunity to practice with a real fire in a real building. The firemen made the most of it and set several fires in the structure.

“It was excellent training. We could use our safety officers, run the entire gamut, set up a command structure, and just run everyone through the drill,” said Mr. Bradley. “I was really thankful for that. That’s how we keep them motivated.”

Indeed, keeping members of the department motivated can be a trial, especially when they spend hours on training and behind-the-scenes work but rarely get to put their training to a test.

“The hardest thing about being on the department now is that we have these automated systems, and all this technology, and we don’t get the fires,” said Mr. Bradley. “We have rookies with training, but no experience. I’m glad for the community, that there haven’t been any fires, but we need to stay fit. We have exercises and drills, and then only go to false alarms.”

Although false alarms can be extremely trying, firefighters agreed that the security they provide is more important than losing sleep.

The Fire Department is composed of 21 volunteers. Firefighters are paid by each fire call, but not for their training, meetings, or time taken to care for equipment.

“If it were for the money, I wouldn’t do this,” said Mr. McGreevy. “I felt that I should do something for Mackinac Island, since it’s always been there for me. We’re here to save the babies, to save the people.”

“This is a disruptive job,” added Mr. Bradley. “It interrupts life. People are working, they have a family, a social life, and then this, too. It’s a commitment.”

During an alarm, all the members are alerted by radio or pager. There is no way to know who will be able to get to the fire quickly, who is tangled in unavoidable commitments, or who is off the Island. Oftentimes, firefighters will be awakened in the middle of the night, or pulled away from a meal.

“I’ll be out to dinner and get a call,” said Mr. Horn. “When I come back home, my clothes will be ruined. You can never get the smell out.”

Firefighters all agree that a sense of civic duty is what keeps them working with the department.

“A civic duty is a pay back, that’s what it means,” said Mr. Bradley. “To be civic-minded is to take being a good citizen to the successive step. It’s a question of how do you pay back what other volunteers have done for you?”

“We work for the whole love of community and neighbors, and this Island,” said Mr. Horn. “If you’re not thinking of your neighbors, you wouldn’t do it. That’s what we do - we think of our neighbors and friends. Even people you don’t like you want to protect.”

But firefighters can’t take all the credit for being civic-minded. Much of the credit belongs to the community.

Because calls can come in at any time, employers of firefighters know that their employee might have to dash out the door at any moment. Citizens also help by moving bikes out of the way, or lending cell phones to the men on duty.

“This community is so blessed with dedicated people. The whole town is all volunteers, it’s tremendous,” said Mr. Bradley. “Ultimately, it helps the fire department that there are these types of people.”