Fire Department

Danbury Twp. Vol. Fire Dept. 

Danbury Township has experienced a strong and continuous record of outstanding property and life-saving service since the organization of the Marblehead Volunteer Fire Department in 1895 and the Lakeside Volunteer Fire Protective Association in 1905. 

On March 13, 2013 a century-plus history of contracting with these two departments came to momentous consolidation with the formation of The Danbury Township Fire Department. Trustees Charles Scott, David Hirt and Dianne Rozak unanimously agreed to a resolution to create the merged department with an effective date of July 1, 2013 for full operational implementation. This positive combination of resources will continue to offer the same dedicated, professional level of service that residents and visitors on the Marblehead Peninsula have come to expect and appreciate. The Trustees have appointed Marblehead Fire Chief Doug Waugh as Interim Chief to oversee the merger process. 

Former Interim Fire Chief Doug Waugh stated, “I am extremely pleased to be a part of this momentous undertaking. I have found that our community has been blessed to have so many dedicated people serving us. Through two years of dedicated work, we have found that we are able to merge our four entities (Lakeside Volunteer Fire Protective Association, Marblehead Volunteer Fire Department, Village of Marblehead Council and Mayor, and Danbury Township) into a unified Fire and EMS department. All of our personnel have put forth an untold effort to streamline and enhance our public service to all of the residents of Danbury Township. We are all very grateful to be a part of this historical undertaking. We look forward to continuing our services to the community in a highly efficient and unified department of which we can all be proud.” 

Ed Cochenour, Chief of the Lakeside Volunteer Fire Department and Gary Deerhake, firefighter and President of the Lakeside Volunteer Fire Protective Association, collectively said “Thank you to our Township Trustees for the opportunity to operate entirely as one department in Danbury Township. We will now be able to more efficiently administer and manage the equipment, buildings, personal, recruitment, training and the changing to a full-time/part-time EMS. We look forward to volunteering in the new Danbury Township Fire Department.”

In September 2022, the Township completed the construction of the new station located at 7870 E. Harbor Road. Fire Chief Keith Kahler helped design the new modern fire & EMS facility. A .75-mill levy for the firehouse received strong approval in November 2020, and in rapid fashion a new site was chosen that would be centrally located in the township and replace two other smaller fire stations, which will be repurposed. The new 26,000-square-foot facility on a 7-acre field and cost an estimated $6.2 million. “We can now easily serve all corners of the township very quickly, and we solved a lot of problems with its design,” said Kahler. With fire trucks and EMS trucks being built bigger, the new station has larger doors to accommodate them — and include more vehicles. Kahler got a break on the property for the fire station, which had been up for sale. Owned by noted home builder Ken Cleveland, Kahler knew Cleveland had a soft spot in his heart for firefighters in the past and cut the purchase price to a bare bones $75,000. After the title was transferred, Kahler went looking for architects and construction companies. It wasn’t his cup of tea — “I put wet stuff on red stuff! I don’t know about building firehouses” — but he was under the gun. If trustees had waited, the price would have soared. The new station has training facilities for the first time and a large meeting room and break room with a full kitchen. There is a large exercise room, individual sleeping rooms and offices for the chief and other officers. “While some may think an expensive new fire house is difficult to afford, it can actually save local homeowners significant money on homeowner’s insurance,” said Kahler, who recommends residents check with insurance companies to see if their rates go down accordingly. The lower number in the federal rating system means lower insurance rates. “The people in this fire station are dedicated, and we wanted a building where in the future we could have 8 full-time people — an engine crew and two squad crews — that would be comfortably on duty for 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Kahler. “They’re all part-timers in a very dangerous profession and deserve every bit of our support.”

Marblehead History

Prior to the merge forming the Danbury Township Fire Department, the Marblehead Fire Department continuously served the residents of Danbury Township, Marblehead and Lakeside since 1895. The Department was owned by the Village of Marblehead making it the township's only municipal fire department. The Marblehead Fire Department could carry a roster of up to 35 members. The equipment consisted of two fire engines, one grass fire truck, one heavy rescue truck, two type-2 ambulances and one parade truck (a 1941 Dodge Buffalo Pumper still in working condition). The department is proud of being a leader in fire and EMS protection. In 1959, the department was the first in Ottawa County to provide ambulance service. It was also the first department to staff full-time personnel.

Lakeside History

The Lakeside Fire Department, organized in 1905, was a non-profit fire department consisting of 35 active members. The fire chief was Ed Cochenour. The Lakeside Fire Department provided EMS, Fire Suppression, Ice and Water Rescue, High-Angle Rope Rescue, and Fire Prevention services to all of Danbury Township. The department also provided mutual aid resources to the Ottawa County Hazardous Materials Team, The Ottawa County East-End Dive Team, and provide direct support to United States Coast Guard Station Marblehead.

The Lakeside Fire Department operated from two stations in Danbury Township and was equipped with state-of-the-art fire fighting, EMS, and rescue equipment. The department operated a fleet of vehicles including a 2004 Ferrara Quint (a combination pumper and 75-foot ladder truck), a 2002 Hackney heavy rescue truck, a 2000 Horton advanced life support ambulance, a 1996 Sutphen 1,500 GPM pumper, a 1992 Horton advanced life support ambulance, a 1985 Sutphen 1,200 GPM pumper, and a 1983 Chevrolet dive rescue response vehicle. The department also operated a Boston Whaler dive/water rescue boat and housed Ottawa County Hazardous Materials Team response trailer Unit 2.