LOWELL, Mich. — While sirens rang as children were able to experience rides in a fire truck, the Lowell Area Fire Department welcomed the community just days after a house fire took the life of a four-year-old boy, and leaving his 27-year-old father critically injured, while the family also lost their home and possessions.
"We all live in this community. We all work in this community. We care very passionately about this community, and that's why we do the job that we do," said Fire Chief Shannon Witherell.
The department held its annual fire-prevention open house and trunk-or-treat event, but this year with a special collection site for donations for the family that has lost their home, and their child.
"Taking care of our community members beyond the call has always been a part of what we do here," said Witherell, as he said community members had been donating money, clothing, and household items throughout the day, as crowds arrived for a night of Halloween fun and fire safety.
Children and parents alike came dressed in costumes, as members of the fire department handed out candy. Games taught children about the job of a fire fighter, along with hands-on activities teaching how to prevent fires, and what to do if they find themselves in one.
"It's very therapeutic for us coming off of an incident that we were just involved in to see so many kids having such a good time," said Witherell as he says the fire department is also healing.
"A couple of days ago...there was a bad fire and a child died, and days later they are all here doing this for the public, because that's what they do. The firemen are just...I keep saying they're super humans because they just do this out of the love of their hearts," said Bruce Doll who has volunteered to take photos at the event for the past three years.
Chief Witherell also says the Lowell Area Fire Department is thankful for the rally of support from their community and other area fire departments.
"We've had businesses drop off gift cards and increase our donations, their donations for candy for this event, so we've had more candy to cover the added people to it. So we appreciate our community, not only the community of Lowell or the greater Lowell area, but the fire service community as well."
