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Royalton Township Fire Department Mission Statement

The Royalton Township Fire Department is committed to serve the Township with Pride and Dedication by protecting Life, Property and Environment from Fire or other emergencies in a safe and efficient manner.

The Royalton Township Fire Department (RTFD) is a paid, on-call fire department. The fire station is not manned 24 hrs a day, the fire fighters respond from their various locations. RTFD responds to many different emergencies that the citizens of Royalton Twp. or people traveling through the area might have. RTFD also assists in many calls for support from our neighboring communities that request additional manpower. RTFD is equipped to offer full rescue and extrication capabilities as well as fire suppression.

Royalton Township covers 18.5 sq miles and has a population of around 4,000 people. Royalton Twp. resides in Berrien County in the state of Michigan.

The Royalton Township Fire Department prides themselves on training and professionalism in stressful situations. They take pride in the history and the men that came before them to make the fire department what it is today!

RTFD GETS NEW GEAR

Royalton Township Fire Department is happy to announce that it has received a grant from the U.S Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program for total of $28,290, which went to the purchase of outfitting half the fire departments members in new Firefighter Turnout Gear and a new Washer Extractor to wash the gear. The Royalton Township Board also approved to spend an amount not to exceed $18,000 which also included the 5% match per the AFG grant to outfit the remaining members of the fire department. In total $44,248 was spent on upgrading all 21 Royalton Twp Firefighters with new helmets, gloves and turnout pants and coats. The federal money gave the department the opportunity to upgrade the protective clothing that is recommended to be replaced every 10 yrs per National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), by covering half the cost it lessen the burden on the township and essentially making budget room to outfit the whole department and not just half.

Fire Takes Out Royalton Junk Biz

Joe Garber Reporting
The flee market Ted's Junk N Stuff of Royalton Township was turned into what it's name implies. A fire completely destroyed two levels of old house structure at Rocky Weed Road and M-139 Thursday afternoon. Royalton Township Fire Chief Ronald Koebel:

Koebel says the structure is so old he was concerned about the building collapsing with all the weight of the water used to put out the fire

Owner Ted Pottle says he lost everything and will find new place to rebuild his business. No injuries were reported, but Pottle's birds died. A next door cell phone store in the same building was spared from the fire.

After more than three decades of honoring firefighters, Exchange Club devotes awards to the leaders

By JULIE SWIDWA - H-P Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 1:06 PM EDT

ST. JOSEPH - Fire chiefs are duty-bound to protect citizens and their property.

But even more, the chiefs are responsible for the safety of firefighters in their charge. That is why the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph Exchange Club decided this year to honor seven area fire chiefs at the club's annual Firefighters of the Year awards luncheon.

"In the 36 years we've been doing this, we've never honored the chiefs," said Jim Cassidy, Exchange Club program chairman for Tuesday's meeting at the Whitcomb Tower retirement residence in St. Joseph. "I noticed that the chiefs had never been recognized, and we wanted to fix that immediately."

Receiving Distinguished Service Awards were: Mike Davidson, Chikaming Township fire chief; Dan Durham, Benton Township fire chief; Gary Maynard, St. Joseph Township Station 1 chief; Al Todd, St. Joseph fire chief; Ron Burkett, Lincoln Township fire chief; Ron Koebel, Royalton Township fire chief; and Bruce Stover, Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township fire chief.

The chiefs, packing a combined total of about 150 years of firefighting experience in Berrien County, received plaques, mugs commemorating the Exchange Club's 100-year anniversary and $50 gift certificates to area restaurants. The awards were presented by Dale Stover, former Exchange Club member and retired firefighter from North Berrien Fire Rescue.

"Firefighters run into burning buildings when everyone else runs out," he said.

He called firefighters "a strange breed, but one of brotherhood."

"All of us are responsible for protecting you and your lives, but our first responsibility is to protect our firefighters," said Bruce Stover, Dale Stover's brother.

Their father, Cleon Stover, was also a firefighter, and Bruce Stover's daughter and two sons-in-law serve under him on the Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township Fire Department.

"My wife, Barb, carries a pager too, because she babysits when that alarm goes off," Bruce Stover said.

Barb Stover said that after years of interrupted dinners, "I make pot roast now, because the longer it cooks the better it gets."

Many of the chiefs honored Tuesday said their families are the real heroes.

"I'd like to honor our wives and significant others for putting up with us helping everybody else," Koebel said. In addition to the years of firefighting, most of the chiefs were recognized for having obtained Assistance to Firefighters grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The grants fund equipment and vehicles for fire departments across the country in a competitive grant process.

The grants obtained by the area chiefs are: Burkett, $150,000; Durham, $190,000; Maynard, $146,000; Koebel, $148,000; and (Bruce) Stover, $117,000 for his department and three regional grants totaling $1.3 million for radio updates for 26 departments in Berrien County.

Cassidy said area restaurants that donated gift certificates for the fire chiefs were the Pump House Grill, Grand Mere Inn, Cassava, Port 412, the Bistro at the Boulevard and the Ideal Place.

jswidwa@TheH-P.com

TORNADO 2010

Thank You & Good Luck;

RTFD would like to thank John Nelson and Mark Gember for their years of dedication to the Royalton Twp. Fire Dept. and the people of the community. They combined for over 50 years of service. Their retirements were accepted and they will both be missed.