Fire dept. goes full-time

Editor's note: On Jan. 21, Danbury Township officials swore in nine full-time firefighters, marking history for the department. Chief Shawn Hunsicker summarized what happened and underscored its importance. The nine full-time firefighters are TJ Almendinger, Jarod Bechter, Kyle Braun, Garret Cellar, Cody Dunn, Andrew Hormell, Don McCune, John Mendofik and Kaiden Nixon. The leadership team under Chief Shawn Hunsicker is assistant Chief Tim Almendinger and Captain Brian McCune. DANBURY TWP. — The Danbury Township Fire Department marked a historic milestone by hiring its first-ever full-time staff, bringing nine full-time members to strengthen emergency services for residents and visitors on the Marblehead peninsula. This transition reflects years of growth in call volume, infrastructure and community expectations and positions the department for faster, more consistent response to fires and medical emergencies. For more than a century, fire and EMS protection in Danbury Township was provided through volunteer and part-time arrangements, ultimately consolidated into the unified Danbury Township Fire Department in 2013. The move to a nine-person, full-time staff builds on that consolidation, creating a more stable and immediately available crew at the station around the clock. The township's modern fire station on East Harbor Road was designed with future full-time staffing in mind, including individual sleeping quarters, training space and work areas for an engine crew and two-squad crews on 24-hour shifts. Those design choices now allow the department's nine full-time members to operate efficiently from a centrally located facility that can reach all parts of the township quickly. With nine full-time personnel on duty across shifts, response time for fires, medical calls and water rescues is expected to improve, especially during critical minutes when early intervention can save lives and property. The enhanced staffing also supports fire prevention education, training and community outreach, helping the department do more than respond: It can work proactively to reduce emergencies. While the addition of nine full-time staff is a major step forward, it is also built on the dedication of volunteers and part-time members who have protected Danbury Township for generations. Their service laid the foundation of today's professional, blended model in which full-time and part-time personnel work together to deliver a higher level of protection to the community.