Jamie Lippins | Daily Press Firefighters and volunteers with From Our Firehouse To Yours unloaded fire gear and other equipment to Delta County volunteer fire departments in this October 2021 event. From Our Firehouse to Yours will be in Twin Lakes Oct. 3 & 4 to distribute more than a million dollars of equipment to local volunteer fire departments.

TWIN LAKES — Members of the Copper Country Volunteer Fire Fighters Association will have the opportunity to select from more than $1 million worth of used firefighting equipment during a special two-day event From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 3 & 4. Hosted at the Twin Lakes Community Center, the event is open to all CCVFD departments and made possible through the generosity of Our Firehouse to Yours, a downstate nonprofit dedicated to supporting rural fire services.

The initiative is led by Denny Hughes, a retired firefighter from Farmington Hills and co-founder of the organization. With over 30 years of experience in firefighting and fire inspection, Hughes now serves as a public safety liaison for Belfor Restoration, a company specializing in fire damage recovery and a proud co-sponsor of the program.

The roots of Our Firehouse to Yours trace back nearly a decade to a Fire Inspectors Conference in East Lansing, where Hughes encountered a fire chief from Rudyard Township inthe eastern Upper Peninsula. The chief was selling $50 raffle tickets in a desperate bid to fund new equipment for his department–still relying on gear that was decades old.

Struck by the disparity, Hughes asked himself: Why are small departments struggling so deeply? The answer was clear — tight budgets and limited access to resources. Inspired, Hughes began reaching out to fellow attendees, asking if they had spare gear to donate. “I started texting fire chiefs right there at the conference,” Hughes recalled. “Helmets, turnout gear, boots–anything to help Rudyard’s crew head home with better equipment.”

The response was immediate and overwhelming. Within days, Hughes had gathered nearly $250,000 in recently retired gear from larger departments with more robust funding and access to federal grants. That initial success sparked a movement.

Over the past ten years, Our Firehouse to Yours has delivered more than $10 million in life-saving equipment to 13 rural communities across Michigan. Next Friday and Saturday, Hughes will arrive in Twin Lakes with eight volunteer firefighters and three vehicles provided by Belfor, carrying up to $1 million in gear for local departments.

For fire crews operating on shoestring budgets, this event is more than a donation–it’s a lifeline. Thanks to Hughes and Our Firehouse to Yours, rural firefighters will be better equipped to protect their communities and themselves.