GESA Fundraising!
Rescue Medical Project 2025
Rescue Medical Project Objectives
The objective of this project is to replace our aging 2005 custom rescue truck. The original truck was a 1991 ½-ton Chevrolet truck chassis with the custom-built box built at what was then Litwiller Mfg. in Ithaca. After 14 years of service, the custom-built box was removed from the chassis, refurbished, repainted, and put on a new 2005 1-ton Chevrolet truck chassis.
Our normal replacement schedule for these types of vehicles is 20-25 years. In January 2026, that truck will be 21 years old. Although not yet at the 25-year mark, the custom-built box, now 34 years old, is nearing the end of its life cycle.
The plan is to replace the current rescue vehicle and our 2001 equipment van with a larger multi-purpose rescue vehicle, or what we in the fire service call a “Squad”. The estimated cost is $185,000.
This unit will not only carry all our rescue and medical equipment but will also carry our Jaws of Life and all our emergency roadway traffic management equipment, which are now carried in two different vehicles.
This multi-purpose vehicle, replacing two vehicles in our fleet, will allow our response efforts to be more coordinated and will also lower our annual maintenance costs.
Dave Nelson, Fire Chief-CAO
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To the Greater Ithaca Community,
Most of our family members’ early lives were established in Ithaca and its neighboring communities and rural areas. We went to school there, established friendships, shopped in the local stores, and most importantly, it was there that the importance of “community” was instilled in us. Typical of developing years, we accumulated memories.
As we went about our lives, even into adulthood, we enjoyed the comfort of knowing that local fire departments were there should our families experience an emergency. For us, that reality was made more significant as six members of our family, spanning three generations, were part of that service to the community.
Regardless of our place in that chain, parent, spouse, child, or department veteran, we always feel nostalgic when we pass that historical red brick building, an anchor in downtown Ithaca, known as the “Fire Hall.” It stirs in us our firm belief in the significance of community service, and for small towns, it is vital to their survival.
These are challenging times for small towns and the rural areas surrounding them. Reduced populations, rising costs, and increasingly limited sources of funding place burdens on local governments in their continued provision of necessary services to citizens.
The Ithaca Fire and Rescue Department and its expanded service area are important to the health and safety of the citizens it serves, and because of our associated history, our sympathies lie with it. Life has taken some of us away from the area, but wherever our current residences are, we feel a connection to the area of our roots. It is in that spirit that we have partnered with the department in establishing this fund drive, and we welcome everyone to help us support their continued efforts to maintain their standards of service.
We’re proud of our family’s heritage and role in the area’s history, and we honor all fire department veterans of the past, including many multigenerational families. To those current IFRD department members, we thank you for your service, and we are excited to participate with you in this financial support campaign as together we celebrate the greater Ithaca community, inspired by our mutual affiliation with that red brick building.
Mike and Kelly Howes
Fred and Lois Howes
Kris and Amber Howes
Ken and Janet (Howes) Zimmerman
Amy Zimmerman
Commercial Bank Project Endorsement
“Commercial Bank is honored to contribute $10,000 toward this important project. Our bank has a long history of serving Gratiot County, and we know how vital it is to support the safety and well-being of the people who live and work here. This initiative not only benefits Ithaca and the
surrounding townships, but also strengthens the entire greater Gratiot area as our emergency services continue to work together and support one another. We are proud to stand alongside the community in ensuring our first responders have the resources they need to protect us all.”
Keven Collison, President & CEO
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
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