DeTour Volunteer Fire Department

10/06/2026

Help us welcome Denny, Belfor and the rest of the team! Wednesday, October 7 at 4:30pm at the Raber Fire Hall!

10/05/2026

Ben Richwine has spent 29 years showing up for Drummond Island. Tomorrow night is our chance to show up for him.

After nearly three decades with Drummond Island Fire & Rescue, including about four years as Fire Chief, Ben is stepping down from the department. The Township Board will act on his resignation at its meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 PM at Frank J. Sasso Hall, 29935 E. Pine St. Our new Fire Chief will also be announced at that meeting.

Ben got a lot done as Chief. He upgraded our equipment, brought the department up to code, and modernized our accounting so the department is on solid footing for whoever comes next. Just as important is how he did it. Ben led with integrity and humility, and he was always the first to point to his crew and give them the credit instead of taking it himself. Anyone who has worked alongside him knows that's just who he is.

Ben, thank you for 29 years of service to this island, to your neighbors, and to everyone who has served with you. We're proud to have had you as our Chief.

If Ben has helped you, your family, or your property over the years, please come to the meeting tomorrow night and tell him so. We'd love to see a full room.

09/20/2026

Shortly after 11 pm Friday night we were dispatched to a structure fire on S Spring Bay rd and responded with our 2 engines, tanker and rescue, and 7 firefighters.

Also responding was our mutual aid partners from Raber Twp fire with 3 engines and man power.

Upon arrival we found the structure fully engulfed in flame.

All we could do was shuttle many tankers of water from the village to put the fire out.

Thank you Jeff from the water dept for manning the hydrant and Raber fire for the assist!

We were back in service at 4:00 am.

With additional work Saturday cleaning and making sure everything in its place and ready to go!

09/12/2026

Last Wednesday we were requested by the Clark township fire department for mutual aid at the Snow's bar & grill fire.
We responded with a tanker, rescue and 5 personnel.

09/11/2026

08/26/2026

The Stevenson Family has graciously donated 3 guns in honor of Connie Stevenson to be raffled off on October 24th, with ALL proceeds going to the Raber Township Volunteer Fire Department (RTVFD)! ❤️🚒

🎟️ Tickets:
• 1 for $5
• 6 for $20
• 30 for $50

Tickets are selling now! See any Raber firefighter or message our page to get yours.

A huge THANK YOU to the Stevenson Family for this wonderful donation in Connie’s memory. ❤️

And thank you to Clyde & Connie Pritchard for donating the tickets! We truly appreciate your support of our local firefighters. 🚒❤️

08/19/2026

💥As of today, August 17th 2026, The Fire Equipment Grant Program has been funded and is now accepting applications. Applications must be submitted by September 30, 2026.

💥The purpose of this grant program is to provide funding to local units of government to assist with the purchase of fire equipment for all firefighters that are on-call, part-time, or volunteer. This is only for the state of Michigan.

💥The link to an application and more information is located below:
🔗https://www.michigan.gov/treasury/local/share/fire-equipment-grant

08/01/2026

🚒 Raber Volunteer Fire Department Annual Raffle Tickets Are Here! 🚒

Our 2026 Annual Raffle tickets are now available!

🎟️ $50 donation per ticket
💰 Chance to win $5,000
🎟️ Only 300 tickets will be sold!

📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026
📍 Raber Township Hall

🍽️ Whitefish dinner starts at 4:00 PM until sold out
🎟️ Raffle begins at 7:00 PM

To purchase a ticket, see any Raber Volunteer Firefighter or Raber Township Board Member.

A special thank you to the Raber AMVETS Post 79 for hosting this year’s raffle, and a heartfelt thank you to Clyde and Connie Pritchard for their generous donation of the raffle tickets. Your support helps make this event possible!

Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Raber Volunteer Fire Department. Your generosity helps us provide the equipment, training, and resources needed to serve our community. We look forward to seeing you on October 24! 🚒❤️

07/26/2026

Don’t forget about the delicious summerfest chicken dinner today at the Rudyard township hall. Still have tickets available. Meals start serving at 11am-2pm

06/25/2026

TurboDraft
™
WATER EDUCTOR FOR FIRE FIGHTING
Distant Water Source Situation1,2,3
for 5” Unit
Pump

Length of Lift Discharge Base Line
5” Hose Pressure Fire Flow1,2
50 10 165 psig 670 GPM
20 165 psig 470 GPM
100 10 170 psig 570 GPM
20 170 psig 400 GPM
150 10 175 psig 480 GPM
20 175 psig 325 GPM
200 10 180 psig 440 GPM
20 180 psig 280 GPM
Values listed reflect the minimum available flow rate in gallons per minute.
NOTE: Using 6” large diameter hose line can increase usable flow by
decreasing line friction loss.
1,2,3
See back cover for details.
TAP WATER SOURCES IN REMOTE LOCATIONS
Rural fire departments need creative solutions to use
water sources that are not accessible using typical drafting
techniques. Schutte & Koerting’s TurboDraft Fire Eductor allows
fire departments to tap into water supplies like lakes, ponds,
streams, and rivers, etc. at a distance of up to 200' or more. Usable
fire flows of 670 gpm or more may be achieved dependent upon
hose layout and elevation change.
TURBODRAFT SETUP
Weighing only 47 lbs., the 5-inch TurboDraft Fire Eductor can easily
be put into service with minimal personnel. Setup is quick and
simple utilizing standard fire service hose lines. Once the 21
⁄2" feed
line and 5" LDH return line are connected, the TurboDraft is
deployed into the static source. (See Figure 1)
TURBODRAFT OPERATION
Once the TurboDraft Fire Eductor has been deployed it can be
quickly placed into service. The inlet suction valve of the pumping
engine is left closed and its air bleeder is opened. The 21
⁄2" line is
charged using water from the onboard water tank. The force of this
flow combined with TurboDraft eductor technology creates a
suction that draws water from the static source. As this happens,
the large diameter hose (LDH) is charged back to the pump suction
valve. After the air is bled from the LDH, the bleeder valve is closed
and the intake valve is opened. At this point the water supply has
been established. 200 gpm is re-circulated through the pump to
maintain a continuous flow without the need of the onboard water
tank. The balance of the “drafted” water is now available to supply
hand lines, hose lays, or to fill tanker/tender operations. Usable
flows will vary based on elevation and hose friction loss.

Just a reminder to review