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At a recent Township Board meeting, Fire Chief Fred Gilstorff honored members of the Peninsula Township Fire Department with a variety of awards for service in 2024.
Firefighter Luke Miller was honored with the Rich VanderMey Memorial Firefighter of the Year Award. In a letter to the Township Board, Chief Gilstorff writes:
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“During 2024, we had so many members do great things throughout the year. It was very hard to pinpoint one individual, as we had many that were deserving of the Firefighter of the Year. For 2024, I am naming Luke Miller as the Firefighter of the Year.
“Luke has only been with the department since September of 2022, but quickly has established being a good team member, a dedicated individual, a person that is trusted and relied upon, and someone who will go the extra mile to make himself and everyone around him better.
“Since joining the department, Luke has put in countless hours to get the training and experience to do the job of a firefighter. He is someone that the department has grown to trust and rely on when help is needed.
“Luke is very deserving of this award, as he epitomizes what being a firefighter is all about and what it means to be there for his community. He is very dedicated to this department and shows a great attitude every day.”
Other awards included:
Department Citations: Joe Sicoli, Joe Cleminson, Cobey Taylor, Lt. Kyle Sarber, Nick Haines, Kyle Johnson, Lt. Kalep Adams, Paul Lipke, Laura Martin, Tyler Strouf and Michael Crichton.
Life Saving Award: Joe Sicoli and Grant Blackmer.
Service Awards: Lt. Kyle Sarber (15 years) and Harrison Holtom (5 years).
A big thank you to Luke Miller, Fire Chief Gilstorff, and all the members of the Peninsula Township Fire Department for looking after our Old Mission Peninsula community. You are very much appreciated!
Luke’s award was presented prior to the Township Board meeting, but here is a photo of the fire team present that night, along with Township Supervisor Maura Sanders.
In other Fire Department news, the team recently responded to a residential fire on Craig Road. Heavy damage was done to the home, but “we are thankful for no injuries to residents or firefighters,” they wrote on their Facebook page.
“Special thanks to our auto aid partners Traverse City FD, Grand Traverse Metro FD, Long Lake Fire Rescue, Mobile Medical Response, Grand Traverse 911 and the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office.”
The Fire Department had to plow their way into the fire, and asks that “residents make sure driveways are clear so we can get to you safely.”
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