Firefighter Mat Post of Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Company talks about the donations that are being collected to take down to Kentucky to help fire departments that have been effected by recent tornadoes. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Generous volunteer firefighters from this region are about to deliver packages in time for Christmas to fellow firefighters whose station houses and trucks were destroyed in last Friday’s powerful tornadoes in Kentucky.

Donated gear and apparatus are being inventoried at the Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Department near Montgomery in preparation for the convoy taking off tonight for Mayfield and other hard struck communities whose fire stations were obliterated in the rare December F-5 twisters.

“They lost everything,” said Mat Post, a township firefighter, who also runs with Muncy Area Volunteer Fire Co. and is spearheading the donation drive and delivery. Post said because of multiple fire companies and departments throughout the county and nearby counties firefighters in Kentucky who no longer have engines and apparatus will be able to provide service to their civilians as they try to get back to normal.

After seeing their fire stations reduced to rubble, “I thought to myself ‘what can I do?'” Post said.

The expected 17-hour trip will bring them invaluable items as Indian tanks, which are used in brush and wildfires, at least 2,000 feet of hose and emergency medical supplies such as masks and gloves.

Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Department members met in a hastily called meeting earlier this week and voted unanimously to donate an engine that the company had on the market for sale.

“Firefighters are brothers,” Post said, with emotion as he took a call on the cell phone and a woman walked in with a check to donate to the fire department.

In the disaster aftermath, the federally-declared disaster zones continue to get supplies of clothing, non-perishable foods, hygienic products and water — delivered by task forces attached with the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

This is a mission-specific run, to help firefighters specifically.

“I would hope if we needed similar assistance these companies would do for us what we want to do for them,” Post said.

The volunteers won’t leave locals stranded in case of fire or emergencies.

“We will have volunteers who will be here and not going on the trip to continue to provide service to the communities we serve in Lycoming County,” Post said.

The Kentucky mission, however, may keep the volunteers through the holidays.

“We will stay if we have to, through Christmas,” Post said. “I would like to see us adopt a fire company,” he said, adding the volunteers have families, many with children and grandchildren.

“A few of these station houses are gone,” he said. These firefighters and their families won’t have a normal Christmas this year.

“We are going as fellow firefighters and brothers and sisters in the fire service,” he said.

Among those providing feedback they would take part include firefighters in Lycoming, Clinton and Tioga counties, and Columbia (Unityville) area.

Post credited the efforts of fire chiefs Todd Winder, Clinton Township, and Scott Delany, Muncy Area, who listened to his idea and agreed to get messages quickly out to the county fire chiefs association — which then had a request for any serviceable and surplus equipment.

It started out as a tri-county effort, with Lycoming, Clinton and Tioga counties, but it may incorporate up to five counties, Post said. Recently, those in Centre and Columbia counties (Unityville) have expressed interest in the donations.

On the eve of the trip, a trailer is quickly getting filled with the precious cargo. A pick-up truck to be used is packed and Groundshaker Transportation near Muncy will haul the fire engine which should not be driven several hundred miles.

“Firefighting is a brotherhood,” township Fire Capt. Casey Parker said, echoing Post’s sentiment in a video.

They are ready for delivery of the Christmas miracles on the ground in Kentucky.

That is because Winder made contact with the fire captain in Mayfield and Post contacted Daniel Newcomb, who is with Salem Fire & Rescue and is the emergency management agency coordinator in the county next to Mayfield.

“It is not a Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Department project,” Post said. “This is all of the firefighter communities helping each other out in this time of need.”

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