07/06/2026
WOW! What a weekend! The Eaton Rapids 250th Independence Day celebration has come and gone, but not without some unexpected excitement.
On Thursday, ERFD was ready for the weekend. Trucks washed, plans laid out, details tended to.
Friday started out calm. Final checks and rechecks done. Let's head to the event tent to standby and support the bands.
Mother Nature: WAIT A MINUTE!!! In comes the storm. Our focus shifted from celebration to full-scale storm response. Trees and wires down, streets blocked, no power for vulnerable residents. Every single City of Eaton Rapids service took immediate action, along with mutual aid partners. Police, Fire, DPW, Electric, City Hall all worked to return Eaton Rapids to celebratory status, and it was no small feat. The storm left our city a mess. DPW and Electric worked all night and into Saturday afternoon to get the majority of ER back on the grid. Those crews deserve all the accolades you can give them. They were already working at capacity to prep for the weekend, then had a wrench thrown at them. But they still came through for you.
Ok then, time to celebrate! You saw us and our public safety partners all throughout the day. With trucks in the parade and standing by on the sidelines, and personnel mingling within the crowds, we were ready to serve you at a moment's notice.
After the parade we participated in the water ball competition with Hamlin Township Fire Rescue, Eaton Rapids Township Fire Department, and Onondaga Township Fire Department. Congrats to OTFD on their victory. It was a great time! Immediately after, our ladder truck turned into the largest splash pad in ER! There were SO MANY people enjoying the waterfall. It was great seeing all the littles having fun running through the water.
After a short break, it was time for fireworks. ER showed up in force! Again, we and our partners were ready to serve you. Our day didn't end until well into the overnight.
We at ERFD would like to thank:
Eaton Rapids Township Fire Department, Hamlin Township Fire Rescue, Eaton Area EMS, City of Charlotte Police Department, and Eaton Rapids Medical Center for their assistance in every aspect of this event.
Our gratitude and special thank you to Eaton Rapids Police Department, Eaton County 911, and Eaton County Emergency Management for their tireless work in developing a top-tier Emergency Action Plan that helped keep Eaton Rapids safe. I know I failed to mention some people. We see you and we appreciate you. Without you all, this event would not have been the success it was. Thank you all so much!!