Hamilton Fire Department - Hamilton, Michigan

05/13/2026

Please join us in congratulating Mark Groenheide on his promotion to Chief of Hamilton Fire Department.

Chief Groenheide grew up in the Hamilton area and joined HFD in 1988, serving as a firefighter and EMT/Paramedic. His strong capabilities, strength in leadership, and passion both for the department and serving our community guided him to become a Captain in 1994, and now to the rank of Fire Chief, following the unexpected and tragic passing of Chief David Haverdink last December.

Congratulations, Chief Groenheide! We look forward to your leadership and seeing what the future has in store for HFD and our community!

05/04/2026

International Firefighters' Day looks a little different this year......
We thank the community for your ongoing love, support and prayers as we continue to navigate life without Chief Haverdink.

05/02/2026

This weekend we pray for all the families and departments attending the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend events in Maryland. We especially are thinking of Chief Haverdink's family and Lt. Rob Heuer and Firefighter Jim Ruiz who are attending the ceremonies.

04/22/2026

Today we pause and remember Hamilton Fire Department's Chief Richard Boeve who lost his life in the line of duty on April 22, 1982.

04/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CNKm1r2av/?mibextid=wwXIfr

04/10/2026

HFD has tragically lost two of their own to line of duty deaths over the years:
Chief Dick Boeve - April 22, 1982
Chief Dave Haverdink - December 25, 2025

We invite you to "Light the Night Red" on April 26 - May 3 to honor fallen firefighters and their families. Simply swap out your outdoor lights with red bulbs and turn them on overnight in a show of support and remembrance. You can also visit: firehero.org/light-the-night for more information or to sign up and let others know that you will be participating.

04/02/2026

Dearest Raiden Rabanal Amit Barrientos - thank you for this look behind the scenes, for your dedication to honoring each life lost, and for keeping our Chief’s memory alive.

01/27/2026

It’s hard to believe it’s already been over a month since the passing of Chief Dave Haverdink. As we navigate what this new normal looks like, we are daily reminded that we didn’t just lose one of our own, a family member and a brother, we lost our Chief – the one who took care of the day-to-day operations of our department – and we miss him dearly!

We at Hamilton Fire would like to say THANK YOU for all of the support these past few weeks:

To the fire service near and far, thank you for wrapping around us when our world came crashing down. You showed up without hesitation. You stood with us. You reminded us that this brotherhood reaches far beyond one station or one town.

To our community, thank you for the overwhelming love, support and prayers you’ve poured into this department. Every tragedy reminds us just how deeply this town is woven together, and how lucky we are to call it home.

Usually, we are the ones who serve, but this time you served us, and we thank you all.

01/05/2026

Information for visitation, funeral services, and processional for Chief David Haverdink:

Visitation: Visitation for the general public will be held from 3:00–7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 5, at Central Wesleyan Church, 446 W. 40th Street, Holland, Michigan 49423 (Entrance A).

Funeral Services: Funeral services with full honors will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, also at Central Wesleyan Church. The service will be livestreamed at: https://centralevents.online.church/

Parade Route: The Funeral Procession will exit to 146th Avenue and will travel west to 60th Street, south to 136th Avenue and east to Riverside Cemetery on 47th Street. The public is encouraged to line the route from Central Wesleyan in Holland to M40 and 136th Avenue in Hamilton (please reserve 136th Avenue from M40 to 47th Street for the family and Hamilton Fire Department personnel). Please note that Chief Haverdink’s family will be in the lead fire apparatus.

Following the processional, a private graveside service will be held at Riverside Cemetery for Chief Haverdink’s family and Hamilton Fire Department.

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12/28/2025

A fitting way to honor a hero

Line of Duty Death Announcement
• Name: David Haverdink
• Department: Hamilton Fire Department
• Location: Heath Township
• End of Watch (EOW): December 25, 2025

Fire Chief David Haverdink was struck by a vehicle while assisting at the scene of a medical emergency along M-40 in Heath Township, Allegan County, Michigan. Despite immediate medical care, he succumbed to his injuries on Christmas Day.

Chief Haverdink dedicated more than five decades of his life to public service, serving 51 years with the Hamilton Fire Department and more than 40 years as Fire Chief. He also previously served eight years as Sheriff of Allegan County. His leadership, commitment, and selfless service left an enduring impact on his department and the entire community.

Rest in peace, Hero. You will never be forgotten.