• Full-Time Firefighter Dustin Farhat

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Family, friends, Township employees and officials filled the Meridian Township Town Hall Room Friday May 29 to support the promotion of a Captain, Lieutenant, and Full-Time Firefighter.

The promotion ceremony opened up with Fire Chief, Fred Cowper explaining what it means to be a firefighter in Meridian Township.

Cowper said, services provided includes immediate professional fire and reuse response, as well as state of the art Advanced Emergency Medical service for approximately 40,000 citizens.

"Great things are going to come from that for this fire department," Cowper said. "The leadership team is now built."

Following Cowper's address, Township Clerk Brett Dreyfus had the honor of swearing in Dustin Farhat as a full-time firefighter, Al Diaz as Lieutenant, and Derek Burcham to Captain.

Farhat said has wanted to be a firefighter since before September 11th. Now as an official full-time firefighter, he said this will go down as one of the happiest days in his life.

"I'm just here to serve," Farhat said. "This is what I feel like I've been put on this world to do— it's everything."

Farhat also said that this couldn't have come at a better time, as he is now a father of a newborn.

"Just the fact that my son will never know me anything other than a firefighter paramedic means the world to me," Farhat said. "And to be able to provide for him, provide for my wife and family means a lot to me."

Along with Farhat setting a good example for his child, the newly promoted Lieutenant, Al Diaz said he also feels a sense of responsibility to the team.

"They will rely on me but I will also rely on the people I work with to get through whatever comes up," Diaz said. "They're going to depend on me as much as I'm going to depend on them."

And even though Diaz has been apart of the Meridian Township fire department for 15 years, he says every day is a learning experience.

"Everyday you learn something, even if you're promoted to an officers spot, he said. "Everyone works together and we all figure it out together and we all go home safe."

And as for Captain, Derek Burcham said he hopes to bring some new ideas to the team.

"Most people get into firefighting because they want to help people impact the public, keep people safe," Burcham said. "Being in a leadership role, you're able to do that more effectively."

The event was followed by a social where cake was provided and community members were able to congratulate and chat with their newly promoted firefighters.