Northville Township Fire Captain Dan Dipple has long been a leader in the community and his dedication to helping others will continue even in retirement. After 26 successful years in the fire service, Capt. Dipple hung up his fire hat for the last time on March 24 as he begins a new career in the non-profit sector.

The Department has benefited from Dan’s commitment to helping those around him since his hiring as firefighter/EMT in 1997, and then later as lieutenant and captain. Whether it’s teaching a CPR class or ensuring first responders have access to mental health resources after a critical incident, Capt. Dipple has always stepped forward to lend a hand.

“I feel grateful and privileged to have had such an incredible career here,” he said in reflecting on his lengthy tenure with Northville Township Fire Department.

One of Capt. Dipple’s most memorable encounters occurred during the early 2000s when the Department was seeking to obtain its first automated external defibrillator (AED). An 8-year-old resident, Chris Ponder, appeared at the fire station one day with a case stating that he wanted to set up a kids fun run to help raise money for the AED. Impressed by Chris’ enthusiasm, Northville Township Fire Department eagerly supported Chris’ initiative and encouraged him to use any funds raised beyond what was needed for the AED itself towards helping other children in need. Sure enough, Chris’s fun run managed to raise an impressive $3,000 – half of which went towards obtaining an AED while the other half was donated to University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center and Northville Youth Assistance Programs. This beginning interaction with Chris sparked an enduring friendship between them; even now as an adult, Chris occasionally visits Capt. Dipple at the station whenever he is back home from college or university studies abroad.

Beyond these relationships with members of his community, Capt. Dipple also cherishes his close bond with fellow firefighters/paramedics – something that only develops from working closely together over 24 hour shifts and attending various functions together like golf outings or hockey games alongside being part of Northville Township Firefighters Charity Fund, which raises money for causes such as Northville Civic Concern or Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Although Dan will certainly miss this camaraderie with colleagues, he is eager for this next chapter of life where he can instead focus on spending more quality time with his two daughters who are currently ages 18 and 16 years old respectively – something that was not possible during many of their younger years due to demands from coaching hockey teams at Northville High School over eight seasons earlier on in Dan’s career prior to becoming captain at NTPD.

Dan is excited by this next challenge that awaits him now: “I fell in love with firefighting at the academy,” he said fondly.”It’s an active job that requires you think quickly on your feet – I’m looking forward to continuing my passion for helping others but through a different outlet now.”