By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Groveland Twp.— Leaders eat last.
The mantra of Groveland Township Fire Chief Kevin Mason, at the conclusion of stellar careers divided equally over 45 years between the United States Marine Corp. and the Groveland Township Fire Department.
“I won’t eat until everyone else is eating,” said Mason, who will retire Aug. 31. “That’s a Marine officer thing, make sure your troops eat first. Take care of your troops, because they take care of you. They can make you look good or bad.”
Mason, 65, was recognized on Monday night at the Groveland Township Board of Trustees meeting for his 22.5 years in the department which included six as chief. Groveland Township Fire Department Captain John Williams will step in until a permanent replacement is hired.
“The highlight was working with a good team, the budget was tight, we all chipped in together,” he said. “The other communities were paying more but most stayed here in Groveland because they wanted to be part of the team. It’s like the Marine Corp., we had the lowest budget, worst conditions, but we all stayed there. We wanted to serve. It was a good group of people, I will miss them and the community.”
Mason stepped in as chief in 2018, replacing fire chief Steve McGee who retired in July after more than 40 years with the township. Mason had served as assistant fire chief since August 2017.
Mason served in the United States Marines from 1977-1999. As an enlisted Marine, he was an air traffic control radar technician. He was later a maintenance officer for the air traffic control then an embarkation officer—advising the commander on matters pertaining to embarkation planning such as loading ships, trucks and planes. And ended as a Chief Mobility Officer responsible for overall direction of all mobility issues associated with Information Technology applications, communications including voice and data, and computing services within the enterprise. He served on the helicopter carrier USS Guam, was part of the Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
“I went in as a private and retired as a major,” said Mason. “I was deployed often, including nine times in Korea.”
After the Marines he was employed by American Axle in Detroit and later Cold Saw Precision in Inkster.
“I was a Marine for 22 years and it was an exciting job,” he said. “I was in the office at American Axle and I was bored. Steve McGee had taken over as chief and was looking for volunteer firefighters. I wanted to be part of it.”
He joined the township fire department in January 2002 and served as a full time firefighter for about 11 years. Mason was key in improving the department’s Insurance Services Office or ISO rating. The score ranging from one to 10 means how well a community is prepared for fires. One is considered exemplary while 10 means the area’s fire protection doesn’t meet ISO’s minimum standards.
“We were ISO nine-10 then to four,” he said. “Then went from four to three. It’s a really good score for not having hydrants.”
Mason also spearheaded a memorable Thanksgiving dining for more than 70 families in the township.
“The department would have nine roasters going, plus the oven in the fire hall and six Crockpots running to keep green beans and potatoes warm,” he said. “We’d run out of outlets before places to cook.”
Kevin is a township resident and is married to Dalan. The couple have two boys Justin and Matthew, both Brandon High School graduates.
“We had to build up the team again,” he said. “Focus on the township, and making sure the department is financially viable. After I started we had to come up with $85,000 out of our budget, it was not easy but we did it.”
“The military is all about leadership and setting an example to others,” he said. “One person can make a difference but everyone can make a huge difference. We need trust and confidence in your people.”
In retirement, Mason plans on traveling around the country. Next February, he will hike the Appalachian Trail, a 2,200-mile hiking trail that runs from Springer Mountain Ga. to Mount Katahdin Ma., through 14 states.
“One of those bucket list items,” he said.