Jamie Lippins | Daily Press Members of the Escanaba Township Fire Department pose for a photo in front of one of their fire trucks. Show are, from left, Todd Quaghebeur, Zach Denome, Jake Culliton, Brad Milligan, Justin Ledesma (fire chief), Ray Hughes, Pete DeMay, Tom Sealander, Dick Newhouse, and Brian Hughes.

ESCANABA TOWNSHIP — It wasn’t an early visit from Santa Claus that led to an impromptu parade Wednesday, but for local fire departments it may as well have been.

Current and retired firefighters from the Metro Detroit Area were at the Besse Fire Hall in Escanaba Township Wednesday as part of the From Our Firehouse To Yours program, which delivers donated fire equipment to departments in need. Traveling in a caravan with a box truck and three enclosed trailers, the firefighters traveled from their homes downstate to The Pantry Truck Stop in Rapid River, down Bayshore Drive into Gladstone, and down 9th Street to Lakeshore Drive, before traveling up M-35 and P5 Road to the Besse Fire Hall — with enthusiastic supporters cheering from the roadside.

According to Denny Hughes, public safety liaison for Belfor Property Restoration, which sponsors the program, this was From Our Firehouse To Yours’ seventh trip to deliver fire equipment in the last five years. Of those trips, all but one donation was made to the Upper Peninsula.

Wednesday’s delivery was requested by Escanaba Township Fire Chief Justin Ledesma, who reached out to From Our Firehouse To Yours to request equipment for fire departments across Delta County. The equipment donate Wednesday, which was donated by fire departments in the Lower Peninsula who no longer needed it, was valued at about $1.1 million.

“Most of these departments that we get to are just thrilled that they have upgraded protections. They’re excited about the cool helmet that they got that’s not what they use or whatever it might be, and they just feel a new sense of pride,” said Hughes.

Over the five years the program has been active, Hughes estimates that roughly $5.1 million worth of used fire gear has found new homes through the program.

“It’s definitely made an impact on the community. We love to know that they had a lifesaving due to what we left them, whatever it is, but it’s hard to measure that,” he said.

Also appearing at the Besse Fire Hall Wednesday, was Belfor’s CEO Sheldon Yellen, who helped create the program.

“If you stop for just one moment and think about it, the commitment that these men and women have made to run in when everybody else is running out it’s an incredible commitment, because they don’t know who they’re going in … for,” said Yellen Wednesday. “They don’t hesitate, they’re going in.”

Yellen also produces a weekly television program broadcast on ABC called “Hearts of Heroes,” which showcases the stories of firefighters and other first responders responding to natural disasters.

“He really wanted to capture what we were doing and make an episode,” said Hughes.

While producing an episode of the show takes time, a segment about Wednesday’s From Our Fire House To Yours is expected to be included in a January episode of the show.