LUNA PIER — Retired MSNBC news anchor Brian Williams paid a visit to Luna Pier on Tuesday afternoon, July 16. Specifically, he stopped by the Luna Pier Fire Department to greet the firefighters and take a look at a new F-150 they'd purchased with money that Williams was partially responsible for them getting.
About two to three years ago, Luna Pier grant writer John Zarb applied for a grant from the Leary Firefighters Foundation to replace an old truck that was no longer working. At first they were turned down, but then Zarb learned that Williams sat on the Foundation's board of directors and wrote him a letter hardly expecting a reply. To his surprise, he did, and Williams showed interest in getting them the money they needed.
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The department received the grant after some retooling of the proposal and Zarb extended an open invitation to Williams to visit if he was ever in the area. Williams said he would and on Tuesday he kept his promise.
"It's a nice town and it's worth fighting for," he said.
Williams himself has had experience as a volunteer firefighter. He entered a fire academy when he was 18 in his home state of New Jersey and continues to serve there throughout half the year post-retirement from the news in 2021.
The F-150 the department was able to purchase was a smart choice for the department, according to Zarb, as it is used extensively while on the job.
"It really is the most practical vehicle to take on a run here in Luna Pier, because we don't transport patients," he said. "Eighty-seven percent of (calls) have nothing to do with fires, they're mostly rescue calls, and we have all the equipment for the rescue in there. And it can get on the small streets much easier than one of the large ambulances, especially in the winter time."
The Leary Firefighters Foundation, which only gives out 15 grants per year, was founded by actor and comedian Denis Leary in 2000 after the death of his cousin in a New England fire.
"We solicit money from individuals and big companies and we take none of it out," Williams explained. "It flows right through to fire departments around the country."
"So we get to play Santa Claus," he added.
— Contact reporter Connor Veenstra at CVeenstra@gannett.com
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