Overwhelming community support at dedication ceremony

On Friday, August 2 at 10:30 a.m., dozens of community members, fire departments, press and Firehouse Subs personnel gathered at Firehouse Subs in Orland Park for the donation of almost $40,000 in equipment to local fire departments.

“To see this kind of turnout and this support of what we’re doing... it’s really inspirational,” Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation executive director Robin Peters said.

Dedications went to the Orland Fire Protection District and the Dixmoor Fire Department. The OFPD was awarded $20,000 to fund a trailer for safety education. Dixmoor Fire Department was given extraction tools valued at $19,520.

The Firehouse Subs franchise has donated $6.8 million in lifesaving equipment to multiple organizations, according to Peters. 63 percent of these donations are a result of individual restaurants promoting the Public Safety Foundation to customers through the round-up program, $2 pickle buckets and change canisters.

It’s the community who makes it possible through rounding up to save lives, Co-owner of Firehouse Subs in Orland Park William Vanderbilt said. His wife, Christine Vanderbilt, and their two children, Kayla and William “Will” Vanderbilt, also attended the event.

A sense of community and family permeated the event. During a group photo, Will Vanderbilt formed his fingers into bunny ears behind his sister’s head. When the group gathered inside the restaurant for complementary sandwiches, drinks and cookies, the OFPD joked that they could use Dixmoor’s new equipment to open the door to the establishment.

According to OFPD Chief Ken Brucki, community is key.

“We’re here to provide the best public safety service that we can,” Brucki said.

“We live here, we shop here, we go to church here,” he said later.

In the middle of the ceremony, many of the firemen left to respond to a call, showing that heroes never rest. Congratulations to all the brave men and women who protect our communities every single day. Firehouse Subs sincerely hopes these donations will help you in your mission.