A mystery gift from a good Samaritan
Left at the Norwich Fire Station for the staff to enjoy
Good afternoon Norwich and Upper Valley readers:
This morning while reading the Norwich Listserv, I happened to see the post from Matt Swett regarding a mystery gift that was left off at the fire station recently. This is not something that happens everyday and it is worthy to mention for a couple of reasons. First off the person who left them did so out of appreciation for the work that the Norwich firefighters and EMS technicians do everyday to serve the community.
They even took the time to have each insulated tumbler laser engraved with each members name and rank. Secondly, the Norwich Volunteer firefighters do what they do everyday and do not expect to be rewarded for their deeds, however when something like this happens it is worthy of a story. I reached out to Matt and asked if I could stop by and take a photo of him displaying a couple of the tumblers. He agreed and also sent me a photo of what was left there.
Here are the gifts that were left by the mystery giver according to Matt.
Here is the posting in the listserv from Deputy Fire chief Matt Swett that inspired me to do this post.
13. Mystery gift giver to the Norwich Fire Department
From: Matt Swett <webmaster@norwichfire.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:09:58 -0400
Dear Norwich Neighbors,
Last month somebody left in our station, insulated tumblers for every member
of the Norwich Fire Department. The gifts were color coded (red for Fire &
blue for EMS) and laser engraved with each member’s name and rank! They were
amazing in quality and functionality. It is difficult to describe the impact
of this thoughtful gesture and we all wish we could thank you in person.
Mystery giver, if you are reading this note, this is what I wanted to tell you
in person:
Your gifts couldn’t have been timed any better! Volunteer Fire Departments
like ours run on an incredible amount of time and effort given by our members.
It is hard work to constantly train on skills, maintain our station and
apparatus, and do community outreach, all while responding to fire, medical,
and environmental calls 24/7/365. Positive energy and department camaraderie
is the fuel that keeps us running.
This year we recruited four new members and last month, six of our newest
members began the Firefighting 1&2 class taught by the Vermont Fire Academy.
These recruiting and participation numbers are incredibly good. Imagine the
impact your surprise custom gifts had on our newest members, when they saw
positive recognition by someone in our community. They felt known and
appreciated - reinforcing their recent decision to join the NFD! Your gifts
have added jet fuel to our engine.
With gratitude,
Matt
—
Deputy Chief
Norwich Fire Department
Emergencies call 911
802-649-1133
Join our team <https://norwichfire.com/recruiting-q-a>
"Helping Our Neighbors Since 1920”
In this photo that I took, Matt displays two of the tumblers
