RE/MAX Broker Provides Safety and Protection to Belize Community with Donated Fire Trucks

Giving back has always been an integral part of who David Kafka is. That’s how the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX 1st Choice wound up donating multiple firetrucks to his town – and brought his community together in the process.

From the first time he stepped foot in Placencia, Belize, Kafka knew the quaint fishing town would be more than a vacation destination. Four years after his initial visit and eager for change from his life as a firefighter in the U.S., he uprooted his entire life in Charleston, South Carolina, and moved to Belize.

Kafka transitioned into a new career path by working first as an assistant and ultimately becoming a real estate agent. After getting his footing in the area, he established RE/MAX 1st Choice in June 2013 and grew it into one of the largest real estate brokerages by agent count in Belize.

Being the Broker/Owner of a successful real estate company isn’t the only task keeping Kafka busy. Inspired by the genuineness of the community in Placencia, he gives back to the local Humane Society and puts his old skills to use as an active volunteer of the Placencia Volunteer Fire Department.

In early 2020, the small town’s firetrucks stopped working altogether and members of the community were frantic to find a solution. Knowing how dangerous it was for the town to be without emergency vehicles, Kafka took to Facebook to contact others within the fire safety network and track down new trucks.

“Even though fires rarely occur in Placencia, just knowing the community I have grown to love will be much safer in case of an emergency puts my mind at ease,” he says.

Kafka was eventually able to purchase two fire trucks under one condition: He had to arrange transportation for them from Charleston, South Carolina.

With the help of the organization Believe in Belize and the U.S. Air Force, Kafka was able to have the trucks arrive safely by plane in Placencia just over a year later. Larry Hall, Kafka’s former fire chief, was instrumental in the process of fixing up the trucks, and Jeffery Madden, a former firefighting colleague, drove the trucks to the Charleston Air Force Base.

“I was elated to see how so many people from various walks of life came together to not only fix up the trucks, but assist with safely delivering them to Belize,” Kafka says.

Upon the trucks’ arrival in Placencia, RE/MAX 1st Choice funded the fuel it took them to run in their early operation. According to Kafka, the much-needed firetrucks have been in service since March 2021 and their positive impact – providing peace of mind in case of emergency – is a popular sentiment throughout the community.

In the past, Kafka has also generously donated several motorcycles, camcorders and CB radios to Placencia’s police department.

Donating these firetrucks has been the fuel inspiring Kafka to continue to give back to his community in new ways.

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