The fueling site at Station 14 is now complete. Another great job by Deputy Chief Eisele. The completion of this fuel site project has allowed us to strategically place fueling sites in four geographic areas of the districts. With fuel prices on the rise again, having bulk supplies does save a few dollars in the long run. The staff at Station 14 can assist those in learning how the system works.

Coming this fall, I hope to re-establish monthly leadership training. Due to work load, budget, the legislative season, contract negotiations, and several other reasons, all consuming my time, we had to suspend that training. Once resumed, I hope to attract some guest instructors who will spark an increased interest in this type of training.

We will be filling another clerical position soon. We have an overwhelming number of applicants, which is no surprise given the number of persons who have lost jobs due to the economy. The new position will provide additional support in many areas.

We will be closing out the FY08/09 budget soon. This year and the development of the new budget has been a challenge to say the least. We will have to watch all of our spending once again. While some feel that we have hit the bottom of the economic downturn, you never know. We emerged from the 2009 legislature without significant legislation impacting our revenues, however, we did see drops in sales tax and in our tax base, due to drops in the real estate market. The annual audit will soon begin and we will see where we end up. Ellen Nelson, our Accounting Technician has done an outstanding job in budget management . Thanks Ellen for your dedication and hard work.

So, that’s it for now. I am going to try to get out to all the stations over the next several months. I apologize for not being able to spend more time where it really counts, that is with all those who make this organization so successful, the members, volunteers and career staff, both line and support. Keep up the good work.