I will be draining all fire pumps on the apparatus today due to the freezing temperatures. On the Structure Engines, please follow the instructions below,If you pick up a truck and need to use the pump you will have to:1. Close the main pump drain2. Close all auxiliary drains on the pump panel3. Engage the pump4. Open your tank to pump valve/gate5. Prime the pump till you have water When you have finished pump operations please drain the pump at the time you cease operations 1. Disengage the pump 2. Close the tank to pump valve/gate 2. Open main pump drain3. Open all auxiliary drains on the pump panel4. Open 2 ½ intake, below steamer As long as we do not have water on the pump we should not have freezing issues with the pump. The pumps on the brush trucks will be drained as well,1. All drains will be closed when you pick up the truck2. Open tank to pump valve3. Prime the pump till you have water When finished, at the time you cease pump operations1. Shut down the pump, close tank to pump valve2. Open...

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Here we are close to the end of 2009 and we are looking ahead to 2010. Where has the time gone? it seems to go by so quickly. I am sure we will all look back at 2009 as a tough year, considering the economic climate, and I hope everyone has weathered the economic storm pretty well.In the past year we have been called upon to mitigate some very significant incidents involving medical, fire, wild land and hazmat. I would like to express my appreciation to each and every one of you who have participated in re-sponding to these calls. All of you, when called upon under some of the most adverse conditions and circumstances, have performed and executed your skills and talents in the most professional manner. This has been a direct result of the training, dedication and commitment by the members of the department. This has not been an easy accomplish-ment, we all know about the time spent away from home for the department, attending training in house as well as outside classes, working on vehicle checks, vehicle mainte-nance,...

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The Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Department will host “Christmas for Kids” on Saturday, December 19 at 2:00 p.m. at the Library on the San Juan Basin Research Center (Station 2). The event will include activities and treats for youngsters and a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” Organizers suspect that Santa will be on hand, perhaps even arriving by fire engine. The event is open to all kids in the area, so if you know any please invite them to attend. Plenty of volunteers are needed for this event so if you’re will-ing, able and available please contact Assistant Chief Doug Zalesky for the details.

Leesa ZaleskySmoke Signals

Annual Banquet: If you’re interested in volunteering to help organize the annual banquet,contact Chief Steve Ebner or Assistant Chief Doug Zalesky. Date, time and locationare forthcoming.EMT-B Refresher Course: Tentatively set for the month of January, pending approvalby the college. To be held at Station 3. Leesa Zalesky will instruct the class; contacther for details. A CPR refresher will be included. If you need a new CPR card but don’t need the EMT-B refreshercourse, contact Leesa.Cookbook Sales: The Christmas season makes this the ripe time to market our department cookbooks.The Fundraising Committee is asking for help from each member. Please consider a commitment to sell aminimum of five cookbooks to your friends, neighbors and family members. If you know about any events orlocations where cookbooks could be marketed, please contact Mary Ebner.LaPlata West Water Authority Meeting: Will be held Saturday, December 5, Station 3 at 2:00 p.m. Themeeting is open to the public. Attendees will hear an update on...

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Leesa ZaleskySmoke Signals

I may be plagiarizing the infamous University of Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, but so be it. I mean it when I say, related to our department, that there’s no “I” in team. You’ve proven it. On any given day or night, on any given incident, I am constantly reminded about how willing FLMFD members are to ensure that a scene runs safely and smoothly. What makes a department like ours function at its best are personnel who don’t question the task assigned, but take on that task with the intention of delivering the best job they possibly can. Why do we do that? Because we know the cardinal rule of what we do is “everybody goes home”; and because we know that accomplishing that outcome requires a commit-ment from every member to do without question what’s asked at the time no matter how menial we might consider it.I was reminded this month, when I was again asked to give statements to attorneys, of how difficult that can be. Two years ago, on what historically will be one of the most catastrophic MVAs this or...

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I am writing this on Thanksgiving eve, a time to reflect and be thankful for all that we have in our life. Often we overlook many things that we should be thankful for, but most often we know what things are important to us.I think all of us at one time or another, have been asked why we are firefighters and more specifi-cally why we volunteer for such a job. Often like me, our answer is because we “want to help oth-ers”. I know that is my standard answer. Awhile back, as I was sitting in the airport in Omaha waiting for my plane to come home, I had an interesting visit with an elderly lady. She walked up to me and asked if she could sit next to me and I said sure. When she sat down, she said she had noticed my shirt (fire department) and felt com-fortable to sit there. She went on to say, “You never know these days about people, but I know firefighters are good people.” So, we started a conversation that would clarify something in my mind that had always bothered me. She went on to tell me that her husband, who...

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