HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all. I hope that each and every one has a safe and prosperous new year. 2009 has been trying for many people and I hope that things change and that the new year offers many more opportunities for all.Reflection on the past year in the department brings many things to light. The department continues to move forward at a strong and steady pace with training. As we start the new year we will be holding a Firefighter II class for about nine of our members. We just completed a HazMat Opera- tions class for the same nine members. Never before in the history of the department will we have this many people trained at these levels. Such training is important to better serving our district residents and in making sure that we minimize the potential for injuries or death. Our training continues to serve us well in the field and there are manyexamples of how our capabilities have been enhanced and our outcomes improved. I salute those that continue to take the time and make the effort to partake...

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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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Okay, here we are into November and I thought we had just gotten started with October. I think I missed most of that month. Anyway, here are a few memorable tidbits of information for you about the month of November. First, November is a month to recognize a lot of medically related issues, and there’s really a lot to list here. But certainly, November is a month that recognizes some of the more serious medical issues and diseases that our society deals with on a day- today basis. November is also Military Family Appreciation Month (we thank and salute you). It is also Peanut Lovers Month. A couple of weekly observations include (pay attention) Dear Santa Letter Week (8-14) and National Family Week (21-28). Daily observations include National Men Make Dinner Day (4th), Marine Corps Birthday (Nov.10th, have to be fair to all), Veterans Day (11th, please shake a veteran’s hand and thank them for their service), Have a Bad Day Day (14th) and finally, Black Friday (26th), also known as Buy Nothing Day. Enjoy the month.

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 The month of October might just be the busiest month of all for observations and days of recognition. I could do the whole article on just that topic and still not have room for everything. So I picked out a few special ones related to the department and our members. I’m sure I missed many so I apologize in advance. Here goes. Of course everyone knows that October is Fire Prevention Month and that October 4-10 is Fire Prevention Week. The weekend of October 2-4 is the Fallen Firefighters Memorial weekend and October 1 is Fire Pup Day. October is also Go Hog Wild-Eat Country Ham month, the month of Free Thought, Positive Attitude month, Sausage month, Spinach Lovers month and Squirrel Awareness month. Some other important weekly observances include Emergency Nurses week (11-17), National Chemistry week (18-24) and Give Wildlife a Break week (26-11/1). Some significant day observances are Naval Academy day (10th), Navy birthday (13th) and Navy Day on the 27th. Probably one of the best days of the month, for all...

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Time has flown by. It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close. Clearly that’s the case, because local schools are back in session and my own son has gone back to college, leaving us with an empty nest again. I want to thank the department for responding to the call from my residence and for the superior care I received. Leesa and I are truly grateful.

Some FYI September things. There are 51 monthly, 31 weekly and 74 daily observations of various things during the month. A few examples of the month long observations include Atrial Fibrillation month, National Prime Beef month (my favorite), One-On-One Month (you figure it out) and Pleasure Your Mate month (have fun with this one). Weekly observations include Play Days (8th-12th), National Clean Your Hands week (20th-26th), and Chimney Safety Week (27th-Oct 3rd).   Some interesting daily observations are Oatmeal Day (4th-5th), Be Late For Something Day (5th), Salami Day (6th), International Chocolate Day (13th) , for all you Navy people,...

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Well, already it’s August and the summer is quickly moving past us. Things have been slow so far in the district, but that could change very quickly if the heat persists and the rain stays away. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Some interesting tidbits about the month of August: It is National Catfish month, National Golf month, National Eye Exam month, National Water Quality month, Romance Awareness month, Peach month and Foot Health month. Some specific days in August to keep in mind are, August 3 – National Watermelon Day, August 6 – Wiggle Your Toes Day, August 10 – Lazy Day (my favorite), August 22 – Be An Angel Day and August 25 – Kiss and Make-Up Day (another favorite). There’s a lot going on during the “dog days” of August.

There are a couple of things I want to touch on this month. First, most, if not all of you, are aware that Lt. Maynard Brandsma (DFRA volunteer) passed away while hiking with his daughter. I had the pleasure to get to know Maynard by attending several classes with him during the past couple of years. Maynard was a very dedicated and loyal member of DFRA and had received several awards from his peers at DFRA for his commitment and dedication. He was fun to be around and he always challenged himself to become better. Our department was represented at his memorial service and the department also supported DRFA during his service by providing an engine and crew for coverage in Durango, so that members of DFRA could attend the service. My point for bringing this up is twofold. First and foremost, don’t let a day go by without living it to it’s fullest, things happen when you least expect them. Take care of yourself and those around you. Lastly, it always gives me a deep feeling of pride to see departments come together to help each other when things like this happen. I feel very blessed to say I am part of the fire service and to know that my fire service family extends far beyond our own department.

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