September 30, 2021 Meeting Summary

 

Rotarian of the Week: Steve Morgan nominated Jan Lawrence for the music each week; Ron Van Ekeren nominated George Gill and Gerry Meyer for appearing in the UWYO fall issue.   

 

 

 

 

Introduction: Aimee Binning

 

Luke Hawkins is the new president of the Albany County Fire District #1. There are several departments in the district: Big Laramie, Centennial Valley, Central, Tie Siding, and Vedauwoo.

 

These departments cover 2,100 square miles in Albany County with the use of volunteers. The volunteers who give their time work very hard.

 

There are 103 current volunteer firefighters. Each of these volunteers has to commit to a lot of certifications and training hours. Each volunteer has to have a minimum of 50 precent in activity and training to remain active as a firefighting volunteer.

 

Each of these departments need large amounts of training and equipment. A bunker gear suit for example is about $6,000 for each suit.

 

The fire district budget is $620,000. After paying essentials related to utilities and operations, there is about $42,000 left over for capital improvements.

 

These fire departments cover all hazards and are called to respond to many county areas. The fire district has a good collaboration with the City of Laramie Fire Department. Often the Albany County Fire District #1 is the first call for fires, so firefighters and EMTs can remain in Laramie to help with other issues.

The fire districts primary role is wildland fires, but it also helps with I-80 accidents, hazmat, and EMS. The departments can handle a variety of medical issues.

 

Volunteer firefighters are not often able to handle structure fires because these require certain qualifications that take a long period of time to obtain. There is a new training facility being built that could make this process easier for volunteers.

 

The call volume for the fire district is about 600 per year.

 

The district is working on a health care EAP for volunteers. This will help with emotional health of volunteers. Volunteers also have worker’s compensation.

 

The 2020 Mullen Fire started in Savage Run and burned 178,000 acres. The fire consumed 66 structures. It was a FEMA-response funded fire, so there is great potential for recovery, suppression, and mitigation efforts with a total cost of just over $33 million.

 

Response: Jerry Devin

 

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

•FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

•SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

•THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;

•FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service

 

Of the things we think, say, or do

•Is it the Truth?

•Is it Fair?

•Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?

•Will it be Beneficial to All Concerned?

 

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Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org