kevin_standlee (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kevin_standlee) wrote2019-08-08 09:59 pm
kevin_standlee) wrote2019-08-08 09:59 pm
Entry tags:
Fire Call
This month I was actually able to make it to the monthly meeting of the North Lyon County Fire Protection District. The meeting was mostly taken up with adopting a new strategic and organizational plan, but they also needed to decide what to do about a worn-out fire truck. In the middle of the meeting, they took a recess so that everyone could go take a look at it.
This is apparently the oldest of the fire trucks the department owns, not including a ceremonial non-fighting truck. It was used as a reserve engine, and after a call-out earlier this week, suffered a major motor failure and was laid up in the back lot. The Chief pointed out that it would cost a lot of money just to diagnose all of the problems as it would require transporting the truck into Reno/Sparks. Furthermore, the engine is obsolete, and if it did go through a complete rebuild it would need to meet current standards. Those standards do not permit the open passenger compartment behind the driving cab, which further would drive up the cost.
Although the laid-up engine does have some level of sentimental value, the consensus was that at most the district would need to spend at least a five-figure sum simply to get it running again, and even then it probably could only be used as a "parade" engine. Therefore, they voted to start the process of de-acquiring it and to accelerate the acquisition of a new engine.
At the end of the meeting, the Chair of the Board asked if there was any public comment, and hearing none, said, "What about you, Mr. Standlee? You've been awfully quiet."
I said, "Well, to be honest, my mind isn't totally here right now, as my wife and I are flying to Ireland on Monday for three weeks," which got both laughs and jealous comments.
I will try to stay in touch with fire district affairs, but I don't think I'll have the energy to run for the board again next year, even with three seats open, on account of Westercon 74 in Tonopah. That's going to take a lot of my spare brain cycles for the next couple of years.
This is apparently the oldest of the fire trucks the department owns, not including a ceremonial non-fighting truck. It was used as a reserve engine, and after a call-out earlier this week, suffered a major motor failure and was laid up in the back lot. The Chief pointed out that it would cost a lot of money just to diagnose all of the problems as it would require transporting the truck into Reno/Sparks. Furthermore, the engine is obsolete, and if it did go through a complete rebuild it would need to meet current standards. Those standards do not permit the open passenger compartment behind the driving cab, which further would drive up the cost.
Although the laid-up engine does have some level of sentimental value, the consensus was that at most the district would need to spend at least a five-figure sum simply to get it running again, and even then it probably could only be used as a "parade" engine. Therefore, they voted to start the process of de-acquiring it and to accelerate the acquisition of a new engine.
At the end of the meeting, the Chair of the Board asked if there was any public comment, and hearing none, said, "What about you, Mr. Standlee? You've been awfully quiet."
I said, "Well, to be honest, my mind isn't totally here right now, as my wife and I are flying to Ireland on Monday for three weeks," which got both laughs and jealous comments.
I will try to stay in touch with fire district affairs, but I don't think I'll have the energy to run for the board again next year, even with three seats open, on account of Westercon 74 in Tonopah. That's going to take a lot of my spare brain cycles for the next couple of years.