How are you set..?

   How are you set..?

   Happy New Year to everyone. Do you have any resolutions or are you all set for 2025?

   SDFA Board will be having our winter meeting on Jan. 11-12 in Chamberlain at Cedar Shores conference center. If you have items you would like the SDFA board to discuss, let your district member know or feel free to come to the meetings. 

   Legislative session will be starting. We will keep a watch for anything that may be of interest for the fire service. 

   Quick reminder to get your grant invoices turned into the fire marshal. If you had changes to your officers and you are not sure if you have funding waiting for your department, contact Doug Hinkle at the marshal’s office. 

   Winter time can be a good time to have review discussions about how emergency and non-emergency operations went over the last year. If there could be some adjustments to make improvements to how you do things. Maybe you have a new piece of equipment, new people with more capabilities, older people with lesser capabilities, a new idea, or a needed change. How are you set? 

   Are you set for the next new thing coming that we will be facing? Or are you set in your ways? 

   Some folks like to do the “What if this happens…?” discussion and debate when it may need to be more “What does happen..?” 

   If you have busy highways or lots of accidents requiring good extrication equipment, you may want a good set or two of extrication tools. 

   But if you respond to one or two accidents every couple years, maybe $1,500 dollars of battery powered reciprocating saws, blades, chains and handyman jacks is what you need to learn how to use, versus, $50,000 in extrication equipment. 

   But also keep in mind, new situations may require new procedures with any tools you have available. Skinning the car rather than cutting posts may be the new mid set necessary. 

   You got a set of grain rescue tubes. But do you know how to get them out and down safely? Maybe a simple rope rescue session on a common, local set of grain bins is in order. 

   Do an assessment of the calls you have had over the last five years. Were you prepared? Did you have what you needed? What would be better to have? What do you need?

   Think about the people and patients you assist. And the capability of the people you have on your department. Train with what you have. Figure out what you need.

   Hope you have a wonderful 2025. 

   Stay safe,

Charlie Kludt,

SDFA President