District 4 Updates
Jonathan Evans
Greetings from District 4. Spring is here, well kind of. Seems like Mother Nature just can’t make up her mind yet. That is not stopping people from getting out and enjoying all of the festivities that have been going on. Baseball/softball season is in full swing. Snagging season is here, the crappie are biting and the elusive morel mushrooms are abundant this year. With all these activities getting started and with the official start of summer coming up soon, traffic will be picking up as everyone travels to the lake for fun in the sun and to take family vacations.
With the majority of departments in the state made up of volunteers, I ask when was the last time that the extrication tools were used, when were they last serviced, when was the last inspection done of the hydraulic hoses or the batteries cycled? It’s the little things that are often overlooked but easy to check. As you are coiling up the hydraulic lines they are easy to check for cracks and bulges in the line. If you can’t remember the last time they were used, get them out at your next training and use them. My department physically checks and cycles the tools once a month at a minimum. It is better to find the issue before it becomes a problem or causes a failure of the tools when you need them the most.
On March 6, Firefighters Day at the Capitol was held. I had the privilege of attending this event with Fire Chief Greg Harrell and Deputy Chief Matt Irwin of the Sedalia Fire Department. If you have not attended this event before I recommend that you try to attend next year. Our voice is heard and we can make a difference. At this event the Division of Fire Safety likes to recognize a special guest and this year it was the Missouri Fire Service Funeral Assistance Team. This team provides an invaluable service behind the scenes to the grieving department and family during the most difficult time when they have suffered the loss of a loved one in the Line of Duty. As part of being the special guest the funeral assistance teams were greeted by Governor Parsons in his office and he spoke to and thanked each team member for their service. I would like to thank Chief Harrell for serving on the team since 2007.
