We continue to be grateful that you allow us to serve you. Our emergency responders, volunteer and career, continue to do a great job of protecting our community and themselves when they go on calls. I also want to recognize our Administra-tive staff who all work very hard to ensure our department runs smoothly. I am proud of each of our hard working members.

Our challenges this year have been similar to those we faced last year. Our calls for service continue to rise slightly over last year. Costs continue to rise and materials and supplies are often in short supply. We recently received a federal grant to offset many of the costs of our COVID response, which greatly helps.

We have also applied for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to replace our 75 ag-ing self-contained breathing apparatus, one of our most important tools. We will also soon apply for an additional AFG grant to assist us with hiring full-time firefighters. While our chances are good, these competitive grants are no sure thing. If unsuccessful, we will continue to find ways to reduce costs and reallocate funds to help cover these important needs.

We continue to make progress on our Strategic Plan. You can find our most current up-date on the status of that plan by visiting our website at www.swfe.org. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and appreciate hearing your ideas and concerns. Please visit our website to learn more, or contact me at 360-321-1533 or chief@swfe.org with questions.

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