Holger Durre, was named Prescott's Fire Chief when SunUp's own Dennis Light retired.  Chief Durre gave a great presentation, talking with the club about a wide range of fire-related topics. 

He noted that Prescott Fire Dept is the oldest department in the entire state; they've been in existence since 1875! 

He also explained that really, PFD is fire and medical, and that they provide medical response very effectively. 

Chief Durre talked about the challenge in that, despite the doubling of Prescott's population over the years, no new Fire Stations have been built since the early 2000s.

PFD faces similar hiring and retention challenges as Chief Bonney mentioned last week.  These are not just local issues, they are the same issues facing Fire Departments nationwide.

He also talked about the wonderful local culture that exists- hometown firefighters protecting their hometown. 

Chief Durre is excited about the opportunities he has with the Fire Department here, stepping in to this position after Chief Light had to usher the FD through the Granite Mountain Hotshots tragedy and aftermath. 

He and his family love Prescott and he particularly enjoys the connection and collaboration that exists between all of the different response organizations. 

Having come from previous positions, he said that this level of collaboration is not common elsewhere and its indicative of the quality people and organizations here in Prescott.

Learn more here: https://www.prescott-az.gov/services-safety/fire/about-the-prescott-fire-department/

How can you support your local fire department? Quoted from Firehouse.com   

Contact your local department to find out what other needs they may have.

• Teaching fire safety to children
• Installing smoke alarms in area homes
• Maintaining the department’s web site and social media efforts
• Distributing disaster preparedness materials
• Providing refreshments to first responders during long incidents (this is often called rehabilitation service or “rehab” for short)
• Cooking for the on-duty staff
• Helping with maintenance around fire station (painting, carpentry, etc.)
• Executing home safety checks
• Bookkeeping

“Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless.” -- Sherry Anderson