Fire District No. 2 is experiencing an increase in retirements as employees hired in growth period of the late 70’s and 80’s start to retire. Six employees within the Fire Division have retired in the past six months. Five out of the six have left in the past two months. Several employees have agreed to work part-time while replacements are being hired and promoted to fill the positions. Fire Chief Michael Hansen said, “We are losing a lot of talent and experience with this group of retiree’s. Each shift retains a tremendous amount of experience though, and we have hired and promoted some of the best personnel I have seen in a long time.”
Retirees include:
|
|
Battalion Chief Dave Hyland (32 yrs.): Dave was the shift commander for “C” shift and oversaw many programs including conducting all promotional testing and helped develop detailed fire engine specifications for purchasing new equipment. |
 |
Captain Bill Combs (35 yrs.): Bill was the shift Captain on “B” shift and was active in many district projects. Bill was instrumental in the establishment of the Fire District No. 2 Rescue Team, which he led until his retirement. |
|
Lieutenant Mike Dady (29 yrs.): Mike retired in July and was a station officer on “B” shift. Mike served as the Safety Officer for the District and was very active on the Fire Investigation Team. |
|
 |
Engineer Paul Jackson (33 yrs.): Paul routinely worked as an acting officer on “B” shift and was respected by his peers for his calm demeanor at emergency incidents. Paul was active on the technical rescue team along with other projects. |
 |
Engineer Mike Lopera (25 yrs.) Mike was assigned to “C” shift and worked as an acting officer often. Mike could be relied upon to fix anything and was an incredible trouble shooter. Mike learned his mechanical skills working on his ranch in Umpqua and helping friends build and maintain race cars. |
 |
Accountant Ann Bierman (30 yrs.): Although Ann’s title is “Accountant” her role extended well beyond her title. Ann had an unprecedented recollection of past events and practices and really was the backbone of the organization. Ann is continuing to work part-time into the new year. |
