Dear valued residents of Fire District 3,

I am writing to you, the heart and soul of our community, with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation following the success of our recent levy passage.

As your fire chief, I am proud of the trust and support you have demonstrated, reaffirming my belief that our community values top-tier emergency services. Your vote is a clear endorsement of our commitment to excellence in public safety and emergency response.

With your approval, we can continue to maintain our mission of providing comprehensive education and effective emergency response for all hazards. Ensuring our community’s safety goes beyond responding to emergencies — it involves being prepared for them. This means equipping our firefighters with the modern tools and resources, and ensuring they have the training necessary to respond with speed and efficiency.

Our next steps include the hiring of additional personnel, which will enhance our ability to maintain optimal response times and provide the high standard of care you expect. We are also committed to investing in the continuous training and development of our current team, ensuring that every firefighter is equipped with the skills and knowledge to face any challenge.

To strengthen our commitment to making your tax dollars work effectively, we are actively pursuing additional funding sources, including grant opportunities and generous community contributions — such as donated vehicles for firefighting training.

We believe community outreach and education are vital parts of our mission. By sharing knowledge, we empower you, our valued residents, to remain informed, prepared, and protected. Transparency is our commitment to you.

We will maintain open communication about all fiscal and operational aspects of the Fire District. Our promise is to keep you informed, ensuring that you have a clear understanding of how your support translates into action and progress within your community.

I would like to take this opportunity to mention a recent generous donation we received from the Burned Children’s Recovery Foundation, led by Michael and Kathleen Mathis. Their contribution of $3,283.36 will be dedicated to innovative educational tools focused on fire safety for children, employing interactive and exciting media platforms to make learning engaging and impactful.

Your unwavering support fuels our dedication to serving you better every day. Together, we form a stronger community, prepared and resilient, in the face of emergencies.

Once again, thank you for your trust, your belief in our mission, and your commitment to safety and education. With your continued support, we look forward to an era of enhanced services and community engagement.

In Your Service,

Justin Grider

Fire Chief, and all of us at Fire District 3