Left to right - Winlock Fire Chief Richard Underdahl, Congresswoman Maria Glusenkamp-Perez, Commissioner Ray Shipman with a Winlock firefighter/EMT during a visit to assess Winlock's needs for a ladder truck and station. Chief Dorthy of Toledo was there b
On Thursday, August 3, in the afternoon, Congresswoman Maria Glusenkamp-Perez met with two local fire departments to discuss growth and the needs of the small communities. Winlock is in desperate need of a ladder truck and a station along with the costs to maintain annually. Congresswoman Glusenkamp-Perez is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, who are fiscally responsible democrats, leading the way to find common sense solutions. They are considered pragmatic Democrats, appealing to the mainstream values of the American public.
Commissioner Ray Shipman with the Winlock Fire Department reached out to Congresswoman Glusenkamp-Perez, he stated, "When I reached out and invited her, she came to help understand the struggles of rural fire districts."
Commissioner Shipman is serving his first term as fire commissioner and he has definitely hit the ground running, he stated, "When I became commissioner, I promised that I would be actively involved in our fire district and community. Inviting Maria and educating her on rural fire district struggles was very educational for not only her but our fire districts too." Contacting Congresswoman Glusenkamp-Perez was a great starting point to help those living in the rural fire districts.
Winlock Fire Chief Ricard Underdahl stated, "I was very pleased in getting to know Congresswoman Gluesenkamp-Perez during her recent visit to Winlock Fire and Rescue. I could tell that she had a genuine interest in the challenges facing fire services in our area. She took the time to understand how our agency is growing and encouraged us to keep applying for federal grants that can assist us with dealing with needed funding for the future. I want to thank her for taking the time out of her busy schedule to get to know our agency!"
Congresswoman Glusenkamp Perez will hopefully see the needs of the community and help the community acquire much needed additional fire equipment. The Winlock government was unable to successfully negotiate the full amount required, instead only covering a very small amount compared to what is needed. Chief Underdahl has repeatedly stated, "I will not go to the citizens to cover the fire equipment at the industrial park," Thankfully, we have a fire department that understands the struggles in the community and they are working with legislators to understand the needs.