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During the Logan County Board's
meeting as a board of whole in November, Lynn Haseley and Reynold
Goff were honored for lifetime service to emergency services and
presented with the distinguished Larry Shroyer Award.
The annual awards are named for former
civil defense director Larry Shroyer.
By way of introduction, current EMA
director Dan Fulscher explained that Shroyer's ability to think
ahead of his time made him like the Walt Disney of emergency
services. Shroyer came out of the World War II era and was Logan
County's director of what is now the Emergency Management Agency. It
was he who put the phone booth with a working phone on Lincoln City
Hall as a lookout point for storms.
Fulscher said: "He was the one that
received the grants for the public safety complex as you know it. He
wrote a comprehensive operations plan back in the '50s that without
a doubt would today still reach accreditation. I just marvel at his
abilitiness." Fulscher added that the lower level of the complex was
dedicated to Shroyer.
Calling forward Lynn Haseley,
Fulscher said that Haseley has served as a trustee of the Lincoln
Rural Fire Protection District for 25 years and is its current
president. To his credit, Haseley aided in numerous changes to the
department, with one of the most significant being just a few years
ago: the new building that allows the consolidation of all the fire
equipment in one location.
Among other advances, Haseley was
also part of developing the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, Division 1.
MABAS coordinates with emergency management needs for water and
other types of rescues.
Haseley, in response, confirmed: "A
lot of these things have happened, and I'm very pleased to have been
a part of it, but it was not just me alone. It took a lot of work
and a lot of good people; especially (those) on board when we went
to pass a referendum to build a firehouse."
He was most pleased with the
relationship that has developed with the city of Lincoln Fire
Department. "That was one of my goals when I came on as a trustee,"
Haseley said. "It's a win-win for everybody."
As part of his learning experience,
it became personal. He went on to recall that the department had
wanted an aerial truck, "and I said, we don't need an aerial in our
district."
"Well, our house burned down, and
it was a big, old two-story. They had a heck of a time putting out
the roof. They said, boy, if we'd had an aerial, this would have
been a piece of cake. "
He chuckled, and others joined him
as he continued: "Needless to say, about three months later an
aerial came up for sale in our price range; there's an aerial parked
in our garage now."
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Haseley concluded by saying that he
had really enjoyed his service and learned a lot over the years.
"There's some interesting times
coming for fire service, especially in Logan County as smaller
departments find it harder and harder to find people to man the
stations," he said. "They're relying on Lincoln Rural to help out
because they know we are full time."
"Thanks again. I certainly
appreciate it. Thank you!" Haseley said.
Fulscher called forward Reynold
Goff as the other Larry Shroyer Award recipient. Goff has over two
decades of service with the Chestnut Fire Protection District,
having served as assistant chief and chief.
Fulscher recalled calling on Goff
during a blizzard, and with assistance, Goff conducted over 35
rescues, cruising from Beason to Latham by snowmobile. Then, after
the roads closed, he came to Lincoln, Fulscher said, and did a
rescue of a man who had changed his mind three times before deciding
he wanted help. That was up at Route 136.
Goff most recently represented the
east side of the county in putting numerous projects into the Logan
County Hazards Mitigation Plan.
Many of the projects for that area
are water-related, ranging from water districts that serve for
drinking water and firefighting, to flood control, particularly
related to Salt Creek often coming out of its banks during heavy
rains. Having the projects in the plan enables application for grant
funding as it would become available.
Fulscher concluded: "With your due
diligence, decades of health and fire and EMS services to the area,
we present Reynold Goff with the Larry Shroyer Award of
distinguished service and lifetime dedication to safety of citizens
of Logan County."
While Larry Shroyer died a number
of years ago, he is remembered well today. Special guest for the
presentations to honor his memory included Darwin Shroyer, Shroyer's
nephew, from Decatur.
[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]
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