Important Update:
- Piercy Fire Protection District
- Jun 18
- 3 min read
At the June 12th Piercy Fire Protection District Board of Commissioners meeting, Jeff Hedin resigned from the Board. This was a difficult decision for Jeff. lt became clear after multiple health issues that it was time for surgery and projected recovery, Jeff thought it was best for the Board and our Piercy Community to step aside to ensure continuity and the importance for our Fire Protection District work to keep moving forward.
Jeff recommended that Judith Casteel be appointed to serve out his remaining term. Commissioner John Laudenschlager moved that Judith be appointed, Jeff seconded and Larry Casteel abstained. Motion carried. Judith has served for the past 6 years as our PIO (Public information
Officer) and as our Emergency Evacuation Preparedness Officer. Jeff explained because of her years of working with the Board made her the best qualified choice for this position. Action taken was done per Board By-Laws.
Jeff will remain on as a consultant/advisor to the Board. His 32 years of experience will be greatly welcomed and accepted by the Board. Jeff expressed his thanks to the Board and the folks of Piercy who have supported him over the years of his tenure.
We respectfully acknowledge Jeffs decision to resign from the Board. We thank you for your years of commitment to our Piercy Community, the Piercy Fire Protection District and Volunteer Fire Department. Everyone has greatly appreciated your leadership and guidance for the Board of Commissioners. We express our sincere gratitude for your valuable contributions and dedication to ensure Piercy residents fire safety as your top priority by reviving and re-building our Fire District and Department.
On Saturday June 21't at the Piercy Community Hall, family and friends will honor Jeff's ' 80th Birthday Party and Board retirement. All of Piercy's residents are welcome to join
his celebration.With our best regards, Board of Commisioners,
June 12,2025
From: Jeffrey Hedin, Board President, Piercy Fire Protection District
To: Larry Casteel, Board Secretary/Treasurer, Piercy Fire Protection District
After reviewing two startling x-rays, my medical team and I agreed that I needed hip replacement surgery soon. I have started pre-surgery physical therapy, and am scheduled for surgery August 27,2025. By July 30, I need to submit to my surgical team a physical exam with full lab blood work and an assessment from a new cardiologist that states I can survive this operation without heart failure (including a recent EKG). Meanwhile, I need to finish preparing my homestead for fire season, cut and stack firewood for this winter's heat, and rescue my orchard from a huge over-set of fruit that is already breaking limbs.
Between this workload and my computer incompetence and phobia I cannot prepare myself to participate competently in the work of the Piercy Fire Protection District Board. With the submission to you of this letter, I resign from the board.
I am not leaving Piercy. During and after recovery from surgery I will try to be available to the board for consultation. When recovered, I will contribute to our emergency services as l am able.
I also want to emphasize that this awkward situation of trying to recreate a three-person board that is already too small to handle the current board workload on a volunteer basis is exactly the situation we were in when Chief Robert Kirk recruited me in1992 &3. We were in it again in 2004 when Larry Graph, then our CalFire Battalion Chief arranged first responder certification training in Piercy while Chief Kirk and I recruited a full Board.
I recommend to our entire community that we make resolving this fix a community priority.
Respectfully,
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