The Cotton Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) would like to thank the Town Board and the citizens of Cotton for their continuing support. With your support, we have been able to keep providing quality emergency medical and fire fighting services to our community.

The CVFD began the year with 24 members, but with retirements and relocations, ended the year with 21, of whom, 11 are First Responders and EMT’s.

In the past year CVFD received 42 calls (almost twice as many as the previous year). Of these, 30 were EMS calls and 12 were fire calls. Many of these involved both EMS and Fire personnel. Eight of these calls were for Mutual Aid: three for Kelsey, four for Ellsburg, and one for Northland.

Training for both EMS and Fire Fighting personnel continued throughout the year. This included Hazmat, Blood-borne Pathogens, Right-to-Know, frequent First Responder skills honing courses, the First Responder Refresher (which must be taken every two years in order to remain Certified) equipment training and practice, Auto extrication training, Wildland Fire Training, and Run Review Assessment. We also received an updated copy of recommended Patient Care Protocols from our Medical Director, Dr. Karen Flynn. Several members attended the annual Arrowhead Emergency Medical System Conference, taking in excellent training seminars. Also, two members attended a recognition dinner and seminar put on by St. Luke’s Hospital. Meadowlands Ambulance Service requested that some members take a Certified Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (CEVO-3), in order to aid them on calls needing more personnel. Four CVFD members are now qualified to do this. Throughout the year inspections, tests, assessment, maintenance and repairs are performed on equipment, buildings and supplies.

CVFD participates in Fire Prevention Week at the Cotton School, provides EMS readiness at the Annual State Fiddle Contest and the Riverside Music Festival, sponsors the annual Senior Citizen’s Christmas Dinner, and floods the skating rink. This year CVFD also helped personnel from the Meadowlands Ambulance Service teach a CPR course at the Cotton School for 8^th, 9^th and 10^th grades, resulting in 28 students becoming certified in CPR.

Accomplishments during 2009 include: the acquisition of a new (used) and desperately needed Rescue Rig, the acquisition and installation of a cord reel and reciprocating saw on Engine #6, the acquisition of new safety vests (to meet updated requirements) and an ongoing amazing amount of maintenance, equipment checking and supplies monitoring.

Our goals for 2010 include: Completing our First Responder Refresher Course, increasing our membership numbers, Firefighter I and Firefighter II training, research changing regulations on radios, possibly buy more hand-held radios and mobile radios for trucks, and there may be another CPR course held at the school.

Thank you again for your past, present and continuing support!