I attended a rural fire coordinators’ meeting in Wilburton last week. This was an excellent listening opportunity. They still have concerns about our House Bill 1052, which requires them to submit electronic incident reports through the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) as opposed to written paper reports as was done in the past. There was also much concern about lumping all fire departments in the same bucket. They do not feel our urban neighbors share our concerns about continuing operations when more regulations are passed down on rural fire departments. We can never forget these fire departments are manned by volunteers.
I also had the opportunity to speak to Haileyville’s world history class this past week. It was fun. I always enjoy sharing my life’s history, because I believe where you come from has an impact on who you are. Some of the students’ questions were very direct with much forethought. I really enjoy engaging with our students as it provides hope for our future.
Latimer County Cattlemen’s annual meeting was last week as well. The attendance continues to grow in this organization. These meetings are not only social but educational. I was able to share some of my experience in Washington, D.C., and our visit with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. It was a good meeting.
Lastly, I made it to the Tulsa State Fair and had the chance to watch the tractor driving competition for our FFA students. Not sure why they don’t label it the tractor backing contest. It’s a tough course. I have been driving tractors my entire life, and I’m not sure if I could complete this course. It’s amazing to watch the skill set of our youth.
As always, thank You for allowing me to serve you. I can be reached at (405) 557-7381 or by email at jim.grego@okhouse.gov.
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