On Last Day, Fire Chief Holderman Thanked For Year Of Service
February 7, 2023 at 10:24 p.m.
On Last Day, Fire Chief Holderman Thanked For Year Of Service
By David [email protected]
After the agenda items were taken care of during the WWFT board meeting Tuesday, which was moved to 11 a.m. to accommodate Holderman’s afternoon flight to Arizona, Mayor Joe Thallemer reminded the board that Holderman submitted his letter of resignation Jan. 12.
“Today is his last day. The city is still in the hiring process. We expect to name a new chief next week,” Thallemer said.
He said Holderman has done a great job this past year, making some changes, primarily in the development of leadership, which was a high priority of Thallemer’s.
“I’m very thankful for the year that Garrett has given us. He’s going to be making his way back to Phoenix this afternoon to join his family. He’ll be back where the family is now and where they belong. I know it was a very difficult decision, Chief. Not an easy decision. (You) put your family first and I think everyone certainly understands that,” Thallemer said.
Holderman agreed it was not an easy decision, but he knows in his heart it was the right one and he was reminded of that with everyone he’s had a conversation with about it.
“The reassurance has been good. My time here has been fantastic. This is a wonderful community. The fire department has been incredible,” Holderman said.
He said he told the fire department if he could take Warsaw and all the guys back to Arizona he would in a heartbeat because of their passion, humility and the love they bring for the job.
“We don’t really have that out west. And it is out west, not the West Coast,” Holderman emphasized. “We don’t have that level of passion. I’m not saying there’s not passionate firemen out there, it’s just here it’s very noticeable and it’s wonderful to be a part of. Everything about it has been great. I really enjoyed my time. I ran into some roadblocks straight on out of the gate, but you learn. I chalk this up as a win. As short as a year is, I’ve learned a lot. I think I’ve matured as a leader. I learned a lot about municipal government and how it differs from the private sector and I’m very grateful for that and I’m very grateful for all of you.”
He said it was a very difficult decision, but his family is very happy with it back home right now and that’s what makes him happy.
Thallemer told Holderman he will miss him and he really enjoyed their relationship.
Board member Brandon Schmitt told Holderman he appreciated his sacrifice and his family’s sacrifice to move to the Midwest.
“You are doing the right thing. The very reason you’re moving back is the very reason that made you great for the position in the first place. It takes willingness to serve and sacrifice ... we appreciate your willingness to serve and to sacrifice,” Schmitt said.
Thallemer told Holderman he will be missed.
In other business, the board approved:
• The fee agreement/employment letter for 2023 legal services provided by Beers Mallers LLP. Andrew Grossnickle, of Beers Mallers LLP, is the attorney for the fire territory. The rate is $150 per hour and retainer fee is $500.
• Continued support of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
EMS Chief Chris Fancil said every two years, “we renew our membership with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation group. What that lets us do is lets us keep cost of classes down by being a member. It also lets us use them as a reference, use them as an affiliate so we can get up-to-date things through them.”
The two-year membership is $260.
• A preventative maintenance contract with Zoll Medical Corporation for $1,120 for maintenance on all the Z-series Zoll cardiac monitors, as presented by Fancil.
• Accepting a $7,500 grant from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation to assist the CARES program with setting up a resource page on the internet and a phone app to better organize available resources in the county, as presented by Fancil.
A contract with 1Eighty Digital for helping to develop the page and app also was approved and will be presented to the Board of Public Works and Safety.
• For Fancil to apply for a state grant to receive intranasal Naloxone. In the past, Fancil said they usually have received 300 doses of the Narcan and then distributes it to emergency services to help combat the opioid problem in the community. There is no financial match to the grant.
“It’s a really, really good grant for us to be a part of. I think I have 24 doses of the 300 I got a few months ago. I think we do that at least once a year,” Fancil said.
Every nine or 10 months, he said he applies for the grant, gets about 300 doses and distributes that out to the community.
After the agenda items were taken care of during the WWFT board meeting Tuesday, which was moved to 11 a.m. to accommodate Holderman’s afternoon flight to Arizona, Mayor Joe Thallemer reminded the board that Holderman submitted his letter of resignation Jan. 12.
“Today is his last day. The city is still in the hiring process. We expect to name a new chief next week,” Thallemer said.
He said Holderman has done a great job this past year, making some changes, primarily in the development of leadership, which was a high priority of Thallemer’s.
“I’m very thankful for the year that Garrett has given us. He’s going to be making his way back to Phoenix this afternoon to join his family. He’ll be back where the family is now and where they belong. I know it was a very difficult decision, Chief. Not an easy decision. (You) put your family first and I think everyone certainly understands that,” Thallemer said.
Holderman agreed it was not an easy decision, but he knows in his heart it was the right one and he was reminded of that with everyone he’s had a conversation with about it.
“The reassurance has been good. My time here has been fantastic. This is a wonderful community. The fire department has been incredible,” Holderman said.
He said he told the fire department if he could take Warsaw and all the guys back to Arizona he would in a heartbeat because of their passion, humility and the love they bring for the job.
“We don’t really have that out west. And it is out west, not the West Coast,” Holderman emphasized. “We don’t have that level of passion. I’m not saying there’s not passionate firemen out there, it’s just here it’s very noticeable and it’s wonderful to be a part of. Everything about it has been great. I really enjoyed my time. I ran into some roadblocks straight on out of the gate, but you learn. I chalk this up as a win. As short as a year is, I’ve learned a lot. I think I’ve matured as a leader. I learned a lot about municipal government and how it differs from the private sector and I’m very grateful for that and I’m very grateful for all of you.”
He said it was a very difficult decision, but his family is very happy with it back home right now and that’s what makes him happy.
Thallemer told Holderman he will miss him and he really enjoyed their relationship.
Board member Brandon Schmitt told Holderman he appreciated his sacrifice and his family’s sacrifice to move to the Midwest.
“You are doing the right thing. The very reason you’re moving back is the very reason that made you great for the position in the first place. It takes willingness to serve and sacrifice ... we appreciate your willingness to serve and to sacrifice,” Schmitt said.
Thallemer told Holderman he will be missed.
In other business, the board approved:
• The fee agreement/employment letter for 2023 legal services provided by Beers Mallers LLP. Andrew Grossnickle, of Beers Mallers LLP, is the attorney for the fire territory. The rate is $150 per hour and retainer fee is $500.
• Continued support of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
EMS Chief Chris Fancil said every two years, “we renew our membership with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation group. What that lets us do is lets us keep cost of classes down by being a member. It also lets us use them as a reference, use them as an affiliate so we can get up-to-date things through them.”
The two-year membership is $260.
• A preventative maintenance contract with Zoll Medical Corporation for $1,120 for maintenance on all the Z-series Zoll cardiac monitors, as presented by Fancil.
• Accepting a $7,500 grant from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation to assist the CARES program with setting up a resource page on the internet and a phone app to better organize available resources in the county, as presented by Fancil.
A contract with 1Eighty Digital for helping to develop the page and app also was approved and will be presented to the Board of Public Works and Safety.
• For Fancil to apply for a state grant to receive intranasal Naloxone. In the past, Fancil said they usually have received 300 doses of the Narcan and then distributes it to emergency services to help combat the opioid problem in the community. There is no financial match to the grant.
“It’s a really, really good grant for us to be a part of. I think I have 24 doses of the 300 I got a few months ago. I think we do that at least once a year,” Fancil said.
Every nine or 10 months, he said he applies for the grant, gets about 300 doses and distributes that out to the community.
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