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Texarkana Firefighters

Brothers & Sisters

The last year has been a good one for Local 502. I reported at our last convention about our new City
Manager, Dr. Kenny Haskin. He replaced Harold Boldt, who was not only a detriment to our fire
department but our city as a whole. We had very little if any communication as a local. Under Dr.
Haskin we enjoy a great relationship based on good communication and an "open door" policy. In
September of 2016 we were fortunate enough to have a previous 502 President selected as our next
fire chief. I'm happy to report he has made a tremendous impact on the department since his time as
chief. He is also big on communication and holds the organization that he once led in high regard.
During our pay parity negotiations, he allowed me to serve as a negotiator and spokesperson for the
TAFD. The City Manager, City Board, Fire Chief, Media & the general public were very pleased with
the manner in which conducted ourselves during the negotiations. We were able to achieve a great
level of success for our firefighters while helping the city maintain fiscal boundaries. We have been
very active in public relations and we've left our footprint all over our community. We collected over
$13,000 for MDA which is by far the most we've ever collected (by more than double!) Our
membership continues to grow at a slow but steady pace from our lowest point 3 years ago. We are
now at approximately 70% participation. I expect this number to grow with the addition of a more fire
friendly City Manager & Fire Chief. Our morale is at its highest point in over a decade and I believe our
local and our entire department is headed in the right direction.
Thanks to our brothers& sisters in El Dorado for hosting the APFF Convention! We look forward to a
great Convention!
Best wishes to you all from Local 502, Texarkana Firefighters