The Casey Fire Protection District Board of Trustees made a significant investment in its emergency response capabilities at its August 6 meeting, approving the purchase of a new $400,000 fire engine. The acquisition from the Smithville Area Fire Protection District will be financed with a loan from First Neighbor Bank. For complete details on the purchase and the related sale of an older truck, see the full story.

In other major business, the board gave its final approval to the 2025-2026 district budget following a brief public hearing that drew no public comment. The adopted budget provides the financial authority for the new engine purchase and other district operations. Additional routine business is summarized in the briefs below.

Chief Reports New Gear Has Arrived
The fire chief reported that new gear for the final group of firefighters has been delivered, completing the process of outfitting the entire department with updated equipment. He also noted that an invoice was sent for services related to a recent fire on the interstate and that his department is now getting quotes for items needed to equip the newly purchased fire engine.

Financial Report Approved
Trustees approved the financial report for the period ending August 6. The district’s cash balance was reported at $175,116.08, following income of $151,085.70 and expenditures totaling $22,637.88 since the July 2 report. A motion by Trustee Billy Garver to approve the report and pay the bills was seconded by Trustee Alan Hutton and passed.

July Minutes Accepted
The board unanimously approved the minutes from its July 2, 2025, regular meeting. Trustee Mike Sherwood made the motion to accept the record as presented, which was seconded by Trustee Alan Hutton. The motion was approved by all members present, formalizing the record of last month’s proceedings.