Kudos to Mayor Hornaday, the Homer City Council, City Manager Walt Wrede and Public Works Director Carey Meyer for moving ahead to install a small fire station at the water treatment plant on Skyline Drive. I've been prodding the council for eight years now since we were annexed and the city promised a fire station. The topography is such that a fire in Homer will eventually roar up the south slope, and we've seen about four fires in the last four years attack the area from the north. The critical time is April to June when the snow leaves and before vegetation greens up. The fire station will include a large water connection from the treatment plant to replenish fire engines.

The recent change in our ISO rating because of the time for a fire truck to get up here has increased our fire insurance cost about $500 per year. Multiply that by the 200-plus homes affected and you get a $100,000+ savings by the citizens, not to mention the heartbreak avoided by losing all you own. Thank you.

Doug Stark