Frank Mestemacher began his six-year term as a fire commissioner for South Whidbey Fire/EMS at the district’s first regular monthly meeting of the year Jan. 14.

Mestemacher was elected in November and replaces longtime Commissioner Mike Helland, who served with the district for 18 years. Mestemacher, a Freeland resident, served as a volunteer firefighter for 15 years and left the department as a captain. He had the opportunity to catch up on what he missed during his time away from the department when the district held its annual strategic planning meeting Jan. 16.

“One of the ways we can anticipate where the organization needs to go is by looking out five to 10 years and anticipating what we’re going to run up against,” district Chief Rusty Palmer said on Jan. 15. “The value of a strategic plan is that it gives us a roadmap to the future and allows us to focus on what needs to be done to get to our end point.”

Palmer said he was going to ask the commissioners at the planning meeting, which occurs every January, if he can start developing a strategic plan for the next five to 10 years. The last strategic plan was written in 2007. Palmer said everything but the construction of the proposed Bayview fire station has been finished since then. An update on the Bayview facility, which will include information on the permitting process and funding, was on the agenda for the meeting.

Also included in the meeting were policy and procedure clarifications, additions, and deletions; an inter-local agreement with local fire districts for a radio grant; staffing issues, participation standards and medical benefits for volunteers; capital improvement plans and future funding needs.