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° c --' d'_,r��.—J9 . � Mr. Richard Gasaway, Fire Chief City of Roseville 2660 Civic Center Drive Roseville, MN 55 113 Dear Mr. Gasaway: I retired in 1987 and have a son who is an active Roseville fireman with twenty years service. The Roseville Fire Department has always been family oriented with a number of inembers related to one another. It took over fifly years to build the department and was an honor to wear that badge as a member. Now for the past couple of years the morale has been at an a11 time low and new members leave soon after joining. I read in the press where $150,000 was approved for the new response system and full time deputy chief It was always accomplished on a paid volunteer basis and not enough work for a full time chief let alone a full time assistant. I think the taxpayers should also be concerned. When I retired I received an honorary lifetime membership in this fire department signed by Mayor June Demos. The use of the terrorism threat to exclude the retirees from entering the fire stations seems to be used as an opportune time to initiate this action by the fire chief and hints of discrimination to us. Another item of great interest is the stations being open to public tours, Christmas holiday parties and cookie exchanges including retirees and retiree's wives. I find it hard to attend when Pm limited to a thirty minute visit. On checking with other surrounding tire departments policy on retirees, I find Roseville to be the only city singling out their retirees to this treatment. Being in unmanned fire stations could be a benefit rather than a terrorism threat because although we are not active, our minds, eyes and ears still work fitte. I strongly urge all city officials and fire department staff to immediately and without delay reconsider actions taken against the people who made this fire department what it is -- not necessarily today but what it was in the past,