Thayne Fire Chief Tedd Jenkins has been with Thayne Fire for 16 years and, in that time, has seen firefighters come and go. Not Delane Skinner. Skinner has been with Thayne Fire for fifty years and was recognized, among others, for his service and sacrifices for the past half century. “I am not sure if this has been done before in the state of Wyoming,” says Chief Jenkins, “but I can say it hasn’t been done many times!

“The knowledge and the experience [Delane] brings into the fire department is absolutely second to none,” shares Jenkins. “Delane is one of those firemen who is always one of the first ones to show up on scene. He’s one of these guys that you can rely on.”

Delane served as Fire Chief in 1979-’80, with other years of holding important positions, including training officer. Jenkins shares that it is not easy to be a volunteer firefighter. “It’s an incredible feat for someone to be a volunteer fireman for 50 years.”

Another honor was given to Toby Merritt. Merritt has “been instrumental in getting our new fire truck and getting through some growing pains with the formation of the Mid-Valley Fire District,” says Jenkins. Merritt just finished being Fire Chief this past July and had the responsibility to be Fire Chief through some big updates and changes with
Thayne Fire. Now that he is no longer Chief, that has not slowed him down in his dedication to his work. Merritt received the Attendance Award for 2023 as Jenkins highlights, “He hasn’t missed a training or meeting in over seven years.”

Being a firefighter is hard. Jenkins shares that it isn’t just jumping into a fire engine and putting out the fire. It requires consistent certifications, tests, meetings, time away from family and much more. Having dedicated volunteers like Skinner, Merritt and the Thayne Fire team really makes all the difference when running a fire station and keeping the community safe.