FLY CREEK - The Fly Creek fire district board of commissioners will meet tonight at 7 p.m. in the fire hall for their monthly meeting.

The board-scheduled fire department inventory set for Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. took place, but not exactly as planned. According to board chairman Richard Carr, some commissioners, a couple of ladies from the women's auxiliary and one female firefighter showed up, but fire department chief George Chandler and his son, assistant chief Chris Chandler, failed to attend.

"It's a little disappointing," Carr said. "We have to get it done anyway."

Carr said after speaking with the insurance carrier, they went through and only photographed and catalogued the "big-ticket items," equipment they estimated to be worth more than $500. Items worth less than $500 are covered under a blanket policy, Carr said. He said the board still needs to get a handle on how many pairs of turnout gear the department owns. He estimated each set to be worth about $1,000.

At a special fire district meeting held Jan. 26, the board scheduled the inventory for Feb. 2. The board requested an inventory - among several items - from the fire department at the meeting Jan. 12, but at their meeting Jan. 26, they still had not received any of the items from the department. The board then decided to take an inventory themselves, "with or without department help," said commissioner Mark Weir.

Chris Chandler said he would attend the inventory, but was unsure if his father would be able to make it. He declined to comment Tuesday about why he was not there, citing a concern that he would be misquoted.

"You print things inaccurately, you can print that," Chris Chandler said.

George Chandler did not return a message seeking comment left with his wife Tuesday afternoon. According to Chris Chandler, the chief missed the fire board's first meeting of the year and the special meeting because he was out of town on vacation.

Carr said he knew firefighters Matt and Jim Pernat could not attend the inventory because of their work schedule.

In other business:

• Carr said the board plans to appoint a replacement commissioner at the meeting tonight. The vacancy opened when Julie Pernat resigned her post effective Jan. 8.

Carr said the board was "floored" by the response to the call for candidates. He said they initially had six or seven to choose from, but had whittled it down to the final two or three candidates.

"We thought we would have to beat the bushes to find one," Carr said.

• Carr said a problem with the heating in the fire hall had been repaired. Because of a problem with the thermostat, the temperature was regularly set in the 80s, even when no one was using the building, Carr said.

"It was really getting hot in there," he said. He said the repairs will save the district money on fuel oil.

• Carr said as of Monday they had yet to receive any of the information the board requested of the fire department.

The board asked the fire department at their meeting Jan. 12 to provide information about any anticipated capital expenses, a list of current members - including their addresses and a copy of their current drivers license - and officers, an inventory, the dates of each member's last physical, training records, training schedules, maintenance records and a full inventory.

"We'll see what happens," Carr said about whether they would have the information in time for the meeting tonight. "It will get fixed, it's just going to take some time."