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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BFC-2013-06-11CITY OF ITHACA BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, June 11, 2013 Present: Chair Gilligan Commissioners: Ellsworth, Sparks, McGonigal Others Present: Fire Chief — Parsons Information Management Specialist - Myers Excused: Commissioner Hoard Alderperson and Liaison to Board — Fleming CALL TO ORDER: Chair Gilligan called to meeting to order at 1605 hours. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Approval of the May 14, 2013 Board of Fire Commissioner Meeting Minutes — Resolution By Commissioner Ellsworth: Seconded by Commissioner Sparks RESOLVED, That the minutes of the May 14, 2013 Board of Fire Commissioner meeting be approved as published. Carried Unanimously (3 -0) ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: Chief Parsons requested time to discuss some information regarding Town of Ithaca statistics. No Board Member objected. PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS: Mr. Lyman Baker reported on the following to the Board: "Re: City of Ithaca Cemetery (Firemen's Section) Dear Board Members, Raymond Wheaton and Lyman Baker have worked six hours a piece in the firemen's section of the city cemetery mowing, planting flowers, setting flags into the ground and into flag holders. When it is not raining we cart water to water the very nice looking flowers. Thank goodness for empty milk jugs. Sincerely, Lyman Baker, Badge #3258 Mr. Lyle Neigh addressed the Board to express concern over the process to notify the public of emergencies, particularly natural disasters since the public telephones are no longer in use, nor the fire boxes, or steam whistles /horns. He further expressed concern for fire fighter's safety in new high rise development projects. Commissioner McGonigal arrived at the meeting at 1610 hours. Boa rdlbf[ Firel :ommissionerUMeeting14inute u ne111, 20130 CORRESPONDENCE: Chair Gilligan reported that the bank statement from the Tompkins Trust Company Donation Fund dated May 31, 2013 had a beginning balance of $1,058.51 and an ending balance of $1,058.51 reflecting no activity as of May 31, 2013. Chair Gilligan shared the following note that was posted on "Craig's List under Rants and Raves" (it was brought to his attention by Mr. Lyman Baker): Ithaca Fire ( #963) The other day I was driving down Meadow Street, I stopped at a traffic light and a fairly young fireman stopped next to me. He beeped and pointed at something, then he stepped out of his car and removed my loppers from the roof of my truck and like that he was gone...... Later, last week 1 saw the same car #963 and the same "kid "just coming out of Wegman's'. A mother with two young children was trying to soothe one of her children who was sobbing and put groceries in her car. Her cart started to roll; he stopped the cart and proceeded to help the woman put the groceries in the car, then produced a sticker from his clipboard for the older child. A true hero — never too busy, going above and beyond —just because it is the right thing to do. Nice work IFD car #963. Board members thanked Chair Gilligan and Mr. Baker for sharing the special recognition note with them. MEMBERSHIP CHANGES: Applications for Membership & Volunteer Status Change Request: Chair Gilligan reported that Scott Gingras, City of Ithaca Fire Fighter and member of Company #9 has submitted a letter of resignation as he and his family are moving out of the area. Motion to Accept Mr. Scott Gingras' Letter of Resignation — Resolution By Commissioner McGonigal: Seconded by Commissioner Ellsworth RESOLVED, That the Board of Fire Commissioners accepts the resignation of Mr. Scott Gingras from the Ithaca Fire Department and from Fire Company #9. Carried Unanimously MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS: Town of Ithaca: No Report City of Ithaca: No Report Audit: The audit was reviewed and completed by Commissioner Ellsworth. DEPARTMENT REPORTS: Chief Reports: Chief Parsons provided the Board with his written monthly report for May 2013. It will be attached to the minutes as well. He highlighted the following items for the Board from the report: There have been no changes in personnel 7 Boa rdlbfi Fire C:ommissionerWeetingWinute uneA1,12013M The capital project requests for the new roof and HVAC system at Central Fire Station have been approved by Common Council. Work will begin on the roof the week of June 17th and work on the HVAC system will begin in August. The new ladder truck is in transit to the City of Ithaca from the manufacturer. The City gave permission for it to be displayed during the annual fireman's convention at Verona, New York before it makes its way to the City. It should arrive by June 21St. When it is put into active service, the 1995 ladder truck will be retired, declared surplus, and then sold. Last month the Town of Ithaca raised concerns regarding the statistics on "good intent" calls in the Town of Ithaca. The data has been reviewed (i.e. the reason and the result), and whether IFD's response could be eliminated. He explained the various scenarios involved in the good intent calls and why it would be difficult for the fire department not to respond. Chair Gilligan (town of Ithaca representative) responded that he believed when the Town was asking about the number of good intent calls was to try to gauge whether conducting public education might help reduce the volume of calls. He understands, as does the Town Board, that most of the time there is a genuine need for the fire department to respond to these calls, and that the Town is not necessarily interested in having the department stop responding, just concerned about educating the public appropriately about when to call for the fire department. The Town of Ithaca also questioned why the fire department responds to medical calls. The reason IFD responds to medical calls is because they are usually closer than the ambulance. Once on scene they are trained to stabilize, extricate, etc. and prepare the patient for transport once the ambulance arrives. Mr. Bangs fully supports this practice. Commissioner Sparks questioned whether it is possible to get statistics on the good intent calls that result in nuisance alarm calls with no smoke but dust or steam. Chief Parsons responded that he can provide a statistical report of those types of calls, and noted too that public education is very important — especially when buildings are under construction /re- construction and dust triggers the alarm. Fire /Police Report: Mr. David Cornelius provided the following report for the Board: The request for training for our April meeting was to be on proper radio protocol. We were lucky enough that Chief Parsons was still in the building and he gave a good presentation of how he wanted us to use our new radios. My request for a training topic for our May meeting went unanswered until the day prior to our training when I was able to speak with Dan Tier and he asked the next shift to provide a session on heat related issues. For not having any advanced notice, Lt. Deis did a good job of explaining what symptoms we should be looking for and how to treat them. 1 put in a request for a training subject for our June training last week and 1 have still not heard what that topic will be. We have asked that a 12 month calendar of training topics be prepared so we know in advance which months will be OSHA required topics so we can adjust our schedules, if needed, to assure we are available. D Boa rdlbf[ Firel :ommissionerUMeeting14inute u ne111, 20130 The Fire Police Unit has been requested to help with the Finger lakes Runners' race on June 12. Respectfully submitted, David Cornelius Chief Parsons responded that Assistant Fire Chief Sheldon is working to prepare the fire /police training schedule for the year so it can be distributed to everyone well in advance. OLD BUSINESS: Update on funds requested by City Chamberlain from former Volunteer Companies: Chair Gilligan reported that Company #5 turned in its 2% money to the City Chamberlain as required pursuant to the resolution the Board and Common Council approved in 2012. Those funds were distributed to the veteran's and to Company #9. He further reported that he has been corresponding with the City Chamberlain and City Attorney and both are still in discussion with the former volunteer companies' attorney regarding the handling of any funds from the former companies. Volunteer Recruitment/ Membership Categories Class I, II, III — Volunteer Handbook update: Chair Gilligan reported that with Commissioner Hoard "out of action" so to speak that progress has been slow on updating the volunteer handbook. Chief Parsons reported that he and Deputy Chief Dorman have been working on their part of the handbook and will need a meeting with Commissioner Hoard to review progress. He stated that they may also need to meet with the Assistant City Attorney to ensure compliance with City law regarding the various classifications of volunteer fire fighters. Consideration of reporting and other requirements for Volunteer Companies and Recipients of 2% funds: This item was not discussed. City /Town Fire Service agreement and impact on level of fire service protection if changed /terminated: This item was not discussed. Discuss guidelines for using BFC Donation fund: This item was not discussed and no guidelines have been established as of this date. NEW BUSINESS: Notification to the Public of Emeraencies — Discussion: The Board discussed concerns raised by Mr. Neigh regarding notification of the public when natural or other types of emergencies occur. Chief Parsons stated that the horns and whistles are gone and he is not sure who would know what they were warning about if they were used during an emergency. He further stated that with the increased use of cell phones, the access to weather radios and different types of multi -media utilized that it is easier to notify the public of emergencies. The City could look into purchasing horns /loudspeakers similar to what Cornell University and Ithaca College have, but it would be very expensive. He stated that one thing the County is considering is the utilization of a reverse type 9 -1 -1 system, which would allow 7 4 Boa rdlbf[ Fire l:ommissionernMeetingnMinute uneA1,12013M emergency responders to utilize the 9 -1 -1 system to send warning messages to everyone. He further responded to comments made about the increased height of buildings that fire fighters fight fire from the interior of buildings utilizing fire suppression systems, sprinkler systems, and stairwells to fight fire so that ladder trucks don't have to be constructed to reach those heights, which is another risk to fire fighters safety. A brief discussion followed on the 2014 budget and articles in local newspapers regarding different ways the city is proposing to raise revenues. One way is to charge for false fire alarms as a way to motivate property owners to maintain their smoke alarm systems. It won't eliminate them, but will help to reduce the number of repeat problems. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion, the meeting adjourned at 1700 hours. Sarah L. Myers William Gilligan Information Management Specialist Chair CITY OF ITHACA 310 West Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 -5497 OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF 1 Deputy Chief (per diem) 5 Telephone: 607/272 -1234 Fax 6072'2 -2793 MEMORANDUM To: Board of Fire Commissioners From: Tom Parsons, Fire Chief Date: June I 1 th, 2013 Re: Fire Chief s Monthly Report to the Board of Fire Commissioners ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION Administration 1) Career Personnel Report PERSONNEL STAFFING LEVELS I Chief 1 Deputy Chief (per diem) 5 Assistant Chiefs 9 Lieutenants 48 Fire Fighters 64 Uniform Personnel 1 Administrative Coordinator Total employees as of May 31 th, 2013 — 65 a) Hiring /Recruitment Committee • No Report b) Retirements: • No Report C) Promotions: • Firefighter Peter Snell has been temporarily promoted to Lieutenant to cover the absence of Lieutenant Rob Covert who is working light duty as the result of a work related injury. Page 2 of 5 - Fire Chief's Monthly Report C) Vacancies: • None 2) Budget Status June 11th, 2013 a) 2013 Budget: Attached to the Board Report is an update on the department budget through May 31" 2013. b) Capital Budget — Contracts have been approved for both the Central Station HVAC Replacement Project and the Central Station Roof Replacement Project. Work on the roof will begin next week, and the work on the HVAC System will begin in July or possibly August depending on when the equipment is delivered. 3) County Communications and 911 Program: a) No Report. 4) Grants and Donations a) No Report. b) We have submitted a grant application for our Child Safety Seat Program to the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. We have applied for a $2800 grant to provide for training and car seats. 5) Resource Recovery Legislation Quarterly Report No Report 6) City Charter Update No Report Operations 1) Mutual Aid Calls: 2) Selected Calls No Report Quarterly Report Page 3 of 5 - Fire Chief s Monthly Report LIFE SAFETY DIVISION Fire Prevention Bureau June 1 lth, 2013 1) Code Enforcement Division: The following is a list of May activities - Complaints Received: 26 Referred to Town of Ithaca 1 Referred to City Building Department 22 Inspections: 93 City Fire Safety & Property Maintenance 57 Town Fire Safety & Property Maintenance 8 City - Sprinkler Inspections 14 City - Fire Alarm Inspections 11 9 City - Fire Pump Inspection 2 City - Standpipe Flow Test 1 Notices: 37 Inspection Due 10 Permits Due to Expire 27 Permits or Certificates: 63 Operating Permit — Assembly Occupancy 27 Operating Permit — Hazardous Occupancy 2 Operating Permit — Lumber Yard 0 Operating Permit — Elevator 23 Certificate of Compliance - Occupancy 9 Certificate of Compliance - Fire Alarm 1 Certificate of Compliance - Fire Sprinkler 1 Certificate of Compliance - Alternative Suppression 0 2) Fire Investigation Unit: There one fire investigation performed in May for a fire that occurred at 606 Cascadilla Street, in the City of Ithaca. The cause of the fire was accidental. 3) Public Education and Special Events: Public Education Events: 11 Fire Drills Witnessed: 2 Child Safety Seat Inspections: 3 Page 4 of 5 - Fire Chief s Monthly Report 4) Town of Ithaca: June 11th, 2013 The fire inspection work we've been doing for the Town of Ithaca continues to move along well. Lt Haines -Sharp has been meeting weekly with the Town's Director of Code Enforcement Bruce Bates. The Fire Prevention Bureau members finished up inspections on buildings at both Ithaca College and Cornell University Campuses within the Town of Ithaca. 5) City of Ithaca: There are numerous construction projects on going in the City. The Fire Prevention Bureau has been busy performing fire protection system inspection work with new sprinkler systems, fire pumps, standpipes, and fire alarm systems. OPERATIONS DIVISION Response 1) Quarter Response Statistics are included with my report. May 2013 Responses City of Ithaca: 336 Incidents (75 %) Fires: 10 Overpressure /Rupture 0 EMS /Rescue: 145 Hazardous Conditions: 19 Service Calls: 29 Good Intent: 43 Alarms/No Fires: 90 Town of Ithaca: 109 Incidents (24.33 %) Fires: 2 Overpressure /Rupture 0 EMS/Rescue: 60 Hazardous Conditions: 5 Service Calls: 1 Good Intent: 10 Alarms/No Fires: 31 Mutual Aid: 3 Incident (.67 %) Fires: 2 EMS/Rescue: 0 Hazardous Conditions: 0 Service Calls: 1 Good Intent: 0 Page 5 of 5 - Fire Chief's Monthly Report Total: 448 Incidents (100 %) 2) Emergency Management: No Report. Support 1) Training Center Quarterly Report 2) Apparatus and Facilities June 1 lth, 2013 Ladder Truck 933: Our 1998 LTI Ladder Tower is still out of service in Pennsylvania. Repairs on the truck have been delayed again, and we're waiting on the mechanics to finish the repairs. Rescue Truck 944: Our 1989 Heavy Rescue Truck was sent at the end of May to Tyler Fire Equipment in Elmira, NY for replacement of fenders and other bodywork. When it returned it went to DPW for brake work and engine work. The truck has been returned to service. The estimated cost of all the work is about $25,000. This truck was to be replaced in 2009, but due to the financial challenges before the City and Town and the need to replace a ladder truck sooner, the replacement has been put off until at least 2015. New Ladder Truck: Pierce Manufacturing Inc. has completed work on our new ladder truck. It is in transit from Wisconsin to New York. It will be on display later this week at the NYS Fire Chief's Convention in Verona, New York. We expect delivery of the vehicle in two weeks after the dealer, Tyler Fire Equipment, completes tool and equipment mounting. Training Quarterly Report Volunteer Recruitment and Retention 1) Summaries of Service Hours: Quarterly Report 2) There are currently 14 Active Volunteer Firefighters and Fire Police 3) Requests from Company Members to become active: No Requests Received 4) I have received notice that Firefighter Scott Gingras has resigned from Company 9 and the Ithaca Fire Department. The reason for his resignation is that he is moving out of the area. Firefighter Gingras has turned in all of his gear and equipment.