HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BFC-2013-08-13Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes
August 13, 2013
Present:
Chair Gilligan
Commissioners: Ellsworth, Hoard, Sparks
Chief Parsons
Information Management Specialist - Myers
Excused:
Alderperson Fleming
Commissioner McGonigal
Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 1635 hours.
Approval of Minutes:
Approval of the July 9, 2013 Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes — Resolution
By Commissioner Hoard: Seconded by Commissioner Ellsworth
RESOLVED, That the minutes of the July 9, 2013 Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting be
approved as published.
Carried Unanimously
Approval of the July 30, 2013 Special Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes —
Resolution
By Commissioner Ellsworth: Seconded by Commissioner Hoard
RESOLVED, That the minutes of the July 30, 2013 Special Board of Fire Commissioners
Meeting be approved as published.
Ayes (3) Gilligan, Hoard, Ellsworth
Nays (0)
Abstentions (1) Sparks
Carried
Additions /Deletions:
Fire Chief Parsons requested the addition of IFD Response to Medical Calls to the agenda.
No Board Member Objected.
Persons Wishing to Speak to the Board of Fire Commissioners:
Mr. Lyman Baker provided the following report for his and Mr. Raymond Wheaton's hours
worked at the City of Ithaca Cemetery Firemen's Section:
Raymond Wheaton and Lyman Baker mowed 4 times and performed 2 mid week patrols - July
10, July 21, July 31, and August 12, 2013. Total work hours are 6 for Ray Wheaton and 6 for
Lyman Baker.
On July 31, 2013 Ray & I arrived at the Firemen's section and found a huge tree limb down, it
barley missed our large memorial stone to deceased Firefighters. We were just ready to call
the city, when the city forester showed up with a large lift bucket, grinder and several workers.
In short order they had cut up the debris, ground up all the wood. Our sincere thanks go out to
those city workers.
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes
August 13, 2013
The last rain did wash lots of stones down Cornell Avenue into University Avenue.
Submitted by
Lyman Baker, IFD Badge #3258
Correspondence:
Chair Gilligan reported that the bank statement from the Tompkins Trust Company donation
fund dated July 31, 2013 had a beginning balance of $1,058.51 and an ending balance of
$1,058.51 - reflecting no activity.
Chair Gilligan reported that letters
were
received
from
the Central NY
Firemen's Association as
well as the Firemen's Association
of the
State of
New
York regarding
their annual conventions.
Membership Changes:
Chair Gilligan reported that no applications for membership have been received nor have there
been any change in volunteers' status.
Miscellaneous Reports:
Town of Ithaca — Chair Gilligan reported that he attended the Town of Ithaca Board meeting on
August 12, 2013, and provided the Board with the following update:
Fire Department Operational Staffing (July 2013)
As of the Chief's July 2013 report, there were 64 Uniform Personnel in the department
including the Deputy Chief's position which is being filled on a part-time per diem basis. In
addition to this there is 1 Administrative Coordinator position in the department.
Volunteer Organization —
There are currently 14 active volunteers with the department (1 resignation in June) the majority
of these are Fire Police. The Board, the members of Company 9, and the Chief are continuing
to review requirements for volunteers and anticipate actively recruiting more volunteers later this
year.
Board Aqendas & Minutes
Agendas and Minutes for BFC meetings can be found at the following site:
http: / /www.egov/ ink .comlithacaldocslmenulhome.asp ?path= /public documents300lithacalpublis
hed documents /Aqendas
Other Items
Bill Gilligan was elected Chair of the Board of Fire Commissioners and Harry Ellsworth was
elected Vice Chair. Their terms run from July 2013 -June 2014. Both are filling Town of Ithaca
Commissioner positions on the Board. The other Commissioners on the Board are Thomas
Hoard, George McGonigal, and Robert Sparks all residents of the City of Ithaca.
The Board held a special meeting on July 30, 2013 to review and discuss a draft of the Fire
Department's 2014 budget to be submitted to the Mayor on August 1, 2013. The Board is very
concerned about reductions in staffing to the department that may be required to meet funding
constraints and the potential closing of a fire station or stations as a result of the staffing
reductions. A number of issues were discussed regarding the impact of the reductions and
ways of addressing the reduced level of staffing, and implications on the level of service to the
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Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes
August 13, 2013
community. The Board also discussed opportunities for generating additional revenue for the
department — this included looking at code inspection fees and also pursuing resource recovery
efforts that were proposed several years ago.
Foreign Fire Insurance funds (2% funds) received by the City were approved for distribution by
the Board. Additional 2% funds received from the Town will be distributed in the near future.
The new 105 foot ladder truck has been received and is now in service.
Items in progress:
1 Charter Review- the BFC continues to review and discuss changes in the charter
relating to the role and responsibilities of the Board of Fire Commissioners.
2 Resource recovery —the Board will be reviewing the status of a draft recommendation
sent for review to the City Attorney.
3 County Fire - Disaster— EMS Advisory Board— no new action on this issue.
4 Training Center Facility Project — this is still under consideration, no construction has
been authorized due to the training site being located on land designated as City Park
land.
5 Town Ad Hoc Fire Service Committee and Town concerns about the cost of Fire Service
to the Town. The Board of Fire Commissioners is concerned about the organizational
impact and impact on the community served by the Ithaca Fire Department. Any
decision to cancel the current arrangement requires notification by the end of the current
calendar year.
6 Solar Panels and Roofing project at Central Fire Station.
7 Current review of Fire Inspection process by Common Council — no updates as of July.
8 Modification of City Budget process designed to provide a better understanding of City
Departmental operations and financial needs by members of the Common Council.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bill Gilligan
Chair, Board of Fire Commissioners
City of Ithaca:
Commissioner Hoard reported that he attended the City of Ithaca Common Council meeting on
August 7, 2013, and provided them with the following update:
The Board of Fire Commissioners held a special meeting on 30 July 2013 to get a first look at
the Fire Department's prospects for the 2014 Budget. Like the Common Council, the Board
of Fire Commissioners is very concerned about the impacts of a straight 2% reduction in the
budget across the board for all departments. I expressed my personal concern that
reductions for fire and police can result in serious problems when emergencies occur.
The new ladder truck is here; the Board passed a resolution to declare the old ladder truck
surplus.
There will be a Kid's Day at Stewart Park on Saturday, 17 August 2013 (Rain date on the
18th), from 10 AM to 2 PM. There will be fire truck rides, and demonstrations of fire
extinguisher use, "Jaws of Life" extraction procedures, rope rescue procedures, use of the
Department's thermal imaging camera, and more.
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Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes
August 13, 2013
The Chief's Activity Reports for the first six months of the year were distributed to the Mayor
and Common Council members by e -mail. There were no questions about the content of the
reports.
Audit:
The audit was reviewed and completed by Commissioner Hoard.
Department Reports.
Fire Chief Parsons reported to the Board on the following items:
There have been no changes in staffing since the last Board meeting.
Asst. Fire Chief Sheldon submitted a letter of intent to retire effective September 30, 2013. He is
unsure whether the department will be able to fill the position or not at this point. It all depends
on the Mayor's budget which will be presented October 1.
2013 budget: regarding revenue /income the department is on track in some areas, and he will
be monitoring it closely for the rest of the year. He noted that one area where the department is
saving some money is in their apparatus repair work. That work is now handled through the
City's Department of Public Works, and the rate being charged is significantly less than what
was being charged at a private garage. He was informed recently by staff, though, that those
rates will be going up soon. The reason is that the current repair rates pay just enough for the
hourly wage of the employees, and not for benefits. Therefore, the rates will be adjusted
accordingly and will still be less than those charged by a private garage. The repair work is good
although the more technical work specific to fire related components is contracted out. He noted
that Department of Public Works employees come to the fire stations to do the work on the
vehicles, which helps the department as well.
The roof replacement at Central IFD is almost complete; it just needs the metal flashing
installed, which is on order at this time. The roofs on the other three fire stations have been
evaluated to determine how their life can be extended in an effort to save on the budget. He
noted that roofs at stations 5 and 6 need flashing work, and work around edges which should
help them last another 20 years. The roof at Station 9 was assessed and has been evaluated; it
is in poor condition, particularly the back roof area. Water has leaked in through the roof
membrane to the interior wall underneath and the insulation is all saturated with water.
Therefore, both the roof and insulation will need replacement. They are also obtaining
assessments /estimates on skylights for Station 9. The department is considering whether it can
extend the current roof replacement capital project or if a new capital project will be required to
cover the cost of the work at Station 9. The City Engineers' office is working with the department
on the timing, which is critical due to the weather as a certain temperature is required for the
roof work or the adhesive won't stick. He further reported that no major work is needed at either
the West or South Hill stations at this time. He further noted that the HVAC work continues at
IFD, and should be done by end of month.
Update of 2014 Budget:
Chief Parsons reported that the fire department 2014 proposed budget was submitted to the
Mayor and City Control on August 1, 2013. He explained that, as discussed at the board's
special meeting, the Mayor's budget guidelines to department heads included the inclusion of a
-2% reduction in the department's 2014 budget proposal. The department's budget, as
submitted on August 1, includes a reduction in staff of two positions -- 1 lieutenant and 1 fire
fighter position. Those two reductions would occur through retirement and possible layoff. At this
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Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes
August 13, 2013
time, 9 -13 fire department personnel are eligible to retire by the end of 2013 so he is hoping to
avoid any layoffs.
He also included in the proposed budget to cut overtime by $110,000, and keep the Fire
Prevention Unit in place. He also stated that some changes in the current fire fighter contract
regarding EMT training should eliminate some of the overtime costs seen this year. In addition,
he may need to temporarily close a station through "dynamic staffing" when needed —
depending upon what the Mayor presents in his budget. He stated that it is important to note,
that this budget is not one that he wanted to submit. IFD can't afford to lose staffing as it has no
buffer for the loss (i.e. should further retirements occur or if there are injuries which result in
extended absences). It currently takes about six to nine months to fill a position, during that time
the department would need to pay overtime to cover the vacancies, resulting in significant cost
to the City.
Chief Parsons further explained that he has drafted a false alarm fee ordinance, and is working
with the City Attorney to refine it before presenting it to the Board. He also noted that the
department does have an opportunity to increase some revenues at this time. However, he is
not sure how far the Mayor and Common Council want the department to go in enforcing and
collecting those fees. He noted that it is one thing to send out a bill for the department's
response to a false alarm, and another to actually collect the money.
He is currently working on a grant application to FEMA using some of the proposals included in
other successful grant applications from across the State for the establishment of a bunker
program at IFD. He is following a model similar to the current City of Cortland bunker program
for recruitment of volunteers. Chief Parsons noted that many other fire departments across the
State are facing the same issues with the need for volunteer support.
Commissioner Ellsworth asked how /if the department was able to keep up with calls after the
torrential rainfall in the City and surrounding areas last Thursday (8/8/13). Chief Parsons
responded that sometime after 10 pm outside resources were brought in to assist the
department to help pump basements and provide support for the Enfield area which
experienced significant flooding and damage from the storm. It was an expensive night for the
City, and the department did what it had to do to respond to the situation.
A brief discussion followed on the floor regarding the impacts from the rain in areas outside of
the City including Lansing and Enfield. In addition, the Fish Ladder in the City of Ithaca was
damaged, and a lot of storm drains on West Hill were /are completely filled with gravel and need
pumping out.
Chief Parsons reported that the 9 -1 -1 Center manager position is still open. He stated that
candidates were interviewed, but no appointment was made. The search committee is
considering opening up the search /application process again to expand the pool of candidates,
which will hopefully include someone who might fit into the role better.
He further reported that he has no new information on grants or recovery resources at this time.
He provided statistics for the first six months of the year to the Board for their information (these
will be attached to the July 9, 2013 Board of Fire Commissioner meeting minutes). He noted
that the department has had a very busy year so far, and that as of today, they have responded
to 3,000 calls.
5
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes August 13, 2013
Fire /Police Report:
Mr. David Cornelius provided the following report for the Board:
Training was held on July 16th on the Cascade System. The night of August 8, 2013, and
morning of August 9, 2013 6 fire police responded for a call to help with traffic control following
the heavy rain. Jack Bordoni, Rich Wilbur and Bill Gilligan were assigned to Route 79. Jack
Gould, Rob Longo and Dave Cornelius were assigned to Route 327. Latter on Friday, August 9,
2013, another call for fire police resulted in two fire police responding back to Route 327 to help
with traffic. He was not sure who responded to that call.
AC Sheldon has scheduled fire extinguisher training for the fire police on August 20, 2013. So
far the response from my fire police is that we just had that. They would like AC Tier to take on
fire police responsibilities or they would like a tour of the new quint.
Respectfully submitted,
David Cornelius
Old Business:
Chief Parsons reported that the department's new ladder truck arrived
It has gone on a few calls, but is not ready to be on the first line in rest
to have it ready by August 20, 2013. He wants to make sure everyone
it first. He stated that platform truck (933) is at Station 9 and that once
goes into active service it will be placed on reserve status.
and training is occurring.
ionse to calls; they hope
is comfortable operating
the new ladder truck
Emergency Medical Calls:
Chief Parsons explained that the Mayor directed him to review calls that IFD could eliminate
responding to (i.e. certain classifications of substance abuse and overdoses). He stated that
eliminating the response to those types of calls would not have a dramatic impact in the fire
department's budget; it is roughly 400 calls annually. He also reviewed calls for "trips" or "falls"
to see if they could eliminate responding to those as well. However, there are times when IFD
actually helps to immobilize, carry, and /or treat cuts. In addition, a lot of these calls are to senior
housing facilities in both the City and Town of Ithaca, and Bangs or other first responders do not
have keys with which to access the buildings from which the calls originate after hours, so if the
Ithaca Fire Department does not respond to these types of calls, they would then be waiting a
long time for someone to arrive to provide them with access to the building. He is trying to
determine whether IFD needs to go these types of calls, and right how it appears that they
should. The types of calls that he is considering not responding to are the "unknown" medical
calls - almost all of those calls are because the person pressed their medical pendant
accidentally and do not need assistance. He thinks that if the department could eliminate 500 of
those types of calls a year that it would make a significant difference in their budget. It would
result in fuel savings, as well as resources being available to go where they're actually needed.
He stated that the next step in this process will be meeting with staff from Bangs Ambulance,
the Manager of the 9 -1 -1 Center for the County, and fire department personnel to review what
calls might be eliminated from the fire department's emergency response plan. Information from
that meeting may go to media, so he wanted the Board to be aware of that ahead of time.
Update on funds requested bV City Chamberlain from former Volunteer Companies:
Chair Gilligan reported that Company #1 and #7 distributed funds directly to Company #9 and
the Ithaca Veterans Volunteer Firemen's Association. As far as he knows, no action has been
taken by Company's 2, 31 4 and 6.
R
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes August 13, 2013
Volunteer Recruitment/Membershia Cateaories Class I. II. III - Volunteer Handbook
Update:
Commissioner Hoard reported that members of the Volunteer Handbook review committee are
expecting to meet in the next week to discuss revisions to the handbook resulting from the work
done by Chief Parsons and Deputy Chief Dorman.
These revisions include clarifications on and updating of the active membership categories for
Class I, II, and III volunteers to make it consistent with current standards i.e. the description of a
Class I member - would be Firefighter I and a Class II would be described as providing "Scene
Support" both these categories would follow State and National guidelines and criteria.
The committee hopes to complete its work over the next month and be able to present a basic
document to be used both by current volunteers and to provide a summary of the categories
and requirements to individuals interested in learning about and potentially becoming a
volunteer with the Ithaca Fire Department.
Consideration of reporting and other requirements for Volunteer Companies and
Recipients of 2% Funds:
There was no update at this time on this item.
Status of 2013 Foreign Fire Insurance (2 %) Funds:
Chair Gilligan reported that the City distributed funds last month; the City Chamberlain has the
Town of Ithaca funds. City Chamberlain Parsons needs to review calculations to make sure
amounts are correct before distributing the Town's portion. before issuing check to Ithaca
Veteran Volunteer Fire Association, Company #9, and the Union. The Board may not need to
take action on this item.
Adiournment:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 1734 hours.
Sarah L. Myers
Information Management Specialist
7
William Gilligan
Chair
CITY OF ITHACA
310 West Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 -5497
OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF
Telephone: 607/272 -1234 Fax: 607/272 -2793
MEMORANDUM
To: Board of Fire Commissioners
From: Tom Parsons, Fire Chief
Date: August 12th, 2013
Re: Fire Chief's Monthly Report to the Board of Fire Commissioners
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Administration
1) Career Personnel Report
PERSONNEL STAFFING LEVELS
1 Chief
1 Deputy Chief (per diem)
5 Assistant Chiefs
9 Lieutenants
48 Fire Fighters
64 Uniform Personnel
1 Administrative Coordinator
Total employees as of July 31 th, 2013 — 65
a) Hiring/Recruitment Committee
• No Report
b) Retirements:
• Assistant Fire Chief Willis Sheldon has submitted his letter of intent to
retire on September 30th, 20131
C) Promotions:
• No Report
Page 2 of 6 - Fire Chief's Monthly Report August 12th, 2013
e) Vacancies:
• None
2) Budget Status
a) 2013 Budget: Attached to the Board Report is an update on the department
budget through July 31 t' 2013.
b) Capital Budget — The roof replacement for Central Station is nearly complete.
The roofs for the 3 other stations have been evaluated and the consultant is
developing a work plan and a budget for repairs to extend the useful life of those
roof systems. The initial assessment is there is enough money remaining in the
current capital project to repair the fire station roof systems at the West Hill and
South Hill Fire Station. The roof systems on those two stations should last
another 20 years with the proposed repairs. There also appears to be enough
money in the current capital project to replace and repair part of the Collegetown
Station's roof. That roof is in much worse condition with a partial replacement
being a high priority. The HVAC work at Central Station is progressing, and we
anticipate completion in this fall. The Solar Panel installation has been pushed
back to the end of August because due to weather the roof repair work took longer
than predicted.
C) 2014 Budget: I submitted the Fire Chief's budget proposal to the Mayor and City
Controller on August l st. To meet the Mayor's budget guidelines of a 2%
reduction, I have proposed to reduce staff by 2 positions; one Lieutenant, and one
Firefighter. These reductions will be achieved through retirements or possibly
temporary layoffs. I also proposed to cut the overtime budget by $110,000 and to
maintain the Fire Prevention Bureau. My proposal also anticipates temporarily
not staffing some of the fire stations when shift staffing drops below a level that
would need to be otherwise maintained by overtime. There are nine to thirteen
members who are eligible and likely to retire by the end of 2015. The current
staffing does not allow the filling of the vacancies caused by retirements without
significant increases in overtime. This is another reason that there may be
temporary reductions of minimum staffing of on duty personnel.
My proposal also addresses the request by Common Council for a false alarm fee
and funding of a bunker program. I have drafted a false alarm ordinance for
Commons Council to consider, and I am submitting a grant application to the
Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding of a bunker program.
The Fire Chief's budget proposal was based on the Mayor's budget guidelines.
The staffing of the Ithaca Fire Department is already below recognized national
standards, and the department cannot afford more reductions in staffing if it to
maintain the same level of response capabilities. The Mayor will be submitting
his budget to Common Council on October 2 °d .
Page 3 of 6 - Fire Chief's Monthly Report
3) County Communications and 911 Programs:
August 12th, 2013
a) The County has interviewed candidates for the 911 Center Manager's Position.
At this time no appointment has been made, and it is likely that the County will be
reopening the search for candidates.
4) Grants and Donations
a) No Report.
5) Resource Recovery Legislation
a) No Report
6) City Charter Update
a) No Report
Operations
1) Mutual Aid Calls:
Fire Prevention Bureau
Quarterly Report
LIFE SAFETY DIVISION
1) Code Enforcement Division: The following is a list of July activities -
Complaints Received: 22
Referred
to
the
City Building Division
10
Referred
to
the
Town of Ithaca
3
Inspections: 72
City Fire Safety & Property Maintenance 36
Town Fire Safety & Property Maintenance 5
City - Sprinkler Inspections 15
City — Alternative Fire Protection 1
City - Fire Alarm Inspections 12
City - Standpipe Flow Test 3
Permits or Certificates: 42
Page 4 of 6 - Fire Chief s Monthly Report
Operating Permit — Assembly Occupancy 8
Operating Permit — Hazardous Occupancy 3
Operating Permit — Lumber Yard 0
Operating Permit — Elevator 0
Operating Permit — Fireworks 1
Certificate of Compliance - Occupancy 11
Certificate of Compliance - Fire Alarm 9
Certificate of Compliance - Fire Sprinkler 4
Certificate of Compliance — Fire Standpipe 2
Certificate of Compliance - Alternative Suppression
2) Fire Investigation Unit:
There were no fire investigations in July.
3) Public Education and Special Events:
Public Education Events: 5
Fire Drill 1
Child Safety Seat Inspections: 5
4) Town of Ithaca:
August 12th, 2013
11
The Ecovillage Development on Rachel Carson Way has completed the installation of a
new fire pump and water supply system for their third development. The system will also
provide water for use with the first two developments, as their dry hydrant system has not
been maintained and not usable for fire protection
5) City of Ithaca:
There are numerous construction projects on going in the City. The second phase of the
Collegetown Terrace Apartments on East State Street is completed and occupied. The
Fairfield Inn Project is nearly complete and will be opening within a few weeks. I met
with the developers for the Harold Square Project on the Commons, and they are
expecting to begin work on the site this fall. Their construction documents are not yet
complete, but demolition of the existing buildings will happen in the next few months,
followed by the construction of their basement in the late winter, or early fall. The
project will take over 1 year to complete. The Commons Project is moving along. They
are going to begin the underground utility work later this week, with an anticipated
completion of this phase of the project by November of this year.
Page 5 of 6 - Fire Chief's Monthly Report
OPERATIONS DIVISION
Response
1) July 2013 Responses
City of Ithaca: 337 Incidents (75.39 %)
Fires: 8
Overpressure /Rupture 0
EMS /Rescue: 136
Hazardous Conditions: 18
Service Calls: 22
Good Intent: 46
Alarms/No Fires: 107
Town of Ithaca: 103 Incidents (23.04 %)
Fires: 0
Overpressure /Rupture 0
EMS /Rescue: 54
Hazardous Conditions: 5
Service Calls: 4
Good Intent: 14
Alarms/No Fires: 26
Mutual Aid: 7 Incident (1.57 %)
Fires: 0
EMS /Rescue: 3
Hazardous Conditions: 1
Service Calls: 2
Good Intent: 1
2) Emergency Management: No Report.
Support
!1
2)
Training Center
Quarterly Report
Apparatus and Facilities
August 12th, 2013
New Ladder Truck: We took delivery of our new ladder truck. The firefighters have
been training on the truck over the past several weeks. We have had some problems that
Page 6 of 6 - Fire Chief's Monthly Report
August 12th, 2013
were identified during the training operations. The truck will go in service next week as
the first run ladder for the department. Truck 933 will be a reserve ladder truck at point.
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