HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BFC-2017-01-10Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes
January 10, 2017
Present:
Chair Gilligan
Vice Chair Sparks
Commissioners Hoard and Guttridge
Fire Chief Parsons
Information Management Specialist – Myers
Excused:
CC Liaison Gearhart
Call to Order:
Chair Gilligan called the meeting to order at 1607 hours.
Approval of Minutes:
Approval of the December 13, 2016 Board of Fire Commissioners
Meeting Minutes - Resolution
By Vice Chair Sparks: Seconded by Commissioner Hoard
RESOLVED, That the minutes of the December 13, 2016 Board of Fire
Commissioners meeting be approved with noted corrections.
Carried Unanimously
Additions to or Deletions from the Agenda:
Chief Parsons requested the addition of the following item to the agenda –
“Renaming of the City of Ithaca Fire Stations – Discussion”
No Board Member Objected.
Chief Parsons further requested the addition of the following item to the
agenda – “Resolution to Authorization Disposition of Surplus Fire Hose
Deemed No Longer Serviceable”
No Board Member Objected.
Awards, Commendations, and Other Recognition Items:
None
Persons Wishing to Speak to the Board of Fire Commissioners:
Mr. Lyman Baker reported to the Board that some volunteer members are
having problems with accessing the training calendar, and requested that
something be done to resolve the problem.
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes January 10, 2017
2
Mr. Lyman Baker further addressed the Board to provide the following report:
RE: Firemen’s Section, City of Ithaca Cemetery,
Dear Board,
Despite the bitter cold, patrols and a walk through are still made by Raymond
B. Wheaton and Lyman E. Baker at the Firemen’s Section. Small branches
that fall are picked up and we look for any damage to the memorials.
Please record 6 hours for Raymond and 6 hours for Lyman.
Thank You.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lyman E. Baker
IFD Badge #3258
Mr. Baker further voiced concern about appropriate communication devices
for new members of the Fire/Police Unit being made available to them.
Chair Gilligan responded that there may be some training and education
needed of the new members that will resolve the communication problems.
Correspondence:
Chair Gilligan reported that the bank statement from the Tompkins Trust Company
for the Donation Fund Dated November 30, 2016 had a beginning balance of
$3,060.94 and an ending balance of $2,997.91, reflecting a payment in the amount
of $63.03 made to reimburse the Veteran Volunteer Firemen’s Association for
maintenance expenses related to the Firemen’s Section at the City of Ithaca
Cemetery.
Chair Gilligan reported that the bank statement from the Tompkins Trust Company
for the Rescue Squad Donation fund had a beginning balance of $1,847.41 and an
ending balance of $1,847.53, reflecting .12 interest.
Membership Changes:
Chair Gilligan reported that Company #9 voted, at their January meeting, to
remove Anthony Haydon as a volunteer member with the City of Ithaca Fire
Department.
Motion to Accept Resignation of Anthony Haydon from Company #9 -
Resolution
By Commissioner Guttridge: Seconded by Vice Chair Sparks
RESOLVED, That the Board of Fire Commissioners authorizes the removal of
Anthony Haydon from the membership role of Company #9, and as a
volunteer for the City of Ithaca Fire Department.
Carried Unanimously
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes January 10, 2017
3
Miscellaneous Reports:
Town of Ithaca: None
City of Ithaca: None
Audit: None
Department Reports:
Fire Chief:
Chief Parsons highlighted the following items from his monthly report which
will be attached to the minutes:
One new firefighter has been hired and will begin work on January 17th. This
position was created by the recent retirement of Asst. Chief Schnurle and
subsequent promotions within the department.
Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response will be
reprogramming all county mobile, station, and portable radios throughout the
month of January. Lt. Wheal is coordinating with Tompkins County the
reprogramming process for all City of Ithaca Fire Department’s radios.
He has made offers of employment to four persons for the firefighter positions
funded through the SAFER grant for firefighters. The offer is contingent upon
successful completion of their medical exams.
No update on the Collegetown Fire Station.
The two new pumper engines will be delivered by the end of this week. As
mentioned previously, they will need to be customized before they are put into
service.
There was one fire investigation conducted in December at a local fraternity
as a result of burning a flag inside the house. Crews removed an illegal
Christmas tree in the building when responding to the call.
Total calls for 2016 were down by 20-30 from 2015.
Tompkins County Dispatch is re-tweaking the processing of calls which has
cut down on some calls for the fire department that were unnecessary for
them to respond to. They are conducting more quality assurance inspections
of the dispatchers to improve the process on an ongoing basis. He referred
Board members to page three of his report to see the number of calls where
the fire department was canceled enroute.
Vice Chair Sparks questioned where the coding for the incident types comes
from for the Chief’s report. Chief Parsons responded that the coding all
comes from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). He noted that the
final code reported can be significantly different from the initial dispatch code,
and is based upon what is found upon arrival by the crews responding to the
scene.
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes January 10, 2017
4
Chief Parsons further reported that the fire department is in the process of re-
numbering its apparatus. The current numbering was based upon the station
at which the apparatus was stationed. Now, the trucks will be numbered in
numerical order. The change will help eliminate potential confusion over the
number of engines and other apparatus the department has available for
operations.
Fire/Police Report:
Mr. David Cornelius provided the following report for the Board:
Fire Police training was held on December 20, 2016. The topic was Changes
in the County’s Radio System and how would affect the Fire Police. The
following people participated: Dave Cornelius, Gary Bordoni, Jim Rogers,
Andrew Adams, Rob Longo, Jack Gould, Lyman Baker, Ray Canzler, Morgan
Howland, Simon Velasquez and Bill Gilligan.
The January training topic has not been determined at this time. During the
past month we were called out once for wires down behind Pet Smart. This
was on December 14, 2016. The following fire police responded: Dave
Cornelius, Jim Rogers, Jack Gould and Lyman Baker. We were cancelled
before some of us arrived on the scene.
Brian Carman, fleet supervisor for DPW, received 3 bids for the Fire Police
Vehicle. The low bid was $39,335.10. The amount is $1,335.10 over the
amount the Vehicle Committee was authorized to approve on its own.
On January 17, 2017 at 6:30 PM (1830), we will be holding a special meeting
of Company 9 members for final approval and authorization to accept or
decline the bids.
Respectfully submitted,
Dave Cornelius
Old Business:
Volunteer Recruit Items/Issues:
Chair Gilligan reported that there are potentially four volunteer members that
will be taking the Basic Exterior Fire Ground Operations (BEFO) training
course being offered by the County that begins at the end of the months. It is
expected that this course will be closely followed by the Interior Firefighter
course, so that those who successfully complete the BEFO course and wish
to do so, can continue their training to become certified as interior firefighters.,
and then an Interior Firefighter training will be held; he is hoping that all four
members will be able to attend the trainings.
Role of Board of Fire Commissioners – Common Council Working
Group on Boards and Committees:
No updates at this time.
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes January 10, 2017
5
911 Memorial Committee:
Chair Gilligan noted that if there is a goal to have the memorial ceremony and
display of the steel from the World Trade Center by September 2017, then
there is a lot of work to be done in a relatively short period of time.
Commissioner Guttridge wondered what the next step is since the committee
has already been set up. Chief Parsons responded that he has assigned
Asst. Chief Tom Dorman to the committee and that a meeting now needs to
be set up with everyone that wanted to be involved – JoAnn Cornish, IPFFA
representative, Company #9 members and a board member or two.
Commissioner Hoard volunteered to be on the committee.
1896 Steamer Parade Request:
Chair Gilligan stated that he has not received any additional information about
the request for the Board to provide financial support for the cost to have the
1896 Steamer participate in the upcoming St. Patrick’s and Ithaca Festival
since the Board’s December meeting. He reminded everyone that the cost is
$400 for each parade. He will reach out to Lt. Tom Basher who made the
initial request for additional information. He knows Lt. Basher was going to
also ask the Veteran Volunteer Firemen’s Association for assistance with
funding as well. He thinks they need to approach Company #9 rather than the
Veterans for support. It would make sense for the Board to provide
assistance with funding for the Ithaca Festival Parade; or, to split the cost for
the Ithaca Festival Parade with Company #9. If the Board decides to support
the request, funds would come from the donation fund.
Strategic Planning for Ithaca Fire Department:
Chair Gilligan stated that after doing a quick Google search for strategic plans from
other fire departments, he found a plan published online by the Santa Clara Fire
Department. He emailed the link to this plan shortly before today's meeting to the
Board and thought it might provide a starting point for further discussion at the
Board's next meeting. He did report that Santa Clara hired a consultant to assist
them in developing their plan. He estimates that the cost of hiring a consultant to
assist with the IFD plan could cost between $40,000 to $50,000 depending upon
scope, complexity, and thoroughness of the planning process. The Board should
probably spend a month or two reviewing past strategic planning efforts by the
Department and also seek additional clarification from the Mayor on his expectations
for the plan and the resources that the city could provide for the planning effort.
He stated that there are multiple fire companies in Tompkins County with
Ithaca being the only career based department. The recruitment of volunteers
might be enhanced if all the fire companies were in one district. The plan
should focus on services, staffing, and strategic funding for firefighting
initiatives.
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes January 10, 2017
6
Chief Parsons noted that he e-mailed the Board a copy of the 1986 City of
Ithaca Fire Department Strategic Plan for their review and information. It was
a comprehensive plan created by the Town of Ithaca and City of Ithaca and
entailed a lot of work. It also resulted in the closing of two fire stations in the
City of Ithaca, and two new stations being built in the Town of Ithaca. The
purpose of the plan was to increase the level of Fire Service Protection
provided to the Town and increase the funding provided by the town for this
higher level of service. He also sent the Board an RFP report involving re-
allocation of resources. It should be noted that the current staffing level of the
City of Ithaca Fire Department does not meet the growth of the community
right now. When developing a plan, it needs to focus on what the fire
department might look like if the city were starting from scratch – i.e. what
kind of governance. He also noted that there was a report done in 1986
regarding the creation of fire districts in Tompkins County that didn’t go
anywhere. The establishment of various fire districts in each municipality
would remove the powers of the Town of Ithaca and City of Ithaca.
Vice Chair Sparks noted that the current City of Ithaca legislation regarding
the City of Ithaca Fire Department is tailored towards a fire district type
department to which the Chief responded in the affirmative.
Chief Parsons stated that Board and he really need the Mayor to provide the
specific goal of what he thinks the plan should look like because it will require
a lot time and work to produce it and involve significant cost. Is the goal of the
plan to determine what the standard is for the fire station as far as services,
staffing, apparatus? That questions needs to be answered so the Board can
proceed accordingly.
Chair Gilligan stated that at first it might be good to have some internal
meetings between the Board and Chief to discuss the request. Then, go back
to the Mayor for clarification of his request and to find out the goal of the study
before even asking for funds for a consultant. This will be a huge
undertaking, perhaps Cornell University students might be a resource for
some of the work to be done.
Commissioner Guttridge agreed, and noted that Cornell has a program where
students work to prepare strategic plans. It might be good to investigate so if
they could be used as a resource, the Board should look in to that.
Chair Gilligan noted that Cornell University also has a public
service/administration department that might be able to provide assistance as
well. A lot of times project assignments for students entail the development of
strategic plans for local businesses. This resource would be able to guide the
Board in its discussions and work, which would be very helpful.
The Board agreed that it would be very helpful to have additional information
from the Mayor about his request so it could then work on to obtain the
financial and/or staffing resources to proceed with meetings and the
development of a plan. It was also suggested that any grant funding that
might be available to the City be investigated and applied for as the work on
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes January 10, 2017
7
the plan moves forward. It was determined that the Board will need to
schedule a special meeting at which the sole purpose is for discussion and
work on developing the strategic plan for the City of Ithaca Fire Department.
Vice Chair Sparks noted that he would like to see what other studies and
plans look like. It would also be good to have a person to take charge of the
meetings that is not the Fire Chief.
Chief Parsons stated that he could provide data; however, the question is
what is the Board trying to produce for the Mayor as far as a strategic plan
goes? He is not interested in doing something that doesn’t get implemented
and he wants the exercise to be productive. He also noted that the City has a
number of neighboring fire departments that are struggling with staff
resources. A recent fire in Brooktondale resulted in only four volunteer
firefighters responding from four different departments – that’s all. These
smaller departments are not sure what they should do in order to continue fire
services in their communities. If all the fire departments in the county are
consolidated would that actually work for everyone or not.
Commissioner Guttridge said that begs the question of whether Tompkins
County should have paid career firefighters in all of its fire departments.
Chief Parsons noted that the City of Ithaca Fire Department is responding
more and more to requests for mutual aid from surrounding municipalities.
The local municipalities do need to work on solving their own shortages and
not rely so heavily upon of the City of Ithaca Fire Department. There is a way
that the City of Ithaca Fire Department could charge when it provides mutual
aid; but that charge works both ways and mutual aid should be as such.
Chief Parsons stated that he would send some additional information to Board
members to have in preparation for upcoming discussions.
New Business:
Resolution to Authorization Disposition of Surplus Fire Hose Deemed
No Longer Serviceable
By Commissioner Guttridge: Seconded by Commissioner Hoard
WHEREAS, the Ithaca Fire Department has been storing fire hose that has
failed hose testing; and
WHEREAS, this hose has been deemed not worthy of repair and/or it has
exceeded its useful life; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Board of Fire Commissioners approves
the hose in question and accounted for on the attached inventory list be
removed from the City of Ithaca Fire Department inventory and properly
disposed of.
Carried Unanimously
Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Minutes January 10, 2017
8
Re-Naming of City of Ithaca Fire Stations:
Chief Parsons reported that he is recommending that the all the fire stations
be re-named based upon their geographic location, in order to help new
firefighters learn the names of the stations. For example:
Central Station = Station 1
East Hill Station = Station 2
South Hill Station = Station 3
West Hill Station = Station 4
The Board thought this was a good idea and discussion followed on the floor
regarding the cost involved in changing the signage for each station. Chief
Parsons stated that he would prepare a resolution in support of the name
changes for the Board to vote on at the February meeting.
Adjournment:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 1720 hours.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Sarah L. Myers, William Gilligan,
Information Management Specialist Chair