White River Township Fire Department

Staff Meeting * April 22 & 23, 1998

 

Wednesday (22nd) meeting called to order at 1330 hours.  Present:  Mike Dutton, Eric Brown, Carey Slauter, Casey Arkins, Jeremy Pell, Joel Thacker & Kim Clawson.

Thursday (23rd) meeting called to order at 1300 hours.  Present:  Mike Dutton, Eric Brown, Mike Hoffman, Joe Settles, Troy Wymer & Kim Clawson.

 

IF YOU WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND, REMEMBER TO CONTACT YOUR LIEUTENANT IF YOU

HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING ANYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED.

 

1.      Budget update.  We are still making EMERGENCY purchases only.  We hope to receive some of the $125,000 from the Fire Protection District Board for capital outlays that we have already purchased.  $30,000 from the sale of the rescue and tanker will get us through the end of the year.  We will be requesting approval around September for other items such as new phones, Phoenix tool, Rehab van, and R51 Plymovent.

 

2.      On April 20, Chief Dutton was notified that in 30 days EMAS would lose their affiliation with Community Hospitals.  He met with Steve Grammer (CHI) and Wayne Fletcher (EMAS) yesterday.  Apparently, the directive has come from the top levels of the hospital and is in no way related to patient care issues.  EMAS officials meet tomorrow with Ashley Strickland of Johnson Memorial Hospital to try to obtain affiliation for M51 only.

 

3.      Rick Taylor has been moved to compensated and Dan Chubb has resigned.  This leaves us with 60 compensated firefighters and 14 reserves.  Next reserve hiring process has been slated for late May or early June.  Troy Wymer has been instructed to contact Scott Wiegle and instruct him on the proper way to fill out the schedule book.

 

4.      After a request from Lt. Settles, and no opposition from others present, shift meetings have been moved to the 4th Tuesday and Wednesday of the month (instead of the current Wednesday – Thursday combo).  This will take effect for May’s meetings.

 

5.      Chief Dutton directed Division Chief Pell to work with Lt. Marsh on taking the Rescue out of service and be made ready for sale on May 1.  New rescue will not be received until May 8 or 11.  Rumor has it that until the tanker comes in (chassis slated for 5/29), E-One has offered us a substitute truck since we have sold ours, based on their original delivery date.  The Phoenix tool will be moved to the tactical and the tactical will be moved back to station 51.  The grass rig will be moved to station 52.

 

6/7.  Chief Dutton directed Division Chief Pell to work with Lt. Marsh on moving the

        Tactical back to station 52 and removing it from Box Alarms.  The rescue will be  

        placed back on Box Alarms.

 

8.      New equipment (Boat, Rescue, and Tanker) will not be placed in service until the majority of the personnel are cleared on it’s use.  Special operations items, such as boat, will not be put in operation for mutual aid response until everyone is proficient in its use.

 

9.      Chief Dutton made it adamantly clear that he doesn’t want a war between this department and the FPDB!  He would like to educate the citizens on the needs of the district and allow them to make the decision.  We desperately need to keep interest going in this issue until State Legislators resume session this Fall, but we must diffuse the attacks between the department and the FPDB.

 

10.  Out of common courtesy to the next person using the facilities, if you use the conference room for trainings, meetings, etc. please clean up after yourself.  Enough said.

 

11.  No new business.  Meeting adjourned.  Next staff meetings will be May 26 & 27, 1pm at station 51.