White River Township Fire Department

Staff Meeting Minutes

July 24 & 25, 2001

 

Present During Tuesday’s Meeting:  Mike Tibbetts, Scott Cassin, Eric Brown, Joe Settles, Steve Rowland, Gary Coons, Tim Smith, Jason Arkins, Ray Skipper and Kim Clawson.

 

Present During Wednesday’s Meeting:  Mike Tibbetts, Joel Thacker, Eric Brown, Carey Slauter, Kevin Skipper, Jason Tibbetts, Chris Kindred, Chad Witham, Andrew Tames, Jeff Wilson, Matt Partain, CJ Fulkerson, Joe Settles, Greg Maxwell and 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. If you miss a meeting, be sure to read the minutes which are attached to the staff activity in FireHouse.

 

  1. Be sure to schedule the training room through Chief Thacker.

 

  1. Station 51’s sewer is still not completed.  He is waiting on a part that he has known he has needed for some time.

 

  1. Congratulations to Joel Thacker who was recently promoted to Battalion Chief.  Joel will remain as the training chief and the current hiring process will get us an ops chief.

 

  1. New Lieutenants list will go into effect February 1, 2002.

 

  1. Employee of the quarter for April to June is Eric Brown.  Congratulations!

 

  1. Due to recent staffing shortages, Chief Tibbetts is trying to find out if a District firefighter can fill corporation hours, and if so, do we deduct that amount of money from their monthly contract?

 

  1. Build Indiana Funds have been released.  However, from now on, all requests must be ‘sponsored’ by that county’s governing body.

 

  1. Personnel issues:

-         Angie Kerry has decided not to appeal her termination. 

-         Matt Partain submitted his resignation letter on 7/19 effective 8/30.

 

  1. Engine 51 was involved in a serious accident on 7/19.  Good job to chauffeur Matt Partain who kept control of the engine.  Also, there was a boating accident during training on 7/23.  After reading the incident reports regarding the boating accident, a full investigation is being conducted.

 

  1. Chief Tibbetts stated that no one, including neighborhood children, should be allowed to ride bicycles or roller blade in or around the building for liability purposes.  Chief Tibbetts will be talking to the child’s parents soon.

 

  1. There is a new policy out regarding animals in the fire house.  Please become familiar with this new policy.

 

  1. Chief Tibbetts stated that he is extremely unhappy with the recent conditions of the stations, especially station 53.  He will be speaking with the house officers in order to remedy this situation.

 

  1. Effective this Sunday (7/29), time cards will no longer be utilized.  It will be up to each battalion chief to enter the appropriate hours worked on the schedule and in the Battalion Log.  It is each employee’s responsibility to keep track of their own hours and to make sure that all schedule changes are made in the computer.  Everyone has access to the schedule when they open it as a “read only” document.  Be sure to let the Battalions know when you are riding out and working.  When a discrepancy occurs and you can prove that you worked those hours, you will be paid for them.

 

  1. Dan Maple has once again introduced the concept of co-staffing a fire station between WRTFD and Bargersville FD in the government center on Stones Crossing Road.  Chief Tibbetts met with Chief White to discuss this matter and both feel that this would be a terrible place to put a fire station, for many reasons, traffic being the main concern.

 

  1. Chief Tibbetts stated that he was in contention with some very qualified people during the Fire Chief’s process.  He is grateful for this opportunity, thanked everyone for their support and said that he is looking forward to working with everyone.

 

  1. Chief Brown discussed future commercial developments coming to our District.

 

  1. Lieutenant Rowland thanked everyone who had participated with the recent public relations events (fair, safety talks, etc.).  Don’t forget the MDA drive is coming up soon and we will have a speaker from the MDA in on 8/6 at 10am.

 

  1. Gary Coons stated that he will be out of town for two weeks next month.

 

  1. Chief Tibbetts stated that we will be contacting Field Pest Control to get Station 51 & 52 treated for ants.

 

  1. Lieutenant Settles requested that everyone increase the level of maturity that they display while on duty.

 

  1. Chief Cassin thanked Chief Tibbetts for last Sunday’s Employee Appreciation Picnic.

 

  1. Kim and Chief Tibbetts gave an update on the FEMA grant.

-         FEMA is awarding the money, one category at a time.

-         Training was just released. 

-         The two categories that we requested are being released last.

 

  1. Remember when trying to contact the on duty battalion chief to call 888-2338.  If he is not in the office, it will forward to his mobile phone.  Please do not call the crews or administration to contact the battalion chief.

 

  1. Chief Thacker gave several training division updates.

-         We will be conducting training burns 8/6 through 8/12, concentrating mainly on search and ventilation.  Other FDs who will participating include Franklin, Bargersville and Greenwood.

-         He will be hosting an Aerial Operator’s class this Fall.  Watch for the dates to be announced.  Without this certification, you will not be allowed to drive the aerial.

-         He would like to see that the Driver Operator Pumper be mandated for those wishing to drive department apparatus by the end of 2002.

-         Mike Combs will be conducting a pump operations course soon.  Dates will be announced at a later date.  Chief Thacker will absolutely not tolerate any sort of harassing to Mike.  Treat him with the professional courtesy and respect he deserves.

-         Firefighter I/II is on Thursday evenings from 6p – 10p at station 53.

 

  1. Chief Thacker stated that the engine committee just returned from the factory.  Our engine is approx. 10 days from completion.  It will take approximately 1 week to go fully in service after we take delivery of it.

 

  1. When responding on a run earlier today, Engine 52’s throttle cable was torn loose and became wrapped around the drive train.  Stoops is in the process of fixing it.  The truck is still driveable, but must be placed into pump gear manually.

 

  1. Due to recent horseplay, the golf cart is now locked up.  Any questions, see Lieutenant Skipper.

 

  1. Chief Thacker stated that speeding in ANY fire department vehicle will not be tolerated.  After last week’s accident with engine 51, we should realize how serious accidents are in apparatus and should use extreme caution.  No one should be responding to a run going over 45 MPH and everyone should be wearing seat belts.  It is up to whoever is in the officers seat to monitor and enforce this.