Bi-Weekly Strategic Meeting
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Present: |
Chief Pell |
Chief Brown |
Chief Slauter |
Capt. Arkins |
|
Chief Cassin |
Chief Thacker |
Crystal Young |
Capt. Settles |
i.
Charlie Fraker
has applied for the position.
1. Chiefs Pell and Brown have both spoken to him and
decided to give him a chance.
2. The appointment will be officially announced once the
board meets and the change has been made to the Safety Board Document.
ii.
Chief Pell will
get with Chiefs Slauter and Wilson to work out the schedule on when to get him
into the office.
iii.
Before Charlie’s
position is open for bid:
1. the decision on who will be hired will be made
2. Eng. Combs and Eng. Meacham will be given the option
of flopping back if it is possible.
iv.
There will be five
people at St. 53 once
1. No move will be made until Station 51 opens, allows
for Eng. Meacham and the float position at
2. The position will not be bid until the senior staff
brainstorms and the decision is made as to where a medic may be needed.
i.
The new policy
encompasses tobacco cessation, mandatory physical fitness, etc.
ii.
Chief Thacker
has drafted a policy bringing all items related to physical fitness under one
topic.
1. The EAP is under drug testing while the medical and
physical is under another area.
2. This draft puts everything under one topic.
a. Work performance evaluation
b. Tobacco cessation
c. Wellness, etc.
iii.
Chief Thacker
would like everyone to look at the policy over the next couple of weeks and
bring any suggestions to the next BWS.
iv.
One
recommendation is 30 min of organized fitness per 12hour shift.
1. Chief Slauter asked if physical fitness is just
treadmill and weight room or would difficult training be considered physical
fitness.
a. Chief Pell would like to leave it flexible.
b. Chief Thacker also stated that that would be fine.
v.
The tobacco
cessation program is also laid out in the policy.
1. The directions for those attempting to quit are
outlined.
vi.
In a couple of
weeks the policy could be finalized and disbursed to everyone.
i.
Capt Arkins and
Capt Hart have been talking about possible response times for extrication once
the new station opens and crews have moved.
(Capt. Arkins handed out a proposal and outline of his concerns)
1. Capt Arkins main concern is an entrapment on 37 and
it being 15 minutes before the Rescue arrives.
2. Capt Arkins would like the ability to:
a. Pop a door if there is an entrapment or a vehicle
stuck in the mud.
b. Get something started until the Rescue arrives.
c. Have a backup at 53 and 52 to decrease the severity,
get to the injured and get them to the hospital as soon as possible.
ii.
Chief Cassin
asked if we have the equipment.
1. Capt Settles stated that there is a combo tool and
mini pump on the Ladder.
a. $4500 w/ pump and $400 for hose
b. Training costs
c. Tenuous agreement with Hix. The relationship is at the tipping point,
they may start charging but as long as we spread it out it will be okay.
d. Capt Hart believes that extrication is a FF 1&2
skill set but Capt Settles disagrees.
e. His concern is the skill maintenance of the entire
department. Extrication is not a door
pop level.
iii.
Capt Settles
stated that it has become a total side wall removal.
1. This allows
2. Another factor is the minimum number of firefighters
you need for a door pop.
3. Doing a door pop would decrease response time but if
mess with it too long or change form of the steel the frame could become less
sturdy. It changes the integrity of the
vehicle.
4. Looking back on the water treatment plant response
there was a problem with the combo on the Ladder.
iv.
Chief Slauter
asked Capt Settles what was going to happen with the set on the Ladder.
1. The combo tool will go on the Rescue and be in the
role that fits its purpose.
2. It is just another tool in the tool box. The tool is lighter and more agile. It can be used over head and on sheet metal easily.
3. Currently the department has two. Two tools and one pump. This tool also has cutting ability.
v.
There is no
cribbing on E53, it is on L53.
1. The concern is that once E53 is alone at St 53 and
they respond to a PI. It takes them a
couple of min to get there then they decide to call R51 there is at least
another 5 minutes for them to get there. That is a lot of time for an
entrapment to wait for action.
a. During that time the Engine could remove trim, grass,
tend to patient care and prepare for the scene for the Rescue.
2. If the Rescue
is out where would help come from? It
would be either 91 or from downtown Bargersville.
a. It has only happened once, Station 52 did not have a
combo tool and they took care of it with Station 92.
vi.
Chief Slauter
stated that he is not sure what next step is.
What does the board want us to do?
1. Capt Settles stated that what we need is what we
have. If the department re-tools the
Rescue the department could get another 5-10 years out of it.
2. The Engine and Rescue will both respond on an
extrication.
3. Chief Slauter asked if there are still questions
related to Station 51.
a. E51 will take all runs.
b. The Rescue will sit, used as a squad concept
c. They will have the ability to do an extrication with
the Engine and the Ladder if they are off station and unable to get to the
Rescue.
d. The Rescue and Engine go if any extrication like a
task force.
e. Both vehicles are set up for extrication and will
respond on every entrapment run.
f.
The call will be
for Engine/Rescue/Battalion 5 and the closest Engine.
4. E51 – cutter, spreader, and combo
5. R51 – Spreader, cutter, 40” spreader, cribbing,
chains, rams and manual hydraulic equipment.
vii.
Capt Arkins
asked if E53 could get some cribbing and aluminum blankets and the training to
get stuff done before R51 arrives so when they show up they can start cutting.
viii.
Many people do
not know that both E51 and R51 will be responding.
1. Capt Arkins would like some training from Capt
Settles as to what to do before they get there.
2. R51 will respond to a PI on 37. The Rescue box has not changed.
ix.
The Battalions
are all on the same page.
1. They will explain the whole concept to their shifts.
2. Combining resources will keep the department from
behind the 8-ball.
3. The department will be more multi-functional
a. The Rescue is needed for more serious incident.
b. Both crews should not be off station.
x.
Capt Settles is
okay with setting up training with cribbing, glass removal, etc. to prepare for
the Rescue arrival.
xi.
Chief Slauter
stated that the combo tool is not enough.
1. 10 min of failure, 10 years to get over.
2. 52 is okay with 92 around the corner
3. 53 is the concern, 37 causes worry.
4. If engine is on
5. Chief Pell stated that we have to work within the
resources we have.
6. Chief Slauter stated that if the engine and ladder
are somewhere else, esp. out of the district or training, entrapment runs are
low frequency runs.
7. Chief Thacker also stated that each station now has
their own training rooms so they will be able to do most training on station
now. He would also like to find a way to
get a feed to all stations.
xii.
The need is to
train 52 & 53 to work with the extrication team in case the engine and
ladder are on another run.
1. One run out of 10 where only one truck can respond.
xiii.
Capt Settles is
not in favor of hydraulics equipment on the engine.
1. He is okay with some cribbing, pry bar and glass
removal tools for E53.
2. You have to determine how long to mess with a door
pop until it is no longer a door pop.
3. You can manipulate the integrity of the
material. Now it is a whole side
removal.
4. The argument is legitimate with five guys as opposed
to three. It would be easier to train a
smaller group of guys at a higher level than half the department at a lower
level.
xiv.
The option is to
leave the Rescue responding with any accident on 37 to help with the concern of
extrication at Station 53.
xv.
Capt Settles is
willing to do training program for Engine Companies to get things going at the
incident and ready for the Rescue to extricate the second they get there.
1. He will sit down with Capt Arkins and Hart to discuss
possible training and equipment that may be needed on the Engines.
xvi.
Chief Slauter
agrees with Capt Settles suggestions.
1. WRTFD is a one event department and until the
department is able to increase staff, etc. we have to work with what we have.
xvii.
Capt Settles
believes the case is valid but most of the concern was based on the idea that
many did not know E51 and R51 will re responding together.
1. The concerns of Capt Hart and Arkins are not being
ignored but addressed in another way.
2. R51 will be put on response for 37
3. There will be some education and training
4. Additional equipment will be placed on the engines to
prepare for the extrication process.
xviii.
The consensus
was also to keep the Company Officers from being the only medic, they should be
incident command.
1. Concerning the District Board
a. Chief Thacker wondered how the board should be
contacted concerning R51.
b. Chief Slauter is worried about the perception of
spending on a new Rescue.
c. Chief Pell will meet with them as to what they see as
a plan for the department before the retreat so when the staff sits down to
plan we know what direction to move in.
i.
He also stated
that he is not comfortable at this time asking for $600,000 vehicle.
ii.
He is looking at
it as a city and that there are still competing departments.
iii.
Ambulance issue
is the biggest issue.
d. Chief Pell stated that if money wasn’t an issue he
would get what everyone wanted but everyone is looking at budgets right now.
i.
He will not ask
for a $600,000 vehicle right now.
ii.
He will get with
the board and get their ground rules.
e. Chief Cassin believes we need to go to the board with
what we need, have something in mind.
i.
Chief Slauter
and Capt Settles believe we should come up with three options to present.
f.
Chief Pell
believes that the department needs to continue Special Ops and we need the
equipment and trucks to do it. The board
wants us to look for efficiencies.
i.
His approach
with the board will be, the more resources you can get me the better the
service will be to the community. They
need to set a level of service but will not let the board tell him how to run
the department.
1. Chief Thacker believes that they were trying to tell
him how to run the department by the one hour discussion on what rank to make
someone.
2. Captain Settles stated that Special Ops is most of
the way there.
a. The money has already been spent
b. Training has been completed and equipment has been
purchased. At this point it is just
maintenance.
c. There will be some disposable goods but most of the
equipment will last.
3. Chief Pell stated that he will speak to each member
of the board to see what the elephant in the room is and have them lay is out
before the retreat so when the senior staff meets everyone will know what
direction to go.
4. Capt Settles stated that we could do more with less
and asked if we could have more help with professional grant writing.
a. Chief Pell wants to do as much with grants as we
can. He would like to fund as much as we
can through grants and get more resources.
b. Should the department assign someone to look for
grants?
i.
Tug is a good
resource and believes WR and
xix.
Capt Settles
will get with Capt Hart and Arkins to see what they need and get a training
program together.
xx.
Chief Pell will
send out the news through the grapevine
xxi.
The Battalions
are getting together with the shifts to inform them of the plan with the
Rescue.
i.
There were 10
applicants and all have interviewed with Chief Pell.
ii.
Chief Pell and
Thacker will get together with the interview information and get a name to take
to the board so everything is set up.
iii.
Having more
medics in the ranks would help in running the scene.
1. With Settles and Slusher at Station 51 they run the
risk of dealing with extrication and medic options.
2. Cynthia and Derek Norcross are currently in medic
school.
iv.
Chief Pell
believes that we need medics to keep the department going.
1. Do the new applicants chosen need to be medics or in
school.
2. Everyone agrees that the department needs to look at
the whole package, who would stick around so we don’t get stuck on the short
term.
i.
January 10th
& 11th is the Senior Staff Retreat.
ii.
January 26th
will be the employee recognition dinner at Pipers.
iii.
Chief Pell will
get with Capt Hart to discuss the Fitness Policy with the union representation.
iv.
Chief Brown
Updates
1. Concerning the property for station 4, the week
before Fire Prevention he spoke to the person in charge of the St. Francis
building projects. He stated that the
facility will be a Sports Medicine Facility and Outpatient Surgery.
a. They would like to get police, fire and the schools
involved.
b. He was upset that they were being used to not sell WR
the property or to get a higher price for the property.
c. Chief Brown has sent out feelers again at
d. The guy from St. Francis would like a fire station
there.
e. Either way it sounds like St Francis will sell us
some property or
2. The Knox Box at the Hearth is done.
a. Coover sent out an e-mail concerning the electric
locks. Mainly for the residences, put
the key in take it out then put it back in to release the thumb lock. Everything else just put in and take out.
b. There will be a drill on Thursday the first.
c. Chief Slauter will man an engine and
d. Chief Brown will also like for Chief Cassin to take
notes on the event.