White River Township Fire Department

                                                Bi-Weekly Strategic Meeting

           

                                                Thursday, March 20, 2008

 

 

                       

Present:

Chief Pell

Chief Brown

Chief Thacker

 

 

Chief Cassin

Chief Slauter

Crystal Young

 

  

  1. Meeting called to order at 0805.

 

  1. Old Business
    1. Station 51 warranty update

                                                              i.      Chief Cassin has a list that was put together by Capt. Settles and others that details all issues with Station 51.

                                                            ii.      There were a total of 23 issues, all but 9 have been taken care of and those 9 are all in the works.

1.      The largest problem is the mold in the basement.

a.      It was caused by a true water leak down a drain spout.  The outside has been repaired and workers will be in next week to replace the drywall.

2.      Jeff Smith has hammered out a lot of the issues.

    1. Rescue project

                                                              i.      Chief Pell and Slauter will be prepared to present the project of transforming the TSU to the Rescue to the board at the next meeting.

1.      The entire package will be discussed from the purchase of another trailer to hose reels.

    1. Policy Changes

                                                              i.      Chief Pell stated that there are a few small changes coming.

                                                            ii.      OT budget and staffing (17 for OT).  We are going to try for 18 staffing but only the 17th position will receive OT.

1.      The department needs to do small adjustments now so down the road things will be easier to change.

                                                          iii.      Firehouse reporting

1.      Everything needs to be addressed and addressed correctly.

a.      Chief Slauter should be in charge of staffing

b.      Run reports need to be looked at in the office.

                                                           iv.      Moustache policy

1.      Make sure there is a seal with the mask.

2.      Chief Thacker stated that OSHA stated that it should not come in contact with the seal of the mask.

a.      At the least everyone should be able to pass a quantitative fit test.

3.      Chief Pell would like for the policy to state that it does not exceed the jaw line or interfere with the mask seal.

 

  1. New Business
    1. Part-time hiring process

                                                              i.      There are 6 going through orientation next month (May 7 & 8)

                                                            ii.      Three guys are going on shift and one in the sign up book.

                                                          iii.      A couple of the guys are cadets and should do well.  The policy is that they sign up on the book for six months before they are able to take a shift.

1.      They will be at the bottom of the pecking order for gear at this point.

2.      There is another cadet that has not yet done his agility test.

                                                           iv.      There are still a couple of young good kids on the interview list.  Lately the department has only had a PT list for approximately six months so Chief Thacker expects to do another some time in the fall.

                                                             v.      Chief Thacker ran into Mangus and found out that he is on at Bargersville now.  He told him to come in but as of yet he has not.

1.      Ben Williams is another issue, he may be on leave for medic school, and someone will need to contact Chief Engmark.

                                                           vi.      There are currently 24 in the sign up book.

1.      That list needs some work.  We need to clean up some dead weight and add a couple of good guys and keep the number around 25.

    1. PIA summary from recent incidents

                                                              i.      PIA’s will be recorded under the operations tab on the server. (Date, address and the list of improvements for the incident.)

                                                            ii.      Chief Thacker stated that the biggest issue with the Mt. Pleasant incident was the tools.

1.      They were lying around everywhere and Chief Brown stated that he even brought some back to the station from the scene.

2.      E51’s crew did tear up a lot.  If there were an investigator inside the structure sooner that would be better.

a.      Having the inexperienced truck crew inside didn’t help either.

b.      There needs to be more input from the shift investigator and if an investigator sees a problem they need to step in and tell them to stop what they are doing.

                                                          iii.      The Pinewood LN incident went pretty well.

1.      There is a large list of things to improve on but Capt. Settles said that most of that would be taken care of with more practice.

a.      Capt. Settles wants to get field ops guides in the collapse trailer.

    1. Disaster Emergency Response Plan

                                                              i.      Chief Pell wanted to bring up this plan for a couple of different reasons

1.      the up coming tornado season

2.      his talking to the firefighters in NO brought up a couple of good points

a.      what about the families, some of the firefighters were on duty for 7 to 10 days

b.      the department needs to make provisions

                                                            ii.      Chief Pell would like to make a plan that would supplement the Counties Emergency Response Plan.

1.      He would like it to be a down to earth practical guide to local response.

2.      He has drawn up a rough draft (hand out) that he has based off of Warren’s plan.

a.      Covering an Emergency Response Center set up, EOC, etc.

b.      He wants something that is in place for the department to use to set up in an area.

                                                          iii.      Fire Department EOC – Chief Slauter – Johnson County will want help from our agency.

1.      Battalion 5 will need a lot of help in the field.

2.      County Incident Management Team will be made up of most of our management. (Slauter, Thacker, Engmark, & Settles)

3.      Chief Pell stated that Warren had two people – Ops and Admin – for the EOC.

a.      The point is that once the County EOC has been established ours will run from theirs.

4.      The last time there was an incident WR was the most affected so the County was stationed here.

5.      Chief Thacker – Franklin does not run Incident Command well so they will probably utilize Greenwood Officers and vice versa – he recommended Chief Pell talk to Chief Dhondt.

6.      Chief Thacker stated that he will work with Company Officers and work up tornado scenarios.

a.      He believes that the department could end up with a Capt or LT running Incident Command.  All three Capt are capable of running command in an area.

b.      LT Hurrle and Jory would run logistics.

                                                           iv.      Communications

1.      We would have to be prepared for Nextel to be overwhelmed.  Tug just got a go kit (approx 6) for less than $1000.

a.      They are fairly cheap and Chief Pell is looking into purchasing them.

b.      Chief Thacker suggests that we do a drill with ham in case our system was totally down.

c.      Chief Pell will look into the kit and for the price of six phones.

                                                             v.      Staffing – Chief Slauter stated that staffing should never be an issue.

                                                           vi.      Responses – During the last incident the heavy rescue was sent out to Perry and it took hours for us to get it back.

1.      Specialty apparatus should be kept in the Township.

2.      Also there should be a consistent thread for dry hydrants.

a.      Need to get an adapter for Home Depot (Church Bros. or Waffle House has a hydrant that is different)

b.      Someone needs to check where the dry hydrants are and make sure they are all consistent.

3.      The department also needs to stockpile supplies (water etc)

a.      Maybe get an agreement with Nestle for water bottles then send runners to pick them up.

b.      Also agreements with Home Depot and Menard’s and the school system.

4.      Need to develop a contact and resource list containing names and numbers.

5.      NIMS forms should be put on the desktop of apparatus computers.

a.      The 8 regular forms on the Engines and all of them on the TSU and the Battalion computers.

                                                         vii.      Internal and External needs

1.      Chief Pell stated that our guys need to know that their families are safe even if they need to be brought to the firehouse.

                                                       viii.      Chief Slauter stated that he will work on the Communications (he will utilize Mike), Staffing and Responses.

                                                           ix.      Chief Brown will work on the External needs

                                                             x.      Chief Thacker will get the NIMS forms and the Fire Department EOC with Chief Cassin

                                                           xi.      Chief Engmark, Chief Hart and LT Hurrle and Marion Hart will be contacted to work on the internal needs.

                                                         xii.      Chief Cassin needs a password for the Web EOC.  (Darla McKnight is the one to contact)

1.      Darla enters the daily weather and Tug enters road closings and other information.

                                                       xiii.      May 15 is officer training

1.      Communications training

2.      The command vehicle is available

3.      Chief Pell would like for them to also do a mayday training scenario.

                                                       xiv.      This topic will be on next weeks agenda for questions.

    1. Chief Thacker stated that the department should have a plan for the budget for the next meeting.

                                                              i.      He believes we should put in 3 or 4%.  Cost of living is almost 4% currently.

                                                            ii.      Chief Cassin stated that we need to start somewhere.

1.      The department has had a plan and they have been Okaying it for years.  We should follow the plan and let them go from there.

                                                          iii.      Chief Thacker stated that the % of homes over 1 or 2% tax rate in the district is low.

1.      State wide there may be an issue but not here.  He would like to see numbers and until there is a problem we could be reacting to something that does not exist.

2.      The commissioners are not even concerned.  DeHart is concerned about the roads and Ripley is lost.

                                                           iv.      The Budget discussion is first brought to the FPDB in May.

1.      The Rescue will created savings.

2.      The Tanker is on a 15 year replacement but that may be something that gets run into the ground.

3.      Chief Pell stated that Jim has been helpful and meeting with him the third Friday of every month.

a.      They are getting more and more comfortable with each other every meeting.

    1. Chief Slauter also wanted to discuss the possible Cyanide issues that have come to light.

                                                              i.      Capt. Arkins will check on cost for a 5 gas monitor to be put on the Battalion.

    1. Bench marks for the CO

                                                              i.      Meter alarms at 30.

1.      0-10 – nothing

2.      10-20 – suggestions are made

3.      30 – above evacuations take place

                                                            ii.      Over 10 everyone is still wearing SCBA

 

  1. Meeting called at 0945.