White River Township Fire Department

                                                Bi-Weekly Strategic Meeting

           

                                                Thursday, May 15, 2008

 

 

                       

Present:

Chief Pell

Chief Brown

Chief Thacker

 

 

Chief Cassin

Chief Slauter

Crystal Young

 

  

  1. Meeting called to order at 1400.

 

  1. Old Business
    1. Disaster Emergency Response Plan

                                                              i.      Chief Slauter disbursed a handout.  He has completed three sections.

1.      Amy has been working on the contact list and is approximately 80% complete.

                                                            ii.      Go phones –

1.      The department is going to purchase (two) five phone boxes for $200

2.      One of the phones will be given to dispatch, one will be located at the EOC and one at each area of command.

3.      Steve Dyson is going to flat line salary but continue with everything else.

                                                          iii.      Chief Thacker stated that ICS forms will be on the laptops tomorrow – lick to C drive folder (White River if it is not part of operating system)

1.      He will be forwarding an electronic copy to Chief Pell to put in the entire document.

                                                           iv.      Under communications Chief Cassin has placed a back up paging program on the Battalion System.

                                                             v.      The plan is for the initial 2-6 hour response.

1.      Chief Pell asked if the current outline flowed better and everyone agreed.

2.      Chief Pell wants a plan that would put the infrastructure in place then take care of the needs of the guys then the needs of the district.

3.      The plan is meant to compliment the county plan.

4.      It is written as a check list.

    1. 2009 Budget

                                                              i.      Chief Pell does not believe the board is going to look closely at the 2000 or 3000 category.

1.      If the project is appropriate and defendable we will do what we need.

                                                            ii.      Jim and Paul are looking closer at the salary and benefits so the department will need to set up for that discussion.

1.      There is not much concern for the salary and it should keep up with the 3-4%.

2.      As to the health insurance they have a view as to what is should be.

a.      Mike Gaunce is already stating a possible 20% increase

b.      PERF has gone down to 19 ˝ so that will be helpful.

c.      The employee pays 100% of their own dental.

d.      Chief Pell has a list of departments and will find out how they compare in Employer/Employee pay.  He will also get information on Vision and Dental plans from the same departments.

e.      Chief Pell and Crystal have been making phone calls to get that information.

                                                                                                                                      i.      Franklin Twp is 80/20 and the department pays $800 per.  Those types of numbers should help us to show how our plan is fair.

                                                          iii.      Cap Expenditures

1.      Chief Pell asked if there were anything that needed to be added to the long term plan.

2.      Chief Slauter suggested inviting department heads to submit suggestions to senior staff.

3.      What is already set up should be sufficient.

a.      The biggest concerns hinge on the budget being passed or getting grants.

b.      Chief Cassin stated that anything the guys have come up with in the past have been able to put in existing categories.

c.      The golf cart is something that will need to be replaced with something more substantial.  (the cart is in the rotation)

4.      Chief Pell asked when the AFG will be coming up again.

a.      It should com up sometime in the fall but the budget will already be set before anything is awarded.

5.      Chief Thacker asked about hose replacement.

a.      Chief Slauter stated that it is already in the budget.

b.      Chief Cassin stated that is in on the same rotation.

6.      Chief Slauter stated that Operations is good on equipment and fans and radio are extra due to one less vehicle.

7.      Vehicle Rotation

a.      Chief Pell sees no problem with F150.  Prevention will be loosing space from the TSU.  The F150 will make it easier to haul items and the space could be used for prevention and rehab items.

b.      Chief Slauter’s only concern was that he did not want to use a pick-up as a back-up Battalion but that will not be the case.

8.      Fire Prevention and Public Education

a.      Any big purchase they should get through fees and fines.

b.      Chief Cassin stated that things that bring in revenue (CPR and Fire Prevention) he will try to get out of Gen Fund and have a separate fund for those line items.  Police department so that and it should clean up the books.

c.      Staffing

                                                                                                                                      i.      Only change a couple of positions to one FT pub ed position

1.      Coover and Rowland may drop off

2.      Not sure if the position should be FF or civilian position

9.      Admin only has the computer system at this time.

10. Training – video conferencing

a.      The original grant was written for $100,000 but should cost much less than that now

b.      Could run it over the internet

c.      Chief Pell stated that he thought it was more than just a band width that it may be a latency issue.

                                                                                                                                      i.      Need speed to push audio and video

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Chief Cassin stated that distance is an issue along with the fact that there is a lot of interference from the school system.

d.      Comcast has I-net.

                                                                                                                                      i.      Maybe we could get that set up for us then maybe for the county.

                                                                                                                                    ii.      There would be no two way discussions but could still do some training.

                                                                                                                                  iii.      Chief Thacker will get some prices.

1.      Could it be a stretch to come out of the Cum Fund?

2.      May be able to tie it to the Building Fund.  The computer system is out of the Cum Fund since it is required to do fire reporting.

                                                                                                                                   iv.      Also try Boyer Network, they also had a system.

11. Steve Dyson also asked about a Training Facility.

a.      It has been removed due to the C9 issue.

b.      Is the school system going to sell the buildings they are going to vacate?  A school building would be cool for an Admin/Training facility.

12. Chief Cassin will send something out to the division heads asking for input.

a.      Chief Hart would like to have a cyanide monitor on each engine.

 

  1. New Business
    1. SAFER Grant

                                                              i.      The grant opens May 27 to June 27.

1.      Chief Pell will speak to Jim tomorrow concerning the grant.

2.      The department should the department hire a grant writer and go for the SAFER grant again

3.      Steve Coover should be able to get hold of Jill Musgrave.  She is successful and has gotten the last 5 of 6.

a.      Chief Slauter believes we should also look for someone else in case she isn’t available.

  1. Other New Business
    1. Chief Thacker stated that the new vests should be here next week.

                                                              i.      NFPA – look at SOG and redo.

                                                            ii.      Anyone could get struck on Smith Valley just as easily as SR37.

    1. The Rescue is used to block traffic and it would be nice to have the reflector stickers on all the trucks.

                                                              i.      Start getting the striping done one truck at a time.

                                                            ii.      Chief Cassin stated that it is approx $1,400

                                                          iii.      Have Joe Marsh start getting quotes.

 

  1. Meeting called at 1505.