Thursday, November 16, 2006
(Audio Replays of the meeting are available upon request)
A regular meeting of the Wake County Fire Commission was held on Thursday, November 16, 2006, 7 p.m., in the Wake County EMS Training Facility, Carya Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina.
CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Ms. Suggs called the meeting to order.
The following members were present: Ms. Ann Suggs, Mr. Billy Myrick, Ms. Sue-Lynn Hinson, Chief Tom Vaughan, Mr. Bill Gatewood, Mr. Lucius Jones, Chief Scott McCollum, Chief Chris Wilson, and Chief Tony Mauldin
Members absent were: Senator Vernon Malone, Mr. Michael Fletcher, Chief Mark Haraway, Mr. Rob McGraw, Chief Mike Cooper, Chief Rodney Privette, and Commissioner Betty Lou Ward.
Mr. Billy Myrick gave an invocation.
Ms. Suggs introduced Mr. Bill Gatewood, who was recently appointed by the Board of Commissioners as a citizen representative to the Fire Commission.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Mr. Myrick made a motion to approve the agenda, which was seconded by Chief Mauldin. The motion passed unanimously.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mr. Myrick made a motion to approve the minutes of September 21, 2006, which was seconded by Mr. Jones. The motion passed unanimously.
REGULAR agenda
Bay leaf fire station #1 renovation
Chief Ron Roof presented a report on the renovation of Bay Leaf Fire Station #1. Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects presented their findings on site restrictions and associated options for the proposed building project. Chief Roof requested that the Fire Commission:
1) Authorize the department to seek a special use permit for Option #3, construction of a new, two-story station,
2) Approve the use of $150,000 of FY 07 Heery project funding for development and obtaining the special use permit, and
3) Develop the FY 2008 capital budget to include the requested building project.
Mr. Myrick made a motion to accept construction Option #3 and grant Bay Leaf Fire Department up to $150,000 from the Heery funding towards obtaining the special use permit. The motion was seconded by Chief Vaughan. The motion passed, 6-yes, 3-no.
Discussion followed that work would be done to determine the impact of this project within the long range plan and financial model.
compensation committee report
Captain David Price presented committee recommendations to the Fire Commission. The recommendations include compensation for Chief’s positions, volunteer Chief officers, and non-Chief volunteer line officers. The recommendation also included extending the deadline for the required Instructional Techniques for Company Officers Training. In addition, the committee made recommendations related to compliance with the requirements of the compensation study. The committee recommendations are:
1) Chief’s Position
The committee was asked to define the parameters to be used to differentiate between a stipend, a part-time employee and a full time employee.
Recommendation
· Volunteer Stipend - Up to $12,000 annually with no accounting for hours
· Part-time employee - $12,001 up to the amount for 30 hours per week annually (based on the individual’s length of service and current pay ranges). They must account for hours.
· Full time employee - Any chief who averages more than 30 hours per week annually. They must account for hours. ( This position must be approved by the Budget Committee)
2) Stipends for Other Volunteer Chief Officers
The committee was asked to define limits for stipends for other Volunteer Chief Officer positions.
Recommendation
Set an annual limit on Assistant or Deputy Chief Officers at $6000. This mirrors the Budget Committees standard.
3) Stipends for Other Volunteer Line Officers
The committee was asked to determine if other Non Chief Volunteer Line Officers should receive a stipend.
Recommendation
Other Volunteer Line Officers should not receive a stipend for non response duties.
4) Instructional Techniques for Company Officers Training
Instructional Techniques for Company Officers was a required class for incumbent employees at the rank of Captain in order to meet the Compensation Plan guidelines. Due to difficulty in getting class materials the training was not held. This has since been resolved and classes should begin in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Recommendation
Extend the deadline for completion of this requirement until June 30, 2007
5) Compensation Study Compliance
As required by the Compensation Guidelines, the Committee has reviewed participating departments’ compliance with the Compensation Study Guidelines. Based on the information provided by the departments to the Committee, we recommend the following actions as outlined in Section 5 subsections 1-3.
Recommendations
· Durham Highway Fire Department
5 Incumbent Part-time Captains salaries be adjusted back to rate as of June 30, 2003 until all requirements for the position are met.
1 Incumbent Part-time Captain has until June 30, 2007 to meet the objective for Instructional techniques for Company Officers
1 New hire Part-time Captains salary be adjusted back to the rate of Firefighter until all requirements for the position are met.
· Garner Fire Department
1 New hire Firefighter be adjusted back to the rate of Probationary Firefighter until all requirements for the position are met.
· Swift Creek Fire Department
2 incumbent Part-time Captains have until June 30, 2007 to meet the objective for Instructional techniques for Company Officers.
1 Incumbent Part-time Captain's salary be adjusted back to rate as of June 30, 2003 until all requirements for the position are met.
· Wake-New Hope Fire Department
3 New Hire Driver/Operators be adjusted back to the rate of Firefighter until all requirements for the position are met.
· Western Wake Fire Department
1 Incumbent Captain's salary be adjusted back to rate as of June 30, 2003 until all requirements for the position are met.
Chief Mauldin made a motion, seconded by Mr. Myrick to approve the recommendations. The motion passed unanimously.
COMMITTEE appointments
Ray Echevarria discussed proposed changes to the Fire Commission’s rules of procedure relative to the appointments to committees. Mr. Echevarria also noted changes needed in the current committees if the proposals were approved.
Chief McCollum made a motion to accept the changes, seconded by Ms. Hinson. The motion carried unanimously.
Confirmation of fire commission’s service level goals
John Rukavina discussed the established service level goals and requested clarification on those established goals.
Chief Mauldin requested that this issue be referred to the Staffing Committee.
citizen appointee to compensation committee
Ms. Suggs requested that Dewey Poole be appointed to the compensation committee. Being no objections, Mr. Poole’s appointment was approved.
APPARATUS COMMittee
Chief Woods presented a report from the apparatus committee. The report included updates to the established replacement plan, including an increase in the amount budgeted for pumper/tankers. In addition, the use of additional funding for apparatus was clarified in the plan as requested at the last Fire Commission meeting. The purchase of vehicles by municipalities was also addressed in the plan. Chief Wood requested that the Commission approved the proposed recommendations and the next two year’s replacement schedule:
The Apparatus Replacement Committee (Subcommittee of the Wake County Fire Commission) has been meeting every Tuesday. We are proud to present to the Wake County Fire Commission a complete and comprehensive Apparatus Replacement plan through 2016. We would like for you to review the plan and recommend its approval to the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
The apparatus committee has set a price limit of $320,000.00 for a Pumper/Tanker, & $320,000.00 for a Service Truck, the higher prices then what we submitted from previous years are due to EPA regulated Engine changes, which drove the price up by approximately $15,000.00. We recommend that the F.D. vehicles be purchased through tax exempt financing over a ten-year period and the debt services be repaid using Wake County Fire CIP funds. Each F.D. must order their vehicles from the successful bidder in order to receive Funding, and work with Staff and the Apparatus Committee to coordinate ordering apparatus.
We recommend that the Fire Commission approve that no other monies, by any County Fire Department, other than what can be returned on the sale of the old vehicle, (vehicle being replaced), Fund Raising, or Donations be added to the final total listed above. Every Department will have to justify the source of additional monies above total for apparatus cost.
In order for Municipalities and Town financed Departments to receive any funding from the County for a piece of Apparatus they must buy what is on current County Contract. Also it is the Municipalities/Town’s Responsibility for financing their portion of the apparatus. Municipalities and Town Financed Departments are responsible for any cost above the contract price. Any Municipality or Town that wishes to buy & contract with a different vendor other than what is on Contract will not receive any County Funding, and are 100% responsible for their decision to go with a different vendor or different type apparatus.
Chief Vaughan made a motion to approve the apparatus committee’s recommendation. Chief McCollum seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Chief Woods presented a recommendation for a Standard Operating Guideline on maintenance of County Fire Apparatus. This recommendation was deferred to the January meeting.
Chief Woods presented the committee’s work on standardizing apparatus types for National Incident Management System compliance. The proposed changes would be made to vehicles in the CAD system. Chief Vaughan made a motion to approve the committee’s recommended standardizing, seconded by Chief Mauldin. The motion passed unanimously.
INFORMATION AGENDA
report on evaluation and application of fire commission’s closure criteria – western wake fire station #2
Ray Echevarria reported that at an earlier meeting with the Western Wake Board of Directors, the Board requested that tonight’s presentation
Mr. Gatewood, made a motion, seconded by Ms. Hinson, to postpone the presentation of the report. The motion passed unanimously.
facility committee
Mr. Myrick explained that many concerns have been raised regarding the quality of work being done in the stations. County staff and the facility committee will be looking into these concerns and reporting back.
Mr. Myrick explained that the committee had made those areas paying fire tax, but not in a rated fire insurance district, priorities for the construction of new stations.
Heery Phase II projects are nearing completion and Phase III work will be looked at soon.
chair report
Ms. Suggs extended her sympathy to Chief Vaughan in the loss of his mother.
Ms. Suggs congratulated Dr. Myers on his recent award as National Medical Director of the Year.
Ms. Suggs recognized Mr. Paul Coble
fire/rescue services director REPORT
Ray offered copies of the pumper/tanker and service trucks specifications on CD for those departments’ desiring copies.
OTHER BUSINESS
None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
John Rukavina reported that Dr. Brent Myers’ letter to Wake Technical Community College has had a positive impact on first responder training in the fire departments.
Chief Vaughan requested that the replacement of Wake EMS’ First Responder coordinator have fire service background and have the ability to work with fire departments well.
John Rukavina reported that radio interoperability between Johnston County and Harnett County is near final completion. A draft of the related procedure will be distributed for comments.
Mr. Myrick reported that there are six Wake County Public Schools that do not receive automatic aid in the event of alarms or fires at these facilities. These schools are located within the Town of Knightdale. Mr. Myrick would like this situation addressed.
Chief McCollum reminded everyone of the Courage to Be Safe program to be presented this Saturday at Keeter Training Center. The program is sponsored by the Wake County Firefighter’s Association and the Fire/Resuce
Ms. Hinson thanked everyone for her time on the Fire Commission. Mr. Wayne Sherrod has been elected as the President of the Association and will be taking her place.
Adjournment
The next regular meeting of the Wake County Fire Commission is scheduled for Thursday, January 18, 2007.