2005-06-08 Fire Commission Minutes

Home

Commissioner Fergerstrom stated that former Commissioner Ward participated with the Sayre Foundation and kept the HCFC informed of the organization. Commissioner Maedo suggested that the Public Relations committee members, Commissioners Kudlo and Browne, familiarize themselves with the Sayre Foundation. The HCFC thanked Captain Kojima and his crew for their presentation. Budget FY 2005/06: · Chief Oliveria stated that fire fighting has become more advanced.It is more technologically demanding and more sophisticated for the personnel. The Strategic Planidentifies the additional 104 positions needed to bring the department up to adequate staffing levels. These include additional rescue personnel. The HCFDs goalwould be to have the Rescue Company consist of six personnel. At the present time, when they are called out to an incident, the Captain becomes part of the rescue operation and is no longer the incident commander. The staffing increase willprovideadequatemanpowerandresources,maximizesafetyandthe efficiencyoftheunit.Currently,theRescueCompanyispartofanengine company. In the past, it was part of a ladder company, and in the future it will be a stand-alone unit. Presently, when a rescue call is received, the crew has to pick and choose which equipment to take based on the call. Once arriving at the scene, the crew may discover that they may have left something back. This is recognized in the Strategic Plan. Another objective is to have rescue trucks as part of the unit, as a responder and part of the team. Chief Oliveira thanked Commissioner Fergerstrom for submitting testimony on behalf of the commission to Council Member Virginia Isbel. He explained that Council Member Isbel proposed to have the County Council unfund vacant positions within the HCFD, HCPD, Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Department of Public Works. The County Council looked at the Fire Departments last three fiscal year budgets. They noticed that there were positions presumed vacant for a period of three years. These positions identified were three Assistant Chief positions, two Fire Prevention Bureau positions, and four Firefighter positions. Unbeknownst to the County Council was that the HCFD was not filling the Assistant Chiefs positions because that was part of the reorganization plan. There were bodies there on temporary assignments. The department fills the recruit positions based on the vacancies that exist 9