2005-09-14 Fire Commission Minutes

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Commissioner Browne asked Chief Oliveira to elaborate on what the future requirements of the volunteers would be. Chief Oliveira stated that a physical agility test would be phased in. There is a need to screen the volunteers and have them know the physical demands of the job. It is not fair to these individuals if they were set up for injury or worse. Just as individuals who are interested in becoming paid firefighters are turned away when they are unable to perform physically, the volunteers must meet the same Firefighter I standards. This includes meeting the academic standards, drug testing and driver training. It is necessary to ensure a safe department and provide adequate service for the public. Commissioner Kudlo noticed how closely both the paid and volunteer firefighters work in Ocean View. She agreed that drug testing should be administered to volunteers.Theseindividualsneedtobeheldaccountablebecausetheyacquire department issued trucks and equipment. Commissioner Browne asked if volunteers were paged when an incident occurs. Chief Oliveira answered that they were. Commissioner Kudlo questioned why there were separate stations in Volcano. Chief Oliveira answered that the HCFD took over the services when the military pulled out and it was on the only facility available. The goal for the department is to get off the park property and put a fire station in the community and incorporate it with the volunteers. The intent is not to disband the volunteer station; it is to have them be a part of the paid unit. Commissioner Okabe asked if the volunteers physical agility test would be similar as the recruits. Chief Oliveira stated that the same standards would be used for both. Commissioner Okabe asked how the union feels regarding volunteer firefighters. If the volunteer program is successful, could it eventually become more cost-effective to have volunteers versus the actual paid firefighters. Chief Oliveira stated that it is important to have a good communication with the union. This prevents any negative impact. One thing to remember is that with the volunteer program, there is no guaranteed response. It is community driven to have an immediate response time of a service. The unions concerns are not just the security of jobs but its the level of training and safety. That is where other issues come up. The paid and volunteer firefighter need to work side by side to equally support each other and back up one another. 8