COLTON FIRE DISTRICT COMMISIONER MEETING May 13, 2010
Present: Dennis Eickhoff, Paul Caster, Jerry Wilson, Dave Crosby, Bill Smith, MJ Watson
Chairman Eickhoff called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
Wilson moved and Caster seconded that the minutes of the April meeting be approved subject to the addition that early bills in the amount of $109.82 and regular bills in the amount of $7,628.74 be added to the minutes as approved at the meeting. Carried Unanimously.
Caster moved and Wilson seconded that early bills in the amount of $87.61 and May regular bills in the amount of $6,075.33 be approved. Carried Unanimously.
Mike White of McNeil & Company was present to answer questions about the District's current policy. When asked if a PA can perform a physical for prospective members, the response was that a PA was not trained to give a full physical, especially in the case of an interior fire fighter. He referred the commissioners to NFPA standard 1582 and he will provide Eickhoff with sample policies. E-Learning training is now available through McNeil. Members still need 10 hours of EVOC training even though some of the material is covered in the e-learning course which also includes OSHA refreshers. White cautioned that at accident scenes, cell phones should be kept at a distance since pictures often end up on facebook. He cited the instance where Syracuse High School had an arson and before the investigation was complete, pictures appeared on facebook and the evidence was gone. He suggested that an SOG be written to include a 30 day suspension for members who take pictures with their cell phones at accident scenes.
Atlantic Testing Lab has completed the sampling on the Clark Property and found 33 linear feet of window glaze containing asbestos and expressed concern regarding roof tar and shingles. All asbestos found was exterior in nature. The ATL report will be forwarded to Optek for a removal quote. Ward cannot do any site work until the asbestos is removed. The Commissioners agreed that Eickhoff should continue with the asbestos removal.
Regarding the South Colton roof, Wilson reported that all blueprints had been forwarded to Brooks Washburn. Watson will contact Washburn to determine status.
Vehicle inspection sheets are being worked on and will be done monthly and after a call.
Wilson moved and Crosby seconded that Craig LaPlante be awarded the mowing contract for $450. Carried Unanimously.
A return to work order dated March 22 for Mark Smith has been received and will be put in his file. He still needs Firefighter I training.
Crosby moved and Caster seconded that Jeff Angelberger be approved as a member of the Department. Carried Unanimously.
Rebecca Wright is having her blood work on May 13. No information has been received on Jessica Pearl.
Crosby moved and Caster seconded that Harold Bush, Jr. be accepted as a department member pending a department vote. Carried Unanimously. He still needs his 8 hour training.
Caster moved and Wilson seconded that William Watson be approved for membership in the department. He will not be eligible for interior firefighter until the June physicals. Carried Unanimously.
Ward Excavating has provided the District with a Certificate of Insurance.
Crosby distributed a preliminary report on the fire station site and has reminded the committee that the Commissioners make the final decision. Concern was expressed that bedrock might be a problem on the Clark property. If CR58 is selected as the site, it might solve the vandalism problems on the Riverside Drive location. The committee is looking at $1.5 to $2 million cost. CR58 would be less intrusive on the hamlet itself. Parking is an issue on Riverside Drive. The committee has toured the Cranberry station and found plenty of space for future needs as well as a second floor over the bays. It has 40' bays, 4 double bays as well as a training area and office space. The problem with the Colton station is it would cost as much money to convert as the cost of a new station. A lot of discussion is going on about the two sites and the final recommendation will be for a legitimate needs based building. At Cranberry the roof is wrong and it is not an attractive building. A metal building would be a Class C building with only 15 year financing available compared to a Class A building (cement block) which would have 30 year financing available. Evans Mills has encountered problems with ice on their new building. The life of any new building is of concern. The present buildings were built in 1956. Wilson indicated that our climate is not conducive for a metal building since it would be expanding and contracting constantly. The Committee will get the costs of each option as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
If the dining hall is for 200 people, the parking for 100 vehicles needs to be determined. Crosby will get that information. The Pierrepont dining hall is for 150 people and the lot is full at times. Smith indicated that 200 should be a starting point and the hall should not be smaller than that.
Harold Granger has indicated that once the parts are in for the old Dodge he will have it completed in 3 days. He wants to drive it once a month. The Commissioners indicated that he would have to become an associate member for insurance coverage. The District is paying for parts only and Granger is donating his time.
Because of a conflict with the Convention, Caster moved and Wilson seconded that the June meeting be held on June 3, the first Thursday. Carried Unanimously. Watson will place a legal ad in the paper.
Smith noted that he heard a rumor that OSHA, ESIP and PESH may perform inspections at the stations. He also heard that such inspections would not occur unless a tip was received. An SOG is needed for the use of rescue ropes. The chiefs are working on this and will get the same rope as neighboring departments have so that joint training can be held. The estimated cost is $300 for each interior system.
Potsdam Rescue is answering Colton calls at the White Birch trailer Park in Hannawa which is in Colton's designated area. The confusion seems to be coming from cell phones tripping the Bagdad tower. Potsdam knows that White Birch is in Colton's coverage area. Craig Ballard is listening to the calls and Smith will go to Canton to review the map. His understanding is that the Pierrepont town line on the Back Hannawa Road is the demarcation point.
Smith reported that the Truck Committee has received one set of prints back and is waiting on a second. A third company is coming. They have discovered that all equipment can go on one vehicle and they would still have extra space.
The pager testing and repairs continue. Francis Hatch reported that his pager skips and he receives only half the message. Mary Long, Rick Wood, Sharon Andrews also have pager problems and it is believed that the repeater is the issue. Jackie Johnson and Simone Young have battery problems with their pagers. No information is available for JJ Angelberger's pager. An updated list with pager numbers is about 90% complete at this time.
The Colton computer has fried. John Parcell has someone who can recover the data for $250. The District needs the key data of the hard drive and at this time cannot transfer South Colton keys until the information is recovered. Wilson moved and Caster seconded that the District pay the $250 for data recovery and then bill the rescue squad and the department each 1/3 of the cost. Carried Unanimously.
Eickhoff will check state contract for the purchase of a new computer and bring the information to the June meeting. Any new computer needs adequate protection.
Reports have been received about kids entering the Clark buildings in spite of the posted signs on the premises.
Crosby moved and Caster seconded that the financial statements be approved. Carried Unanimously.
One mask needs replacing after the Pierrepont fire. The new 4' pink pike pole is missing after that fire and is believed to have been picked up by another Department.
While on standby for Parishville, Smith noted that the interior of the station had been sprayed with foam for energy efficiency and that energy efficient lights had been installed with significant savings. Eickhoff and Smith will follow up.
Caster moved and Wilson seconded that the meeting adjourn at 8:47 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, MJ Watson