5b Hanover Area Fire and Rescue Commission

Minutes Hanover Area Fire and Rescue Commission Thursday, November 18 at 5:30 p.m. Penn Township Municipal Building Present at the meeting: • Hanover Area Fire and Rescue Chairman Pro Tempore Christopher Lockard (see note below) • Penn Township Commissioners Michael Brown, Jan Cromer, and Manager Kristina Rodgers • Hanover Borough Manager Nan Dunford • HAFRC Chief Anthony Clousher, and Executive Assistant Vanessa Larson • Volunteers Steve Otis and Jeffrey Spielman representing Hanover Area Volunteer Fire and Rescue • EMA Coordinator Jeff Waltman, EMS Captain Christensen, and Solicitor Iannacone Secretary Vanessa Larson called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. and completed a rollcall; five voting members were present, there is a quorum. Neither Chairman Elsner nor Hanover Councilman Reichart attended this meeting. As such, Secretary Larson requested a chair be nominated for this meeting only. Volunteer Otis nominated Councilman Lockard to preside as Chairman Pro Tempore. Motion passed. Announcement of Executive Session: An Executive Session will be held after this meeting to discuss personnel matters. Public Comment: None Approval of the Minutes: Members Brown and Otis moved for the approval of the October 2021 minutes. Motion carried unanimously. Approval of the Fire Report: Members Cromer and Spielman moved for the approval of the October 2021 Fire Report. Motion carried unanimously. Approval of the October 2021 Accounts Payable and Financial Report: Members Brown and Otis moved for the approval of the October 2021 Accounts Payable and Financial Reports. Motion carried unanimously. Committee Reports: o Finance & Personnel/Treasurer’s Report o Secretary Larson spoke of the need to send out auditor RFPs as the current contract expires Y/E 2021. Directives were given by the board to request an RFP from our current accountant only. The completed proposal will be presented to the Commission board. November 18, 2021 Meeting Page 1 of 3  o Treasurer Otis reviewed the P&L through October 2021 and anticipates a $40,000 EMS deficit. However, with strong ambulance solicitation response, we should end the year in good shape. o The Finance and Personnel committee approved the business manager position; they will review the job description for necessary adjustments. Mr. Otis distributed the first draft to members and municipal managers. o Regarding moving Chief Clousher and Secretary Larson to the Commission - Benecon is providing the costs for health, dental, vision coverages. o Penn Township BOC has approved the FY 2022 budget as presented; Hanover Borough will vote next week. As of this evening the 2022 Borough budget does not include the business manager position. A discussion was held concerning the Intermunicipal Cooperative Agreement in relation to the budget not being approved by both municipalities. The proposed budget would revert back to the 2021 budget, with amendments for contractual requirements. It was agreed that the Commission feels strongly that this position is needed. Manager Dunford asked Councilor Lockard if he wanted to take this request back to Borough Council for consideration. Councilor Lockard conveyed his intention to do so. o Facilities and Apparatus Committee: See October report submitted with the agenda. o Operations Committee o Chief Clousher spoke of the e-mail sent to the York Co. Coroner’s office (memo distributed with agenda.) Discussion ensued with all in agreement with Chief Clousher’s concern. We do not have a contract to perform this type of call and created a risk of unnecessary injury to the firefighters/EMS staff, thus we should not be doing this type of activity. o Fire Chief Report: o Chief Clousher is working with a grant writer to apply for a FEMA grant. The gentleman visited the stations and strongly suggested both the Wirt Park and Clearview buildings have a sprinkler system installed. We are waiting on approval of the grant and have put the project out for bids, receiving one bid to date. o Use of Consent Agenda: Chief Clousher suggested a new format for our meeting agenda that places together all items requiring approvals. Any member may request an item be removed from the consent agenda and voted on separately. Motion made by members Cromer and Brown to begin using the new format. Motion carried unanimously. o EMS Captain Report: o EMS ran 406 calls in October with 55% of those billable. o Numbers are trending up in RSV, influenza and COVID, all in time for the holidays. o Current wait times at UPMC are up to two hours. o Captain Christensen and members of Pleasant Hill EMS, AREMS, and SAVES have scheduled a meeting with UPMC regional directors and pre-hospital liaison to present the flow chart our regional services have developed in an effort to cooperatively change the wait times at the UPMC Hanover emergency room. o EMA Report o Christmas festivities are planned for Santa’s cabin, tree lighting, and annual parade. November 18, 2021 Meeting Page 2 of 3  o There were two Hazmat incidents recently that involved fuel spills. Our Fire and Rescue were on site and were able to stop an excessive amount of run-off. Unfinished Business: None New Business: None Public Comment: Union President Howard Billig questioned what makes an EMS call billable or non-billable? Captain Christensen stated non-billable calls would be a vehicle accident with participants already gone from the scene, police calls where they would pick up a person who fell but did not obtain the demographics, etc. All transports, even those who refuse after dispatch are billed. At 6:20 motion to adjourn made by members Otis and Brown. Motion carried unanimously. After adjournment of the meeting, the Board and Attorney Iannacone met for an Executive Session on personnel matters. Respectfully submitted, Vanessa Larson Recording Secretary November 18, 2021 Meeting Page 3 of 3