Central Vermont Public Safety Authority

Central Vermont Public Safety Authority Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce Building January 15, 2015 Meeting Minutes – Draft Directors present: Dona Bate and Tom Golonka representing Montpelier; John Hannigan and Michael Smith representing Barre City; Doug Hoyt and Alexandra Pastor, at-large directors. Directors absent: Kim Cheney, at-large director. Others attending: Joseph Aldsworth, Barre City Deputy Fire Chief; Scott Bagg, Capital Fire and Mutual Aid System, Committee Chair; Nick Bresette, Fire Fighter, Montpelier Fire Department; Michael Charonneau, Lieutenant, Barre City Fire Department; David Delcore, Times Argus Reporter; Tony Facos, Chief, Montpelier Police Department; Robert Gowas, Chief, Montpelier Fire Department; Andrew Marceau, Deputy Chief, Barre City Police Department; Neil Martel, Captain, Montpelier Police Department; James Quinn, Deputy Chief, Montpelier Fire Department; Justin Redmond, Fire Fighter, Montpelier Fire Department; David Rubalcaba, Fire Fighter/Medic, Barre City Fire Department; Bob Sager, Secretary/Treasurer; Azaliah Tautfest, Resident, Barre City; Zachary Tillinghurst, Fire Fighter, Barre City Fire Department. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 by Tom. A motion to accept the proposed agenda was made by Doug, seconded by Dona. Motion passed. A motion to table approval of meeting until next meeting was made by John, seconded by Michael. Motion passed. After introductions Tom welcomed everyone and gave a brief overview of where the Board was at in it’s process. Tom invited the department heads to share their concerns, any comments and asked what would you like us (the Board) to do? Chief Facos asked what the goal of the Board was. What is the end result of what the board is trying to do? He said he was basing his comments on what has happened in Rutland. He said the Board needed to know what the problem was before it could address it i.e. community policing, the mental health issue and, drug abuse issue. He suggested bringing in a strategist. Chief Gowas said the goal needed to be about improving service, not just to save money. Plans whose aim was to just save money have not worked. Deputy Chief Quinn said that the Board needed to reassure staff. Tom added that the Board was at a starting point of a multi-year project. Chief Facos questioned having the Board assuming responsibility for dispatch first saying that it was not necessarily the “low hanging fruit”. Tom said that dispatch was important to establish a consistency of data. It is, he said “the glue that holds everything together, the key.” Deputy Chief Marceau said that Barre City Police use the Spillman management system, as opposed to the Valcour system that Monpelier uses. These are two different systems that don’t interface unless you have special software called Vegis. Deputy Chief Marceau went on to say that dispatch personnel are also used as records clerks, typists and as prisoner monitors in addition to their duties as dispatchers. Deputy Chief Aldsworth emphasized that there are two aspects to public safety – the operations end and the business end – there is the need to remain fiscally solid. He also said the Board needs a model to create a budget, a “clay model”. Tom said the job of the Authority’s executive director would be to come up with the “clay model”. Scott Bagg, Chair of Capital Fire and Mutual Aid System said that dispatch personnel need to be in the same room. He cited Hanover, Rutland and, Springfield, MA as models of dispatch. Chief Facos asked what the department heads could do to help the Board. Chief Facos asked Deputy Chief Marceau what would be helpful to facilitate cooperation (between Barre City and Montpelier). Fire Chief Gowas said he thought the board was going in the right direction and that much more was happening with the authority then people realized. He also asked that the Board include department heads in the process of hiring an executive director.. Tom asked what the groups thoughts were on partnering with the hospital (CVMC). Deputy Chief Aldsworth said that as Single Payer health coverage progresses, ambulance service is going to change. He also said that the hospital never wanted to contract with any entity. Deputy Fire Chief Quinn said that it was absolutely necessary to CVMC in the conversation. Transferring documents needs work, need to coordinate with CVMC. Tom asked the group what their vision was looking down the road. Chief Facos cited the importance of recruitment, retention and being accountable for personnel. He said people in public safety are concerned about their jobs. Deputy Chief Aldsworth cited the importance of training and of the changing state mandates as well as the need for employees to be vested. Deputy Chief Marceau cited the difficulty hiring people, especially dispatchers Chief Facos emphasized the importance of training/risk management – getting the right people in the right positions. Barre City resident Azailiah Tautfest stressed the need for training and management oversight, needed in all high stress jobs. As the meeting closed there was a discussion about Board members visiting different public safety departments and what the protocol would be to do so. Motion to adjourn was made by Michael, seconded by Dona. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:04pm.