Fire Advisory Board

Fire Advisory Board Meeting Agenda Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at 5:00 PM Council Chambers Page 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 4. ADOPTION OF AGENDA 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Minutes from April 2, 2024 2-3 Fire Board - 03 Apr 2024 - Minutes 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Mid-Year Financial Report 4 Memo: Mid-Year Financial Report b. 2025 Budget 5 Memo: 2025 Budget c. Grain Bin Rescue Training 6 Memo: Grain Bin Rescue Training d. Standby Compensation for Holidays 7 Memo: Standby Compensation for Holidays e. Next Meeting Date f. Demonstration: Fire Extinguisher Training Tool 8 Memo: Demonstration - Fire Extinguisher Training Tool 7. COMMUNICATION AND MISCELLANEOUS 8. ADJOURNMENT  Fire Advisory Board Meeting Minutes Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 5:00 PM Council Chambers The Fire Advisory Board of the City of New Richmond was called to order on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 5:00 PM, in the Council Chambers, with the following members present: PRESENT: Rita Keating, John Van Dyk, Richard Hesselink, Tom Heintz, Thomas Weinmeyer, Dave Stephens, Dave Naser, Ron Volkert, Mike Montello ABSENT: OTHERS Josh Bell, Noah Wiedenfeld PRESENT: CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Tom Heintz. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA Mike Montello moved to adopt the agenda. The motion was seconded by Tom Weinmeyer and carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Tom Weinmeyer moved to approve the minutes from February 21, 2024 as presented. The motion was seconded by Dave Stephens and carried unanimously. NEW BUSINESS CAPITAL PROJECT UPDATE Staff provided an update on some of the recently purchased capital equipment, including the fire extinguisher community training tool and wildland personal protective equipment. Every item on the capital project list purchased thus far has been favorable to budget, which may allow for additional dollars to be set aside for a future vehicle replacement. CEDAR LAKE SPEEDWAY - FIRE SERVICES CONTRACT UPDATE Fire Advisory Board Meeting April 3, 2024 Staff provided an update regarding the fire services contract with Cedar Lake Speedway. There was one year remaining on the three-year contract, but Cedar Lake Speedway has decided to opt out of the contract. The New Richmond Fire & Rescue Department will still conduct fire inspections and respond to calls for service, but will not provide any personnel or equipment for the 2024 race season. There was discussion regarding current New Richmond firefighters potentially be employed by another party to provide fire suppression services at Cedar Lake Speedway. Some of the concerns expressed by the Fire Board were in regards to the impact this would have on firefighters' availability to respond to fire calls, and conflicts of interest. Rita Keating moved to develop a written outside employment policy which would complement the City of New Richmond Employee Handbook's existing provisions and prohibit firefighters from engaging in providing fire suppression services at Cedar Lake Speedway or other public agencies or private companies within the territory serviced by the New Richmond Fire & Rescue Department. The motion was seconded by Tom Weinmeyer and carried unanimously. The policy will be prepared by staff, reviewed by legal counsel, and presented to the Public Safety Committee at their next meeting for possible approval. SHARED REVENUE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Staff provided an update regarding new annual reporting requirements. The City will provide certification documentation to each municipality regarding the fire department's budget, staffing levels, response times, and training certifications. Each town/village clerk will then be responsible for filing this information online and submitting to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue before July 1st. The New Richmond Area Ambulance Service will need to provide similar information as well, but it appears that law enforcement information will not be required because that is only required for communities with a population greater than 20,000 people. The various administrative forms were supposed to be available on the DOR website by April 1st, but as of the date of the Fire Board meeting, they are not. Failure to upload the information by the deadline, or failure to comply with the maintenance requirements, will result in a reduction in Shared Revenue. HIRING UPDATE Staff provided an update regarding a recent hiring event and a presentation to local businesses. Interviews were recently completed, and background checks are underway. Successful candidates who staff recommend hiring will be brought forward to the Police & Fire Commission for consideration. NEXT MEETING DATE The next Fire Board meeting will be held July 17, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall. COMMUNICATION AND MISCELLANEOUS ADJOURNMENT Dick Hesselink moved at 5:50 p.m. to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Dave Stephens and carried unanimously. Fire Advisory Board Meeting April 3, 2024  MEMO Prepared for: Fire Board Staff Contact: Meeting: Fire Advisory Board - 17 Jul 2024 Subject: Mid-Year Financial Report BACKGROUND INFORMATION: We will review actual to budgeted financials for the first half of 2024.  MEMO Prepared for: Fire Board Staff Contact: Noah Wiedenfeld, Rae Ann Ailts Meeting: Fire Advisory Board - 17 Jul 2024 Subject: 2025 Budget BACKGROUND INFORMATION: At this meeting, we will have a kickoff conversation regarding the 2025 budget. Staff will review the budget timeline and some of the initial priorities that have been expressed by the City Council so far to date, and we would welcome any additional priorities or feedback from the Fire Board as it relates specifically to the Fire Department's operating or capital budgets. We would intend to review a first draft budget at the next Fire Board meeting (date TBD).  MEMO Prepared for: Fire Board Staff Contact: Noah Wiedenfeld Meeting: Fire Advisory Board - 17 Jul 2024 Subject: Grain Bin Rescue Training BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The New Richmond Fire & Rescue Department is hosting a grain bin rescue training on Saturday, July 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The training is presented by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety - Northeast Iowa Community College (Peosta, IA). Firefighters will participate in one hour of classroom instruction, followed by three hours of hands-on training using the simulator. This item of business is for informational purposes only - no action is required.  MEMO Prepared for: Fire Board Staff Contact: Noah Wiedenfeld Meeting: Fire Advisory Board - 17 Jul 2024 Subject: Standby Compensation for Holidays BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Staff would like to receive feedback from the Fire Board about the possibility of standby compensation on designated holidays to ensure that we have a minimum number of firefighters available to respond to calls for service on holidays when many firefighters might otherwise be traveling or unavailable to respond. What might this look like? One officer, one operator, and four firefighters would voluntarily sign up for be on standby for a designated holiday. These six employees would need to stay within the New Richmond Fire Department's response area and be able to respond promptly to the fire station, and cannot consume alcohol. They would each receive a $50 stipend regardless if they respond to a call, and they would receive their regularly hourly rate in addition to the stipend should they need to respond to a call. Other firefighters who are available to respond but are not signed up for standby are still expected to respond if available to do so, but this standby model would ensure that we have a minimum number of firefighters available. Standby holidays would include the following: New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. Under this possible option, the budgetary impact would be $300 per holiday, for a total of $2,400 per year.  MEMO Prepared for: Fire Board Staff Contact: Noah Wiedenfeld Meeting: Fire Advisory Board - 17 Jul 2024 Subject: Demonstration: Fire Extinguisher Training Tool BACKGROUND INFORMATION: If the weather permits, we will demonstrate the new fire extinguisher training tool outdoors in the Civic Center parking lot.