Public Safety (Subcommittee of the City Council)

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES Wednesday February 8, 2012 American Ambulance 7:00 P.M. Committee Members Present Alderman Mark Bettencourt Alderman H. Tucker Braddock Jr. Alderwoman Sofee Noblick Administration and Staff Present Alan H. Bergren, City Manager Kenneth Scandariato, Fire Chief Patrick Daley, Norwich Police Lieutenant / Chief East Great Plains Fire Department Chief Frank Blanchard, Yantic Fire Department Chief Tim Jencks, Taftville Fire Department Chief Aaron Westervelt, Laurel Hill Fire Department Gene Arters, Director OEM Deputy Chief Bob LaChapelle, Occum Fire Department Chief Paul O’Connell, Yantic Fire Department Lieutenant James Fear Sr., East Great Plains Fire Department Lieutenant Joseph Murray, Yantic Fire Department Volunteer/Central Fire Departments and Others Ron Stoltz, Yantic Fire Department Damian Rickard, American Ambulance Patrick McCormack, Uncas Health District Roger Snell, East Great Plains Fire Department Michael A Dziavit, Norwich Fire Department Adam Griffin, Norwich Fire Department Mark V Sizuso, Norwich Fire Department Eric Benoit, Taftville Fire Department I. Call to Order – Quorum Alderman Mark Bettencourt called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. A quorum was present. II. Approval of Minutes Alderman H Tucker Braddock Jr. motioned to approve the January 8, 2012 minutes as amended, seconded by Alderwoman Sofee Noblick. All in favor the motion passed. Alderman Mark Bettencourt suspended the rules to add “Process for Cutting Power at Structure Fires” to the agenda under New Business. III. Correspondence – City Manager Alan Bergren has sent an email to Alderman Mark Bettencourt with the numbers of police and fire personnel that are Norwich residents. Alderman Mark Bettencourt turned those numbers into percentages. Fire=27%, Police=22%, Dispatch=38% (3 out of 8), Public Works=40%, and Norwich Public Utilities=40%. IV. Citizen Comment Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks if there are any citizens who have any public safety items that they would like to bring before the Committee. Hearing none, citizen comment is closed. Public Safety Meeting Minutes February 8, 2012 Page 2 V. New Business a. Discussion: Inter-agency Cooperation regarding revisions of the city's EOP Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks OEM Director Gene Arters to speak on this issue. Gene Arters explains that he is actively involved in revising the City’s Emergency Operations Plan and that all departments have been requested to submit revisions to their Annex sections along with Inventory Lists. He explains that Christine Averna has been employed to compile the information and burn the disks for each department and that there are several departments outstanding. He met with Damian and Pat McCormack with the Uncas Health District because they have two large Annexes, with the Pandemic Planning and Small Pox, and Damian had concerns that all departments interact with each other and not be listed in the Emergency Operations Plan, that they have a certain function without being notified. Gene then gave Damian the floor to speak about his concerns. Alderman Mark Bettencourt did say he was concerned with how it was described in the email since it sounded like one hand didn’t know what the other one was doing. He feels that each department needs to know what the other departments have as their plans since there is a need for cohesion between departments and agencies when an emergency arises. Damian states that he really did just want to discuss that each agency shouldn’t be planning for each agency, and that they should be planning as a City. Obviously each agency is responsible for its own agency but if there’s some crossing of responsibility or if one agency is asking another agency to assist them in some way there should be some communication between those agencies of what those requests might be in a time of need. Basically to promote that inter-agency communication in the planning process, and then to take that a step further, make sure that the City’s plan is interfacing well with the larger regional State plan. So don’t take this as American Ambulance’s plan. This is American Ambulance’s plan and how does it affect Chief Scandariato’s plan, and how does it affect Patrick McCormack’s plan at the Health Department, and then how does that fit in with the regional plan. So while we’re doing this revision process, rather than planning for the sake of planning, we should take time and make sure that we’re doing it right and make sure that the agencies are talking to each other. He just wanted to bring this forward to make sure the departments are communicating while putting together their plans. Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks who the POC for this is. Who puts it all together when it’s all done? OEM Director Gene Arters replies that Christine Averna has been employed to compile all the information and that once all the updates are received the compilation will be completed between him and Christine. City Manager Alan Bergren states that following the hurricane they did a critique and that the plan has to be a living document. Phone numbers change, other information changes, so it really needs to be continually updated and part of the process after doing the review was to get this updated as quickly as possible. It really needs to be a living document, and each department has to know what is in their section as well as other departments sections so each department can integrate and there can be cohesion in an emergency situation. Public Safety Meeting Minutes February 8, 2012 Page 3 There is also talk about forming two committees. He wants to get as much current information in and get the plan as updated as possible. There have been a lot of people who volunteered when the hurricane critique was done that want to get together and form these two co mmittees. There was a whole SWOT analysis. That is going to follow hand in hand with the update that is currently underway. Alderman Mark Bettencourt says so we’re not just talking public safety, we’re talking about public works, NPU… City Manager Alan Bergren says yes, it’s all the people who participate in Emergency Management for the City in any type of event, especially a major event, like a hurricane, snow storm, any natural or man-made disaster. And the SWOT analysis that everyone participated in was excellent and there were a lot of volunteers from all the agencies wanting to participate in the formation of these two committees. There were sign in sheets of those wanting to volunteer for this. So he will be forming those committees and starting work on these shortly but they need to get from everyone the most updated and current plan that is available. It doesn’t end there; it will always be a plan in transition as the City changes. Alderman Mark Bettencourt wanted to know how often the plan is updated. Was this done before? Emergency Management Director Gene Arters replies that the City has a State approved plan and a FEMA plan that isn’t due for revision until 2013 but it was decided to do this now. The plan is updated every four (4) years. He then asks for a suspension of the rules to allow Committee Secretary Christine Averna to speak to the Committee and others present in response to what is needed regarding this agenda item. Alderman Mark Bettencourt states that Christine can address the Committee in her capacity on this agenda item. Christine Averna states that although each department will have some dependency on other departments, that type of inter-departmental communication when writing their EOP updates shouldn’t be necessary. Each department should be writing their own EOP plan without items that require another department’s participation. Each department needs to write out what they will bring to the table during an emergency or crisis. The departments will all receive copies of the complete EOP so they can see what resources are available from each department and where each department will stand in the event of an emergency. Crossover is inevitable but that is why the plan needs to be completed and compiled. Gene Arters reminds all present that the resource lists really need to be submitted, with all major equipment available listed. Alderman Mark Bettencourt makes sure everyone knows that SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Patrick McCormack states that part of his discussion with Damian was that Damian’s plan talks to his plan, with the whole Hazardous Plan there are any number of agencies mentioned under Health and Medical. Backus Hospital, Public Works, and so forth. His department is responsible for seven plans in the Health Department for each municipality they serve. Public Safety Meeting Minutes February 8, 2012 Page 4  They’re also responsible for Regional Planning, for Reserve Corps planning, they have numerous plans they’re responsible for. Obviously there’s a folder for each one of their agencies and part of it is making sure he knows what is in the folder and making sure it’s updated. That is his responsibility. One of the things he strategized with Gene was whether there was an opportunity to put something in a “drop box” where plans are visible to many and see how they talk to each other. Clearly he doesn’t want to be updating the Fire plan but he may want to see what their plan says that they’re doing if there’s an event so he knows if he can expect them to respond to his. For instance, is he storing supplies in the Fire Department, should that be written into their plan, should it not, if they want it written in then he can include it. So those are some of the things being discussed. He does have to say that from a municipality perspective, Norwich is far ahead of a lot of his other municipalities. He doesn’t recall being asked to perform such an update for any of them in the past four years. His hope is that there will be some sort of a calendar or plan for the next year as to: are we going to get together and meet; should we plan to meet; what are the deadlines; which plans are we going to be reviewing; should I be updating my pan-flu plan; should I be updating my all hazards plan; should I be updating my millstone plan; are there deadlines that I need to meet in the next 2 to 3 years; which department people should I have looking at those things; which other towns am I supposed to be covering if there’s an emergency. He is just looking for input and guidance since the more people that look at the plan the better. Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks the gallery if there is anyone there that doesn’t think they should be working with the other groups. There were no replies. City Manager Bergren reminds the group that there were two events last year, hurricane Irene and then a major snow storm. The City activated the EOC, everyone was there, the staffing was great. The EOC is now located in NPU. The State was very impressed with the operation and the layout. They will alter as the staff feels the need to. It is an evolving process, always striving for perfection. b. Process for cutting power at Structure Fires. Alderman Mark Bettencourt opens the floor to Chris from NPU who requested this agenda item. Chris from NPU states that he is looking for help and some guidance. The policy at NPU when there is a structure fire or any fire that requires assistance is to dispatch gas, water, and electric personnel to the fire. Their job is to meet with the incident commander and assist in isolating or improving the utilities that are there. They’re making sure the fire hydrants work, that gas gets shut off, and making sure that the power to the building gets shut off and that everybody is safe. Their response time is not nearly as good as the fire departments. During the day we average about 10 to 15 minutes. After hours we’re probably in a range of about 20 to 30 minutes. Not nearly as good as the departments in town. The control room is manned 24/7. Those guys are able to cut the power remotely if it is a life threatening situation. They’re not going to determine that. It is up to the incident command, the Chiefs, to determine that. Up on North Main Street there are 5 circuits. If someone says they have a fire at North Main Street and to cut the power, a circuit is between 700 and 4800 customers so cutting the power could increase the scope of the emergency. Street lights go out, traffic lights go out, schools go out, pump stations have no power. There are many implications if the power is Public Safety Meeting Minutes February 8, 2012 Page 5  shut down randomly. It’s also possible that the structure may still be energized, either by stray currents or generators. The odds are much better if the crew grounds and tests the power before touching the lines. He would like to put together a team from the fire departments to put together guidelines for what is considered a life threatening situation – de finitions that would assist NPU in determining when cutting the circuit before the NPU crew arrives on the scene. He asks for volunteers from those present at the meeting. Alderman Mark Bettencourt calls out those who are responding to the request: Chief Scandariato, Chief Blanchard, Chief Jencks, Chief Westervelt, Chief Daley. He asks City Manager Alan Bergren if he can coordinate that with all the Chiefs and Chris at NPU. City Manager Bergren agrees that he will work with the schedules of all the departments. He also asks if the crew on scene can isolate the power turned off. Chris from NPU states that yes, they can isolate the power shut off to the immediate structure rather than an entire circuit whenever possible. For instance, if the lines are on fire they have to kill the entire circuit. It’s just that it is much safer if the responders can wait for the NPU crew to arrive so the structure can be shut off before anyone enters a structure or puts themselves in harms way (wires down on a vehicle). VI. Old Business a. Opticon – Washington Street and Route 2 Alderman Mark Bettencourt has spoken with the State Rep Kevin Ryan and he has looked into the situation. That intersection is not currently on any future plan at all. The objective will be to get it on a future plan. He has put Kevin Ryan in touch with Barry Ellison to work on the situation. He will continue working on this and keep the committee updated. b. Incentivizing Residency Alderman Mark Bettencourt states that he did some more research on this. There has been a move to change the State law but that’s not something to plan on. There would be a lot of hate and discontent if employees were mandated to live in town. There would also be a lot of current employees grandfathered in. There is very little information out there on incentivizing employee residency. City Manager Bergren is going to a CCM meeting (CT Conference of Municipalities) to ask them if they can research that as well. This item will be continued to the next meeting when there will hopefully be more information. Alderwoman Sofee Noblick would also like some feedback from those in the field as to what would be good incentives to encourage employees (first responders) to move into Norwich. c. Communications Systems. Chief Scandariato brings up the communications systems. There are still many problems with communications. Currently they are running on their back up system for High Band frequencies due to an explosion last summer that contaminated the Orchard Street Public Safety Meeting Minutes February 8, 2012 Page 6 communications systems. Since the fiber optic system is in place but we need it to be  connected to dispatch. Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks if this will involve funding for more equipment. What is involved in making this happen? Are there fiber optics running to the locations that need connecting? Chief Scandariato believes the equipment is all in place and just needs to be connected. Greenville is already connected to headquarters using the fiber optic network. What is needed is to connect Plain Hill and Orchard Street towers to dispatch. The fiber optics have been run to all the necessary areas. Chief Frank Blanchard tells the committee about the work being done with NPU and the time tables that included connecting Plain Hill and Orchard Street towers by this May. The stations have been connected at this point and that there is some software that is going to be purchased to enable more efficient reporting to the State but communications are a priority. The lines are there and Greenville is already up and running. Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks is there is a cost factor involved. Chief Scandariato states that a proposal has been forwarded Jeremiah (at NPU). What he is asking for today is to have the most important systems done as first priority. The project needs to be finished. It is all ready to be connected and transferred over to the fiber optic system. Hi Band is not working now. Communications are not getting through. He is asking the new Committee to help move this forward. City Manager Bergren states that he believed that most of the physical hardware was already in place and that someone had to make the actual connection. Chief Scandariato states that it is partly finishing the hardware sites and its partly funding. The re’s also programming issues to make the system work. The funding involved is for the plan to support the system. Alderman Mark Bettencourt feels that the funding will be a big issue. It sounds like the programming will be a digital/analog issue and that can be very expensive. Chris with NPU states that he will go back and talk to Jeremiah (also with NPU) to come up with the areas that are lacking and to see if the schedule can be expedited depending on what the gaps are. Alderman Mark Bettencourt would like to know the answer to both of those items as well as the funding gaps. Do we have the necessary resources in place? Chris from NPU states that they have been working with several radio vendors for this process. Alderman Mark Bettencourt agrees that communications are of utmost importance during a crisis. The public safety is dependent upon clear and accurate communication between the agencies. Public Safety Meeting Minutes February 8, 2012 Page 7 OEM Director Gene Arters reminds the Committee that keeping the current communication systems working has been costly and time consuming. It would be beneficial to be connected  to the fiber optic system. Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks Chris (NPU) to forward the information he obtains. He would like to remain on top of this issue and get it resolved. VII Other a. Alderman Mark Bettencourt wishes to discuss Dry Hydrants. Chief Blanchard states that after a specific fire there were conversations with the City Manager and other Fire Chiefs and they were awarded a grant for some of the equipment a few years ago. The installation process is where they’re at. The City Manager would like Barry Ellison brought in on this. They have enough equipment for dry hydrants in several locations. There are specific locations that the grant was for. Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks what the standard for the body of water is. Can rivers be used? Chief Blanchard states that the State has very specific guidelines for the volume/approximate gallons. Some of the rivers dry up so they’re not eligible. There are several bodies of water that do fit the guidelines. He will get in touch with Barry and get back to the committee. b. Chief Blanchard brings up the Narrow Banding (the government has mandated they switch over to Narrow radio bandwidths) issue and defers to Chief Scandariato. Chief Scandariato states that they have been required to change all their communications over to narrow bandwidth. This requires changing a lot of equipment at considerable costs. The change-over has to be completed by January 1, 2013. He is putting together cost estimates to submit to the Council for funding. This is not something that can be processed over time-it is State mandated and has to be completed by the deadline set by the State. c. Chief Scandariato wants to let the Committee and others present know that the City is hiring Firefighters. He encourages everyone to put in for it. VIII. Adjournment Alderman H Tucker Braddock Jr. motions to adjourn, seconded by Alderwoman Sofee Noblick. All in favor the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Respectfully Submitted By Christine Averna