Public Safety (Subcommittee of the City Council)

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES Wednesday July 10, 2013 Emergency Management (NPU) 7:00 P.M. Committee Members Present Alderman Mark Bettencourt Alderwoman Sofee Noblick Committee Members Not Present Alderman H. Tucker Braddock Jr. Administration and Staff Present Alan H. Bergren, City Manager Chief Scandariato, Norwich Fire Department Patrick Daley, Norwich Police Lieutenant / Chief East Great Plains Fire Department Chief Aaron Westervelt, Laurel Hill Fire Department Gene Arters, Director OEM Chief Tim Jencks, Taftville Fire Department Chief Frank Blanchard, Yantic Fire Department Deputy Chief Bob LaChapelle, Occum Fire Department Volunteer/Central Fire Departments and Others Jeremiah Kvasnik, Norwich Public Utilities Damian Rickard, American Ambulance Ken Leo, Yantic Fire Department Damian Rickard, American Ambulance Ron Stolz, Yantic Fire Department John Barry, The Bulletin I. Call to Order – Quorum Alderman Mark Bettencourt called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. It was determined a quorum is present. II. Approval of Minutes - Minutes of June 12, 2013. Alderwoman Sofee Noblick motioned to approve the June 10, 2013 minutes, seconded by Alderman Mark Bettencourt. All in favor the motion passed unanimously. III. Correspondence – Upon motion of Sofee Noblick, seconded by Mark Bettencourt, it was unanimously voted to accept the first page of the CMEEC report (attached). IV. Citizen Comment – None Public Safety Meeting Minutes July 10, 2013 Page 2 V. New Business a) Camera Project Jeremiah Kvasnik of Norwich Public Utilities gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Camera Project (attached). Pat Daley and Bob Hunt walked the system. It is a detailed and comprehensive plan. It covers almost all of Downtown. The cameras are capable of pan and zoom options. It looks like December for completion but they’re going to try to move that up a little. The privacy policy has been straightened out by utilizing a 14 day retention schedule. There is also a chain of custody protocol in place. Alderwoman Sofee Noblick states that the 4 cameras in Greenville changed the whole atmosphere there. OEM Director Gene Arters asks if the cameras can also be used during storms. Jeremiah Kvasnik replies that they will be accessible from the EOC (located at NPU). a)1) Communications Update – Jeremiah Kvasnik states that they have not been able to catch up on the original schedule but the work is getting done (see attached update). They just need to complete the installations and get the network up and running. Dave has been troubleshooting problems with volume of usage. He believes it has been fixed. b) Plain Hill Tower – Chief Scandariato states that it is necessary to change how access is granted. It should be changed from key to remote control with video recorded interior at all times. The access is problematic. This would ensure greater security as well as video protection. He doesn’t know who owns the property. It may be the state. Norwich should look at control and ownership of that site. Alderman Mark Bettencourt asks what the funding for remote control access would be. Jeremiah Kvasnik states that it would be a $4,000 system with an intercom at the Police Department. They would get an access code to enter. The cameras would record on motion activation. With the fiber optics already in place there is a lot of savings. Chief Blanchard gives a little history lesson. In the early 90’s the City took ownership when the tower fell down. The City funded repairs, generators, HVAC. We have been tending to that property a long time. Upon a motion by Alderwoman Sofee Noblick, seconded by Alderman Mark Bettencourt, it was unanimously voted to appropriate $4,000 to improve security, access, and control at the Plain Hill Tower. c) Plain Hill Tower – Chief Scandariato states that his second item was ownership of the tower property. Public Safety Meeting Minutes July 10, 2013 Page 3 d) Taftville Dive Team Update about July 4, 2013. Chief Jencks states that Thursday was a very busy day. They were called out to Hopeville Pond to rescue a 16 year old. He didn’t survive so it was recovery and not rescue. Half the team went on that call. They were requested to New London for a missing 6 year old. The team found him within 15 minutes but that was also recovery and not rescue. 13 members went to this call. They debriefed Monday. That was very well attended. He is working on the formulation of a regional team working out of New London. There are more grants coming. Our team would remain as it is. Most of the training for the region will be grant funded. Class in Taftville funded with a grant. There are very infrequent breakdowns. Taftville sent a truck and boat and Yantic sent their squad and a bot. Neither rescue call had the outcome anyone wants but they were found. e) Occum Radio Coverage – Bob states there have been problems communicating with dispatch. They hear us but we don’t hear them. He is going to come up with cost to add our channel to PD’s. VI. Old Business a) OEM Director Gene Arters states that Norwich did the State drill on 6/21/2013. They opened the EOC and had 4 people there. They received one inject. The rest was mutual aid to NW Connecticut for the simulated ice storm. We’re putting together an insert for The Bulletin for residents with information on what to do in emergencies. VII. Other – a) Chief Scandariato discusses the need to closed down the street in front of the Fire House for 2 hours in September. He offered his firehouse to UCFS for testing children. They will be asking for closure North Main to Central for a few hours. b) Address Change Update – Chief Blanchard states that most residents don’t have landlines. Of the 3 tested, 2 were right and 1 wasn’t. It is being corrected. The conversion is going very well.. VIII. Adjournment Upon a motion by Alderwoman Sofee Noblick, seconded by Alderman Mark Bettencourt, the meeting was unanimously adjourned at 7:53 pm Respectfully submitted by Christine Averna