Public Safety (Subcommittee of the City Council)

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES Wednesday; May 11; 2016 Emergency Management (NPU) 7:00 P.M. Committee Members Present: Alderman William Nash, Alderman H. Tucker Braddock, Alderman Gerald Martin Administration and Staff Present: Chief Tim Jencks, Taftville Fire Department; Chief Pat Daley, East Great Plains Fire Department/Norwich Police Department; Chief Scandariato, Norwich Fire Department; Chief Bob LaChapelle, Occum Fire Department; Gene Arters, Norwich OEM; Chief Frank Blanchard, Yantic Fire Department Volunteer/Central Fire Departments and Others: Chris LaRose, Norwich Public Utilities; Aaron Westervelt, Laurel Hill Fire Department; Kyle Seitz, Norwich Fire Department; James West, Taftville Fire Department; Joanne Philbrick, resident I. Call to Order – Quorum Alderman Nash called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. There was a quorum present. II. Approval of Minutes - Minutes of March 9, 2016 Alderman Martin motioned, seconded by Alderman Braddock, to approve the March 9, 2016 minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved. III. Correspondence – None. IV. Citizen Comment – None. V. Old Business – None. VI. New Business a) NPU Update Mr. LaRose reported on fire hydrant flushing. He also reported that the tank in Mohegan Park is going out to bid. (Getting bids on two different styles of tanks.) b) Fire House Status Updates Taftville: Reported on calls; mutual aid; Engine 86 is out for repair due to a pump problem; membership (46); gear; hose testing; and Narcan training. Occum: Reported on hose testing; membership (32); gear; and noted the house is ok. Yantic: Reported on membership (59); station main house siren out for repair; hose testing last week failures were minimal; gear; 4 new escape packs and tracker have been put in service and will train will occur; NPU at the station today to cut over to their internet; seamless transition; they are ready to switch over to their system; Engine 31 has been in service for 6 days; Q2 class completed (16 people); training update; lost charger for a thermal camera and put in a PO in for a replacement today; 2 of 4 gas meters being replaced ($1,200/ea); call volume is normal; and mutual aid  provided to the Lebanon fire. He noted that all volunteers did not leave the town to provide aid as reported in the Norwich Bulletin. Laurel Hill: Reported on membership (35); Mutual aid - Lebanon call; there were 5 brush fires in 7 days; hose testing (minimal failures); Received new packs and trained last night; Pack tracker training will occur in the upcoming weeks; they are fully connected to the NPU internet. Alderman Nash inquired about the old state buildings and it was reported that Preston gave them the keys to the fences and they have no problem with us checking the current condition of the buildings (state would not allow this in past 10 years). Alderman Nash asked him to update the committee in his next update. East Great Plains: Reported on membership (55); a gear order has been placed; training update; NPU internet up and running; Fire Fighter 1 training completed by 1 member; Lebanon call (17 members stayed behind); Food Drive update; hose testing is halfway completed; roof work update; and plant sale was well attended. Norwich: Reported on station upgrades - floor in living quarters is in bad shape (have been repairing); gear (on replacement cycle for years now); they are looking into ways to marry up the current safety capabilities of new packs by upgrading older packs; NPU - system shutdown on 19th for this switchover (they were there today working on this); Squad A out for repair; Forestry 1 out for repair; training update; Will meet all OSHA requirements by end of the year due to new system being used; reviewed new EMT training process; have been meeting with managers regarding standards of conduct, to set excellence standards. Alderman Nash inquired about the Harbor issues from last year and if he had any success on reaching out to them. The Chief reported that he will reach back out to them and will provide an update to the committee next month. Norwich Police Department: Heroin epidemic has been main focus. There have been multiple overdose deaths. They are taking a system wide approach to do what they can to help. There will be increased patrol activity on Washington Street due to accidents. Discussed the pros and cons of Narcan. c) Decommission Outdoor Warning Sirens Gene Arters discussed decommissioning the outdoor warning sirens. He reported they are antiquated and approximately 25 years old. He noted the City now uses the Everbridge system and ctalert.gov. He added that he spoke with the City Manager about his recommendation MOTION: To write a letter to the City Manager in support of decommissioning the siren system. Made: Alderman Braddock, seconded Alderman Martin. Motion unanimously carried. VII. Other Alderman Nash commented on Investigative ID television show, he noted that Detective Curtis represented the City well and all involved should be proud of their professionalism. Alderman Martin reported on two upcoming events (6/17 & 6/24) and Alderman Braddock reported on an event on the river (kayaking) (6/11). Gene Arters reported he will meet with the school tomorrow to sign the School Security Plan. VIII. Future Agenda Items IX. Adjournment Upon a motion by Alderman Nash, seconded by Alderman Braddock, the meeting was unanimously adjourned at 7:57 pm. Respectfully submitted by Jennifer Kayser, Recording Secretary