Public Safety (Subcommittee of the City Council)

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Central Fire Station 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 Volunteer/Central Fire Departments and Others: Kyle Seitz, Norwich Fire Department; Ken Leo and Chris Colonas, Yantic Fire Department; Hope Jencks, Taftville Fire Department; Dennis Jenkins, Citizen I. Call to Order – Quorum Alderman Nash called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM. There was a quorum present. II. Approval of Minutes - Minutes of May 11, 2016 Alderman Braddock motioned, seconded by Alderman Martin, to approve the May 11, 2016 minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved. III. Correspondence – None. IV. Citizen Comment – Dennis Jenkins of Norwich prefaced his comments by explaining his prior five years as a Taftville Fire Department volunteer and support of the fire departments. He spoke regarding a car fire incident he witnessed on May 16, 2016 at approximately 9 AM near Backus Hospital. He wants the boundary system stopped. He is willing to pay the extra tax for public safety. V. Old Business – None. VI. New Business a) NPU Update: Chris LaRose was not present. No report. b) Fire House Status Updates Taftville: Chief Jencks reported their membership is 48. They have two new members awaiting medical clearance. May was typical month with 463 hours of training for the department as a whole. Most calls were medical and man hours totaled slightly over 200. They have been helping the schools with their last fire drills of the school year. They were awarded a grant from CT DECD for an addition to the rear of fire house. He noted the department is grateful for State Senator Cathy Osten’s assistance. He has begun meeting with City Departments including the City Manager and Comptroller. The City’s Finance Department will handle issuance of an RFP and associated contracts. He has reviewed architectural drawing for the addition. Chief Jencks commended DPW on the great job they did with the park in Taftville. People are using the track every night. He also thanked the City Council for their role in the project. The next phase includes two new playscapes, surveillance cameras and a small gazebo. Community movie nights will begin at the end of the month; they are just waiting on go-ahead from NPU to be able to use the field. Generally about 100 people attend. Discussion ensued regarding the addition of electricity to the gazebo, with the goal of providing music similar to the program offered in Greeneville this summer. Occum: Chief LaChapelle reported on training new members and having a lot of extra training for members. The June BBQ was a success. They will hold another one in October. They received state grant funding of $51,000 for structural work on the station. Yantic: Chief Blanchard was not present. Laurel Hill: No report East Great Plains: Chief Daley reported that membership is up. A lot of work was done on roof, and was top notch work. They have been training on air packs and added another night for this new item. The 1980 tanker had a pump issue and the city garage fixed it. The department had several mutual aid calls to Franklin and Montville. Norwich: Chief Scandariato reported on the new software. They are finalizing the administrative part of the emergency recording software system. Now every department will be using the same software. There was a question of payment so Chief Scandariato will look into it with Tony Madera of the City Finance Department. He will forward all info to the Chief’s group and copy Alderman Nash. Discussion ensued regarding the common descriptors that could be utilized within the system to create standard uses throughout the City. Chief Jencks noted that his team could use more training on the software. He reported that the equipment has needed a litany of repairs lately due to breakdowns. He has the repairs prioritized and scheduled through fleet. They have candidates for oral panel of the Captain’s Exam. One successful candidate will be promoted. Also, he will select a fire marshal through interviews this week. He reported he has established relationships within the City to look at work processes for a code review. He coordinates with Chief Jencks and the Building Department for inspections. His department will hold a promotional event for staff on June 29. His department dealt with a very difficult incident this week, a homicide on Franklin Street. He brought in the Critical Incident Team and offered care to all staff who were present at the fire. Due to the nature of the crime scene, they had to manage their processes differently. Their gear had to be decontaminated, which has been completed.  Captain Allen Fitch was involved in a motorcycle accident and incurred a brain injury. He is recuperating. The Fire Department Union is taking care of the family and has offered EAP assistance. American Ambulance: No report Norwich Police Department: Deputy Chief Daley reported that the Franklin Street investigation is ongoing. Jean Jacques was sentenced to 60 years. He noted the excellent work by Detective Anthony Gomes on the case. Heroin overdoses continue. There have been several CPR calls. There was a serious car accident last night which will require investigation. They are involved in quality of life issues in a couple of neighborhoods. The department is ramping up for Summer. The Police Chief Lou Fusaro’s last day will be July 6th. The department is wishing him luck but sad to see him go. Emergency Management: Gene Arters was not present. c) Decommission Outdoor Warning Sirens Gene Arters was not present. No report. VII. Other Alderman Martin reported he called NPD regarding several people poaching stripers in the harbor. Once he identified the problem, NPD staff copied the regulations and handed them out to people fishing at the harbor. He was impressed with the action taken by NPD. Deputy Chief Daley reported they involved the DEEP who gave citations to 8 of the violators. He appreciated Alderman Martin’s notification of the problem. VIII. Future Agenda Items In anticipation of a bond referendum, Alderman Nash requested each department to prioritize their department’s needs in terms of what is necessary right this minute. He would like one project per department. Also he wants to ascertain the overall total number of engines needed in Norwich. At the August Public Safety meeting, he will review each Chief’s city-wide plan. He wants the plans to cover the city as a whole, not broken down by department. He hopes to create efficiencies and plan for the future of the City. IX. Adjournment Upon a motion by Alderman Braddock, seconded by Alderman Martin, the meeting was unanimously adjourned at 7:59 PM. Respectfully submitted, Melinda Wilson Recording Secretary