Public Safety (Subcommittee of the City Council)

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES Wednesday, May 10, 2017 Emergency Management 7:00 P.M. Committee Members Present: Alderman William Nash, Alderman Gerald Martin, and Alderman H. Tucker Braddock Committee Members Absent: None Administration and Staff Present: Maryann Stradc, Norwich Public Utilities; and Sergeant John Perry, Norwich Police Department. Volunteer/Central Fire Departments and Others: Yantic Lieutenant Raymond Henry, and Captain Chris Colonair; Norwich Chief Kenneth Scandariato; Taftville Chief Timothy Jencks; Occum Chief Robert LaChapelle; and Laurel Hill Chief Aaron Westervelt. Citizens Present: Brian Kobylarz. I. Call to Order and Quorum: Alderman Nash called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. There was a quorum present. II. Approval of Minutes: Minutes of April 12, 2017 Alderman Braddock motioned, seconded by Alderman Martin, to approve the March 8, 2017 meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously. III. Correspondence: Alderman Nash summarized a letter from Greg Schlough in which he apologized for not making it to the meeting. Greg is still awaiting response from the CT DOT regarding coordinating efforts for the convention. He will be at the next meeting and will give an update at that time. IV. Citizen Comment: Citizen Raymond Henry of 18 Rogers Road asked the safety committee to clarify the No Parking sign at 120 Yantic Road. There is no end to the no parking which he believes indicates there is no parking until the next intersection. Cars are regularly parked there which creates a squeeze point for apparatus traveling past. Sergeant Perry said he will look into the situation and report back to the committee. Mr. Henry also mentioned the plethora of non-registered vehicles located on Yantic Road between the railroad tracks and the former Juicee’s club including construction vehicles, busses, tractor-trailers, etc. He said the site is beginning to have a salvage yard appearance. Alderman Braddock will be looking into this and possibly contact the property owner. V. Old Business: Chief Scandariato has spoken to the union president and Dispatcher Daniel O’Brien regarding existing challenges in making financially feasible radio improvements. He plans to meet with the fire department chiefs and police department soon to come up with a solid plan for moving forward. Chief Scandariato acknowledges that continuing with present radio operations is in fact dangerous to public safety. He said it may takes several months to resolve but is currently a top priority. VI. New Business: a) Norwich Public Utilities Update: None. b) Fire House Status Updates: Laurel Hill: Chief Westervelt reports three new members have been added as of last Tuesday bringing total membership to 40. He, along with the state Fire Marshal, resolved an issue with a burn permit that had been issued for the former state hospital property. Chief Westervelt said the new property owner is moving forward with the rehabilitation of some of the buildings for use in his development plan which is non-specific at this time. He is very motivated to develop which will be a great benefit to the city. Chief Westervelt also reported twelve department members spend last Sunday cleaning out the Emergency Management garage at 10 McKinley Avenue so it can be utilized once again. They filled two dumpsters and have enough ready to fill them again once they are emptied. Yantic: Captain Chris Colonair reports membership holding steady. Fire house abatement is ongoing, they are working with an architect but are still looking at a cost of hundreds of thousands. Trucks are status quo. Stabilization equipment training is ongoing. Pumper truck 31 is labeled as a back-up but has been used on the front line recently at several calls. They have seen an increase in motor vehicle accident calls, five in the last week and a half. Captain Colonair mentioned Chief Blanchard is still working to close the budget for the year and reminded all of the event at Bidwell’s on the 20th. Taftville: Chief Jencks reported a busy month with the fire on Freeman Avenue, and the large brush fire between South 2nd Avenue and Germania Avenue which required mutual aid response with ATV’s to gain access to the woods. Chief Jencks mentioned numerous public events coming up in May including Backus safety, TVCCA, and another with the police department. He continues with the weekly mill walk-throughs and reports the pipe issue was resolved by Mark immediately. Chief Jencks said their tower will be out of service for one week beginning Monday for its annual DOT inspections as well as ladder and tank repairs. All other equipment has been in and out of the garage for the usual maintenance and repairs. They are moving ahead with the building addition but are experiencing a hold-up at the purchasing department level. Chief Jencks also plans to start the money saving LED light replacement project. He continues to work on the dam emergency response plan with Chief Scandariato and Chief Westervelt. East Great Plains: None. Norwich: Chief Scandariato stressed the importance of the McKinley Avenue garage to both the fire departments and the city. The firehouses are all maxed out for storage space and the garage is used to house numerous state assets for the region. He is working with public works and architects  regarding replacing the roofing which is currently asphalt over concrete. Water damage continues to be a major issue. Regarding the work needed at Yantic, Chief Scandariato said the code compliance issues must be kept separate from other renovations for funding purposes. The Freeman Avenue fire was ventilation fueled, the more they opened it up the worse it got. Four pumpers were on site and they were able to use a 2-in/2-out rotation due to having plenty of help on site from all departments. 4” hydrant at end of street was unusable and they were able to use iPad technology to identify larger water mains in the area. Fire was already in the walls, flooring, and attic upon arrival. Cause of fire appears to be a box of magazines set on a space heater in the first floor hallway. Chief Scandariato said he has been invited to a George Street Neighborhood Watch meeting to discuss the fire and will answer any questions they may have. Chief Scandariato also mentioned having recently become aware of an online Norwich neighborhood group on which there has been discussion and a plan to petition against the blasting currently taking place on Edgewood Drive. Discussion ensued among the committee members regarding the reason for blasting, the property owner’s legal right to blast, and the concerns of the neighborhood group including noise and dust. The committee members agreed there is no reason to discontinue the blasting permit provided the property owner is acting within the confine of the blasting guidelines/regulations. Occum: Chief Bob LaChapelle reported members having recently attended a live burn training in Colchester and also extrication drills. There are currently four member applications pending approval. The department recently had a very successful boot drive and bake sale. Chief LaChapelle also reports having recently lost three lengths of hose and they are down to a single spare so he will need to purchase 2-3 lengths very soon. Emergency Operations Center: None. American Ambulance: None Norwich Police Department: Sergeant John Perry reports having one person in the academy currently completing week four. The newest recruits are now off FTO and have been very proactive on the midnight shift. Sergeant Perry mentioned the retirement of Sergeant McKinney is headed to the Mashantucket PD, this is big loss for the Norwich Police Department and the city as a whole but all wish him the best in his future endeavors. VII. Other: Alderman Martin thanked Chief Blanchard for hosting the last two Survey Subcommittee meetings and informed everyone the next meeting will be held Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 6:00pm the Norwich Central Fire Department. Dinner and beverages will be provided. Alderman Nash reminded everyone President Trump will be coming to the Coast Guard Academy on May 17th. Norwich has been asked to provide mutual aid. Homeland Security and the Secret Service have a meeting schedule for Monday so more information may be forthcoming. Chief Scandariato mentioned Act 890 regarding the demolition fire code. Norwich does not meet the state mandate to make all inspections due to being vastly understaffed. This situation is occurring in the majority of cities and towns in Connecticut. Chief Scandariato has sent letters to the State Fire Marshal and other government officials regarding the unrealistic and unmanageable expectations the bill will cause. Chief Scandariato has brochures for all to take regarding Lyme disease prevention and tick awareness. Chief Timothy Jencks mentioned the recent passing of Sue Benoit, wife of longtime member Dick Benoit. VIII. Future Agenda Items: None. IX. Adjournment: Upon a motion by Alderman Nash, seconded by Alderman Braddock, the meeting was unanimously adjourned at 7:48 PM. Respectfully submitted, Tia Marie Michaud Recording Secretary