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Ochopee FCD Advisory Board Minutes 03/14/2011 m ~A~~:~I~~ THE OCHOPEE FIRE CONTROL DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING HELD ON MARCH 14, 2011 I By:....................... In attendance were the following: .:p / Fiala v Hiller ~ Hennin~ Coyle Coletta Alan McLaughlin, Fire Chief Caleb Morris, Captain Ron Gilbert, Chairman, Port of the Islands Tod Johnson, Vice Chairman, Everglades City James Simmons, Port of the Islands, Advisory Board Member Mitchell Roberts, Retired Advisory Board Member, Copeland John Pennell, Retired Advisory Board Member, Plantation Island The meeting came to order at 6:10PM. The minutes for 11-8-10, 12-20-10 and 1-10-11 were signed by the Chairman Ron Gilbert. The plaques were given to Mitchell Roberts and John Pennell for their service on the Advisory Board. OLD BUSINESS: Chief McLaughlin - The second brush truck has been finished and it is currently at the shop. They are finishing the preventative maintenance on the vehicle and it should be ready to put in service by this week so we will have both brush trucks up and running. Ron Gilbert - He asked about the brush trucks. Chief McLauglin - Explained that the brush trucks he was referring to were the two 6x6 military trucks obtain from Forestry and they would be used for brush fires. If we were to go out and purchase these brush trucks new spec one they would cost anywhere from $140,000 to $190,000 each instead we have two vehicle on loan that we put into service with an investment of approximately $13,000 which he felt was a tremendous savings to the tax payer. The Department did most of the work themselves to save money and he feels the vehicles will service for a long time. The Seafood Festival went well. Captain Morris - There were no problems everything ran smoothly. There were minor medical calls and some vehicle accidents on US 41. Page 1 Misc. Corres: Date: l.Llb...~\\ Item t: lLAX \ 'A '"2.a C~pfes to: Chief McLaughlin - We didn't have any fatalities or critical injuries this year. We had only one gentleman that was cut by his prop but it was not a critical injury he would just require stitches. Ron Gilbert - He asked if the Department had responded to the fires two week ago in Broward Country along 1-75. Chief McLaughlin - No that was in Broward County. The Site Development Plan for the Port of the Islands Station at the Marina is complete all the review have been done. Once we find some funding we will be ready to obtain a permit for the Station out there. He met with the project manager of Collier County's Facilities Maintenance Department in regards to the Port of the Islands Station so as soon as we find the funding we will go to permitting and then bid on it. Ron Gilbert - He asked if there was any more news on the ten story building that would possibly finance that? Chief McLaughlin - It won't even touch it. The impact fees will only be $50,000 and it is a $350,000 project to renovate that building. Because we have to sprinkler the whole building and that is approximately $70,000 right there then there is internal construction. The last estimate with current prices was $320,000 to $350,000 to complete the project. We are currently waiting to see what's coming up this budget year. The hydrants are still being done in Everglades City then Chokoloskee, Copeland and Plantation Island will be next. Ron Gilbert - He asked if Ochopee Fire Control District painted the fire hydrants at Port of the Islands. Chief McLaughlin - No, the fire hydrants at Port of the Islands are owned by the CID and the water plant they paint them. Ron Gilbert - Why are they a different color at Orchid Cove? They are purple. Chief McLaughlin - It may be because the hydrants at Orchid Cove are coming off a different domestic line he would have to ask the water plant people they have a separate line over there. It is more than likely that they put the hydrants on the domestic line they did not run two separate supply lines for Orchid Cove when it was developed they don't have a reuse line. So the hydrants should be yellow at Orchid Cove and purple everywhere else because the rest of the Port they have a reuse line. Ron Gilbert - He knows they are not purple. Captain Morris -In Orchid Cove they are yellow you are probably on the drinking water. Page 2 Chief McLaughlin - When he looked at the sight development plan they have a six inch feeder going through there coming from the plant they had to run their own line down there and they did not run a reusable water line. Ron Gilbert - So even the sprinkler system is potable water. Chief McLaughlin - I would have to ask the water plant personnel. I didn't look at their water line other than the feeder lines. Ron Gilbert - Potable water cost twice as much as recycled water. Chief McLaughlin - Yes, absolutely some of the new code allows for recyclable water in certain situations and it depends on land development. As far as he knows the hydrants in Orchid Cove are potable water and just those hydrants. James Simmons - Who actually paints the fire hydrants? Chief McLaughlin - We paint them and annually flow them, however, the maintenance is done by the owners. The City of Everglades owns their hydrants. So if we find any defects or something needs to be done to the hydrants we make the City of Everglades aware of what repairs are necessary. They are responsible for repairing and replacing the hydrants. The same thing with the CID we would go through the hydrants to flow them check the caps to make sure they are lubricated and all the parts are working on them. But CID would be responsible for any repairs or replacements because they own them. Port of the Islands owns them. We paint them. Orchid Cove may own their hydrants they might not be owned by the CID because they are within the development. Ron Gilbert - He thinks that Orchid Cove is about to turn the responsibility over to CID. Chief McLaughlin -It is state code that if it is not reusable they have to be painted purple. Ron Gilbert - There is probably nothing we can do about it now but it would have been a lot less expensive if they had run another line for reusable. Page 3 NEW BUSINESS: Chief McLaughlin - There was an ordinance change approved at the last Board of County Commissioners Meeting. The ordinance change was the wording within the Ochopee Fire Control District's original language which was there would be an individual from each of the five areas on the Board and now that language was change to anybody who lives or resides within the District can sit on the Board. One of those positions has always been given to the City of Everglades to appoint someone the other four can come from anywhere in the District. We only have three members right now we have two vacancies. We have added some volunteers. Captain Morris - We have a total of six volunteers. Chief McLaughlin - We are in the process of training them. We have received some preliminary instructions regarding the new budget from the Managers Office. He has a meeting on March the 3o'h at lOAM with Captain Morris, Linda Swisher, myself down at the Budget Office to work on a preliminary budget construction with our Budget Director then 30 days later Friday May the 6'h I meet with the County Manager for our preliminary finalization of our budget. From the time we meet to the County Manager's meeting we have 30 days to work things out. We don't even know what those projections are. Ron Gilbert - You are going to have all that you need to budget for the next fiscal year. Chief McLaughlin - Linda and I have already been working on it. We've been told there is already a three percent loss. I can do three percent right now just by eliminating our Capital Outlay and a couple other projects I can get to $40,000 but there is the $450,000 that we will be short for payroll I don't know where that is going to come from. I guess we will be discussing that on the 3o'h. Ron Gilbert - But if you are successful with that you won't be looking at laying anybody off next fiscal year and that runs from.... chief McLaughlin - That's correct. It runs from October 1 to October 1 is our fiscal year. We have some time lines within our County budget June 1 it goes to the Board for a preliminary hearing then another one In August then the finalization in September for final budget approval by the BCe. We are just going to have to wait and see what the exact numbers are. Ron Gilbert - The approval process for the budget what you come out with is that guaranteed funding for that budget. Chief McLaughlin -It is our best projection. Page 4 Ron Gilbert - The County Commissioners approved it. chief McLaughlin - Yes unless something catastrophic happens that is the available funding. His last meeting with Mark Isackson who is the budget Director said that the County was going to make sure that our budget is solid. Chief McLaughlin received a phone call from Ms. Kungle regarding Pilt Funds she has spoken to one of the Commissioners and the County Manager. She was told they would investigate it. He doesn't know what is happening regarding this issue but he does know that she is still perusing it. She has been working on this for several years since Chief McLaughlin took over here she has been asking about Pilt and 1-75. He was concerned about running short on money this year and being able to operate the Port Station to the end of the year. We are half way through our budget year and actually doing very well. We are a little high on our job banker line item but we have funds in overtime we will just slide that money around. Earlier in the budget year he made the prediction that we would have to go into reserves for about $20,000 during the budget year that is probably going to happen. If we don't have a busy hurricane season or brush fire season where we don't have to go into deploy people on overtime then the nice thing about those events we usually get reimbursed if they are declared events. Hopefully in April he will be able to give them a budget to let them know where we are going next year. I can say in the last three years we have replaced most of our equipment everything is in really good shape as far as our operational means. We won't have any more capital expenditures we were going to redo the kitchen but we are going to wait another year for that. The last major project we have in Capital is putting hose bed covers on the trucks. He doesn't see any hose or equipment expenditures outside of repair and maintenance for next year. Our vehicle expenditures seam to jump up when we have a malfunction we landed up spending $8,000 on our water tender of course it is over 20 years old now. We had some problems with the engine that was unforeseen. We had another issue with one of the radiators on one of the engines and that cost about $2500 which was unexpected. The bulk of our unforeseen costs when you look at our equipment budget are over run is not due to our estimated yearly expense it's all been emergency repairs. Ron Gilbert - Who repairs these trucks? Chief McLaughlin - We do two things the County's Fleet Department does a portion of the repairs they bill us and we pay them. Some of the repairs are done by Wallace International depending on the type of work needed and some repairs are done by Elite depending on where it is on the vehicle. So it really depends what the issue is who does the repairs. About 90% of the repairs are done by Fleet Maintenance. It's only a few of the odd things with pumps or chassis or frame or some of the engine work that we have to go to Wallace International. Ron Gilbert - There probably are not enough people out there that repair fire trucks that you could shop around. Page 5 Chief McLaughlin - The County won't let us shop around we've tried that before. They have looked around they are all about the same price. The issue for us is really time because they get short on people some time the trucks are down for a while but they take care of all the ambulances for EMS plus Isles of Capri's vehicles and they are short on mechanics. They have farmed some of the vehicles out to Lee Fire and some other places when they are short of help. Ron Gilbert - So ifthey can't do it they farm them out. Chief McLaughlin - Yes, the other company just bills Fleet and we pay Fleet back. Ron Gilbert - Other than the scheduling problems that is probably the most economical way to get it done is through the County workshop. Chief McLaughlin - Chief Rodriguez and Chief McLaughlin researched other shops and we found out there were no dollar savings to go elsewhere. We have better control by being with the County. If we have an issue we can take care of it without going to an outside agency. James Simmons - You said you have six new volunteers how many do you have total. Captain Morris - We have six total they are all pretty new. Chief McLaughlin - We had two leave then we got two more that made six. We have two that have been here six months. James Simmons - He had a medical incident and he was very happy about the help he received from the Fire Department and EMS. Chief McLaughlin - We try to keep the ALS Engine at the Port because they are advance life support. But if the ambulance is not at Everglades Medic 23 at 951 across from the Super Wal-Mart will respond either they will come to the Port or to Everglades City depending on how far the call is or Medic 21 located at the East Naples Station in Lely will come out. 50 we always have someone close by. Captain Morris - When we get station 61 up and running he would like for Medic 23 to stop at the Port. Chief McLaughlin - Which is what, will happen because if fuel costs continue to rise we are going to stop the move up. We did a fuel projection as to how many miles due to move ups with engine 61 coming up here it cost approximately $4,000 in fuel for a year. Page 6 James Simmons -Just from the Port to here. Chief McLaughlin - Yes, just from the Port. Two hundred and fifty move ups at 30 miles and the engine get 4 miles to the gallon. That's money we could save so if we don't have to do the move ups. It is cheaper to call personnel in to man the Station in Everglades and pay them an hour overtime than paying the fuel costs to move engine 61 from the Port. Ron Gilbert - When you determine your strategic location for the truck is that based on a square mile area or population density bases? Chief McLaughlin - We do it on both and we also throw in call volume. Port of the Islands compromises less than 2% of our call volume. So you are also looking at statistics of call volume versus the number of calls and where we go. That's why we were moving up 96 percent of the time the calls will be in this area, 1-75 or east of here. Ron Gilbert -In that call count is EMS services and Fire Related incidents. Chief Mclaughlin - Yes, both. Ron Gilbert -I don't remember having a fire call in ten years at Port of the Islands. Chief McLaughlin - Other than some car fires that didn't pertain to Port residence there hasn't been one since I've been here. We had a couple of brush fires they were in the back areas and they weren't even Port residence. Ron Gilbert - He called 911 one time he was going down New Port Drive and lightening struck a power pole and caught the grass on fire but he put it out with palm fronds. Chief McLaughlin - The national statistics are that every home will have a fire once every ten years and that could be of any magnitude that could be someone knocking something over or to someone leaving something on the stove to the building not burning down. We are way ahead of the curve. Even are EMS calls at the Port are 2% of our calls. We will probably have to go into reserves sometime in June or July just to offset some of our shortages which is about $20,000 to make payroll. Everything else is looking good we've been tight with our spending. The fire personnel have done maintenance on the boat and the vehicles which has saved the Department a lot of money. We are down to our last article in the union contract and they expect to get that resolved it should be signed soon. The delay has been due to a legal issue. Page 7 James Simmons - Does every Fire Department in Collier County have a union? Chief McLaughlin - Right now all but one. James Simmons - Which one does not have a union? Chief McLaughlin - Isles of Capri Fire District. The last Department to go union was Immokalee Fire District. James Simmons - Does Isles of Capri have a lot of volunteers. Chief McLaughlin - Not any more they only have about six just like us. More than six is too costly because of the gear involved. It also costs $400 just to get them through the drug screening, fingerprinting, back ground checks and ID. If it doesn't work out you can only do that so many times a year and you're done with them. They have to meet all the background, medical, and physical criteria as the full time firefighters. The initial cost per volunteer is approximately $600 before they step on the truck. James Simmons - Do they keep the equipment with them? Chief Mclaughlin - No we don't allow it anymore. They no longer respond from where they live we put a 50 mile limit on the requirement. We don't allow anyone who lives more than 50 miles from the station he feels they will never show up if they live too far away. We need someone who is going to put their time in. We require 24 hours a month. Their shirts they keep with them but all their gear stays here they have to come here to put their ride time in. Captain Morris - We have a six month probationary period for these guys. We've had some people go through the whole program give them a tee shirt and never see them again. Chief McLaughlin - He will go as far as North Naples or even south Bonita depending whether they get through the interview process but outside of that we are not going to do it. They are not going to drive from Miami to put in 8 hours. James Simmons - Even SO miles is a long ways away. Chief McLaughlin - That is a good haui as well. Captain Morris - As of right now if we limited it to this area we wouldn't have any volunteers. Chief McLaughlin - 50 well get into Naples, North Naples, Corkscrew and up to Immokalee. Immokalee is 40 miles we are not going outside the County we might go into Bonita a little bit. Page 8 Chief McLaughlin - One of them is in Ft. Myers he comes in and does his 24 hours all in one shot but he was recommended by some of the guys that went to fire school with him that's the only reason we let him be a volunteer. Captain Morris - He spends quite a few shifts out here. Chief McLaughlin - We have a couple of new one around. There are only two Departments on the east coast that have volunteers Ft. Lauderdale by the Sea and Plantation. They are full it is hard to get in. Ron Gilbert - How do we go about getting Advisory Board Members? Chief McLaughlin - We have advertised in the paper I don't particularly know of anyone who has come forward. He asked a couple of the people in the community but they were not interested. Do you know of someone? Captain Morris - Did we try the Mullet Wrapper? Do you have a paper that circulates out there? Chief McLaughlin - There is a public notice that goes out from the County. Ron Gilbert - We have a brochure that goes out quarterly. Captain Morris - Put it in there and the Mullet Wrapper and see what happens. Chief McLaughlin - That comes out from the County they distribute that it has to go through the Clerk of Courts. Ron Gilbert - He has a couple of people he would like to ask about it but he doesn't want to overwhelm the Advisory Board with Port of the Islands people in fairness to the rest of the District. Chief McLaughlin - We did have one person that was east of here it might have been one of the Indians but we never heard back. Ron Gilbert - He would like to see a blanket representation if possible but there are a couple of people at Port of the Islands that maybe interested. Chief McLaughlin - He asked Mitchell Roberts if he knew anyone in Copeland but no one out there was interested. We haven't had any interest in Chokoloskee either. Ron Gilbert - He will ask around. Page 9 Ron Gilbert - He will make sure it get in the brochure that is circulated at Port of the Islands. Chief McLaughlin - Will make sure John Torre will get that information or at least gets a copy. A motion was made to adjourn the meeting it was seconded and the meeting ended. ~ p:JJ Ronald Gilbert, Chairman Ochopee Fire Control District Advisory Board Page 10