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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014_0407 KFC Open Min APPROVEDCOUNTY OF KAUAI Minutes of Meeting OPEN SESSION Board /Committee: DISCUSSION FIRE COMMISSION Meeting Date April 7, 2014 Location Mo`ikeha Building, Meeting Room 2A /213 Start of Meeting: 2:09 p.m. End of Meeting: 3:01 p.m. Present Chair Jesse Fukushima; Vice Chair Eugene Jimenez; Members: Dan Brown; Savita Agarwal; Bradley Maruyama Also: Fire Chief Robert Westerman; Boards & Commissions Office Staff: Support Clerk Cherisse Zaima; Administrative Aide Teresa Tamura Excused Members: Heidy Huddy- Yamamoto; Jimmy Miranda Absent quorum. Approval of ■ Re lurOpen Session Minutes of March 3, 2014 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Call To Order Prior to the start of the meeting, Council Administrative Assistant Eddie Topenio gave the Oath of Office to member Bradley Maruyama. Chair Fukushima called the meeting to order at 2:09 p.m. with 5 members present, constituting a quorum. Approval of ■ Re lurOpen Session Minutes of March 3, 2014 Minutes ■ Executive Session Minutes of March 3, 2014 Mr. Jimenez moved to approve the open session and executive session minutes. Mr. Brown seconded the motion. Motion carried 5:0. Chiefs Monthly ■ Overview for the month of February 2014 and pertinent updates Report ■ Budget Report as of February 28, 2014 Chief Westerman provided an overview of his monthly report noting the following highlights: - Meeting with County Council Chair Furfaro on the SAFER grant KFD was recently awarded, which will allow six additional firefighters at Lihu`e Fire Station, and will be funded for two years; that recruit class starts on May 1. Kauai Fire Commission Open Session April 7, 2014 Page 2 - Kaiakea Fire Station received a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver certification for station design and maintenance. Testimony provided at State Legislature on TORT liability. Operations Bureau Chief Westerman noted that the Whaler 2 was utilized for the first time on a rescue of an injured hiker from the Secret Falls trail. Training Bureau Chief Westerman provided details on the Fire Ground Survival Practical Class. He also noted Fire Instructor classes were recently held, and another one is coming up in the next week, which will prep fire trainers for the certification process. Prevention Bureau Chief Westerman stated that Firefighter III Jeremy Makepa has returned to line operations. Firefighter III Ryan Washburn has moved into the Prevention Bureau, and is currently assisting with building inspections. The Fire Safety trailer is continuing with presentations out in the community at various events. Mr. Jimenez asked what the 445 total encounters signified to which Chief Westerman replied it represents the total number of people who went through the trailer as part of a fire safety presentation during the month. Before proceeding to the budget section of the report, Mr. Fukushima asked if the six additional firefighters funded through the SAFER grant will be incorporated into the fire department as regular employees once the grant funding period has ended. Chief Westerman replied yes. Kauai Fire Commission Open Session April 7, 2014 Page 3 In response to Mr. Fukushima, Chief Westerman stated four fire personnel attended the Fire Ground Survival Train the Trainer Class. Mr. Fukushima asked how often business occupancy inspections are conducted. Chief Westerman explained pursuant to HRS, they are required to inspect schools and churches every year, and other buildings as directed by the Fire Chief, this is done on a five year cycle. Mr. Fukushima asked if aside from educational awareness via the Sparky trailer KFD promotes the positive actions and accomplishments such as rescues in order to inform the community of all the positive things the Department is doing. Chief Westerman replied every aspect of the Fire Department is promoted during all events, and any rescues, and/or accomplishments achieved by the Fire Department are disseminated to the community through the County's public information officer. The Prevention bureau is the only bureau that does any kind of marketing, but only in a fire prevention format. Mr. Jimenez commented that he would like it if KFD staff could receive gifts of commendation for their service as a way to enhance the public relations between the department and outside entities. However he noted that the Deputy County Attorney explained that would not be allowed. He still feels that the public should be more aware of the positive aspects of the Department as opposed to the bad news. Chief Westerman stated the Department does see recognitions through various clubs and organizations for Firefighter of the Year, and Water Safety Officer of the Year, noting they can only accept so much without violating the law. Another form of recognition the Department received was the Benjamin Franklin Award Medal of Valor at the International Association of Fire Chiefs; the KFD recipients were the first firefighters in Hawaii to receive this award. Kauai Fire Commission Open Session April 7, 2014 Pate 4 Ms. Agarwal stated recognition would not have to be in the form of gifts, and suggested the Commission talk to hotels about putting a picture of a rescuer in the lobby with some sort of write -up on the individual to express appreciation for the good work they did. In response to Mr. Fukushima, Chief Westerman described a webinar attended by the Prevention Bureau staff on managing social media, noting that the Prevention Bureau now has Facebook and Twitter accounts. Budget Chief Westerman provided an overview of the budget report. In response to Mr. Fukushima, Chief Westerman explained how Worker's Mr. Jimenez moved to receive the Chief's Compensation is funded. monthly report and budget report. Mr. Maruyama seconded the motion. Motion carried 5:0. Communications KFC 2014 -009 List of live Legislative bills relating to Kauai Fire Department as of March 21, 2014 Chief Westerman stated the most significant bill directly affecting the Department was the TORT liability bill. It crossed over to Senate, and will now go to Conference Committee. Another bill the Department is in support of is Act 82 relating to the land sign ordinance. In reference to HB90 Relating to Emergency Response Vehicles, Mr. Brown expressed his concern that allowing emergency vehicles to respond without sirens at night would be a liability to the firefighters, the Department, and the County. If the emergency vehicle were involved in an accident, and did not have their sirens on, they could be liable for any damages. Kauai Fire Commission Open Session April 7, 2014 Pate 5 Mr. Jimenez asked whether complaints from the public prompted this bill, and stressed the importance of knowing there is an emergency. Chief Westerman noted the State Fire Council's position is that it would only be in favor of this bill if the law were changed to remove liability from the responders. Mr. Brown further stated there is current discussion on determining whether a situation is life - threatening at the time of the call. However, dispatchers aren't trained to make that determination, and until you get to the scene and assess the situation, there's no way to tell for certain. Chief Westerman pointed out the bill does not preclude them from using sirens, it just says it is not required. Mr. Fukushima asked if this should pass, would it affect Federal standards for grant funding to which Chief Westerman replied it is not something that has been looked into at this point. Deputy County Attorney Mauna Kea Trask stated for clarification that the bill itself creates a task force to address these questions and concerns. Should it pass, it will not do anything to change existing law; the task force created will be charged with coming up with a report of findings and recommendations. Mr. Fukushima asked if it would be within the Commission's purview to initiate a resolution to state their position on the bill with the support of the Fire Department. Mr. Trask stated one of the duties of the Commission is to selectively support or not support legislation that affects the Department. Mr. Jimenez stated he feels if there are issues the Commission feels strongly about, they could submit testimony for or against something. He noted that would be basing his recommendation on the recommendation of the Chief and his management staff. Kauai Fire Commission Open Session April 7, 2014 Page 6 Ms. Agarwal stated on the mainland people with homes next to the hospital face the same problems; it is not only on Kauai. Mr. Trask referenced Section 1.(b) of HB90, stating he thinks the State is trying to address the issues as a proactive measure by pointing out that these concerns are present everywhere in the country; the task force does not have a set goal at this time, and will be looking at the issues first. Mr. Brown stated the safety and liability of the firefighters and the Department would be his main concern should a bill like this be passed. Mr. Fukushima suggested the Commission wait until the task force has completed its report at which time they can review its recommendations to determine whether or not they are in agreement. Based on that the Commission can initiate communication, or even a resolution to express the Department's position. Chief Westerman noted that the legislative session will be over by the next Mr. Brown moved to receive the list of legislative Commission meeting. bills. Mr. Jimenez seconded the motion. Motion carried 5:0. Business ■ KFC 2014 -007 Selection of one (1) Fire Commission member to attend the 2014 Fire Rescue International Conference being held August 13- 16, 2014 in Dallas, Texas Ms. Agarwal volunteered to attend the Conference, but will need to check her schedule to confirm her availability first; she will notify Staff of her Mr. Jimenez moved to receive the FRI decision by the end of the week. Conference flyer. Mr. Brown seconded the motion. Motion carried 5:0. Kauai Fire Commission Open Session April 7, 2014 Page 7 Submitted by: Cherisse Zaima, Support Clerk O Approved as is. () Approved with amendments. See minutes of Reviewed and Approved by: meeting. Jesse Fukushima, Chair ■ KFC 2014 -008 Discussion on HB90 Relating to Emergency Response Vehicles This item was discussed during an earlier part of the meeting. Ms. Agarwal moved to receive the document on FIB 90. Mr. Maruyama seconded the motion. Motion carried 5:0. Announcements Next Meeting: Monday, May 5, 2014 — 2:00 p.m., Mo`ikeha Building, Meeting Room 2A /B Adjournment Chair Fukushima adjourned the meeting at 3:01 p.m. Submitted by: Cherisse Zaima, Support Clerk O Approved as is. () Approved with amendments. See minutes of Reviewed and Approved by: meeting. Jesse Fukushima, Chair