HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Services Committee Minutes 09.25.2000Emergency Services Committee
9-25-00
Commiltee Members:
Staff:
Ken Olson Jack Gabfian
Smokey Staudinger Dan Dart
Charlie Pratt Lauren VanRoekel
Mark Mace Pat Kimmet
Ambulance Director Jan Faught
Fire Chief Jim Stevens
Ken Olson called the meeting to order and stated that there would not be a ~sort on the Laurel Police
Deparlment.
Fire Chief Jim Stevens reported that the Motorola Base set has been installed at the dispatch are~ This set
replaces the 15-year old set that had been shorting out. A 21-foot UI-IF aotenna is being installed this week.
Thirty-five now Minitor BI Pagers have been purchased and should solve the communication problems.
Jim stated about three weeks ago, Teatder #1 lo~ its transmission. A used tank was installed on a new
chassis and the pump came in today and will be installed this week. Pioneer Water Service in Billings will
install the now pump. This pump will handle 500 gallons per minute. This winter, the lighting and exterior
work will be completed on Tender # 1. The lransmission was replaced on Tander #2 since it lost third gear.
A request for funding for a now Itannmission was presented to the Budget Committee and was approved.
The clutch was replaced and it now has a 10-speed manual transmission. Dave Power had offered to loan a
lmck to the Fire Deparaneot in order to get by until Tender #1's pump was installed. This Irack holds
2,000 gallons of water and will be returned within the next week. Both Tender # 1 and #2 are capable of
hauling 4,000 gallons of water each. M.M.I.A. will cover damages while responding to or coming back
from calls as well as vandalism. An agreement was made that moditications would not be made without
approval first.
Ken Olson asked ff there were any developments towards a resource list for additional haulers if more
water is needed. Jim stated that in 1997, a list was created for water haulers and this list is in place with the
Emergency Operating Plan for Yellowstone County. Dave Powers wants to sell his water truck and this
truck will not be put on the water haulers' list.
Jim reported that the exterior lighting at the F.A.P. is complete. This lighting was dane for both security
and safety reasons. The Fire Deparlmant, Police Depurlment, and Ambulance Departmant a~ responding
at all hours and the lighting will help in the way of safety. Jim invited all present to &rive by the back of
the station to see how well lit the area is.
Jim also reported that abid was received this month for imerior and exterior pulnting. The bid received
was by Pat McCormick Painting. The bay doo~s will be paimnd. The Fire Depafanant wanted to get this
done by fall so it will be ready for the Fire Department's Convention in June. This should be complete by
next month.
Jim repcrted on the Laurel crews that fought fires in Missoula and Red Lodge. He stated that all of the
apparatus is back safe and sound. Smokey Staudinger stated that he had heard that the crews were not
getting paid. Jim said that the first and second crews that went to Missoula were already paid by the
D.N.IL C. but the Department has not received a check for the rental of the truck The Red Lodge crews
have not been paid and will not get paid for another four to six weeks. Red Lodge had to assess two mill~
from Carbon County in order to pay the crews and rental fees.
Jim sta~d that the Laurel Vohimcer Fire Dopartment has made 176 hms for this year and ~ to reach
the 200 mark bofom the end of the year. The all-time high for runs is 179. The department is fully staffed.
A training c, ourse will be held on HAZMAT at these locations: Montana Rail Link - October 18~ or 25th
and Cenex - October 4~. Jim would like to use both of these locations as a training program and would
like to take the ledder track m order to extend it. Ken stated that this is onc of the main things that can be
offered to these two industries. Pat Kimmet invited all to attend the Cenex course at 7:00 p.m. on October
4~. Jim stated that this is part of the Mutual Aid Agreements to iraermix with the industries. Cenex
handles pelmlenm fa-es and the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department handles structure fires. The mikoad's
HAZMAT program is a good resource also. Ken asked ffall of the Mutual Aid Agreements are up to date.
Jim slated that they are currently working with Cenex on the spill/rescne and cunfined space agreements.
Jim said that the fire hydrants on Montana Rail Link properly are a private system and are not used by the
Laurel Volunteor Fire Department since they haul their own water. The hydrants could be used to fill the
tanks that have th~p ranks but they will not rely upon this system as on attack resource. Where the water is
piped from for these hydrants was asked. Smokey stated that the water comes in from a pipe from the
railplant.
Jim informed all present that a walk-through was held at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch two weeks
ago. A t~aining course was held there to identify the ha?erda and the sprinkler system. This walk-through
will be done once a year.
Jim is recommending that the static water supply be 30,000 gallons for new subdivisions and would like to
see the Fire Departmem more involved in coumy planning. Ken stated that there is legislation in Helena
that will be brought up to address Wring to fred some sort of semblance of order to use in the development
of new subdivisions.
Ambulanee:
Jan Faught reported that the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance does not have a medical director yet. A letter
was sent to Dr. Wilson, an orthopedic surgeon at St. Vincent's Hospital since he had shown interest in the
position, but he has not yet responded to the letter.
lan stated that changes are being made with the entities involved in order to establish clarity in the gray
areas. The Corem Center has been dispatching A.M.R. to Laurel before the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance
has been dispatched. The dispatch time difference has been about four minutes, which allows P~M.R. to
arrive in the city limits of Lanrel before the Laurel ambulance attendants can arrive on scene from their
homes. It would take less work to make one telephone call instead of two, dispatch Laurel first, and then
call A.M.R. if they are needed. The service area boundaries need to be changed. The Corem Center says
that they use the fire map, but this is not Rue. Cell phone calls also have to go through the Corem Center
when calling for an ambulance. Jan said that there have been several calls chis month where the Laurel
Ambulance responded to a scene. The Laurel Amb~flance called for A.M.R. to respond, loaded the patient
and ended up passing A.M.R. on Highway 10. hi another incident, on September 5~, the Laurel
Arab .u~anee was going to a car accident on Hesper and 72nd St. West, which is the dividing line, when they
amved on the scene, A.M.R. already had the patient loaded on the cot. On September 7th, a report of a
patiem having chest pains at Pelican Truck Stop was received. A.i~R. was dispatched and decided lhat
Laurel did not have to respond. A.M.R. found that they needed help and dispatched the Laurel Ambulance.
A.M.R. cancelled on the call atler Laurel was called. S~veral times, the Laurel Ambulance has been called
to the Homewond Area ( 1399 88t~ St. West), which is Laurel's m~a and found that is difficult to beat
A.M.R. to the scene. Once there was a diabetic emergency and by the time that Laurel arrived on the
scene, A.M_R. already had an I.V. established. There is no conuanulcation between the two. The Corem
Center dispatcher tttrned in the Laurel Volunteer Ambnlanee Department to the slate. A letter was written
along with an incident paper and tapes were turned over. This incident is being looked at. Jan said that she
emailed the state in March about the ongoing problems and asked for help with a solution. Since the
incident, over,ything is now out in the open. Chief Jnckems agrees that a definite service area has to be
established and code dispatching has to stop. By changing the areas, there will be an answer to the
problems. Jan further stated that A.IvtR. works on a money base and it causes a race for the patient She
stated that she does not want to compete or race for patients. She slated that she will meet with Chief
Jockems next week to sit down and get this resolved. Smokey asked if A.M.R. is Wring to squeeze Laurel
out. Jan said that they do listen in on Laurel's channel and ff they decide to respond to a call, they cancel
the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance and won't allow them on the scene. If both ambulance crews arrive on
the scene, A.M.R_ still assesses the patient and then charges that patient The patient ends up absorbing the
cost of both ambulance crews. Charlie Pratt asked if a committee should be formed from Laurel to meet
with A.IVL1L in order to detoaulne their response time and the response lime of Laurel's ambulance. ~
Olson asked volunteers to sit on that committee. Charlie Pratt, Jack Galnian, and Dan Dart volunteered.
Jan will get the meeting set up and have a discussion with the committee. Pat Kimmet asked ff there axe
any precedences already set in other areas like Laurei such as Great Falls, Bozeman, etc. Jan stated that
this was what she was looking for when asking for input fxom the stat~ Charlie stated that the
Bozearan/Belgrade area is much the same as Laurel and should be checked into. Jan stated that both
Bozonum and Belgrade use A.MR. Jan slated that A.M_tL put pressure on Shepherd and because of that
pressure, Shepherd stopped transporting patients. She said that they haven't put a lot of pressure on Laurel
lately. Jan said that on October 5t~, Chief Jokums invited Jan to attend an E.M.S. Commission meeting.
A.M.R., Billings Fire Department, and several doctors will be attending in order to have state and local
deeisious made regarding E.M.S. care. This meeting is called Advoneed Services Committee and will
meet at 7:30 a.m. Ken Olson asked ff anyonc else would like to attend this meeting with Jan.
Jan reported that A.M_T. classes are being held on Monday and Wednesday nights in which the crew is able
to get their education hours in as well as teach. They are sometimes being asked to stand in as patients for
the training. Patients are always needed for the classes and invited all present to join in.
Jan stated that department has eloven attendants and six reservas since two reserves were added this month.
She stated that the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance is way ahead of the Fire DeparUnent in calls since they
have already had over 200 calls.
Jan said that the Ambulance Department has received one complaint this year. The dispatcher received a
call about the driver of an ambulance laughing. A fireman was released in order to drive the ambulance
since attendants were busy attending the patients from a two-vehicle accident.
Charlie Pratt asked ff A.M~R. has a medical director. Jan stated that Dr. Bush is A.MR.'s medical director.
Charlie then asked what it would take to get some paramedics to he on the Laurel Volunteer Ambulonee
DeparlmonL Jan explained that ff the department were changed to an ALS Service, there would he a big
jump in the cost of insurance and it would lake two years training to get the certification needed for this.
She further explained that paramedics are not going to volunteer since this is already their career. The
daparunent would have a big liability risk unless they were full lime ALS. She stated that this is not
necessary since there are only about two or three calls per year where ALS does a better job. The majority
of the calls that ALS reeeives are doing the same work that Laurel does.
Ken Olson asked ff there was any other business. Smokey Staadinger made a motion to adjourn the
meeting, seconded by Pat Kimmet and all present voted in favor of the motion.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 2Yd at 7:00 p.m. at City Council Chambers.
KLm Wombolt