HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Services Committee Minutes 12.21.2009MINUTES
EMERGENCY SERVICES COMMITTEE
DECEMBER 21, 2009 5:30 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Members Present: Norm Stamper Emelie Eaton
Chuck Dickerson Doug Poehls
Clete Knaub
Others Present: Derek Yeager Bill Sheridan
Laurel Fire-EMS Authorit
Doug stated Fire Chief Derek Yeager is going to explain a proposal for a Laurel Fire-EMS Authority. The
committee would decide whether or not to recommend the proposal to the council.
Derek stated the idea was brought up when looking at a new fire station. He said the size of a new fire station
could be smaller with an Authority. Listed below are highlights from his proposal.
What is a "fire authority"?
Authorities are legally referred to in Montana Code Annotated as a joint board organized to provide service(s)
of specific nature under a unified organizational structure. The Authority would be an organized legal entity
formed to provide the service to either a geographically or economically diverse area.
What is an authority made of?
The formal Authority would be formed by a legal document called an inter-local agreement between the City of
Laurel, Fire Districts 5, 7, 8 and the Laurel Urban Fire Service Area. The Authority would be made up of
board of directors. The board of directors would be constituted of one member from the city, one each from the
fire districts, and one from the urban fire service area and would likely meet monthly to conduct the business of
the Authority. There would be little change seen in the operation of department and the public would be
affected very little. The largest and most immediate change would be in the management and administration of
the department in the form of budgets and monthly oversight meetings.
What is seen in the future of the operation?
Potential for cost effective and efficient fire and rescue services exist in the proposal. These include: 1) Use of
sub (conununity) fire stations; 2) Expansion of types of service and levels of services; 3) Cost-avoidance
achievement through inter-local cooperation; 4) Efficiency in resource allocation through external affairs; 5)
Rural EMS service and rural fire looping; 6) Developmental support infrastructure; 7) Pre-disaster mitigation
and planning; and 8) Unified effort and voice in the influence of local, county, and state legislation.
What is Laurel doing now?
Now, the City of Laurel owns and operates a fire and medical service through the city government. The
department is comprised of a full-time Fire Chief, full-time Ambulance Director. The department has 36
members who are paid-per-call. The department operates out of one fire station located in the city limits. It
maintains 21 pieces of equipment. Several rural areas contract to the city to provide fire prevention,
investigation, and suppression services.
What are the problems?
Even though the department operates day to day, there are a number of threats that will directly affect the types
and level of service the department provides to the community, namely the locations that receive the service.
An example of these threats are; 1) Loss of service/response areas; 2) Reduction or prohibition of types of
service; 3) Reduction in level of service; 4) Loss of operating controls; and 5) Inability to achieve cost-
avoidance goals both internally and externally.
What can the city do?
The multi-jurisdictional nature of the Laurel Fire-EMS Department represents both its greatest challenge and
perhaps the most excellent opportunity to effect the most efficient and effective services to the community.
The proposed solution is intended to provide mitigation to the challenges listed above, serving each of these
unique jurisdictions and their respective citizens in a manner reflective to the economic times and their own
service desires for not just today, but for many years to come. It will affect operations of the department, not
only for tomorrow, but for years to come.
Derek said the Authority would also reach out to towns in the area, such as Columbus and Joliet, and said he
had favorable response from them. They were concerned whether they would lose the identity of their
departments and the answer was no, they would still have their identity as a city fire department. The Authority
would help in providing more medical assistance to their communities and providing additional manpower
during times of need.
Although, Fire-EMS Authorities are not seen much in Montana, in other parts of the country, fire and rescue
authorities have become a common solution to provide the most cost efficient and effective service to citizens.
These types of organizations are common in aviation (Laurel Airport Authority) and in resource management
(Water Boards, etc) and also in economic development activities (Big Sky Economic Development Authority).
Chuck Dickerson made a motion to recommend to the council to proceed with the Laurel Fire-EMS Authority.
Motion was passed unanimously.
Derek said he could invite a person from the Portland, OR area where there is a Fire-EMS Authority to come to
Laurel and speak to the council. It was also suggested that a town meeting be held in the future and to invite
persons from the rural districts to provide them with information and to answer questions.
Respectfully submitted,
Neva Hall
Secretary