Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 06.16.2020MINUTES CITY OF LAUREL CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 A Council Workshop was held in Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Tom Nelson at 6:32 p.m. on June 16, 2020. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: _x_ Emelie Eaton —x— Heidi Sparks X— Bruce McGee via Zoom x Richard Hen x Scot Stokes x Iry Wilke X Richard Klose Don Nelson OTHERS PRESENT: Kurt Markegard, Public Works Director Karen Courtney, Code Enforcement Officer Nick Altonaga, Planning Director Morgan Ecklund, Ambulance. Brent Peters, Fire Chief Public Input: Kathy Herr — 501 7h Avenue, first asked if we start this meeting with the pledge of allegiance. She is wondering if the Mayor and the Chief of Police have a program in place if something should happen in Laurel that would require some kind of Police or business of the community to corral. Because it's happening all around the country, and it's better to be proactive than have a knee jerk reaction. Her other question is that something be put out to the public, the citizens of Laurel, as to how the street repair is taking place. Laurel has been called the pothole capital of the world. As you vote every year to put aside a certain amount of money, it would be good for the citizens to know what's being addressed and how it's being taken care of on a yearly basis. General Items Appointment of Philip Swain and Michelle Grider to the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance Service. Both Philip and Michelle will be a great addition to the Ambulance Service. Michelle has experience with AMR and Philip with ATF. 2. Appointment of Wallace Hall to Cemetery Commission for a two-year term ending June 30, 2022. Wallace Hall briefly introduced himself to Council. There was no discussion. Appointment of Richard Herr to the Cemetery Commission for a two-year term ending June 30, 2022. There was no discussion. 4. Appointment of Richard Herr to the Tree Board for a three-year term ending June 30, 2023. There was no discussion. Appointment of LuAnne Engh to the Tree Board for a three-year term ending June 30, 2023. There was no discussion. 6. Appointment of Arthur Vogele to the Library Board for a five-year term ending June 30, 2025. Arthur Vogele briefly introduced himself to the Council. There was no discussion. 7. Appointment of Shane Linse to the Airport Authority for a five-year term ending June 30, 2025. Shane Linse briefly introduced himself to Council. There was no discussion. Executive Review 8. Resolution - Olness and Associates Bethany Langve, Clerk/Treasurer, stated this resolution is to renew the contract with Olness & Associates. They did not raise their fees for Fiscal Year 20. For Fiscal Years 21 and 22, the contract price will increase by $500 each year. There were no other changes. It was questioned what the total cost. It was clarified Fiscal Year 20 is $16,000; Fiscal Year 21 is $16,500; Fiscal Year 22 is $17,000. Council Issues 9. Discussion - Capital Improvement and Depreciation Funds Street Sweeper Jet Rodder Bethany Langve, Clerk/Treasurer, stated the jet rodder would be paid for out of the Water Fund. The Water Fund has a replacement and depreciation fund for this very reason. Currently, that fund has 3.1 million in it. The street fund does not have a replacement and depreciation fund. The auditors have said the City needs a resolution stating to put this much money in this cash account on a specific timeframe. It was questioned how the street fund is currently sitting. It was clarified that there is 1.1 million, but they still have the rest of the projects to do. The City has not done the street assessments yet. It was further questioned how much will it cost and how much needs to be set aside, and at what rate it needs to be set aside. It was clarified that the current street sweeper is dead in the water and have funds to purchase. The City needs a replacement plan for each of these large pieces of equipment. The City could coordinate with Billings when they are purchasing these things and possibly get a better deal. It was questioned if the Mechanic can set up this plan rather than Council as the Mechanic can give a good idea of a useful life. Also include expected repair costs in this fund. The Mechanic can give a good idea of the timeframe in which the item is needed, thus giving the timeframe for when the money needs to be set aside. Recently, there was an item on the Budget/Finance Committees agenda for 20k to repair the street sweeper. Then the discussion moved to should we replace instead of repair, which leads to this discussion. It makes more sense to have a repair and replacement fund to have the funds ready when those items need to be either repaired or replaced. Brent Peters, Fire Chief, stated this also affects Fire, Police, and Ambulance. All have very large, expensive equipment that needs to be updated on a semi -regular basis. We need to come together to address how to replace aging equipment. Fire has an over 20 - year -old pumper truck. That is unheard of in the Fire service. He stated he knows that he has reserves that come out of district contracts that goes into the CIP fund. He was unsure if PD has the same thing. Would like to see all Department Heads come together in figuring out how to replace expensive equipment. The Clerk/Treasurer stated it is much more difficult purchasing equipment for Fire, Ambulance, and Police as it comes out of General Fund. Enterprise funds cannot assist General Fund and vice a versa. 10. Discussion -Solid Waste Revenue Bethany Langve, Clerk/Treasurer, from 200 to 2013, the amount the City charged for Solid Waste was $11.88. In 2014 a resolution was passed to increase over the next six years from $11.88 to $14.00. From 2000 to current expenses have gone through the roof. Dumping fees alone this year are $183,000, and we have not received all the bills yet. In 2006 those same dumping fees were $85,000. The City is keeping this equipment for a long time and repairing repeatedly; those costs add up. Revenues are less than expenditures every year. Solid Waste will lose the FAP repayment loan of $50,000 next year. It was questioned if a fees increase was on the horizon. It was clarified, that is one option. Another would be to have everyone pay to dump at the container site. We need to identify a solution as expenditures cannot be decreased. The current rate to dump at the landfill is 26.11 per ton. A Council Member noted that enterprise funds are designed to pay their own freight. The money has to be collected. If the fees have to go up, then they need to go up. The City's fees are low. Recently Billings called for a rate study and chose not to include us in their figures. A City staff member stated they pay $86.70 every three months for trash. Solid Waste does not have a repair and replacement fund either. Both Water and Sewer have a certain amount from the operating fund into the replacement and depreciation fund. In order to replace or repair a truck, the City has to have the funds in that cash account. By keeping the fees low could end in a crisis situation to find funds and borrow money. This is a very poor way to budget, and we need to make changes. The fees have not increased for 13 years. The dumping fees are not getting cheaper. The City needs to be regular with the fee increase to keep up with expenses. The last water increase was in 2012. The rate went up substantially, and people were not happy. Staff will brainstorm ideas and bring back options to the Council. Council noted the need to set aside money for both Solid Waste and Street Maintenance before reaching that critical point. A Council Member noted that there are a few things Billings does well. First quarterly, they go over capital improvement plans in detail, looking five to ten years out. The City needs to update its capital improvement plan and review it regularly. Second, they talk about their budget all the time. This is where the budget was, and YTD and the citizens know what is going on with their money. Mayor Nelson stated he would get that information out quarterly starting with the new year. Budget/Finance gets monthly financial review all of Council needs to see that information at least quarterly. 11. Discussion - Difference between Fire Association and Fire Department Brent Peters, Fire Chief, briefly reviewed the attached handouts. He stated 20 years ago; the Fire Department had around 100 calls per year. Now it's closer to 450 calls per year, including lift assists and landing zones. The Department works closely with its mutual aid partners. There has been a lot of misunderstanding between the Fire Department and the Fire Association. They are the same members, but very different roles. The Fire Association runs its own retirement fund; only five others in the State do. Those funds are not City funds. All monies raised for things such as for fireworks, candy sacks for fire safety education, etc., are put in this fund. The Fire Association does all the community programs for the youth. He handed out a small questionnaire to get feedback from the Council on how the Fire Department is doing. Other Items Mayor Nelson asked if the Schedule of Fees was on this agenda. It was clarified that they were still in the process of being updated and are not quite ready. Stan Langve, Police Chief, read the attached statement in response to recent current events. A Council Member questioned if the Park closes at 10 p.m., but there are 8k to 10k coming to watch the fireworks how Law Enforcement would handle that. The first goal is public safety, asking people to be respectful. Review of Draft Council Agendas 12. Draft Council Agenda of June 23, 2020. Correspondence will be added to the agenda. Bethany Langve, Clerk/Treasurer, wanted to acknowledge Kelly's work to get Online Bill pay set up. It is finally up and running. Residents can pay their bills online. A Council Member noted that it was super easy. Attendance at Upcoming Council Meeting Council Member McGee may be absent at the next meeting. Announcements Council thanked the Police Chief and Fire Chief for being here this evening. The next Emergency Services Committee meeting will be held June 22, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. The council workshop adjourned at 7:43 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 'YV Bri ey Moorman Administrative Assistant NOTE: This meeting is open to the public. This meeting is for information and discussion of the Council for the listed workshop agenda items. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department is located in Laurel, Montana, approximately 12 miles west of Billings. It covers 125 square miles of mixed terrain and responsibilities. These poses challenging roles in the fire service from municipal city to urban rural. Industrial to chemical storage. Urban Interface to agriculture. Interstate transport to waterway recreation. • The Laurel Volunteer Fire Departments main responsibilities are emergency responses within the city limits of Laurel. This includes several hazards from structure fires, auto extrications, EMS support, hazmat, various rescues, hazardous releases, community service calls to name a few. • The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department is also the main responders for Fire Districts 5, 7, and 8, the Laurel Urban Fire Service Area (LUFSA), Laurel Airport Authority, the Yellowstone Treatment Center (formally the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch) and interior firefighting and backup industrial firefighting for CHS Refinery. These responsibilities include the same responsibilities as provided to the City of Laurel and create additional roles such as wildland firefighting, industrial firefighting, high angle rope rescue, water and ice rescue to add a few. • The Laurel area not only has a 65,000 b/d refinery but also includes the largest rail yard in the northwest that houses both Montana Rail Link and Burlington Northern railroads, several chemical storage facilities, agriculture areas, urban interface areas, the major interstate in Montana, the Yellowstone river and several other waterways. • The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department is also partnered with several other fire departments in the area through mutual aid contracts. These include the fire departments of Yellowstone County (Billings, Molt, Blue Creek, Broadview, Fuego, Lockwood, Shepherd, Wordan, Custer and Haley Bench), CHS Refinery, Park City Volunteer Fire Department. The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department also works with other fire departments of Stillwater County, Carbon County, BLM, MHP, Yellowstone Sheriff Department, Yellowstone County Search and Rescue and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Fire Division. The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1909. Mostly staffed with business owners of the community. Through the years the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department has gone through several operational and organizational changes to address the needs to the community. In 2009 a resolution was passed expanding the membership of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department to 100 members if needed. Currently membership is set at 45 to meet the current needs. In 2010 the department went through a major change by organizing the positions into a more modern fire structure. This reorganization included adding positions of Deputy Chiefs, Operational Captains and a Safety Officer for better command and control of a young developing department. These positions were placed on a Stipend system incentive so Officers would be overseeing key areas and ensuing expanded functions of the department. This eliminated hiring fulltime personnel and still achieving the service of a fulltime department. It also met any requirements of a partial paid fire department if and when the City of Laurel becomes a second-class city of 7500+ residents. This would now allow the City of Laurel to decide when to introduce fulltime positions rather than be forced. This now would change when the City of Laurel population reaches 10,000 residents and becomes a first-class city. The current structure allows for maximum control and planning with minimal personnel costs. CURRENT DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION Fire Department Structure: 13 Stipend positions and 12 Non -Stipend positions vs 1 Paid position Stipend Positions Fire Chief 901- Certified Rescue Tech, EMT, Industrial Firefighter PRIMARY ROLES: Over -sees all functions, finances and operations of the Fire Department SECONDARY ROLES: Rope and water rescue specialist. Industrial firefighting. EMT. Fire investigation, Officer growth Assistant Chief 902- Certified Hazmat Tech. PRIMARY ROLES: Back fills for the Fire Chief, Controls a division on the fire grounds. SECONDARY ROLES: HAZMAT, Ventilation and Extrication expert Deputy Chief 903- Certified Rescue Tech, EMR PRIMARY ROLES: Division leader on the fire grounds, oversees 2 teams, point of contact for the Training Department SECONDARY ROLES: Preplanning, school liaison Deputy Chief 904- Industrial Firefighter PRIMARY ROLES: Division leader on the fire grounds, oversees 2 teams, point of contact for the Maintenance Department SECONDARY ROLES: Communications and mapping Operations Captain 911 PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees, leads and mentors a team of 8- 10 Firefighters. Makes entry with Firefighters SECONDARY ROLES: Accountability; teaching of the ICS system; Pre- Planning Operations Captain 912 PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees, leads and mentors a team of 8- 10 Firefighters. Makes entry with Firefighters SECONDARY ROLES: Rescue equipment maintenance and accountability Operations Captain 913- Industrial Firefighter PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees, leads and mentors a team of 8- 10 Firefighters. Makes entry with Firefighters SECONDARY ROLES: Equipment accountability and hose testing Operations Captain- 914 Certified Extrication Specialist PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees, leads and mentors a team of 8- 10 Firefighters. Makes entry with Firefighters SECONDARY ROLES: Reports, paging systems, Severity staffing Maintenance Captain 941- Certified Automotive Technician PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees Department maintenance, maintains department operability of equipment and apparatus, maintains maintenance records. Leads a 3 -person maintenance team. SECONDARY ROLES: Operational Captain Training Captain 931 PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees Department training; maintains all training records. Leads a 3 -person training team. SECONDARY ROLES: Operational Captain Fire Marshal 921- Industrial Firefighter, PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees the Fire Marshal office for investigations, fire prevention and works with law enforcement during criminal investigations. Works with City and County planning for development of properties. Works with code enforcement to establish and enforce NFPA and IFC regulations. SECONDARY ROLES: Deputy Chief backfill Assistant Fire Marshal 922- Certified Rescue Tech, EMT PRIMARY ROLES: Backfills for the Fire Marshal SECONDARY ROLES: Hydrants, dry hydrants, City development and planning Administrative Assistant PRIMARY ROLES: Assists the Fire Chief with filing, payroll, filling out various local, state and federal reports, manages severity staffing schedules. Non -Stipend positions Fire Prevention Officer/ Public Relations 923 PRIMARY ROLES: Schedules, organizes and conducts several school visits per year to teach fire prevention and safety, summer safety, bike safety. Deputy Fire Marshal 924 PRIMARY ROLES: Conduct fire investigations, conduct inspections, assist and support the Fire Marshal office Deputy Fire Marshal 925 PRIMARY ROLES: Conduct fire investigations, conduct inspections, assist and support the Fire Marshal office. Deputy Fire Marshal 926 PRIMARY ROLES: Conduct fire investigations, conduct inspections, assist and support the Fire Marshal office. Maintenance Assistant- 3 Assistants PRIMARY ROLES: Assist the Maintenance Department with maintenance and repairs. Training Assistant- 3 Assistants PRIMARY ROLES: Supports the department by conducting trainings and help the Training Captain. Safety Officer PRIMARY ROLES: Oversees safety for the department at the station, on fire grounds and during training. Reports safety incidents to the Chief and Department. Chaplain PRIMARY ROLES: Firefighter; Counsels and comforts responders and victims of incidents. Master Electrician (per Montana Code Annotated)- Unfilled LAUREL FIRE 6AWx4d Ydu~ FIE! Asad0atlon (Comps! Nee/Fs T. Track Nees f TZ. Air aRe1e K[aeae Yca vnrsT M1karDgNpnmt M.rrmo MmfewV fiel Ser a Laurel Volunteer Fin Association (Company( Relief Association -� U. @C c ReiMAmcnc^ c�'.:.� Sa sefafk Oaf INYaF SeTwy --__ Trite R/ia Aaotrun RMki Amc ke.,RNr.RwRrm RlY Aem mvn IRMidnAmcron I Tnaea Tnaes Teuea r Tr W l Triele uwnw corn nitteas Reit Kulp—_' NYiy � C� � Qirkel ratan �eefRea sweet.Mariy FaKnai Reyley Spoal Erre ( 4 fwrris 1 Fn Trl Caprn I J qyy I Seeref.Mk 1 Fn }°Tralnw9a! 9i Aaaeelleaiu FnStTrenlgA- 93 Mn; F i TnFn — 91 Ma W sosiv C4sii, J gay I_ MMNee- _I aelvaAAYia. fM rrr.lr. ara" s4:rc 413 IMKY,re aauelapne. fH 4Ylaefawle � Fta Sley Deka I I_ aaarMnwa I Frc Qtr 9 4RMass, >M Kae4a! Rar ,,ssiaw I I ridn - Saa,mcflrf ]eI lerleWm I Oruq Car Fre DerytftllFlre MaVee1 ■Baal IW.Mryier I GSah Trwsaeea I arnY9erW I j I I Recision rescission �Qwan, 91 91 1 $3 I 1 911 1 I 921 1 1 Gnav Wlrn I MINaeleaia I I aegT I I sleakcrf I I Eitanaref I Fr/rw Rltlly rJf[KkYlYre/ 911 936 fit Ieaeelelee MMrM! lolnlfaary Id113aa11N 1e3 lym eetirol waiaer ]i rellwul R�leV MMaMFW IU,11 �lA/fir N1�M➢aerre R fracases, set SaarMlai AIe�Yabla� xlat lMn S ww NelierEe $ a9e11rr W3 P M1lMFeeyiR+ }uw9 a ypnrucwlvl 1M'aaaaede O'4a9 sateri fu wR/rii. lolnlabe/f YwleuneR IekMi 4*e hni� 1in11 a� glbaMo Fte� aetrw. Frldaer � � 1I[�y FN'�1er FNt*er Fr/eher F65pie Fri aCBeM IlialTP-1111ef 1 LAUREL VOLUNTEER FIRE ASSOCIATION The Laurel Volunteer Fire Association is one of the most miss understood groups of the Fire Department. Most do not realize that the Association isn't governed by the Fire Department itself. The membership is made of the firefighters and retired firefighters of the Fire Department and is lead and governed by an elected board. The Fire Chief of the Department is a member of the Association not the director. He answers to the body as all membership does. President Vice- President Secretary Treasurer The Association is a social and community support side of the Fire Department that aids or conducts public events for the community of Laurel. The Association could be compared to other social community groups such as the Lions Club, Jaycees, Mason's, Shriner's, Exchange Club and so forth. The events the Association conducts include but is not limited to 41h of July firework show. Christmas to Remember decorating and fireworks. Christmas Santa and candy sacking and delivery for all Laurel children from preschool through 5th grade. High School Homecoming halftime celebration. Smoke detectors in every home program. The Montana State Firefighters Memorial. Funding for these programs is raised by the Firefighters. No City of Laurel funds are used to support these events. The Association conducts interviewing and selection of potential new members/ Firefighters. Those selected by the Association are forwarded to the Department Fire Chief for approval. Those approved by the Fire Chief are forwarded to the City Council for approval and appointment. Laurel Relief Association is a subcommittee of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Association that handles and distributes the retirement and funds for the Firefighters. Much like the State of Montana retirement program for Volunteer Firefighters, it operates and is governed in accordance of the State of Montana Relief guidelines. For whatever reason, the image of the fire department is such that many people believe that the only job responsibility of fire fighters is to extinguish fires. The reality is that the organization has evolved so that they provide a wide variety of emergency services that include not only fire suppression, but emergency medical services, hazardous materials response and mitigation, special rescue situations (extrication, rope rescue, and water rescue), fire prevention and education, natural disasters and emergency management. These activities also include inspection and code enforcement (normally), plan review for construction projects, fire and arson investigation, and public fire safety education. These operations provide a perspective as to how busy the fire department can be, which affects the amount of time, resources, and personnel to available to support volunteer groups. The main purpose or duties of firefighters is to help protect the public in emergency situations. Structure Firefighting Conduct all levels of Structure Firefighting to include entry and attack, ventilation, salvage, overhaul, and investigation. A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various types of residential, commercial or industrial buildings. Residential buildings range from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls. This is in contrast to 'room and contents" fires, chimney fires, vehicle fires, wildfires or other outdoor fires. Wildland Firefighting Initial attack, extended operations, Incident Command, Air Operations, clear cutting, and prevention A wildfire or wildland fire is a fire in an area of combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or rural area. Depending on the type of vegetation where it occurs, a wildfire can also be classified more specifically as a brush fire, bush fire, desert fire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire. Industrial Firefighting Support and backup CHS Refinery Fire Brigade. Conduct frontal attack, isolation operations, and cooling operations. Aircraft Fire/ Rescue Operations Respond to aircraft emergencies at the Laurel Airport. Car, Railroad and Misc. Firefighting Extinguish, isolate hazards, and investigate Rope Rescue Conduct high and low angle rescue operations from any situation Confined Space Rescue Access and rescue personnel in a confined enclosure. Air supported and unsupported (inert). Water Rescue Access waterways to rescue stranded victims or body recovery. This includes the Yellowstone and Clark Fork Rivers, canals and ditches, and ponds. Conduct Search and Rescue operations. Cold Water/ Ice Rescue Access freezing water conditions and unstable ice to rescue victims submerged and body recovery. Extrications Rescue victims entrapped in automobiles, machinery, farm equipment, buildings, and trenches. Hazmat Enter hazmat situation to mitigate and control hazards from railway spill, chemical storage spills, vehicle hazards etc. Service Calls Assist the public with alarm activations, gas leaks, Carbon Monoxide problems, etc.. Assist on Medical Assist medical personnel with CPR, patient movement, ambulance driving, patient care. Public Safety Assist with traffic control, escorts, and search of missing persons. Support other Agencies Police Department Public Works DEA Government Public Education and Fire Prevention Conduct area Fire Prevention activities throughout the year. This includes school tours 5- 6 times a year, tours to groups, Safety Day, Open house and several other public educations events. Investigations Investigate all fires for cause and origin and determine if arson was committed. One of the most valuable tools that a Department Head can have is understanding the direction that the City Council has on how our city is to be run and protected. One of those tools are to be able to plan and prepare our departments to the City's needs and the funding to achieve those needs. Without the direction and guidance of our City Council we are unable to effectively plan and prepare for current and future success and growth and to protect our community from the many threats that are unforeseen. Budgets are constructed based on current needs and not the concerned needs of the community or future growth. The world is ever changing and we need to find ourselves accepting those changes and preparing for them. The Fire Department no longer responds to just fires. The EMS doesn't just respond to just emergency patients. The Police Department doesn't just respond to traffic violations and robberies. Our services have evolved as or society has evolved. In some aspects society has become more violent with drug use, rage, mass shootings, gang violence and mental health and virus issues. It's easy for us to put blinders on and say it won't happen here. But it can and will!! Recently a Laurel Middle School student took a gun to school. What was his intent? We have a refinery and a major railyard right here. What catastrophic incident can happen? What terrorist activities can happen? We have a community littered with geriatric population with obesity and mental health issues. We've had large fires that have impacted our community with job and business loss as well as hazards releases to the atmosphere. Hazardous materials are rolling through our city at an alarming rate. Police Officers and EMT's commonly wrestle with patients who are on drugs or suffer from mental health issues. It's not a matter of if, it's when it happens in our city. The Volunteer Fire Department also responds to all sorts of rescues, hazmat situations, public assists, vehicle accidents, search and rescue, industrial incidents and many more incidents to protect our city. It also puts countless hours into public education and fire prevention. EMS responds to unstable mental ill patients, drug overdoses, patient transports from nursing homes, non- emergent patients and suicides. Call volumes are through the roof in the resent years. Police respond to a growing number of violate abuse calls, drug related, high speed pursuits, shootings. Several times dealing with violent offenders without backup. All departments have to deal with the possibility of catastrophic incident hazards, mass shooting incidents or terrorist related threats. All Departments are faced with new threats that we have to protect ourselves from. Violent people who will attack responders with any means possible. Viruses and diseases that responders come in contact with. Drug induced violence that Police, EMS and Fire come in contact with that poses a threat to bodily harm. While the Police have an arsenal of tools for personal protection i.e. body armor, firearms, pepper spray, Tasers, Fire and EMS have very little to protect them. So back to what is wanted from our responders. Does the Council want the max protection by creating specializes groups or services, the bare minimum or somewhere in between. FIRE Hazmat Squad Heavy Rescue Industrial Fire Services POLICE Gang Taskforce Drug Taskforce SWAT/ Tactical Team Bomb Squad Cyber Crime Taskforce What do you want from your Responders? What services do you want Police to provide? What services do you want the Volunteer Fire to provide? What services do you want the Volunteer EMS to provide? Basic Life Support? Advance Life Support? Bariatric Ambulance Advance Life Support Service Community Medical Surveillance What do you think Police needs in order to achieve what they are tasked to do? What do you think the Volunteer Fire needs in order to achieve what they are tasked to do? What do you think the Volunteer EMS needs in order to achieve what they are tasked to do? What do you feel are the biggest threats to our community? POLICE 1. 2. 3. FIRE 1. 2. 3. EMS 1. 2. 3. What are you concerns when Police responds? What can be done to improve? How can achieve those goals? What are you concerns when the Volunteer Fire responds? What can be done to improve? How can achieve those goals? What are you concerns when the Volunteer EMS responds? What can be done to improve? How can achieve those goals? On a scale of 1- 10 (10 being highest), what should be the priority be for Responder safety? Please explain On a scale of 1- 10 (10 being highest), what should be the priority level in public safety? Please explain On a scale of 1- 10 (10 being highest), how important do you feel public education, awareness and prevention is? Please explain Anything else you would like to address? As a Laurel Police Officer, we swear in our Oath of Office to support and defend the constitution of the United States and the State of Montana. In our Code of Ethics, we affirm that our fundamental duty is to serve mankind, safe guard life and property, protect all persons against deception, oppression; the peaceful against violence and disorder, and to respect the Constitutional rights of all people to liberty, equality, and justice. The Laurel Police Departments Mission statement is to be fair and consistent in all matters of Law Enforcement. These are more than words on a paper. These are Oaths that we believe and enact in our professional and personal lives. They are written representation of our core values, that we express in our actions. When I have the honor of presenting a new Officer or Reserve Officer, who are coming from the citizenry and being placed in this position of trust, to never forget that their badge represents something greater than yourself. I have always viewed the concept of Law enforcement as a partnership between the community and the police department; and that policing is based upon fair and equitable enforcement of the law. Each member of this department from the command staff to the newest officer is empowered to take responsibility for this goal. I would like to personally thank the community of Laurel for their support. I have had several encounters where individuals have approached me and thanked me for my service. It is greatly appreciated and is a testament to the community we live in. Our pledge to you, is that this department, its officers, and its dispatchers will continue to strive to earn that trust.