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HomeMy WebLinkAbout21.02.11 - Minutes, Emergency Services Advisory CouncilREGULAR MEETING - VIRTUAL Emergency Washington Date: Thursday, February 11, 2021 Services Advisory Council County, Maryland Attending: R. David Hays, Director, Emergency Services, Ex -Officio Dale Fishack, President, WCVFRA, Ex -Officio Kingsley Poole, Chairman, Citizen -at -Large Dick Hopkins, Co -Chairman, WCVFRA Dwayne Lunsford, Citizen -at -Large Ron Horn, Citizen -at -Large Roger Otzelberger, Jr., WCVFRA Gary Farrell, President, Funkstown FD, WCVFRA Joe Kroboth, Citizen -at -Large Bonnie Keltner, Administrative Assistant Guests: Randy Wagner, County Commissioner Dave Chisholm, Deputy Director, Operations Absent: Scott Buskirk, Citizen -at -Large Tim Ammons, Citizen -at -Large CALL TO ORDER: • Vice Chairman Hopkins called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Minutes: • MOTION: At the December meeting, a motion was made by ESAC members to approve the minutes from the October 1, 2020 meeting as presented. CARRIED Minutes were not recorded for the December 10, 2020 meeting due to our secretary not being able to access Zoom. Page 1 of 4 Washington County, Maryland Emergency Services Advisory Council Meeting Thursday, February 11, 2021 New Business: DES Director's Report — Director Dove Hays • Dir. Hays passed out a report that covered several subjects. We seem to be getting decent compliance, as far as mask wearing, in the critical locations. We have had three ECC call takers test positive for COVID-19; one was symptomatic. The incident was discovered at shift change, so the entire shift was sent home to quarantine. They were retested the following day; no additional positives resulted. DES is doing well in the SAFER Grant hiring. We have received a significant number of the candidates' background checks, physical exam results, and psychological evaluations, so the list of 33 candidates is starting to establish itself in a more formal process. We are working to have the rest of these completed no later than the last part of February. The training academy was scheduled to start on March 8th, but it may have to be pushed back approximately two weeks. We have a training schedule established for the academy as far as the class portion timings. It is shaping up to be approximately a nine -week academy. The classroom portion will be at Hagerstown Community College and the practical exercises will be conducted at the Public Safety Training Facility in Frederick County. • We have been able to obtain the Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Department as the regional station to host three firefighters. • The County Commissioners has authorized DES to hire an additional four firefighter / paramedics; they will be designated as captains. This is in addition to the three that DES is currently authorized to hire; paramedic county employees will total seven. • Construction continues at the public safety training center. A CIP project for a modular burry building off the Sharpsburg Pike site will be constructed. The academic building is still on schedule to be completed in late winter to early spring in 2022. • We met with the County Commissioners this past Tuesday, Feb. 91h, with a presentation of how to give to the county a better opportunity to address what is becoming an on- going problem with ALS staffing levels. WCVFRA Report — President Dale Fishack • President Fishack reported that the Association did not support the deployment of the four firefighter / paramedics. WCVFRA does not disagree with adding people to the system, but just disagree with the way they are to be deployed. All EMS companies, except for one, voted against the plan; one company voted to support it. The WCVFRA has 30 days to come up with an agreement or plan in conjunction with DES. • LOSAP has been completed and distributed. Page 2 of 4 Washington County, Maryland Emergency Services Advisory Council Meeting Thursday, February 11, 2021 • The budget was submitted. An amendment was added at the request of Dir. Hays. Dave Chisholm • Working with Jason Kline in communications. He has reached out to the Keystone group on the Active 911 and the notes issue that was discussed last time. We are making some progress and will run a couple of tests and see what the outcome will be. • We conducted eight interviews for the Operations Manager position, which Sam Anderson vacated. We should meet within the next few days to finalize our ranking of the candidates. Remarks for the Good of the Council • Ron Horn asked if Dir. Hays had been working on this plan, that was submitted to the County Commissioners, for some time. Dir. Hays replied that it was late December into early January when they began to work on it. • A discussion was held, again, about what the ESAC function is. More discussion on this will take place at the ESAC February work session. Mr. Hopkins suggested establishing a governance model to make recommendations before any changes are requested. Dir. Hays suggested having some type of outline for the types of issues that may be brought by the group and have that endorsed by the County Commissioners so that President Fishack and/or Dir. Hays are in a good spot if we bring something to both of them (BOCC and WCVFRA) and they haven't heard about it previously. To make sure we are following the County Commissioners wants and needs, the ESAC should have a plan with any changes presented to them before any other recommendations are made. • Gary Farrell asked President Fishack why the county stations did not like the plan for the four paramedic / firefighters and if there was an alternate proposal? President Fishack replied there was no alternate proposal because we had to make a decision during a very brief meeting, and no one was provided information prior to the meeting. What the stations did not like - these are just a few per President Fishack: 1. They didn't like that the medics were going to be on a fire truck and not in an EMS station. 2. They questioned why the medics were being placed in Hancock. 3. They questioned how they were going to be able to back fill the open positions. 4. The EMS companies still want funding for the completion of the staffing, which is basically a DES takeover of staffing of the ambulance companies. 5. If the career person comes from DES into the ambulance station, will there be a reimbursement model for the hourly wage for the number of calls or what is proposed? Page 3 of 4 Washington County, Maryland Emergency Services Advisory Council Meeting Thursday, February 11, 2021 • Chairman Poole said he would look into getting on the agenda as soon as the commissioners get back to in-person meetings. Adjournment • MOTION: With no other business brought forward, a motion was made by Ron Horn and seconded by Dwayne Lunsford to adjourn the meeting at 8:20pm. CARRIED. Next meeting: Work Session (in person - unless COVID metrics worsen) • March 11, 2021, 7pm • Location: DE5 Downstairs Training Room 16232 Elliott Parkway Williamsport, MD 21795 Next Regular meeting: • April 8, 2021, 7pm • Location: DES Downstairs Training Room 16232 Elliott Parkway Williamsport, MD 21795 Respectfully submitted by, Bonnie Keltner, Administrative Assistant Washington County Div. of Emergency Services, Kingsley Poole, ESAC Chairman, & Richard Hopkins, ESAC Co -Chair Page 4 of 4