HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Commission 2018-06-13 MinutesCITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
June 13, 2018
1600 Los Gamos Drive, Suite 345, San Rafael
The meeting was called to order at 4:05 p.m. by Commissioner Mizroch.
Present: Chair Stephen Mizroch, Vice Chair Larry Luckham, Commissioners: Nadine Hade and
Stan Burford.
SRFD Management: Fire Chief Gray, Deputy Chief Sinnott & Battalion Chief Rowan. Chief
Gray also introduced new Fire Admin staff member Jan Martino.
Guest: Linda Barnello – Marinwood resident.
1. Open Time for Public Expression:
• Ms. Barnello states that she always applauds and appreciates Marinwood Fire
personnel, and thanks them for their service. She is concerned that many Marinwood
residents take their fire department for granted. Ms. Barnello wants the Commission
to know that there are people in Marinwood that appreciate all that the San Rafael Fire
Department does for them. The Commissioners thanked Ms. Barnello for her
comments.
2. Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the May 9, 2018 meeting were approved with NO
corrections.
3. Fire Foundation by Dr. Mizroch:
• Reported a change in member status of the Foundation. Because he has moved out of
the region, longtime Foundation Secretary and retired Division Chief Ritt Hewitt has
stepped away from his role. Foundation Chair Jack Devlin has appointed Dr. Mizroch
to fill the vacancy.
• Announced that this year’s Crab Feed will be held on Saturday, December 8, 2018.
He encourages all Commission members to volunteer to help with the event.
• Reported that the proceeds from the Tarrapin Crossroads fund raiser will be reported
on next month.
• Reminded the group that the San Rafael Pacifics event, A Salute to Our Local
Firefighters, presented by Alten Construction will be on Saturday, July 14th. For $25,
fans get a GA ticket, a specially designed tee shirt and will have $10 donated to the
Fire Foundation.
• Reported that Jackson’s Hardware is planning an upcoming Fire Foundation
fundraiser. More information should be available for the next meeting.
4. Historic Subcommittee: No report this month.
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
June 13, 2018
1600 Los Gamos Drive, Suite 345, San Rafael
5. Chair and Commission Reports:
❖ Chair Mizroch:
o Shared an article about a Texas resident who had killed a rattlesnake and
severed the head. After approximately 10 minutes, the man tried to dispose of
the severed head. When he reached for the down, the snake sank its fangs into
his hand and held on for about 30 seconds, resulting in an injury that nearly
caused his death. The lesson here is that the severed head of a poisonous
reptile still presents a hazard and should not be touched directly.
o Shared before and after photos of Fire Academy 18 recruits.
❖ Vice Chair Luckham:
o Summarized his recent announcement of his decision to retire as “Photo 50”.
Chair Mizroch along with the other Commission and staff members thanked him
for his dedicated service. Chief Gray stated that Larry’s contributions have
provided a legacy to the Department.
o Provided some wonderfully framed photos of the Department that we will proudly
mount at the new PSC.
o Reported that he was able to get into old STA 52 just prior to demolition. He
salvaged all the old photos and has them safely stored for future use and display
at a site of our choosing.
❖ Commissioner Hade:
o Noted that Emergency Manager Quinn Gardner’s efforts in her new role are
already directly benefitting the community. She noted how EM Gardner
effectively utilized Twitter and Next Door to post important status updates of the
San Rafael Hill fire to the community.
❖ Commissioner Burford:
o Noted that there were 157 messages generated from our Next-Door postings,
some of which stated that the Fire Department should conduct more extensive
vegetation clearing. He notes the opportunity for effective (and corrective) public
outreach, and the need to communicate that vegetation management is primarily
the duty of private property owners. Ms. Barnello inquired about the use of
Measure A funds for vegetation management. She stated that in Marinwood, all
Measure A funds are used for Park and Recreation facilities. FC Gray explained
that in San Rafael, funds are distributed between Police, Public Works,
Community Services, and Fire based on a list of projects reviewed and approved
by the City Council. The Fire Department uses its share for vegetation
management projects, the Juniper and Bamboo Chipper Program, and to help
fund the cost of a fixed term category vegetation management inspector position.
6. Fire Chief Report: FC Gray invited BC Rowan, who was incident commander at the June 6,
2018 San Rafael Hill Fire, to provide a summary of the incident. BC Rowan provided the
Commission with an overview of the incident and the challenges that were faced by fire
crews. An unusual wind event complicated the effort, however, firefighters were able to
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
June 13, 2018
1600 Los Gamos Drive, Suite 345, San Rafael
ensure that no homes were directly threatened by the fire. Besides Type III engines and
water tenders that were deployed to engage in a direct fire attack, multiple Type I engines
were placed in key areas to protect structures. Fixed wing and rotary aircraft were used to
control the fire. Two Cal Fire crews were dispatched, and once the fire was contained,
physically hand-cut a line around the entire perimeter of the fire area. Twitter and Next-Door
messaging kept residents informed of the status of the fire. No evacuations were necessary.
There were no injuries and no damage to structures.
Fire Chief Gray also reported on:
➢ Our Type III engine returned from a multi-day deployment to San Benito County. He
noted the engine was staffed with two San Rafael, one Marinwood and one Larkspur
fire crew members. The ability to staff an engine with members from three separate
fire agencies emphasizes the strength of shared services program and that “Together
we’re better!”
➢ A review of the June 6th graduation ceremony of Fire Academy 18.
➢ A discussion of the upcoming Marin County Fair and the Fire Department pre-action
planning that is now in progress. The fair poses several challenges to the Fire
Department including major traffic delays that can impede emergency response, huge
crowds that can create a spike in EMS related emergencies, and the nightly fireworks
display that runs the risk of starting fires in adjacent areas or causing injuries to
pyrotechnics staff or spectators. The Chief noted that a fireworks display after a
recent Oakland A’s baseball game resulted in a major fire at an adjacent storage yard.
In past years, the Marin County Fair fireworks display has resulted in fires.
➢ A review of current vegetation management activities including the mailings of several
thousand vegetation notices.
➢ Our ongoing public outreach efforts with HOA and other neighborhood groups
pertaining to wildfire safety and disaster preparedness. Since the October 2017
wildfires in Sonoma and Napa Counties, San Rafael Fire has conducted over twenty
public outreach presentations, including the May 3rd Fire Symposium at Dominican
University.
➢ The Paramedic Budget has been adopted by the City Council in that the tax rate was
set for Residential ($95) and Non-Residential properties ($0.132 per square foot) for
the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The Chief thanked Commissioner Hade, who is the City’s
Accounting Manager for her valuable assistance with this process.
➢ Noted that the existing Fire Engineer’s promotional list has been extended.
➢ Announced the upcoming Fire Captain’s examination and outlined the process.
➢ Discussed the recent passing of Measure G, the City’s cannabis tax that could net
approximately $1 million in annual tax revenues for the City.
➢ Provided a general contract labor negotiation update.
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
June 13, 2018
1600 Los Gamos Drive, Suite 345, San Rafael
➢ Noted that the Council will consider adoption of the 2018-19 City budget at next
Monday’s City Council meeting. He noted that for the Fire Department, there are no
significant changes, reductions or increases in the size of our budget.
➢ In closing, the Fire Chief again thanked Photo 50-Vice Commissioner Luckham for his
efforts and accomplishments. He stated we have a better frame of our department
during his tenure in this role than of any other time in our history. His legacy will
remain.
7. Adjournment: The Fire Commission adjourned at 5:05 p.m.