HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Commission 2020-12-09 Agenda Packet
AGENDA
SAN RAFAEL FIRE COMMISSION
VIRTUAL MEETING
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 @ 4:00 P.M.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://tinyurl.com/fire-2020-12-09
Telephone: (669) 900-9128
Meeting ID: 848-3223-7245#
Zoom link for Commissioners and Staff only to follow
Members of the Public May Speak on Agenda Items
1. Open Time for Public Expression
The public is welcome to address the Fire Commission at this time on matters not on the agenda that are within its
jurisdiction. Please be advised that pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, the Fire Commission is not
permitted to discuss or take action on any matter not on the agenda unless it determines th at an emergency exists, or
that there is a need to take immediate action which arose following posting of the agenda. Comments may be no
longer than two minutes and should be respectful to the community.
2. Approval of Minutes – November 12, 2020
Recommended Action: Amend and or approve as submitted.
3. Fire Foundation – Verbal Update from Appropriate Commissioner(s)
Recommended Action: Accept Verbal Report and take appropriate act ion.
4. Historic Subcommittee – Verbal Update from Appropriate Commissioner(s)
Recommended Action: Accept Verbal Report and take appropriate action.
5. Chair and Commission Member Reports:
Dr. Stephen Mizroch – Chair
Larry Luckham – Vice Chair
Thomas Weathers
Nadine Hade
Elias Hill
David Fonkalsrud, Alternate
Stan Burford, Alternate
Informational only. No action to be taken on these items.
6. Fire Chief Report
Informational only. No action to be taken.
Any records relating to an agenda item, received by a majority or more of the board or commission less than 72 hours before the
meeting, shall be available for inspection at San Rafael Fire Department’s Administrative Office, 1375 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA.
Sign Language interpreters and assistive listening devices may be requested by calling (415) 485-3066 (voice), emailing
Lindsay.lara@cityofsanrafael.org or using the California Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing “711”, at least 72 hours in
advance of the meeting. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request. Public transportation is available
through Golden Gate Transit, Line 22 or 23. Paratransit is available by calling Whistlestop. Wheels at (415) 454-0964. To allow
individuals with environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting/hearing, individuals are requested to
refrain from wearing scented products.
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL
FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
November 12, 2020
Meeting via Zoom
The meeting was called to order at 4:02p.m. by Chair Mizroch.
Present: Chair Stephen Mizroch, Vice Chair Larry Luckham, Eli Hill, Thomas Weathers, David Fonkalsrud,
and Stan Burford.
Absent: Nadine Hade
Staff: Chief Darin White
1. Approval of Minutes: M/S Luckham/Burford moved to approve the minutes from the October 14,
2020 Fire Commission meeting.
• Chair Mizroch: Aye
• Vice Chair Luckham: Aye
• Commissioner Weathers: Aye
• Commissioner Hill: Aye
• Commissioner Fonkalsrud: Aye
• Commissioner Burford: Aye
2. Open Time for Public Expression: None.
3. Fire Foundation Report. $40,297: Chair Mizroch provided an update on the value of the donation
made by Donna McCusker. Jeff Kramer will match Donna’s donation and any donations made this
season. M/S Luckham/Fonkalsrud to issue a letter of commendation to Leonard Thompson for his
efforts in the creation of the Fire Foundation.
• Chair Mizroch: Aye
• Vice Chair Luckham: Aye
• Commissioner Weathers: Aye
• Commissioner Hill: Aye
• Commissioner Fonkalsrud: Aye
• Commissioner Burford: Aye
4. Historic Subcommittee: Chief White provided comments on the development of the updated San
Rafael Fire Department emblem.
5. Commissioner Reports: The commissioners provided their reports.
• Chair Mizroch: Offered time to support safety review by leveraging experience using root cause
analysis and heuristics.
• Vice Chair Luckham: Provided report on effectiveness of robot employed by Los Angeles Fire
Department (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-13/los-angeles-fire-
departments-robot-goes-where-firefighters-cant).
• Commissioner Weathers: Offered congratulations on the award for Station 57. Provided
comment of the San Francisco Fire Department fatality in a training accident; prompted Chief
White to provide comments on San Rafael Fire Department approach to safety in training
scenarios.
• Commissioner Hill: Shared observation on election transition in San Rafael; prompted discussion
on the Fire Commission meeting the new Council.
• Commissioner Fonkalsrud: Offered to leverage social media to promote fire safety during
holiday season (as done previously) and further, to provide reminders to the public to allow first
responders priority on the road.
• Commissioner Burford: Prompted Chief White to comment on the approach to COVID-19 testing
and vaccination for the San Rafael Fire Department; Chief White commented and the
Commission discussed the topic at length.
6. Fire Chief’s Report: Chief White provided verbal report spanning several topics, including:
• Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA)
o Northern California Council for The Community (NCCC) crews (17 personnel) were
deployed 10/29 and will perform vegetation management focusing on open spaces and
create defensible space for homeowners. Community members should use the
following URL to access Wildfire Prevention Direct Assistance resources:
▪ https://www.cityofsanrafael.org/wildfire-prevention-assistance
o On November 3, MWPA Executive Director Mark Brown hosted a trip to Santa Rosa to
share lessons on defensible space.
• COVID-19
o Provided comments on Marin County “Orange Tier” designation and emphasized
criticality of adhering to mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
o San Rafael Fire Department has received 230 NOAA radios, which provide a redundant
mechanism to receive emergency information in the event of primary communications
failure during an emergency; to be distributed to designated community members.
• Election Preparedness
o During election, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated for potential civil
unrest.
• Discussion
o Chief White provided comments on MWPA funding.
Adjournment: The Fire Commission meeting was adjourned at 5:12 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled
for Wednesday, December 9, 2020.
Submitted,
Eli Hill, Fire Commission