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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Commission 2021-10-13 MinutesCITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING October 13, 2021 4:00 p.m. Meeting Via Zoom The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. by Chair Mizroch. Roll call indicated those present: Chair Stephen Mizroch, Vice Chair Larry Luckham, Commissioners Nadine Hade, Ken Johnson, David Fonkalsrud, Tom Weathers, and Stan Burford Staff: Fire Chief Darin White Open Time for Public Expression No public comments Approval of Minutes Chair Mizroch commented he would set up a schedule to rotate the taking of minutes. Commissioner Luckham requested a minor change then moved to adopt the minutes of the September Fire Commission meeting with Commissioner Fonkalsrud seconding the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously. Fire Foundation Update Chairman Mizroch reported that the Fire Foundation currently has a balance of $69,217. With the annual crab feed canceled because of COVID, the SRFF is preparing a fund raising letter to go out soon. The Foundation will also be creating a new challenge coin to sell as a fund raiser. Commissioners will each receive one. Historic Subcommittee Update A public opening of the PSC is planned for April, 2022. Commissioners’ Reports Chair Mizroch mentioned wanting to discuss lithium batteries in connection with Powerwall at some point. Commissioner Luckham noted that he has a Powerwall and considers it safe. He mentioned that October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Month so know the symptoms and how to respond. Luckham also mentioned that although he was very active in the planning process for the PSC and Stations 52 & 57, he has been out of the loop regarding the upgrade of Stations 54 and 55. He made a request for more information on the status. Chief White provided a brief update. Commissioner Weathers wondered if volunteer labor could be used and there was a brief discussion of why that’s not possible. Commissioner Weathers asked Chief White if batteries could be dropped off at fire stations. The qualified answer was yes in most cases. In response to a question from Tom regarding administering CPR, Larry responded, “no breathing required, but chest compressions 100/minute to a depth of 2- 2.5.” Dr. Mizroch confirmed. Commissioner Hade noted that an announcement regarding Stations 54 & 55 is forthcoming. Commissioner Johnson commented on his meeting with Chief White on the subject of homeowner’s fire insurance and the problems with California FAIR as the insurer of last resort. He also offered suggestions about how to help representatives of the insurance industry understand the measures a homeowner has taken to reduce the risks in and around their home in order to get reasonable rate treatment. CITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING October 13, 2021 4:00 p.m. Meeting Via Zoom CITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING October 13, 2021 4:00 p.m. Meeting Via Zoom Commissioner Fonkalsrud commented on the efforts to increase the number of Firewise communities in San Rafael. He also shared his experience with recent inspection of his home by SRFD and the things pointed out that he might have missed. He raised the issue of providing the report coming from the inspection to his insurer along with measures taken to make any recommended corrections. Commissioner Burford’s mic was not working so he had nothing to report. Fire Chief’s Report Chief White announced a new recruit class will be starting tomorrow. Hopefully that will help to reduce the need for mandatory overtime which has been an extra load on SRFD personnel. In person SRFC meetings will probably not resume until early next year, and will likely be hybrid in person/Zoom. On October 23 there will be a promotion ceremony for 2 members. Capt. Rogerson’s retirement is one of the vacancies. The other was a resignation by an individual who was looking for “more action.” We have a new part time inspector starting soon. We will also have a new analyst position as of November 1 and that will be very, very helpful. Discussion of the ZoneHaven website and links to that for evacuation information. Vegetation management has been meeting goals and that effort paid off in a recent fire on San Rafael Hill. This incident also highlighted the need for some clarification of the application of ICS when different agencies were not necessarily providing a single set of evacuation instructions. Marin County identified by ICMA as one of the best community responses to COVID. Vaccination soon to be required of all first responders as legal questions get resolved. Discussion regarding the new emblems at the entry of the PSC including a new design for the SRFD. Discussion re SRFD crews dispatched out of county and the burdens that places on both the crews dispatched as well as the crews then required to cover home stations, sometimes on mandatory overtime. With new hires coming onboard, the mandatory overtime should be decreasing. Commissioner Fonkalsrud asked Chief White if he had any sense of current vaccination levels and whether there is any sense of whether there would be any resistance and if so what effect it would have on our ability to respond. Chief White answered that the department is currently at 90+% and some new mask mandates will serve as an incentive. If one member of a crew is unvaccinated, the entire crew will be required to mask including indoors in quarters. The meeting was adjourned at 5:02 p.m. by Chair Mizroch. Minutes submitted by: Vice Chair Larry Luckham