HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Commission 2022-06-08 Agenda Packet
AGENDA
SAN RAFAEL FIRE COMMISSION
VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING
Wednesday, June 8 @ 4:00 P.M.
Watch on Webinar: https://tinyurl.com/fc-2022-06-08
Webinar ID: 834 4150 6482
Passcode: 524324
Listen by phone: +1 669 900 6833
Link to follow via Zoom email for Fire Commissioners only
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 that 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 – May 11, 2022
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 action.
4. Historic Subcommittee – Verbal Update from Appropriate Commissioner(s)
Recommended Action: Accept Verbal Report and take appropriate action.
5. Chair and Commission Member Reports:
Larry Luckham – Chair
Nadine Hade – Vice Chair
Thomas Weathers
Ken Johnson
David Fonkalsrud, Alternate
Stan Burford
Donna McCusker, 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 t he
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 availa ble
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 reques ted to
refrain from wearing scented products.
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE COMMISSION MEETING
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
May 11, 2022
VIA ZOOM
Present: Absent:
Chair Larry Luckham Thomas Weathers
Vice Chair Nadine Atieh Ken Johnson
David Fonkalsrud, Alternate
Stan Burford
Donna McCusker, Alternate
Fire Chief Darin White (by phone)
Chair Luckham called the meeting to order at 4:07 p.m. after we resolved some technical
problems with Zoom.
1. OPEN TIME FOR PUBLIC EXPRESSION -
With no members of the public present, Chair Luckham moved on to the minutes from
last month.
2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – March 9, 2022
Move to approve: Stan Seconded: Ken Voice vote: approved unanimously
3. FIRE FOUNDATION – Commissioner McCusker reported that the Foundation
arranged for the purchase of 18 bags of breakfast goods, one to each fire crew. The
goods came from Andy’s Market. Chief White to deliver. Chair Luckham said it was a very
good idea and suggested that in the future it might be possible to have Noah’s Bagels
deliver to the stations.
4. HISTORIC SUBCOMMITTEE – Chair Luckham reported nothing to report.
5. CHAIR AND COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS –
Vice Chair Atieh – Pointed out that our public safety personnel every day are going into
places where they may not know the situations and expressed her hope that they are all
masked, vaccinated and boosted. Chair Luckham pointed out that it seems that COVID is
here to stay and may require protocols well into the future.
David Fonkalsrud – Reached out to the IJ and others to see if he could interest them in
running something in appreciation of Dr. Mizroch’s years on the Fire Commission. Hasn’t
had calls back. Wondered if we ever do proclamations by the Fire Commission. Chair
Luckham asked if he would be willing to make a draft. He would. Discussion followed
around whether we have any sort of sample. Chief White pointed out that there was a
proclamation presented to Dr. Mizroch at the last City Council that might serve as an
example. Chair Luckham suggested that since the Council already presented a
proclamation maybe what the Fire Commission should do is something more along the
lines of a letter of appreciation. Commissioner Fonkalsrud will draft and circulate.
Stan Burford – Pointed out that he had talked to several members at the end of the
Station 54 ground breaking and that they had mentioned how much they appreciated the
breakfast packages. So, we hit a home run on that one.
He asked about the publication mailed to San Rafael households by Parks and
Recreation, and suggested that this would be a good place to include information from
the first responder community. Who would we contact about that? Stan would be willing
to make the contact. Chair Luckham voiced that’s a good idea and suggested that he
contact Parks and Rec.
Donna McCusker – Good feedback from Commissioner Burford on the breakfast and will
relate back to the Fire Foundation.
Larry Luckham – Started by asking how many were aware that wildland fire fighting is
also done by private contractor. Some are. He then mentioned that he recently learned
from an article in Firehouse Magazine of the death of a firefighter employed by a private
contractor that he knew from previous experience. While the majority of wildland
firefighting is done by the U. S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and
municipal firefighters from places like San Rafael, private contractors are in the mix too.
Some of those personnel are trying to get employment with USFS, BML, or other public
fire agency. Others, including the owners of the company he had experience with are
themselves retired from a public agency such as USFS. The company he had experience
with was also very active in training firefighters in the use of prescribed fire. Most public
fire departments don’t have the capacity to run training programs specifically in the use of
Rx fire. This company is part of a consortium including the USFS, BLM, Norther Califo rnia
Prescribed Fire Council, that runs 14 full days structured based on the national Incident
Management System.
The other thing he tried to do was to share his desktop with a photo of a 1963 fire engine
in the Czech Republic, which didn’t work.
6. FIRE CHIEF REPORT –
Chief White commented that prescribed fire is coming back as a fire management tool
and that it was used very well for centuries by native Americans. We are now recognizing
the value of Rx fire and are adjusting from our 1910-20 thinking. More to follow in the next
year or two.
He had some difficulties logging on with his computer so is connected by phone.
The Marin Wildfire Prevention Agency met in April to discuss core proposals for projects
for our fiscal year 2022-2023 workplan. Maybe not an overreach but there were requests
for added funding that would have significant impact on every agency in the county.
Myself and others on the committee took a closer look at the requests and were able to
scale it down to manageable numbers which will allow for more local projects. We are
also looking at grant funding to help. An effort is also being made to minimize the cost
impact of compliance with CEQA. The idea being to make more funds available for things
like home hardening, the use of AmeriCorps, chipper programs, and public education.
After several reviews, the final plan will go to the board of directors on May 19. More to
follow.
Covid is on the rise primarily on the East Coast. This seems to be an Omicron variant
A draft of our 2022 workplan is available and there’s an officers meeting tomorrow to
continue to work on it and get to a finished product. There will probably be some
adjustments as far as what projects need funding and maybe what might not need to be
done this year. Among the projects are things like vegetation management using non-
mechanical methods like goats. Should we own our own goats? Another is a
demonstration of the sort of landscaping around a home that people could come and look
at to get ideas. Engine companies were recently assigned to survey their areas,
particularly along evacuation routes for vegetation issues like canopies that might
become problems in the event of evacuation. The idea is that evacuation may be avoided
if there is good vegetation management in the first place. We would still plan for and be
prepared to evacuate if needed but the best situation is if evacuation can be avoided. We
had a recent incident in the San Rafael hills in which the crews were able to get to the fire
quickly and knock it down because of some prior vegetation management work. More to
follow.
In answer to a question from Luckham, the Chief says the workplan should be available
on the MWPA website.
On COVID, the latest is that there seems to be another wave of another variant of a
variant sweeping mostly the East Coast primarily New York but with rates similar to when
the pandemic first started. These are variants of Omicron and we are also seeing spreads
throughout the Bay Area. He is seeing cases not just at work but also in private life. The
large gatherings are a risk. So far, this variant doesn’t seem as deadly as prior variants. A
concern is people getting Covid weary and Covid wary. The hope is that science will get
ahead of Covid at some point.
Chief White talked about delivering the breakfast baskets with Councilmember Kertz to
stations and that the crews were very appreciative. The Chief got to taste some of the
maple bacon and rates it excellent. Thanks to the Fire Foundation. Most Oakland stations
have three refrigerators, one for each crew. Our new stations only have two. Maybe next
time some frozen goods.
The Chief also reported on the groundbreaking ceremonies at Stations 54 & 55. This is
the first time he’s participated in a groundbreaking and points out that for a community to
come together to completely replace their public safety facilities is exceptional and
reflects the efforts of the many who have worked to make it happen over the years.
Chief White also reported on the mission undertaken by FF/PM Angel Landaverde,
several other members of SRFD, Central Marin, and British Columbia Fire to Guatemala
to train bomberos there.
Chair Luckham commented on the time in 2016 when he joined in with the team and
deployed to Peru and Guatemala for a month. It was an extraordinary experience. The
training center in Guatemala is a super facility but other than that they work with very
little. They put the team up in a hotel in the old colonial city of Antigua an hour or so drive
from the training facility and provided a van with an armed guard to ferry us to and from
work each day.
Chair Luckham asked if anyone had more to add and there being none, adjourned the
meeting at 4:51 p.m.