HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Management and Communications 08-28-01AMENDED AGENDA
ST. CROIX COUNTY
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
TO: Thomas Dorsey, Chairman
St. Croix County Board
FROM: Chuck Mehls, Chairman
COMMITTEE TITLE: Emergency Management /Emergency Communications
DATE OF MEETING:
0110
LOCATION:
9:00 a.m.
NOTE: DATE CHANGE
Baldwin Agricultural Educational Center
Baldwin, WI 54002
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
DATE OF NEXT MEETING OPEN
ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1) Voice Recorder - purchase versus lease
NEW BUSINESS
2) Inventory of useable equipment in old communications van
3) Burning Permit Policy
4) Red Cross Inventory of Shelter Sites
5) Inventory of Emergency Service Departments Major Equipment
6) Tour of Baldwin Ag Building (alternate EOC and shelter facility policy)
7) Director's Report - Communications Director
8) Director's Report - Emergency Management
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE
POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:
ADJOURNMENT
(This agenda not necessarily presented in this order)
SUBMITTED BY: Jack Colvard, Emergency Management - PHONE #386- 4719/386 -4718
Gary Kollman Emergency Communications — Phone #386 -4705
DATE: 08/23/01
Copies to: County Board Office
County Clerk
Tuesday, August 28, 2001
Committee Members
News Media /Notice Board
MINUTES
Emergency Management /Communications Committee
August 28, 2001
PRESENT: Chuck Mehls, Art Jacobson, Denise Bjerstedt — County Board; Jack Colvard, Carrie Peterson —
Emergency Management; Gary Kollman — Emergency Communications; Ron Volkert — Sheriffs Department; Jim
VanderWyst — New Richmond Fire; Jeff Rixmann — River Falls EMS; Jonna Fedie — Land & Water Conservation;
Jan George — Red Cross
Chairman Mehls called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m. The Agenda was adopted on a Jacobson/VanderWyst
motion.
After review, minutes from the August 6, 2001 Emergency Management/Communication Meeting were approved
on a VanderWyst/Rixmann motion.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING: Monday, September 25, 2001 at 9:00 a.m. in Hudson.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
1. Voice Recorder — Purchase Versus Lease
Kollman and Mehls met with Rich Loney from the Finance Department. After a lengthy discussion it was
decided to go to Finance with the budget as approved from the last meeting — with $60,000 budgeted for a new
voice recorder. Kollman mentioned that we do not have to purchase a maintenance contract from the company
we purchase the recorder from. St. Paul will provide the maintenance if we send their technicians to school.
The committee approved on a Bjerstedt/Rixmann motion to purchase the equipment versus lease with the
$60,000 that was approved at the last meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
2. Red Cross Inventory of Shelter Sites
Colvard stated he hasn't received anything on Shelter Agreements. Jan George from Red Cross said she would
get something to Colvard within two weeks. Mehls asked George to give us an inventory of what they have
ready to go in case of an emergency.
3. Inventory of Useable Equipment in Old Communication Van
Kollman brought a complete inventory list of items in the communication van. Kollman asked three things: 1.
Is it okay to sell with the equipment listed? 2. Can he move forward with the sale of the van? 3. Do you want
someone else to sell it?
On a Mehls/Bjerstedt motion Kollman was directed to go ahead with the selling of the van with all items listed
on the inventory sheet.
4. Burning Permit Policy
Kollman brought up an issue he has with the burning permit from the Town of Troy. On the permit the
following statement is made "The day you wish to burn, call St. Croix County Communication Center at 386-
4701 and inform them you have an Annual Burning Permit and would like to burn. You will be asked your
Name, Address & Phone of actual Burn Location. If approved, you may then burn Kollman said that
statement puts to much liability on his department. His staff is not instructed or educated in this area. Kollman
would like to send a letter to each township asking for a copy of their burning permit & procedures. He would
like to see the procedures standardized.
On a VanderWyst/Jacobson motion Kollman was directed to send out letters asking each town for their current
burning permit & procedures. At this point he will just be gathering information.
5. Inventory of Emergency Service Departments Maior Equipment
Mehls would like an inventory done on all major equipment. VanderWyst through the fire association will be
obtaining a list of equipment from the various fire departments. Rixmann volunteered to initiate an inventory
of all ambulance departments' equipment.
6. Tour of Baldwin Ag Building
Jonna Fedie was present at the meeting and she brought up a concern with the generator. When the generator is
running there are vapors in the building. She stated it smells of diesel fuel. They are receiving complaints from
other employees. VanderWyst identified that there appeared to be some issues with the installation of the fuel
tank. These issues were briefly discussed with Dave Best from maintenance. Maintenance will check on the
issues that were identified.
Keys to the building seem to be a major issue. Right now there are no master keys available to the Emergency
Management Department. If there were an emergency when the building is locked the Fire Department would
have to be contacted to open up the building. Colvard will look into getting a master key or rekeying locks. Up
to six different locks in various areas of the building were affected.
Kollman will look into the PBX telephone box situation. If there is an emergency, do we have to get into the
room with the telephone box or can the lines be live at all times. Security could be a problem.
Land Conservation is in the process of developing an ordinance dealing with agricultural waste which could
include hazardous materials on farms. Colvard made a recommendation that farms be requested to store all
chemicals in one building and placard that building for easy identification by emergency service personnel.
Also, large agricultural facilities should consider installing a lock box with a list of chemicals and information
on the chemicals in the lock box which would provide easy access by emergency services if called to the
facility.
After a lengthy discussion on the need for placarding, Bjerstedt suggested golf courses should also be required
to have signs on their chemical storage buildings.
7. Director's Report — Emergency Management
Colvard and Mehls attended a bomb threat presentation at WITC in Rice Lake on 8/8/01 along with sheriff
department personnel. Colvard, Mehls, and VanderWyst attended a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) aircraft
presentation at CVTC on 8/16/01 in Eau Claire. Colvard is planning a tabletop exercise in Woodville on
9/27/01 at 8:30 a.m. with the village and Parkview Nursing Home. Colvard will be attending a meeting on
8 /28 /01with WITC and CVTC personnel about a shared fire training facility in New Richmond. Glenwood
City Fire participated in a hazardous material awareness class on 8/7/01 — funded by the state. Colvard met
with Dave Sanders concerning a new ordinance land conservation is trying to initiate and including possible
hazmat materials identification of structures on farms as identified above. There was a chemical fire at the lab
farm in Troy Township on UW -River Falls property of which the responding Fire Department -River Falls was
unaware of the chemicals that were stored within the building. Six fire fighters were sent to the hospital to
have physicals to determine whether or not they had been contaminated by the chemicals. Colvard met with
Bruce Gardow on 8/22/01 concerning a questionnaire to be mailed to all emergency service agencies within
WITC's district regarding the need and usage of a fire training tower, burn building and similar equipment.
8. Director's Report — Communications
Kollman said the communications center is hosting a TIME recertification and basic course for our dispatchers
and the sheriff's department on October 16 -18. RACES transmitter owned by the County has no license with
FCC since Bruce Brantner left. A citizen came forward and offered to license the transmitter under his call sign
but a check with corporate council revealed a liability problem that we could not overcome. Kollman will
continue to find a sponsor. Since Kollman has been employed here he has been asked to maintain radio
equipment belonging to other departments and he asked the committee where his responsibility lines were.
Mehls and Bjerstedt stated that the funding and maintenance of equipment belonging to other agencies is the
responsibility of those departments. Kollman reported that Chuck Whiting had referred a company called
Vertical Partners to him. Vertical Partners is a company which will inventory all county existing towers and
public land for possible location of radio equipment. Kollman asked the committee who gets the revenue when
private enterprise rents space on existing county structures. The committee asked that this topic be put on the
agenda for the next meeting.
Future Agenda Items
Vertical Partners and future tower rental sites
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 12:50 on a Jacobson/Mehls motion.
Respectfully submitted,
Carrie A. Peterson, Recording Secretary