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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Management 11-30-09 NOTICE OF MEETING AND AGENDA ST. CROIX COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 30, 2009 8:30 a.m. nun ill uteet at Hie SL Croix (.`oun v Government Community Room CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS DATE OF NEXT MEETING OLD AND NEW BUSINESS 1. Merging of Emergency Management and Emergency Communications Departments 2. Director's Report - Emergency Management 3. Director's Report - Emergency Communications 4. Committee Chairman's Comments ADJOURN (Items may be taken in different order) ** Additions/Changes/Corrections Items for County Board approval must be submitted to the County Clerk's office by Wednesday morning preceding a County Board meeting. 11/23/2009 3:52 PM 4 MINUTES — OFFICIAL Emergency Management and Communications Committee NOVEMBER 30, 2009 PRESENT: Roger Rebholz, John Borup, Julie Speer, Dave Ostness, John Mortensen, Fred Horne - County Board; Jack Colvard — Emergency Management; Casey Swetlik - Emergency Communications; J. Shilts, J. Klatt — Sheriff's Dept.; Craig Nelson — EMS Rep.; Lois Ristow — WI Emergency Mgmt.; Doug Briggs — Municipal LE Rep.; C. Whiting — Admin. Coordinator; G. Timmerman — Corporation Counsel; Tammy Funk — Human Resources. Chair Borup called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: DECEMBER 8, 2009 AT 9:00 a.m. LOCATION: ST. CROIX COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, COMMUNITY ROOM MERGING OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENTS Borup informed that the Committee received Colvard's Letter of Resignation; Colvard's last working day will be December 23, 2009. Borup asked Colvard if he will continue to do training through WITC. He said that WITC wants him to teach for the college as he has done for over 15 years. He is trained at the Hazmat Technician Level and is a certified law enforcement, fire and EMS instructor for hazardous materials. Colvard gave a brief summary of his training history for Midstate Tech. College, in Wisconsin Rapids, Chippewa Valley Tech. College, in Eau Claire and WITC, in New Richmond. He addressed the training levels that emergency service agencies should be at for minimum training and how he has encouraged the agencies in the county to reach and maintain or surpass these minimum levels of response for hazardous materials. Discussion was held concerning Colvard's position. Ristow recommends that Emergency Management priorities be put in place and that the new candidate is skilled in Emergency Management verses experience in law enforcement, EMS, or fire. She also recommends that the new candidate be a person who can manage and work well with people. Ristow also recommends that it be made clear for agencies and municipalities who to go to for emergency management services, a point -of- contact. Ristow also recommended that the new person be trained in Disaster Assessment. Ristow offered her assistance in setting priorities and the skills needed for the new person. Ristow reports that she has been approached by County folks about the Emergency Management position and their concern that the program is being minimized. Ristow clarified a few points on Swetlik's proposal and also gave a counter -offer as a handout. Discussion was held. Ristow stated she is disappointed in other counties that have gone this route, where they put down time and nothing comes from their EM program. Ristow addressed a rumor which claims Ristow likes Dunn County's EM program. Ristow clarified that she does not like their program. Ristow explained how each County's program works and the differences as to why the program works or doesn't work. Ristow prefers Lacrosse's structure over Dunn County's structure, if the position doesn't retain an individual department status. Ristow recommended that given St. Croix County's size, a 24 -hour EM Director is not enough. Ristow has seen that when the EM Director is not allotted enough time to complete paperwork and all other functions of EM, the director will get frustrated and the program will fail. Whiting recommends maintaining what the department has now plus eventually more. Whiting stated that be believed Swetlik provides an area of ` familiarity towards the Emergency Service agencies because of his role as a 9 -1 -1 Director and that this familiarity is important. He stated that other County departments have voiced concern over a diminished relationship with Emergency Management. Whiting advised that he hoped St. Croix County would not be held in a poor light because our proposed structure was similar to another County's that she opposes. Speer stated, after hearing Ristow's comments and Whiting's comments, she sees that the merging of the two departments is more of a hazard than a good thing. She sees no point, and has not from the beginning, of merging the two. If this merging is because of the downsizing of the County Board, Speer commented that other departments stand alone and have not merged. Speer mentioned the other influence is the people who use these services are unhappy; Speer does not understand why the Committee went to this depth. . Speer recommended keeping each department separate. Borup stated he is hearing backlash from Committee members. Rebholz stated the feedback from other sources is a concern. Rebholz stated we need to maintain our commitment to communities. Rebholz stated another concern is that there is only one person to handle an incident. When that person is not available, there is no one to take over and move activities forward. Colvard stated that this has been a concern of his also and that is why Klatt and Anderson volunteered their time exploring and learning EM activities, with the Sheriff's approval. Colvard also added that Pierce, Polk, and Barron County have signed a MOU to provide EM services. Shilts stated that on the behalf of the Sheriff's Dept., Klatt can continue to expand his EM program training and get to the point where he can take over a situation. Nelson stated the EMS Chiefs are concerned that this new structure happened too quickly and this matter needs more time to be handled correctly, possibly extend Colvard's contract. An Ostness /Mortensen MOTION was approved to keep the two departments separate. Motion passed; Rebholz and Borup opposed the Motion. The next step will be to determine if the EM Director will be a County employee or a contracted position. DIRECTOR'S REPORT — EM Colvard advised that the Homeland Security Interoperability Round 5 Grant has been submitted to OJA and has been approved in the amount of $124,867 for radio orders. DIRECTOR'S REPORT — EC Nothing COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS The meeting adjourned at 10:00 a.m. Respectfully Submitted, Emergency Mgmt. Administrative Secretary