ALBEMARLE COUNTY FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES BOARD AGENDA

Wednesday May 25, 2016 | 1800 Hours | County Office Building - Room 241

Agenda Item Name

I. Call to OrderA. Moment of SilenceB. From the Board: Matters Not Listed on the Agenda

i. Update from each Chief - matters of importance from their stationii. Addition of agenda items – deferring any major issues/items requiring

preparation to a future agenda.C. From the Public: Matters Not Listed on the Agenda

K. Alibertis

II. Approval of Consent Agenda K. Alibertis

III. Committee updates -A. Executive CommitteeB. Training CommitteeC. Operations CommitteeD. Recruitment & RetentionE. Quartermaster

K. AlibertisS. LambertD. PuckettM. WelcherD. Puckett

IV. Unfinished Business –A. ACFR Volunteers (Stations 11, 12, 15 and Fire Corps) Recruitment and Retention

Plan - updateB. Pantops Station UpdateC. Turnout Gear Maintenance & Supply (SOG-OPS-026)

T. LaBelle

T. LaBelleD. Eggleston

V. New Business –A. Health and Welfare ReportB. Scottsville RescueC. Apparatus Committee – Review request from Crozet

T. LaBelleD. EgglestonD. Eggleston

ALBEMARLE COUNTY FIRE/EMS BOARD

FEMS BOARD MEETING

COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING, MCINTIRE ROAD – ROOM 241WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2016 – 1800 HOURS

A meeting of the Albemarle County Fire/EMS Board was held on Wednesday, April 27,2016, at 1800 hours in Room 241 of the County Office Building, McIntire Road,Charlottesville, Virginia.

The following members were in attendance:Dan Eggleston, Albemarle County Fire & RescueAlex Belgard, Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue SquadPreston Gentry, Crozet Volunteer Fire DepartmentGeorge Stephens, North Garden Volunteer Fire CompanyMike Grandstaff, Scottsville Volunteer Fire DepartmentMike Reid, Stony Point Volunteer Fire DepartmentDanny Tawney, Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department

Others in Attendance:Christina Davis, Albemarle County Fire & RescueBrian Kester, Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire DepartmentJohn Oprandy, Albemarle County Fire & RescueScott Lambert, Albemarle County Fire & RescueDavid Puckett, Albemarle County Fire & RescueChuck Pugh, North Garden Volunteer Fire CompanyChip Walker, Albemarle County Fire & Rescue

I. Call to OrderChief Gentry called the meeting to order at 1800 hrs.

A. Moment of SilenceAttendees observed a moment of silence.

B. From the Board: Matters not Listed on the Agendai. Update from Chiefs – matters of importance from stationsThere were no updates.ii. Addition of Agenda ItemsThere were no additions.

C. From the Public: Matters not Listed on the AgendaAlbemarle County Board of Supervisors member Anne Mallek stated that there wouldbe a volunteer recognition on May 4, 2016, with a special recognition for fire rescue atthe beginning of the Supervisors’ evening meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. She askedFEMS Board members to email her any new station information, and said that individualstation members would be recognized.

FEMS Board members mentioned that the Shenandoah National Park fire, and Ms.Mallek stated that it was 90% contained. Chief Gentry commented that the VirginiaDepartment of Forestry had it pretty well contained, but if they declared it completelycontained, their funding for it would disappear.

II. Approval of Consent Agenda

A. Approval of FEMS Board meeting minutesChief Grandstaff moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Chief Stephens seconded themotion, which passed 7-0.

III. Committee UpdatesA. Executive CommitteeChief Eggleston reported that the Executive Committee had gone through a long list oflegacy policies and delegated work out on them, and he felt that it was a very productiveexercise.

B. Training CommitteeChief Lambert reported that he would update them on three items elevated from theTraining Committee, including course updates and pass rates for Firefighter I, whichhad a 90% pass rate but two failures that were unexpected. He stated that the attritionrate for entry level classes has been rising to as much as 40% for some of the currentclasses, and registration numbers are very low. Chief Lambert said that the committeeis looking into potential strategies for the fall in terms of how to address that, and oneconcern is that they have oversaturated the market with entry-level classes in terms ofthe number of offerings. He stated that they are having some conversations about whatthis means because Firefighter II filled up almost immediately and has had almost noattrition, but the current Firefighter I has only five students – which makes it hard toeven function as a group for a live fire training, and those classes have had a higherattrition rate. Chief Lambert said that the committee is looking into whether ACFR isoffering the right classes at the right time for the population.

Chief Lambert reported that the second issue of discussion for the committee wasLODA, and there were a few people identified entering into a high-level class that hadnot yet received a LODA physical. He explained that typically when someone enters aclass as part of the registration process, their presence is confirmed in the databaseincluding a record of their physical – and there were some students who had entered ahigher-level class who had not yet taken an entry-level physical, and they should not betaken a Firefighter II or Instructor I class without having done that.

Chief Lambert stated that they are bracing themselves for a relatively large in-serviceperiod over the summer, with a CAD in-service, an RMS in-service, and a completeoverhaul of the SCBA system, as well as a continuation of the FOG training which is inits phase four – the multi-company evolution starting this weekend and the following. He

noted that training officers have been briefed on dates for train the trainers, and they aretrying to figure out the best strategy and right number for the appropriate people.

Chief Lambert mentioned that the PVCC item would be elevated for separate discussionlater in the meeting.

Chief Stephens asked if the individuals who had enrolled in classes without a physicalhad joined after the LODA policy was in place.

Chief Lambert responded that they had joined post-policy – within the last 12-18 months– but had taken Firefighter I in a different venue, and that is usually the ACFR system’sfirst point of check, so the issue of the physicals was not caught until later. He notedthat usually if an issue is caught, it can be resolved within about seven days.

C. Operations CommitteeChief Puckett reported that the monthly report is in their agenda, but he would callattention to the respiratory protection policy, which was discussed at the last FEMSmeeting. He said that the FEMS Board had asked Dr. Talbot to come to an OperationsCommittee and discuss some of the qualifiers for the respiratory questionnaires, withconsideration of having them mailed in instead of having the nurse onsite, with thestations providing a set of vitals – which could be done in house – along with treatingphysician and any medications. Chief Puckett said that the conditions Dr. Talbot hadquestioned or felt required more information were: age over 50, history of COPD orasthma, cardiac disease or hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, a body mass index(BMI) over 40. He stated that this could be handled as a follow-up call to a person’sdoctor or to the member to ask him a question, to ensure that the person is not in avulnerable state. Chief Puckett said that they would need to have the departments bewilling to input all of this data and having just 40 UVA students from Chief Hahn’sstation do it, for example, would probably not be representative of the entire system. Hestated that the Operations Committee has not developed a clear recommendation yeton how to proceed, but it seemed inappropriate to do nothing and they needed to try topush this forward and they wanted more guidance from the FEMS Board.

Chief Grandstaff pointed out that it is the OSHA form in the FEMS Board packets, andthey would just need to add vitals to it.

Chief Puckett said that a lot of the questions pertained to things such as shortness ofbreath, back pain, heart problems, and hypertension – and the committee felt that someof Part B could be removed entirely because the questions were related to things likeworking around chemicals.

Chief Puckett stated that the most significant remaining part of the respiratory policywas related to air management and two in/two out, which overrode some of the oldACFRAB policies, and tying it in with SCBA and compressor items. He said that thepolicy would take at least four months to work through the process, and if they wantedto stay in line they would need to stay within the process and continue to edit and

modify, with an in-service planned for September. Chief Puckett stated that a lot of thiswas related to use of compressors and the quality of air coming out, so ideally thetiming would be with the implementation of the new equipment – and a lot of it wasroutine and being done now such as maintenance checks, but this would document itappropriately, which had not been done in the past.

Chief Grandstaff asked about the status of the RFP for compressors.

Chief Puckett responded that he sent the draft to Purchasing and they should beresponding within the next week, hopefully put out for bid within the next few weeks withrelease for three weeks, then bids and interviews and installation. He stated that thepurchase order for SCBA was also delayed because the County and MSA had to cometo terms on the contracts, and while he felt they would meet the deadline it was going tobe close.

Chief Gentry asked when the air-packs would be coming in.

Chief Puckett responded that there would be 50 coming in relatively early, with interimbottles to be used in the training program and the full order coming in at the end ofAugust or early September. He stated that theoretically if they get through everythingand have done their fit testing and training, they would be able to go straight to in-service once everything was inventoried. Chief Puckett said that they would need tohone the policy down to a few points, and he would send the policy out again althoughthere had not really been any changes. He stated that if they come forward in the planwith a stipulation that they are going to fill out questionnaires once a year and havefollow-up questions, it would be important for them to clarify now if that was going to besupported or a non-starter for them.

Chief Gentry asked if this would be for all members of the department, or just those whowere new and were going to do the LODA program.

Chief Puckett responded that as it stands now, it would be for all members, and as theylook at OSHA and NFPA, this is supposed to be an annual process for members’ safetyand the safety of those involved in an incident. He emphasized that this did notdisqualify a member from being a firefighter, but pertained only to whether they werehealthy enough to wear an SCBA and could work in that capacity under typical stressloads. Chief Puckett said that it was not as high of a bar than a full physical butconsidered respiratory and circulatory conditions, and this would not disqualify themfrom would not rule people out from operating as a DPO or exterior firefighter.

Chief Stephens asked if there had been any conversations with the insurance companyabout how their coverage might be affected when they start with the medical surveysand exams.

Chief Puckett responded that if anything it would probably benefit their premiums, butthere had not been any discussions about it yet. He added that this would be coming

out of the County budget, and there is no indication that there is a wellness benefit fromthe volunteer insurance plan that would pick up the cost. Chief Puckett said they havetalked with a doctor about $15 to review the questionnaire and make a determination,but he was not sure about a charge for any follow-up.

Chief Grandstaff stated that under the current LODA policy, if a member is found tohave a condition such as high blood pressure, they would need to be covered under theCounty and the insurance company would have to assume the bill for it.

Chief Puckett said that was possible if it was a qualifying condition and met other criteriafor a disability.

Chief Eggleston noted that the insurance company, EFIS, has been very proactive inthis arena, so ACFR could talk with them more about it and perhaps do a cost-share.He said that one thing to keep in mind is that certain conditions like hypertension can beaddressed through medication.

Chief Stephens stated that this was something for them to keep in mind, as they weredealing with an aging membership – and if those members were to develop conditions,they could point to their service in fire rescue as a reason, so it was important for themto have the examinations first.

Chief Eggleston agreed, stating that having the screenings would establish a baselinethat would help in the event a claim was made.

Chief Reid asked if there was a history of this in the county.

Chief Eggleston responded that he was not aware of that happening here, but therehave been a few LODA claims on the career side and there was a big discussion heldabout this when they took on LODA – and because firefighters did not know they werecovered under LODA, there were not a lot of claims. He noted that he felt it was more ofan educational matter, because LODA has been in place for a long time.

Chief Stephens commented that he felt the volunteer side of the system was pretty poorabout documenting exposures, but it would most likely be documented on the careerside.

Chief Eggleston said that having exposure documented in the baseline principles wouldat least provide a starting point.

D. Recruitment & Retention CommitteeChief Eggleston stated that he did not have additional comments beyond what ChiefLaBelle had included in his report.

Chief Stephens asked about the survey because at the last meeting members werereminded to respond.

Chief Eggleston said that he would follow up on it, and he understood that they wereoften bombarded with surveys and fatigued by the volume.

Chief Reid said the same was true of committee work.

E. Quartermaster CommitteeChief Puckett said that he had no report.

IV. Unfinished BusinessA. ACFR Volunteers (Stations 11, 12, 15 and Fire Corps) Recruitment and Retention

Plan UpdateChief Eggleston said there was no report.

B. Policy Review UpdateChief Eggleston said that this was the results of the Executive Committee’s efforts todelegate the work on policies to various committees.

C. CAD UpdateChief Puckett reported that he did not feel they were ready to go live with CAD by May23 as scheduled, and the region would be meeting on April 28 to discuss whether theywere going to move forward – but he did not feel that it was a finished enough productfor them to be confident in their responses and Charlottesville Fire has agreed, althoughhe was not sure about County PD. He stated that he would keep them posted onprogress, and his hope was that it would be delayed for at least a month.

Chief Reid asked if the system was being tested in parallel.

Chief Puckett responded that it was not being run 24/7 in parallel in ECC, but ECC hasthe new system on several of their dispatched clients and were doing dispatcher trainingfor three weeks. He stated that ACFR was trying to test as much as possible as thebuild response plans and test as many unrealistic scenarios as possible – such asEarlysville running to Scottsville. Chief Puckett said that the response plans weregetting better but there were still some things out there that they were not certain aboutyet, and a few pieces of software that were not working correctly so they had to redirectefforts and figure out how to work around it. He stated that the issues were related toGIS and a number of other things, and from his standpoint it needed to be delayed – butat their meeting the following day for the region, they would reach some kind ofconsensus on how to proceed.

Chief Eggleston stated that he would be discussing this with Chief Baxter, but withAlbemarle as the largest component of the system, Chief Eggleston said that he wouldbe adamant in that conversation that he did not feel comfortable moving forward at thispoint. He emphasized that they all rely heavily on the system and needed to feelconfident about it, and those running calls wanted to be sure that this was ready, so theresponsibility should not be shifted onto responders to mitigate mistakes.

Chief Puckett pointed out that no matter when they went live there would be issues withthe system, but his feeling now is that there are way too many issues and he did noteven know what the unknowns were.

Chief Gentry commented that the primary concern is public safety, and if the issues willaffect that then they need to be worked out.

D. Mobile Computer UpdateChief Puckett reported that at the March FEMS Board meeting, they talked about themobile data computers (MDC) that would go along with the CAD mobile as they go live,and he has talked with IT about how they would bring station-owned computers onto thecounty system for CAD mobile and ultimately onto a CIP replacement plan. He said thatthis would mean that as the units age, it would not be up to individual departments tofund their replacement – it would be part of the county’s CIP. Chief Puckett stated thatin the past they have been successful with maintenance and replacement projects, withthe new ones being more challenging to get funding for. He said that they have talkedabout an MOU and if a station has computers they own, county IT would be willing tomaintain it but they would want to make sure systems were virus free, etc. Chief Puckettnoted that the county would install CAD Mobile and the NetMotion client that goes alongwith it, but they would not take ownership of maintaining it in terms of things like crackedscreens or Windows crashing. He stated that if someone had a station-owned computerand was not able to verify things like virus protection being up to date, he was not sure ifthe county would put it on a network and run it.

Chief Reid asked if this applied to the Tough Books on the trucks.

Chief Puckett responded that it did. He stated that Earlysville, Seminole Trail andWestern own their own systems, and asked Chief Belgard if he was working with thecity for their systems.

Chief Belgard responded that they were in discussions with the city and also owned 10laptops like the ones used for patient care reporting – which may be the best to install inthe trucks for mobile data.

Chief Puckett stated that with the actual hardware, he had mentioned at the lastmeeting that there are five surplus PCs – but there are actually seven and are alreadyset up and being used in the train the trainer sessions. He said that as they go station tostation with the end-user training, they will use at least those seven, and once that isdone they will be able to deploy them out to stations. Chief Puckett noted that they alsojust reviewed the CIP and found there is $28,000 remaining, and this was on the Boardof Supervisors May agenda to be re-appropriated to use for Tough Books – with thisamount being enough to purchase five including mounts and installation. He noted thatthe seven surplus systems are just the Tough Books, and the stations would need tosupport the dock and the install. Chief Puckett stated that his recommendation is for thenew units to be allocated to stations that do not have apparatus replacements coming

up in the CIP in the short term, because they would not have any mechanism to bridgethe gap. He said that the surplus units could be used for stations that have funding inthe CIP – North Garden and Crozet.

Chief Puckett stated that the goal would be to get MDTs on the primary units – engines,ambulances and towers, as well as a command vehicle. He noted that if they assign thefive new PCs to engines 62, 61, 72, 73 and 24, and the loaners to engines 58, 52, and34, and cars 70, 20, 50 and 60, that would cover the vast majority of primary units. ChiefPuckett stated that North Garden and Crozet were working to take apparatusreplacement money and buying one and possibly two for units in their stations. Heemphasized that it was up to FEMS how they wanted to distribute those units, but hisrecommendation was trying to get them the best long-term strategy.

Chief Gentry asked if there had been a study done to outfit all of the volunteer stationsadequately with MDTs, and asked about the cost of the new CAD Mobile system as hehad heard it was $16 million.

Chief Reid commented that it was about $6 million.

Chief Puckett said that he did not know the exact number, but it was closer to $6 millionthan $16 million.

Chief Gentry stated that his opinion is that they are implementing this multi-million dollarcomputer system yet there are volunteer companies that need this information, andasked if there was a way to use the iPads to receive the information.

Chief Puckett explained that the iPads could be used with Active 911, but from a CADperspective they would need to redo the parser, so when they get the information itwould look different on the Active 911 side and would need to be reinterpreted. He saidthat there would likely be a small interruption with that, and while the iPads wouldcontinue to work with Active 911, there is no Apple application for the CAD system – sothe iPads would not connect live to CAD.

Chief Reid asked if that was also true for automated dispatch.

Chief Puckett said that in terms of vehicle location, he did not believe so, but said theycould potentially use other GPS devices installed as a standalone, and there would stillneed to be a data card of some sort, a connection and a GPS location – and they wouldneed to determine if it was in the right format for the CAD system to interpret.

Chief Reid commented that the Active 911 has the location on it, on the iPad or in thevehicle.

Chief Tawney pointed out that it was just one-way reporting, and there was no way forCAD to extract that information.

Chief Eggleston emphasized that this would only apply when units were out of thestation, and the AVL comes into play when units were out in the district or returning froma call.

Chief Puckett added that if you are in quarters or on scene, CAD intuitively knowswhere you are.

Chief Eggleston stated that the real issue is that the county’s CIP is underfunded, andhe had talked at length with Ms. Mallek about the CAD project getting pushed down thelist in favor of school projects. He noted that the CAD project had been on the CIP listfor 10 years and it always ranked high – but it always gets pushed out by school or localgovernment projects. Chief Eggleston said that he was going to rework the request andresubmit it and get some guidance before it is resubmitted in the CIP process.

Chief Gentry asked if a mobile data unit would have cut out a lot of the radio traffic, in asituation such as the McLaughlin shed fire.

Chief Puckett responded that in theory it would and has the potential to and as long asyou hit a button and have a connection, ECC would know that you were in quarters. Hestated that in a minimum for at least the first month, they would press the button andsay it on the radio, in order to verify that the system is working appropriately – and insome cases connectivity would be lost and some units would not have it at all. He saidthat the other aspect was personnel listening to pagers and don’t have an MDT in frontof them, so the issue was how much traffic they wanted on the radio, and in his mindthere was some hybrid of some non-essential radio traffic and some that wasnecessary.

Chief Gentry commented that at the shed fire, he sat on the scene for 2 minutes and 56seconds before he could give ECC a report, because of the radio traffic. He said thatthis was one of the concerns he had about the volunteer companies not being able togo to the mobile data unit. Chief Gentry stated that the other issue was that a secondalarm was struck, and he got to the scene and pulled out his command board andasked for a roll call. He asked if he could have looked on a mobile data unit to see whatwas coming without asking ECC for it, because when he did ask it was next toimpossible to get the information – so that was another safety issue. Chief Gentry saidthat Active 911 was used because they had iPads, and some of the information to beshared should not be broadcast, such as a house in Whitehall that has explosives in it,and that could be put in the mobile data unit.

Chief Puckett responded that he did not disagree with any of that, but they have alimited amount of resources and were trying to reach their goals the best way possible,so they have to make a choice and have everyone possibly put some investment intothis. He stated that stations 4 and 8 previously invested a good amount of their ownmoney, and the question was whether to have everyone putting something into it or notusing the system at all – and in his mind it was an easy choice.

Chief Reid stated that his station had to make the choice of updating their Tough Bookswhen they went out of date, but the costs were outrageous so they went with the iPad ata cost of $500 to get everything they needed. He said that from his perspective, theyshould not move forward with the system until everybody can have it.

Chief Eggleston stated that there may be another opportunity at the end of yearappropriations, which would happen sometime in September.

Chief Grandstaff said that there are other options besides Tough Books, and he talkedto a company that makes Tough Tablets, which are about one-quarter of the cost of aTough Book and have cellular cards built into them for whatever your mobile carrier is.He stated that his station’s carrier is US Cellular, and they send him a SIM card to usein the Tough Tablets, and just because it is Windows-based should not matter.

Chief Puckett stated that this was true, and there were probably some requirementssuch as processor. He said that IT would probably want to support a specific platformand not deal with six different systems, and he felt that once they got the CAD mobilesystem going, the county would support it – so it was really about the initial start-up,unless the goal was to have an MDT in every single unit owned.

Chief Tawney commented that he did not feel that having MDTs in every unit wasnecessary.

Chief Puckett agreed, stating that there is a tablet version that could be tested with arelatively inexpensive Windows tablet for things like cars and brush trucks.

Chief Grandstaff stated that he was talking about a full Windows-based computer, but itwas a tablet and was the same size as an iPad, at a quarter of the cost.

Chief Puckett mentioned that in the past they have experimented with Panasonic ToughTablets and they did not do well, but some of the issues were related to patient carereporting and the absence of a keyboard.

Chief Grandstaff stated that it would be mounted in an engine just for that use.

Chief Puckett said that they had constant problems with GPS and cellular activitybecause the antennas were not as strong with the tablet.

Chief Stephens stated that they should continue down the path as planned, and like anyother big projects they needed to step into it a little bit at a time as funding is available.He said that he is still haunted by “a pile of pagers,” and he is concerned about whatthey get – so if they have something that is proven to work in the terrain, they shouldstick with it and probably did not have much choice.

Chief Tawney stated that they have a plan, and if they get the system to 50-60%, it waseasier for them to go to the Board and explain what was needed to get to the next 20%and so forth. He said that they have a plan and should go with it, and ACFR should letthe stations no what the cost would be in terms of IT and maintenance.

Chief Puckett said that he did not feel there was a cost for that type of support.

E. Paramedic Program - PVCCChief Lambert reported that this item was elevated as an agenda item for discussion atthe request of the Executive Committee, and explained that ACFR was entering into apartnership with PVCC that exchanges instructional hours for tuition credit, and theexchange rate created a subsidized tuition approach to allow limited dollars for ALStraining to be stretched further. He said that there were two angles they were workingwith – making sure the pathways in the PVCC partnership meet the flexibility andscheduling needs, so they are looking at a basic to paramedic pathway as well as anintermediate to paramedic upgrade. Chief Lambert stated that the basic to paramedicpathway has two options: a slower tenured approach as a two-year degree basedprogram lasting over 64 weeks; and a one-year certificate program lasting over 42weeks from January to August. He said that they were trying to meet the needs of anyprovider trying to upgrade to paramedic.

Chief Lambert reported that the bigger option from the Executive Committee was to tryto ensure there is a transition pathway for intermediate to paramedic, and there are twooptions for that: a fast 26-week program running in the spring and summer semesters;and a longer fall and spring semester approach. He said that each pathway provides anoption for people with different availability in terms of hours, and with both options theyare trying to deliver the program in timeframes that are suitable for career and volunteerpersonnel in the system.

Chief Lambert stated that the Training Committee has also been trying to ensure that asa system they prioritize enrollment in the program, because there would likely be moreinterest than availability that had to be balanced with space limitations at the PVCClevel. He said that the committee originally positioned a more equitable distribution, butthe FEMS Board wanted prioritization on ALS transport services first, so that was kickedback to the Training Committee. Chief Lambert stated that the committee has comeback with a plan to meet everyone’s needs, whereby ALS transport would have toppriority but there would still be space available for ALS first response agencies. Henoted that the document had been distributed by email, and the other element cominginto play was that this is a fairly extensive investment from a provider. Chief Puckettstated that approximately $3,000 would need to be invested per provider, with $5,500invested for basic to paramedic, so training officers were trying to ensure that theappropriate people got put in these programs. He said that the Training Committee feltthat those decisions were best handled at the company level, in terms of prioritization ofpersonnel and cost restitution – and the committee did not feel there was a one systemfits all option.

Chief Tawney commented that some of the challenges participants have faced are theamount of clinical time required, particularly requirements to go out of the jurisdiction forobservation, such as travel to Augusta Medical Center to see one baby born in an hourwhere they could go to Martha Jefferson and see five babies born in an hour.

Chief Lambert responded that they have discussed a lot of elements of concern withPVCC, and the demand for their program has grown at a pace that has created somechallenges.

Chief Tawney said that there are a lot of students and a very limited amount ofambulance time.

Chief Lambert said that they were not finding a problem with ambulance time, but in thebeginning of the program PVCC was considering Albemarle County as one system –and their program states that 50% of call collection should be done outside of thesystem. He said that this has now been whittled down by agency number, so that CARScan ride with ACFR for example, and he averages two or three students per week and itis very infrequent that he turns away someone from a clinical ride. Chief Lambert notedthat PVCC is at the bottom of the chain in terms of UVA pre-hospital, the medical schooland nursing school, and PVCC has extensive commitments with local hospitals as wellas Augusta and Culpeper. He stated that there is no policy in terms of where clinicaltime is done, but there may be constraints with availability.

Chief Lambert pointed out that Chief Alibertis had mentioned the VCU program as nothaving those problems, and that was because VCU manages its own hospital networkand can manage its own clinical staff – so the issues locally are really related to clinicalconvenience. He added that ACFR’s partnership with PVCC actually strengthens theleverage with Martha Jefferson because of ACFR’s existing relationship with MJH andSentara. Chief Lambert stated that a lot of the issues noted over the past 18 monthshave been addressed by engaging with PVCC and their medical director, Dr. Brady, andthey were hoping to get in front of these issues although there would always be someas there were with any classes taught.

Chief Lambert stated that PVCC currently charges $150 per tuition credit, and the two-year degree program is based on 60 credits, the one-year certificate program is basedon 42 credits, and the transition program from I to P is 26 credits. He said thatsubsidized tuition lowers the cost per credit hour to $100 per hour because they wereable to stretch instructional hours a bit further, and he has told training officers that ifthey plan to send members to the program they should work through station treasurersand chief executive officers. Chief Lambert noted that the majority of stations use aformula-based budget with a certain amount allocated per member versus an itemizedbudget, and if a station wants to send four people their budget would likely fall short –so they would need to submit an itemized budget such as Western did last year. ChiefLambert said that Chief LaBelle would work with station treasurers on this, and the hopewas to roll over any end-of-year surplus funding to help cover any up-front costs, butthat is more of a request than a guarantee. He stated that if a station is sending

someone to paramedic, they would need to budget about $4,500, and if they aresending someone to transition from intermediate to paramedic, they would need tobudget about $2,700, which would cover tuition, textbooks, clinical costs, and otheritems needed to get into hospital rotations. Chief Lambert said that as they embark onbudgeting for the next fiscal year, stations should keep this in mind in terms of specificneeds and justification for it.

Chief Eggleston thanked Chief Lambert for this work, as there was a lot involved in thenegotiations with PVCC.

Chief Tawney said that this had the potential to add a lot of ALS providers in the area,as it provided a new pathway.

Chief Lambert commented that this also had the potential of expanding to a BLS level,and this partnership could possibly provide more flexibility and autonomy, with a widerrange of instructors eligible to teach EMT basic.

V. New Business

A. Tyler St. Clair Strategic Plan (this item was heard first at the meeting)

Chief Eggleston recognized Tyler St. Clair, who would be working with the FEMS Boardon a new strategic plan.

Ms. Tyler St. Clair presented a brief PowerPoint, which contained some basicinformation about doing a strategic plan, and said that she would work with them todesign a process that would match the current conditions. She stated that she had readthe Charlottesville Fire Department strategic plan, and their goal was to change theirISO rating, and this indicated to her that people have different ideas as to what astrategic plan should be. Ms. St. Clair stated that she has worked with approximately 75local governments and agency around Virginia, with the number of priorities varyingdepending on the entity and the political circumstances. She added that in the strategicplan process, she encourages coming up with a clear set of terms that work foreveryone and design templates that a diverse group can incorporate.

Ms. St. Clair said that she laid out four phases when presenting the strategic planningprocess to Chief Eggleston: to analyze the current operating environment; to identifytheir desired feature; to work into a comprehensive strategic plan; and having a processto cascade it or roll it out. She presented a chart reflecting the 12 steps of the strategicplan process and the framework that would be used going forward, noting that ACFR’sdata should be considered along with input from the chiefs and members to reflect therapid change in the organization. Ms. St. Clair stated that the information needed to bepulled together into something where they could make preliminary findings and identifygaps, with an emphasis on defining the current environment. She said that she wouldalso like to bring together a “futures group” of people who represent the system, alongwith key leaders, to look at the data and make some recommendations that would put

together the broad framework for the plan that would either reaffirm the vision andmission or provide changes, and establish a future direction.

Ms. St. Clair added that this group would create the final strategic plan document, andthe last step of the process would be the implementation of the plan, how it would beused, and who it would pertain to – volunteers and/or paid staff. She stated that ChiefEggleston has indicated that the final phase of the last strategic plan was challengingbecause there was uncertainty within the system as to how it would be implemented.Ms. St. Clair asked the chiefs if they had any questions.

Chief Gentry asked if she lived in Albemarle County.

Ms. St. Clair responded that she lives in Lynchburg.

Ms. Mallek commented that Ms. St. Clair knows the challenges in the system becauseshe has worked with the County in the past.

Chief Eggleston stated that he appreciated Ms. St. Clair’s acknowledgement of thechallenge of getting full representation in the planning group, and said that she has alsorecognized the challenge of implementing the plan. He stated that he was happy thatthey were going through this process and was glad to have Ms. St. Clair involved.

Ms. St. Clair commented that there would be a lot of opportunities for participation inthis process to facilitate ownership of the plan, and whatever was used to get inputwould take into account people’s time limitations and ensure that a good productemerged from the process. She asked if there was a phase they felt would be mosthelpful for people to participate in.

Chief Haugh said that they should follow it all the way through.

Chief Gentry stated that the last planning process involved mostly chiefs, and said that ifthey have three people from each station then it would be likely that someone couldattend every meeting and keep everyone informed of what was going on.

Ms. St. Clair said that as they scan the environment they could establish at what pointspeople would be best involved.

Chief Tawney commented that he did not feel the last strategic planning process wasparticularly bad, but he would suggest that the few most important goals should besomething that people can sink their teeth into – rather than just a plethora of ideas –because he cannot remember a single goal from the process three years ago. Headded that it was important to narrow down the goals into as few as possible.

Chief Eggleston stated that this was a very good point, rather than having the strategicplanning process include everything the system does.

Ms. St. Clair asked the chiefs if there was anything they felt this plan should accomplish.

Chief Tawney responded that perhaps the process could help clarify what the Board ofSupervisors expect from ACFR, as they are the ones that would be approving thebudget items that might make some of the goals possible – because if they are notcommitted to the goals, then fire rescue is just wasting its time with this.

Chief Stephens commented that in some ways they would need to have an idea as towhat the plan from four years ago entailed – what they set out to do and what theywanted to accomplish – as this may save them from going over the same ground again.He added that they should at least reflect on what they had done, because he was surethere were some accomplishments.

Ms. Mallek assured them that she would provide something from the Board ofSupervisors as to what they expected.

Chief Gentry stated that they needed to focus on the volunteer system as part of thestrategic planning process – including improvements on how to get and retainvolunteers – as well as looking at career staff and how to make things work better.

Chief Eggleston noted that the relationship with career staff was ranked as the numberone issue, and it was important to identify strategies in that regard. He added that he feltit would be a great process and thanked Ms. St. Clair.

B. Annual PicnicChief Eggleston reported that the annual picnic would be held at June 4, 2016 at theElks Lodge, and it would be a family event with swimming and catered barbecue.

C. SOG-OPS-026 Turnout Gear Maintenance and Supply

Chief Puckett stated that this is the first reading of the Turnout Gear Maintenance andSupply Policy, moved forward from the March Executive Committee meeting, and it isbased off of the central supply or turnout gear protocol already in place.

Chief Eggleston stated that they have been following this policy for quite some time.

Chief Puckett said that this just documents what they are already doing.

Chief Stephens noted that it also addresses several of the items that the ExecutiveCommittee pushed over to the Quartermaster Committee, including SAB 14 and 39.

Chief Reid asked about the captain’s color being yellow, as well as the lieutenants.

Chief Stephens responded that this has been the policy for a long time.Chief Gentry stated that lieutenants got changed about a year ago.

Chief Tawney noted that only a few departments used lieutenants’ colors.

Chief Eggleston said that the county has no designation for lieutenants.

Chief Tawney stated that his station was going to designate lieutenants as officers, butthey could not use red as they did in the 80s.

Chief Gentry said that they designated as yellow, but changed the helmet shield toindicate what they are.

Chief Belgard stated that this was covered at a previous FEMS meeting, with stationsdistinguishing further with the face shield.

Chief Stephens commented that it is covered in the policy under helmets and shields.

Chief Puckett stated that this is the one thing in the policy that is not part of centralsupply, because it is the station’s responsibility to buy their own shields.

Chief Grandstaff said that some of his station members liked to buy their own boots andhoods, and the policy did not cover what was covered in central supply.

Chief Puckett stated that typically in the past if someone wanted to do that, they have topresent it to the quartermaster, and it had to meet all NFPA requirements, but theexpiration limits would need to remain the same. He said that they could add a provisionin the policy to cover things like hoods and boots that individuals would purchase.

Chief Gentry asked if they wanted to hold this until next month so that part could beadded in.

Chief Puckett asked if there was anything that should be limited in terms of individualspurchasing their own gear, such as just helmets and boots.

Chief Grandstaff said that typically it was boots, hoods and gloves.

Chief Gentry stated that coats and pants needed to be the same, so that everyonelooked the way they should on the scene.

Chief Grandstaff responded that the turnout gear should be the same, but somemembers liked to buy things like leather suspenders.

D. Radio System ReplacementChief Puckett reported that the region had just kicked off the radio infrastructurereplacement project to replace the tower pieces and background systems – not theportables and mobiles – with a consultant advising. He said that this would be a multi-year project, and the consultant would help figure out what was needed and workthrough whether it was more beneficial to upgrade the current Motorola system or put

an RFP out for a new system. He noted that the next level of equipment was all P-25compliant and was not confined to one radio manufacturer. Chief Puckett said that theywere looking to add another tower site, and the initial conversation has been for apossible location in the south of the county where it borders Nelson, or southwest in thecounty to shoot back in the county and pick up gaps in the southern side of the county.

Chief Stephens asked where things stood with the portable radio replacement.

Chief Puckett responded that it started in July and spanned two years, and Chief Walkerhas been collecting information on the portable radio inventory system wide. He statedthat ACFR is paying $300 per year for every radio, so there is no use paying it if theradios are not being used. He said that once the inventory was clarified, they would startdoing the replacements and would do it station by station although he did not know theorder yet. Chief Puckett emphasized that his would impact the vehicle chargers, bankchargers, etc., so the inventory needed to be inclusive. He noted that the bank chargerscould use an adapter cup for batteries, but the vehicle chargers themselves needed tobe replaced.

Chief Stephens said that he has a few portables that needed repair, but he did not wantto do that if the new ones were coming in.

Chief Puckett stated that there are some ACPD radios that could be utilized, but theywould have to be reprogrammed.

Chief Walker said that PD saved some of its old radios, and he urged chiefs not tospend any money on new radios.

E. OtherChief Puckett stated that with pump ladder testing starts shortly, and Chief Walkerwould be circulating a schedule in the next day or two, so information needed to bepassed to stations so there would be someone present to provide access.

Chief Grandstaff mentioned that his crew was on scene at Irish Road and did not knowa second call was going on in the area and could not call for anyone, and he was veryconcerned as this as a major issue.

Chief Puckett stated that the new radio tower in downtown Scottsville provides coverageon a separate channel, and they were doing some configuration to help cover the gaps– but it was the new tower that would really provide the necessary fix.

MOTION: Chief Stephens moved to adjourn the meeting. Chief Reid seconded themotion, which passed 7-0.

The meeting adjourned at 1948 hours.

- Building the Model Volunteer-Career Fire & EMS System -

ALBEMARLE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE EMERGENCY AND MEDICAL SERVICES BOARDACTION RECORD

AGENDA TITLE/ISSUE: AGENDA DATE:

Consent Agenda April 27, 2016

MOTION: MOTION MADE BY: SECONDED BY:

To approve minutes Chief Michael Grandstaff Chief George Stephens

SUBSEQUENT MOTIONS/AMENDMENTS:

1.

CALL OF THE QUESTION: Yes No Abstain

Chief J. Dan Eggleston – John Oprandy (Albemarle County)

Chief L. Dayton Haugh – Alex Belgard (CARS)

Chief Preston Gentry (Crozet)

Chief Todd Richardson (Earlysville)

Chief Calvin Butler (East Rivanna)

Chief George Stephens (North Garden)

Chief Mike Grandstaff (Scottsville Fire)

Chief Chuck Stockton (Scottsville Rescue)

Chief Danny Tawney (Seminole Trail)

Chief Mike Reid (Stony Point)

Chief Kostas Alibertis (Western Albemarle)

I hereby attest that the foregoing is true and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Christina Davis 4/27/2016

Clerk Date

ALBEMARLE COUNTY FIRE/EMS BOARD

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING – STAGECOACH RD.FIRE RESCUE CONFERENCE ROOM

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2016 – 1600 HOURS

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Albemarle County Fire/EMS Board washeld on Monday, May 2, 2016 at 1600 hours in the Fire Rescue Conference Room ofthe County Office Building, Stagecoach Road, Charlottesville.

The following members were in attendance:Kostas Alibertis, Western Albemarle Rescue SquadDan Eggleston, Albemarle County Fire & RescuePreston Gentry, Crozet Volunteer Fire DepartmentDayton Haugh, Charlottesville Area Rescue SquadDanny Tawney, Seminole Trail Fire Department

Others in Attendance:John Oprandy, Albemarle County Fire & RescueTom LaBelle, Albemarle County Fire & Rescue

1. Call to OrderChief Eggleston called the meeting to order at 1600 hours.

a. From the Board: Agenda AdditionsChief Eggleston mentioned that he had one brief item to add, but there were no otheragenda additions.

b. From the Public: Matters Not Listed on the AgendaThere were none presented.

2. Consent Agendaa. April meeting minutes

Chief Haugh commented that there were numerous places in the minutes that had“ABL,” when the text should have said “AVL.”

Chief LaBelle suggested approving the minutes with the provision that the minuteswould be corrected to say “AVL” throughout.

MOTION: Chief Haugh moved to approve the Consent Agenda with the April 2016Executive Committee meeting minutes as amended. Chief Gentry seconded themotion, which passed unanimously (4-0), with Chief Tawney abstaining because he wasnot present at the April EC meeting.

3. Fire Rescue System Strategic Plan - update

a. Plan progressi. Strategic Plan Development

Chief Eggleston reported that this item was on the agenda to see if there was anyfeedback from Tyler St. Clair’s presentation at the FEMS Board meeting. He stated thatMs. St. Clair had been very process focused, and what they got out of that meeting wasthat people wanted to see what was accomplished in the last plan, just as a startingpoint for the new process. Chief Eggleston said that he would send out Ms. St. Clair’spresentation, and Chief Alibertis suggested that it be posted online. Chief Egglestonstated that Ms. St. Clair wants to do the standards of cover first as a way of generatingdata, then doing the strategic planning.

Chief Alibertis suggested that Chief Eggleston provide an update on the standards ofcover item.

Chief Eggleston explained that Chief Alibertis and Chief Stephens would be joining thegroup to evaluate the vendors for the standards of cover, and there are two vendors –one who was new to him, and Fitch & Associates, which is a fairly large consulting firm.Chief Eggleston stated that Fitch’s reference material was so comprehensive that heneeded to go back through it to pull out the specific standards of cover information. Hesaid that this process will gather a lot of data that could help with strategic planning,which was why Ms. St. Clair wanted to wait until the majority of the standards of coveritem was done.

Chief Alibertis commented that he felt the Fitch proposal was overkill, with almost toomuch information provided.

Chief Eggleston responded that he thought the firm was trying to convey that they havea lot of experience on their staff.

4. Unfinished Business

a. FEMSB Work Plan Items/Policy - for Decision/Actioni. Next item for focus

Chief LaBelle stated that the policies directed to committees and staff had been movedforward, and asked EC members if there were other items that should be worked onfrom an organizational structure standpoint, with the bylaws done and policies currentlybeing addressed.

Chief Alibertis noted that the building inspections were coming up the following week.

Chief LaBelle stated that those would begin the following week and had sent an emailout, but the only station that had responded back to him directly was Seminole Trail, sohe would need to do a follow-up message. He stated that no one necessarily needed tobe present at the station for the inspection as long as someone can get access to it.

Chief LaBelle said that the goal of these assessments was for stations to be able to planfor their own budgetary purposes, but stations would also be contacted in the event ofimmediate problems that needed attention.

Chief Eggleston said that Station 2 had already started with their inspection since theyhave an existing roof issue.

Chief LaBelle responded that they have already begun to address that issue but stillwould have an inspection done, and the goal of the assessments was to support theplanning process and inform the five-year plan so there are no surprises.

Chief Tawney asked if the reports would be back in time for budgeting later this year.

Chief Oprandy responded that the information would be back in advance of the CIPprocess, and there would be time to work through the questions regarding who wouldbe responsible for the maintenance and whether a station could accomplish it orwhether it needed to be submitted to the CIP.

Chief Alibertis asked if those dates needed to be confirmed with Chief LaBelle.

Chief LaBelle responded that they just needed to let him know if those dates worked.

Chief Eggleston commented that Chief Tawney’s point is well taken, as they often findthemselves in a situation where they have very little time to put all the informationtogether for a building issue in order to submit it to the CIP, and the building inspectionapproach will give them a good priority list that can more easily translate into a budgettime.

Chief LaBelle stated that in his email, he encouraged stations to have someone fromtheir building and grounds committee or so forth to be present for the inspection, so theywould have some context when the report came back.

Chief Tawney said that his station has some issues, but nothing that rises to that level.

Chief Oprandy stated that with past when working through the funding arrangements,the process was very specific in saying that departments would be responsible fortaking care of their building, because many of the departments said they needed tohave some responsibilities to raise funds as an important part of volunteer agencies.He said that whether that is where stations are now – and whether the assessmentwould be used as a fundraising platform for a fund drive for something like a new roof –is uncertain.

Chief Tawney emphasized that if they were fully operationally funded, that would be onething – but the money stations raise pays bills and repairs apparatus, and there isnothing left for a capital fund. He said that his station has already spent every dimethey raised this year in fundraising to keep their trucks running, and even that has been

a challenge. Chief Tawney stated that there would be a point at which departmentscould no longer do that and would have to look to the County for things like a new roof,although none of that could happen without documentation, so the assessment wasstep one. He commented that the cost now to paint the Seminole Trail building wouldbe significant, and those are the types of things for they could use help from the County.

b. Volunteer Recruitment and Retention - updatei. Hollymead, Ivy and Monticello Station Recruitment and Retention Plan

Chief LaBelle reported that one of the volunteers from the Ivy station had beenaccepted at Stanford as a resident, which left 11 volunteers, so they were getting readyto do some outreach to try to drive those numbers up in time for the fall Firefighter Icourse. He stated that Hollymead and Monticello were doing fairly well in terms ofrecruitment.

Chief LaBelle reported that a post-certification release academy had recently beenstarted for ACFR volunteers through the training division, with the idea of havingmembers come in and work on skills over and over, so they could go back to theirrespective stations with a strong base level of skills. Chief LaBelle reported that theRecruitment and Retention Committee would be meeting the following night, with afocus on a strategic plan for more systemic recruitment and retention effort. He saidthat in the past, Jason Amman went out and did a station-by-station review of plans andprojects.

Chief LaBelle also mentioned that the recruitment and retention survey deadline wasclosing the following week, and stated that there had been 289 respondents – and thecommittee waited to put the survey out to Hollymead, Ivy and Monticello so the numbersthere would not skew the data.

Chief Eggleston stated that the most important part of the survey process is that it putsforth some ideas for benefits, so members can weigh in directly on what they value. Hesaid that this would be something they could put forth to the Board of Supervisors, asthey had been interested in it for quite some time, with this survey offering almost 300responses to provide justification as to what members feel would make a big differencein terms of retention.

Chief LaBelle noted that respondents had to rank “1-3” or “not applicable,” and theservice award was chosen first by 50.6% of respondents; health insurance had 24.6%;and tuition reimbursement was 23%.

Chief Eggleston said that the service award was something that VFIS offered.

Chief LaBelle stated that it was, and other organizations offered similar items rangingfrom very simple to more complex. He said that when a representative came into theRecruitment & Retention Committee meeting and the FEMS Board, they talked aboutthe difference between a defined benefit program and a defined contribution. ChiefLaBelle stated that while a defined benefit program is nice conceptually, it is hard to

manage consistently because of market fluctuations – which would probably scare offthe Board of Supervisors. He said that even with a defined benefit plan, the format fromVFIS for other places awarded points for different levels of participation, years ofservice, etc., and the point ratio would be broken down by whatever the Board setaside. Chief LaBelle stated that VFIS went through Fire RMS and figured out annualcontributions and returns, and found that someone five years away from entitlement agewould receive about $100 per month, whereas someone entering the system now wouldmake about $400 per month, using a 5% annual growth rate – which he felt was a bitaggressive.

5. New BusinessChief Eggleston reported that Rita Krenz from Scottsville had reached out to ChiefLaBelle and had been working with him, Chief Lambert, and Chief Puckett onprecepting some training – because Scottsville had an influx of new members but hadno way to train them up and release them. He said that ACFR was going to meet withScottsville and better assess their staffing shortage and challenges, with some of thelonger-term members there having resigned, and they may need some help until thosemembers are released.

Chief Alibertis asked if Rita was the captain there.

Chief Eggleston responded that she was the president of the department, but was tryingto work both the administrative and officer sides because of the staffing shortage. Hesaid that ACFR was going to meet with her this week to try to help her get a handle onit.

Chief Tawney asked if Scottsville needed a place to send some of the new EMTs just tocollect calls.

Chief LaBelle responded that he has offered that and they were doing it to some extent,with 11 and Rescue 8 and others offered.

Chief Eggleston stated that they want it done in Scottsville, but the call volume isn’tsufficient to release anyone.

Chief Tawney commented that they needed to get on board with the idea of going otherplaces to get the calls under their belt, because you could work two shifts there and notget a call.

Chief Eggleston said that the other factor was that the EMTs there were with patients fora long time, and needed to be really good as they were going to be with those patientsfor a while up Route 20. He added that he would not be surprised to come back andask other stations to help out, at least in the short term.

Chief Gentry reported that he would be stepping done from chief of his station, withMike Boyle running for chief, and said that he could be an assistant chief. Chief Gentryasked if he could still serve on the Executive Committee.

Chief Eggleston responded that he did not think an EC representative had to be astanding chief, but he would check the bylaws.

Chief Oprandy stated that this was an important point, with three EC members gettingready to step down.

Chief Eggleston congratulated pending retirees.

6. Next Meetinga. Monday, June 6, 2016, 1600hrs. ACFR Conference Room

7. Adjournment

The chiefs adjourned their meeting at 1630 hours.

ALBEMARLE COUNTY FIRE EMS BOARD, Recruitment & Retention CommitteeDate: Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Time: 1800 hoursLocation: County Office Building - 5th St, ACFR Conference Room

I Call to order

Attendees present

;#Chief Dan Eggleston, Sami Cross, Christina Davis;#ACFR;#Station 05;#Station 07;#Station 08;#Station06;#Rescue 05;#

II Unfinished Business

Description Time

Volunteer Service Survey 10 min

A copy of the results from the volunteer service survey was handed out. Chief LaBelle reviewedthose results. The next step is to put together information to be shared with each station members.Once shared with the station members, then present the information to the Board of Supervisors.Chief LaBelle and Mr. Rich with Crozet will be working on putting the data together to share witheach station members. Chief LaBelle will include this with the Health & Wellness document.

County Wide Open House 5 min

A date needs to be picked to host a county wide open house. Discussion was held. This is somethingthe committee would like to plan. Chairwoman Welcher and Ms. Shaver will work on this.

III New Business

Description Time

Junior Members 5 min

Chief LaBelle asked if this committee would like to work on a junior member program which wouldgive junior members some support. Discussion was held. The committee felt like this would besomething they would work on, however, wanted to let Fire & EMS (FEMS) Board know beforestarting to work on the program. Chairwoman Welcher is to send out an e-mail to those on the FEMSBoard.

Strategic Plan 15 min

Chief LaBelle handed out the previous recruitment & retention strategic plan and discussed someexamples of different strategic plan found. Chief LaBelle suggested taking the previous plan andgoing through it page by page to update the plan. Chairwoman Welcher asked if this could be doneas a work session. Chief LaBelle will be sending out an e-mail with dates and times to hold the worksession to see what works best for everyone.

IV Other Business

Description Time

Picnic 5 min

The picnic will be held on June 4 at the Elks Lodge. The picnic is open to everyone (volunteer & career) andtheir families. Ms. Cross gave an overview of the picnic and encourages everyone to attend. A picnicannouncement was handed out. There are spots still available for assistance with the picnic. Ms. Cross will besending out a sign-up sheet. If you have an idea of the number of people coming from your station, pleasecontact Ms. Cross with the number of people attending.

Update Diversity Efforts 10 min

Albemarle County Fire Rescue is starting to look at diversity and what we can do to increase diversity withthe career staff. Chief LaBelle asked the committee if there was an interest or desire to get actively engagedwith diversity efforts. The group feels like this should be a part of the committee.

Fire & EMS (FEMS) Board 5 min

Chairwoman Welcher asked how to get more participation from the stations. One suggestion is to show up atthe FEMS Board meeting and let them know who is participating. The other suggestion is to generate a letterto the FEMS Board.

V Next meeting

Tuesday, June 07, 2016 at 1830 hours

VI Adjournment @ 1905 hours

I Call to order

Attendees present

;#Christina Davis;#Station 02;#Station 04;#Station 03;#ACFR;#Station 08;#Station 07;#Station 06;#Rescue 07;#Rescue 01;#

II Unfinished Business

Description Time

Course Updates 5 min

Most classes are coming to a conclusion. The course update report was handed out and Chief Lambert reviewed the report.

Resource Requests 5 min

The resource request report was handed out. An e-mail for resource request and instructor assignment list will be e-mailed out two (2) weeks ahead. This is to remind everyone about the apparatus needed and what the instructor assignment(s) are. Chief Lambert reviewed the resource request for the next few weeks.

FOG training, Phase IV 5 min

Captain Caudle facilitated the FOG training at Walnut Creek Park. Three evolutions were completed during the training. The next FOG training is scheduled to be held at Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company. Due to some staffing and apparatus concerns, the FOG training for the Northside stations may be canceled. Chief Lambert will notify everyone by Thursday afternoon if this happens.

III New Business

Description Time

In-service updates 10 min

There are three major in-services coming in the next year (or so). The in-services are CAD, MSA, and ImageTrend. The CAD system going live date has been moved back by a month. There are three areas which will need to be in-services before the go live date. Those areas are – CAD viewer client, CAD management client, and CAD mobile client. Chief Lambert will keep the training officers updated on the dates for CAD training. The MSA air packs delivery has been pushed back until the fall. Training will be getting 50 packs to do training on before the packs arrive. Chief Lambert will be meeting with MSA on May 16. ImageTrend will be another in-service this coming fall.

PVCC update 10 min

Chief Lambert hopes by the June training officers meeting to have a one page fact sheet. Classes will begin in August. There are a lot of unknowns about the partnership with PVCC. More information to follow. A request was made to have a budget work session during the training officers meeting in August.

Fall training discussion 10 min

ALBEMARLE COUNTY FIRE EMS BOARD, Training CommitteeDate: Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Time: 1830 hoursLocation: County Office Building - 5th St, ACFR Conference Room

A discussion was held about holding two Firefighter I instead of holding three Firefighter I classes. In replace of the third Firefighter I class, either a Firefighter II, Instructor I or Officer I would be offered. Chief Lambert asked if the training officers would be in favor of this, as well as asked them if they would prefer a hybrid class in October and full class in January or full class in September and a hybrid class in October. Chief Lambert made the recommendation to the training officers to hold a hybrid EMT class in the fall, which would need to be taught at COB-5th street training room due to EMS accreditation site. There will still be two EVOCs held in the fall. When should the pump school (Rural Water and Basic Pump Operations) be held? The training officers are to review these options and come back to the June meeting with a direction.

IV Other Business

Description Time

V Next meeting

Wednesday, June 01, 2016 at 1830 hours

VI Adjournment @ 1932 hours

A d m i n i s t r a t i v e P o l i c y ( S A P ) – O p e r a t i o n a lG u i d e l i n e ( S O G )

Subject: Turnout Gear Maintenance and Supply

Reference Number: SOG_OPS_026

Effective Date:

Last Revision Date: 04/14/2016 DRAFT

Signature of Approval:

J. Dan Eggleston, Chief

Purpose:The purpose of this guideline is to provide a consistent approach to the Maintenance and Supply of turnout gear for allmembers.

Scope:This guideline applies to all career and volunteer members from each department in Albemarle County’s coordinated firerescue system.This SAP supersedes and replaces SAP-DEP-039 (Volunteer PPE Purchase and Replacement)This SAP supersedes and replaces SAP-DEP-014 (Helmet colors and markings)

Definitions:Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – All structural firefighting gear including Helmet, hood, turnout coat, turnout pants,structural gloves, structural boots.

Policy:A. Maintenance and care

a. Inspectionsi. Inspections should occur on all PPE biannually and after each IDLH event.ii. Inspections should be conducted at the crew/station level with records kept on Imagetrend of the

inspection results and any actions deemed necessary

b. Cleaningi. Cleaning of all PPE should occur biannually and after each IDLH event or event that causes

noticeable soiling of garments.ii. PPE should ONLY be washed in a commercial extractor designed to filter the water waste.iii. PPE should never be dried using heat. It should be dried using a dryer on “Air Only” or line dried.iv. Gear being dropped off at a designated station for washing should be properly prepared by

removing all personal items and separating the liners and shells. Liners should be turned insideout and placed in a separate RED laundry bag along with the hood. Shells should be placed in aseparate RED laundry bag along with structural gloves.

v. NEVER use any cleaning or sanitizing products on PPE for spot cleaning without first consultingwith the station quartermaster who is knowledgeable in the proper cleaning of PPE.

c. Repairsi. Any PPE in need of repair shall first be cleaned using the procedures in section A(b).ii. A yellow Repair tag shall be completely filled out noting the repairs needed and contact

information and the PPE should be delivered to Hollymead Station 12 for repairs.

d. Life Cycle

COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE STANDARD ADMINISTRATIVE POLICYDepartment of Fire Rescue Page 2 of 3

i. NFPA standards dictates any gear older than 10 years or deemed not repairable should not beused in an IDLH atmosphere

ii. Red Line Gear may be used in training scenarios indefinitely as long as it is in good repair andthe training is non-IDLH.

B. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

a. Turnout Geari. IDLH compliant – any PPE that is less than 10 years old and in good repairii. Red Line Gear - Gear deemed not suitable for IDLH entry, but still functional and in good repair.

Such gear shall be clearly marked with orange reflective stripes sewn on the pocket flaps.iii. Extrication Gear – This gear may be issued for extrication use by qualified personnel but may not

be used in an IDLH environment. Gear should be maintained in the same manner as IDLHqualified gear.

b. Helmetsi. Helmet colors will be designated as follows:

1. White – Chief, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, Division Chief, Battalion Chief2. Yellow – Line officer (Captain, Lieutenant)3. Black – Released Firefighter – able to function in an IDLH environment4. Red Metro helmet– Non IDLH firefighter5. Blue – EMS only

ii. Shield and shield lettering may differ by station. Basic helmet colors will be used by command onscene to identify officers and released/unreleased firefighters. It is up to the crew leader of eachresponding apparatus to know the level of ability of all the members in their crew and utilize themaccordingly during an incident.

C. Central Supplya. Inventory

i. Inventory of non-issued (stock) gear will be managed by ACFR and maintained in storage at theadministrative offices. Representatives from each station will have access to inventory asneeded for emergent needs, however normal issue of turnout gear will be conducted by ACFRquartermaster or station quartermasters.

ii. Inventory of all issued and stock gear will be recorded and managed through the inventorymodule of Imagetrend with access provided to all station quartermasters.

b. Issuei. ACFR Central Supply shall issue the following items to all members:

1. Helmet appropriate to level of training (shield issued by individual station)2. Nomex Hood3. Turnout Gloves4. Turnout Boots5. Turnout Coat and Pants (w/ suspenders) appropriate to level of training (red line vs IDLH)6. Eye protection, ear protection.

ii. Issued gear shall be in good repair and pass the gross fit test. All other gear will be theresponsibility of the station.

iii. New Member – When a department receives a new member or proposed member, the stationquartermaster will contact the ACFR quartermaster via email and the ACFR quartermaster willschedule a date/time suitable to all parties to issue the appropriate PPE.

iv. Existing Members1. Emergent Need – Members with an emergent PPE need (nights/weekends) will contact

their station quartermaster/designee who can either visit the Central supply office andobtain needed items or contact the on-duty Battalion Chief for assistance.

2. Routine gear replacement – PPE will be replaced yearly based on funding and thereplacement priorities established:

a. Priority 1: Gear that has reached the end of life cycle of 10 years per NFPA willbe replaced.

b. Priority 2: Central supply will maintain a 25% replacement stock of all coat chestsizes and pants waist sizes currently issued to members. When those numbers

COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE STANDARD ADMINISTRATIVE POLICYDepartment of Fire Rescue Page 3 of 3

fall below 25%, new gear will be issued to members who wear those sizesneeded for stock with gear typically being pulled for stock at about 5 years of life.

c. Priority 3: Other gear needs such as unusual sizes not in stock or atypicalcircumstances.

c. Return to Inventoryi. Any member who leaves the Albemarle County fire rescue system shall return all issued PPE to

the central supply office within 30 days of resignation/termination. All items should be clean andin good repair.

d. Disposali. Any PPE determined to by unfit for IDLH or Red Line use shall be destroyed and disposed of by

the ACFR quartermaster.

D. Fundinga. All funding of PPE will be provided by Albemarle County to the extent the yearly budget allows.

i. *Funding for Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad will be provided at approximately 50%.b. Budget figures will be determined based on system data including membership and age of PPE in the

system.

E. Personally owned equipmenta. Personnel wishing to purchase their own gear items shall adhere to the following rules

i. Personal gear shall be limited to hoods, gloves, suspenders, helmets, and boots.ii. Personal gear shall meet all applicable NFPA standards and be presented to the Station

Quartermaster for approval prior to use.iii. Any repairs or replacement needed will be the responsibility of the individual.