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Home My WebLink About03/23/2000 FC minutes FINANCE COMMISSION Minutes of the Meeting March 23, 2000 Police and Fire Building I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Those present included Chairman John Korn and Commissioners Charles Bennett, John Engel, Vince Grochocinski, Jim Morrison, Tom Pekras, and Ann Smilanic. Commissioner George Busse arrived at 7:05 p.m. Village Manager Michael Janonis arrived at 7:10 p.m. Also present were Finance Director Douglas Ellsworth and Fire Department personnel: Chief Michael Figolah, Deputy Chief John Malcolm, Fire Marshall Paul Valentine, Captain Henry Dawson, Captain Tony Huemann, Captain Buzz Livingston, Firefighter/Paramedic Kevin Wilson and Administrative Assistant Kimbedy Smith. Commissioner Betty Launer was absent. Commissioner Busse left during the presentation by ChiefFigolah (Item IV, below). II Approval of Minutes The minutes of January 27, 2000 were approved as submitted. III Fire Department Employee Applicants Chief Figolah stated that a new-hire test revision has been arranged. It is expected to have a budget impact for this year of about $5,000. Although there are 300, or slightly more, applications on file, there is frequently trouble getting acceptance of the best qualified to whom offers are made. There is a wide market for qualified applicants. Although being a paramedic is not an application requirement, the objective of the department is that all staffwill become paramedics. IV Presentation and Discussion of Fire Department Five-Year Plan ChiefFigolah made the presentation. The planning had its start as brainstorming sessions of the entire staff. Those results were then refined by the officers. The stated goal of the department is to provide quick, effective and professional service to the residents and others whom they view as their customers. Assumptions used are that the Village will continue its slow growth, call activity will remain efficiently lean. A survey of 29 communities in the general area shows Mount Prospect as 3rd from the lowest in number of firefighters per 1,000 population. Mount Prospect's total department staff of 66 was 1.24 per 1,000 population compared to an average ratio of 2.14 per 1,000 for the surveyed communities. 89% of our staff provides direct service; 11% are support staff. One of the most vital statistics of effective operation is response time. ChiefFigolah views 5 minutes or less as an objective and 6 minutes as critical. Although the department had an average of 4.32 minutes in 1998, and was under 5 minutes 78% of the time, it was over 5 minutes 22% of the time. The department operates one ambulance at each of its three stations, 1 fire engine at each of its 2 branch stations and what is known as a quint at its central station. The quint has most of the equipment of an engine plus a high ladder. The central station also has a squad car. A total of 17 firefighters handle this equipment.., two per ambulance, three per engine, two on the quint, two in the squad car and one senior officer at the central station supervising the entire shift. All of these 17 positions must be staffed 24 hours a day. One of the staff on each engine at each shift and one of the staff assigned to the squad car is an officer. No officer is assigned to the quint. Call volume has gone up substantially in the past few years: Ambulance & Other Year Fire Emergency Total 1990 1,263 2,784 4,047 1998 2,061 3,110 5,171 Staff has not increased during this period. The substantial workload increase has been met by two principal means, viz: increased overtime and increased reliance on arrangements for aid from neighboring communities. In 1998, those communities responded to 879 calls for aid while Mount Prospect responded to only 515 of their calls, collectively. Part of this inequitable reliance on aid from other communities, Prospect Heights in particular (228 aid received by Mount Prospect and 133 given by Mount Prospect) stems from the far east location on Kensington Road of our northside branch. Prospect Heights can reach our northwest areas quicker than we can. The proposed solution or plan to address these major issues takes several steps: 1. Replace the central station rescue squad with a fire engine. This would provide two of the three firefighters (including an officer) needed for the engine. One new firefighter per shift (three people) would be needed. One unused engine is already available and on premises. The engine would be of more use than the squad in reducing the need for outside aid in answering calls. 2. Add a third person per shift (three people) to the quint staff. One person per shift would be promoted to an officer. 3. Add one more person per shift (three people) to the remaining staff to reduce overtime demands. 4. A management information officer is needed; this person could be shared with the Police Department. 5. Relocate the easternmost Kensington station to a more central or northwest location. Absent a move, substantial work will be needed on the station. If moved, the companion Fire Department maintenance garage could be shifted to Public Works; Public Works shop would need considerable alteration. The salary and benefit costs of the proposed nine new firefighters would be almost half-funded by reduced overtime costs. The $2,346,000 cost of building a new station and altering the Public Works garage would avoid significant repair-remodeling costs. Discussion: Chairman Korn asked about employee reaction to the proposal for reduced overtime. Firefighter/Paramedic Wilson said that it has been discussed, but he remains confident that it should be done. Korn asked about the effect if the United area in Elk Grove were to become part of Mount Prospect. Figolah said that there would not be a big effect except that Elk Grove Township is now a big net provider of aid trips to Mount Prospect - 389 given by them to us and 44 received by them from us in 1998. Bennett asked about concern over more high rises. Figolah said they they take more response time if the call is from up high, they contain many fire alarms and will create more needless calls or false alarms, the basement garages create a significant need for fast response time if any fire or explosion starts and, finally, there will be many seniors and they present more ambulance calls. Bennett also asked about our volunteer firefighters. Captain Huemann said there are about twenty, a great group that are well trained. Korn asked why DesPlaines has 93 firefighters compared to our 66 and has two quints to our one. Figolah said we are just more efficient. Smilanic asked whether the voluminous data which we have on many Mount Prospect buildings is now available to the firefighters on computers in the vehicles. Figolah said that it is. Figolah said that he has given much the same presentation to a community group. Their concern in sequence of priority were: 1. Our net dependence on aid from other communities. 2. The need for an additional person on the quint. 3. The 22% of calls with a response time over 5 minutes. V Chairman' s Report Chairman Korn reported on items discussed at the last several Village Board meetings. Discussion ensued about the $900,000 settlement of the police officers' discrimination suit. Village Manager Janonis observed that there appeared to be a consensus among our staff and the insurers that it was the most practical thing to do. VI Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 10:35 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for April 27, 2000. The Fire Department presentation at this meeting will be discussed and Community Development will make a presentation. The Village Hall proposal will be updated and discussed, if warranted. Respectfully submitted James R. Morrison JRM/sm