2012.03.22 Work Session Packet (Joint Meeting with New Hope)JOINT CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
(Crystal and New Hope City Councils)
AGENDA SUMMARY
MARCH 22, 2012
6:30 P.M.
Crystal Community Center
4800 Douglas Drive
Game Room
Open for public observation
1. Call to order
2. Review of Ground Rules
3. Recap of February 23 Joint City Council Work Session:
- Updated categorization of issues (see attached)
4. Feedback on the March 21 West Metro Fire Board Work session
5. Discuss Operations/Finance Categories
- See attached memo
6. Discuss Parking Lot Issues
7. Next Meeting Dates:
- Monday, April 30
- Thursday, May 17
8. Adjournment
Attach:
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ETHICAL
LEADERS
INACTION
Introduction and Purpose
West Metro Fire -Rescue District
Joint City Council Work Session 5
Addendum to Meeting Agenda
March 22, 2012
This document is submitted to the Crystal and New Hope City Councils and city managers as an appendix to the
meeting agenda. This meeting will address issues related to finance and operation. Several of the issues raised
by the Councils include requests for factual information. Information relevant to such issues is presented
below.
To prepare these answers, the facilitator met with Fire Chief Crandall and New Hope Police Chief Fournier, and
reviewed relevant documents. He will meet with Crystal Police Chief Banick prior to the working session, but
was unable to schedule that meeting prior to release of this addendum.
Issues are listed using the index numbers from our resolution grid. We will address all issues in our discussion;
only those issues for which information is presented are included here.
Finance Issues
Issue 3.C. (New Hope): "Pension fund contributions need to be better explained/clarified,"
Issue 3.F. (Crystal): "Pension:
Requirements to receive full pension (is there a sliding scale?)
What are the minimum standards to be eligible for pension? Number or
percentage of calls?"
Information:
The amount of pension contributions is set by agreement between the District and the Relief Association, and
the terms of pension eligibility are defined by the Relief Association By Laws. There is no sliding scale; the
same factors are used to determine the contribution for all eligible paid -on -call personnel.
Pension contributions are calculated on a monthly basis. To be eligible for a pension contribution, an employee
must work at least 17 days during a given month. Working during a month means being available for calls,
drills, and station duties. Personnel state hours of availability in advance (i.e., days or nights), and must respond
to at least 35% of calls during the time they are available, and an assigned number of drills and station duties
during a quarter. The number of drills and station duty assignments vary by quarter.
If an employee does not meet the standards for calls, drills, and other duties on a quarterly basis, they are
subject to discipline, including progressive periods of suspension (and ultimately termination). During
suspension or other breaks in service such as personal leaves of absence, the employee is not eligible for a
pension contribution.
P.O. Box 14714
Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.ethinact.com
Issue 3.G. (Crystal): "Fund Balance: determine when surpluses go back to cities, and revise fund balance
policy"
Issue 3.11. (Crystal): "Capital projects: Need regular reports on status of capital projects, and need better
understanding of why staff vehicles cost so much (seem high compared to the cost of police squads and other
police staff vehicles)"
Information:
The District Board sets policy to govern the allocation of surplus funds. Currently, operating surpluses on an
annual basis, post -audit, are split such that 70% is allocated to fund major fire apparatus, and 30% is allocated
to fund capital equipment (non -vehicle, major durable purchases such as SCBA, thermal imagers, etc.). Capital
expenditures are made in accordance with a capital equipment and apparatus plan approved by the Board.
The District buys full-size SUVs from the State Purchasing Contract, on a 10-year replacement schedule.
Vehicles are equipped to respond to calls, with equipment and the capacity to serve in incident command and
other emergency response roles.
Issue 3.1(Crystal): "Need a plan for how funds from Relief Association are to be used."
Information:
The Relief Association is by far the largest donor to the Fire District. Donations are made with restrictions,
designating the use of funds for fire apparatus, equipment, etc. Within those parameters, the Fire Chief
currently determines how to spend those funds.
While the current chief has been in place, the District has spent less than $2000 of the funds donated by the
Relief Association. The current balance of funds awaiting expenditure is approximately $100,000.
Operations Issues
Issue 4.A. (Crystal): "EMS Protocols: What is the definition of a rescue? What is the current protocol for
WMFRD to respond to EMS calls? We must meet with Police Chiefs and North Memorial to understand their
capacities and needs. How many EMS calls are cancelled"
Issue 4.1). (New Hope): "Clarify the role of the District: fire only or fire and rescue (consider LUCAS
device)?"
Information:
"Rescue" is a very broad term, encompassing retrieval of victims from hazardous situations or otherwise
removing or protecting them from immediate danger. The term is applied to saving victims from vehicle
accidents, confined spaces, high places, cave-ins, etc. It includes everything from an industrial worker dangling
from a high scaffold to a child whose head is stuck in a stairway railing.
West Metro is dispatched and responds directly to medical calls only when they are cardiac -related (which may
include some unconscious or unresponsive victims), or when some aspect of physical rescue is involved. They
2 Joint Council Work Session 5 Addendum
also respond upon the request of police, North Memorial, or any other agency requesting their assistance
through dispatch.
In 2011, West Metro was dispatched to 464 EMS Calls. They were then cancelled on 257 of those calls. West
Metro deployed the LUCAS device 14 times in 2011. Regulations and data privacy practices (including
HIPAA) make it impossible to determine the outcomes of those incidents.
Issue 4.13. (Crystal): "Reporting calls — need to differentiate between calls — cancelled calls, burnt toast versus
structure fire calls, etc."
Information:
The new monthly Board report includes summary of call statistics and details of all calls made during the
month.
Issue 4.C. (New Hope): "Staffing Model — paid on call versus duty crew"
Information:
West Metro is currently a "combination" department. It u$es a duty crew of full-time employees to respond
during the work week, supplemented by paid on call personnel. It relies on paid on call responders nights and
weekends.
3 Joint Council Work Session 5 Addendum