Agenda Packets - 2002/10/28 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item No. 07J Type of Business: CA WK: Work Session; PH: Public Hearing; CA: Consent Agenda; CB: Council Business City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Mayor and City Council From: Nyle Zikmund, Fire Chief Item Title/Subject: Resolution 5880 - Purchase of Used Mini-Pumper Meeting Date: October 28, 2002 Background: In August of this year the department experienced an unpredictable and sudden loss of all (3 individuals) of our daytime fire responders assigned to Station Four. Station Four provides primary protection to the east side of Blaine and NE portion of Mounds View. The three volunteers were supplemented with up to ten available Blaine City employees who are also responding members of the fire department. Recruitment efforts began immediately and included a mailing to approximately 1,000 residents in close proximity to the station, front page articles in the last two issues of the city newsletter, word of mouth, and advertising on the cable channel. To date we have received two contacts, neither of which submitted applications. Station Four historically experiences about 45 emergency runs during the weekday. Of these, a structure fire occurs about once every other year and we respond to upwards of a dozen crash rescue personal injury crashes. The remaining calls are car fires, grass fires, smoke in the area, alarms and the like. Options: Administrative and volunteer met to determine and explore all options. These numbered close to ten and were narrowed to six viable for the purpose of discussion. They include; closing the station, full time staff, duty crew, duty staff, relocating an engine to Blaine City Hall, and purchase of a mini- pumper to be housed at Blaine City Hall. Discussion: Recruitment has historically been difficult and is not unique to Blaine or the Station Four area. Had the cities not embraced the cooperative efforts of allowing certain employees to respond we would have staffing issues at all stations. Even if successful in recruitment, the nature of the volunteer service is the same problem could reoccur without notice or warning. Closing the station is not a practical solution, staffing of the stations is, and especially in this situation given the call volume, a very inefficient use of taxpayer resources, and relocation of an engine is not possible without construction of a heated garage area large enough.