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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes • March 24, 1998 Page 16 1 Mr. Nelson stated he felt$250,000 is a lot of money to spend on a fire truck. He would like the 2 Council to look at the issue in the manner which Cavanaugh tried to convey. He stated it did not 3 make sense to drive a$250,000 fire truck up and down Silver Lake Road when a smaller, lighter, 4 faster, quieter vehicle could do the job. This would also extend the lives of the fire trucks the 5 City owns. Mr. Nelson questioned the emergency response equipment. 6 Chief Engstrom reported St. Anthony utilizes Hennepin County Medical Center for their 7 Advanced Life Support. A trained EMT can do more than a police officer can. The Police 8 Department provided Basic Life Support and the Fire Department has two paid paramedics. 9 Mayor Ranallo stated he used to have the same view as Mr. Nelson but then he started studying 10 the activities of St. Anthony's and other City's Fire Department. There are many instances 11 where more than one big truck is required. It would be difficult for him to say that he would 12 support a smaller vehicle. 13 Mornson reported that of the 6% of calls related to fire, 90% of those fires are extinguished by 14 the two people who respond to medicals. 15 Mr. Nelson asked what percentage of the 500-600 calls that the Fire Department made last year 0 went to Chandler Place. 17 Mayor Ranallo stated the Fire Chief would present his annual report at the April 28 Council 18 meeting. 19 Mr. Nelson asked if a high percentage of calls go to support businesses that have the capability to 20 handle many crises situations themselves. He questioned if taxpayers dollars should be spent to 21 respond to these calls. 22 Mayor Ranallo noted that these residents are also taxpayers of the City of St. Anthony. 23 Mr. Nelson stated he felt it was important to make his thoughts clear on fire equipment. He 24 stated he lives on Silver Lake Road and noted that many police cars go through the intersection 25 at the bottom of the hill at 60-70 miles per hour with their sirens off. He asked if it was 26 necessary to travel at that speed. 27 Engstrom stated he had no evidence that the Police Officers were traveling through that 28 intersection at that rate of speed. This would have to be radared or clocked to verify. He stated 29 that Police Officers have the same responsibilities as everyone else unless they are responding to 30 an emergency. On an emergency call their primary responsibility is to get from point a to point b 31 in the safest manner possible. He stated that without hard evidence he could not accept this report. 33 Mayor Ranallo asked if the officers were driving that fast with the red lights and siren on.