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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes August 28, 2001 Page 10 1 • The current firefighters receive no compensation for attending FF1 training. 2 • Our current firefighters do not receive compensation for just being available. 3 • Current department training budget was $4,500. 4 • They have hired four recruits since April who are available during the day. 5 • They have mutual aid agreements with the surrounding communities. 6 * Columbia Heights and Fridley are available to respond automatically to 7 confirmed working structure fires. 8 • They are currently working with the City Manager to provide city employees to 9 become day firefighters. 10 Mayor Cavanaugh asked if they would abandon Public Works volunteer option for now. Fire Chief 1 t Hewitt said that was true. 12 Mayor Cavanaugh asked about the condition of the firehouse. 13 A Resident stated that members of the community were here to speak, not listen to the status of the 14 firehouse and statistics provided by Fire Chief Hewitt. Mayor Cavanaugh interjected that he brought up a good point, but they never anticipated this type of *6 turnout when the Fire Chief for the City of Minneapolis agreed to come tonight. He continued by 17 saying that he wanted to hear about the condition of the firehouse because it is a concern for the 18 community. Mayor Cavanaugh added that he was aware of the majority's disposition, and he would 19 return the subject back to the Council shortly. 20 Fire Chief Hewitt advised that the state of the firehouse was poor. He indicated that there are two 21 firefighters who live there full time. He cited several reasons for which the firehouse needed dire 22 attention: small and dysfunctional, gear is stored near the diesel fumes(not O.S.H.A compliant), air 23 quality is terrible, carpet is bug infested, sewer backs up in the shower. 24 Mayor Cavanaugh stated that reports from several engineers who have examined the firehouse echoed 25 the same technical concerns that Fire Chief Hewitt referenced. 26 Mayor Cavanaugh asked if there was any desire on behalf of the Council to pursue any further the 27 subject of joining services with the City of Minneapolis. 28 Councilmember Hodson thanked the residents for their presence and their comments, and stated that 29 he did not feel the need to continue any pursuit. 30 Councilmember Horst stated that he did not know of any other Fire Department that does the same 0 type of work as the Fire Department in the City of St. Anthony. He added that discussing the Fire 32 Department is just the "tip of the iceberg," and the Police Department and the Public Works 33 Department were next.