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Home My Public Portal About2016-11-17_COW_Public_Agenda PackagePage 1 of 1 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AGENDA Thursday,November 17, 2016 Chester Municipal Council Chambers 151 King Street, Chester, NS 1.MEETING CALLED TO ORDER. 2.MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: 2.1.Committee of the Whole –November 3, 2016 3.MATTERS ARISING: 4.CORRESPONDENCE: 5.NEW BUSINESS: 5.1 Report and Recommendation from Robert Manual, Chair of the Chester Joint Fire Advisory Committee dated October 2016 (appointment at 9:00 a.m.) 5.2 Discussion -Shore Road, Mill Cove -Boat Launch (Councillor Shatford) 6.IN CAMERA: 6.1 Legal Advice –Request to make presentation to Council Re: Litigation Matter ADJOURNMENT. APPOINTMENTS ARRANGED 9:00 a.m.Robert Manual, Chester Joint Fire Advisory Committee regarding October 2016 Report. JFAC REPORT Oct. 2016 Chester Joint Fire Advisory Committee Report October 2016 The Chester JFAC has met 5 times since being formed. These meetings focused on gaining an understanding of our role, gaining knowledge regarding the structure and provision of fire services in the area of our responsibility and learning more about the roles of the various equipment owned by the Village of Chester and used by the Chester Volunteer Fire Department. The members also gained insight into what a Superior Shuttle Service rating is, how it is obtained and what it means to residents and businesses served by the CVFD. Committee discussions also focused on:  The appearance of significant friction between the various parties to the Fire Services agreements,  Whether or not short, medium and long term planning exists with regard to ongoing requirements for replacement and new acquisition of equipment,  Amount of resident knowledge, support and pride regarding the CVFD,  Amount of public appreciation of CVFD members and their services,  Requirement, location, format and frequency of public consultation meetings,  How are other villages and fire departments structured and how do they work,  What strategies are in place to ensure funding for building and equipment replacement, repair and upgrades are in place. These will be researched and discussed in more detail before recommendations are made. One specific issue the JFAC has spent a considerable amount of time researching and discussing is the that of a replacement for truck #551, a CVFD Tanker Pumper, which was directed to the committee by the village commission and brought up by committee members. From examination of a recent mechanical report (attached) as well as Insurance Underwriter recommendations and guidelines reviewed it is clear to the committee that this truck should be replaced as soon as possible. It is in poor mechanical condition, has broken down on recent fire calls and is an important apparatus in the fire fighting structure of the area. What was not appreciated by committee members, based on our limited knowledge, is the role of this piece of equipment and whether or not it is needed in the provision of fire protection and fire fighting services in Chester and the outlying areas. The JFAC undertook to obtain information in this regard, looked at CVFD Operating Procedures (attached), discussed with the Fire Chief and listened to explanations from committee representatives of the CVFD and considered the information available on line regarding insurance industry guidelines. JFAC REPORT Oct. 2016 Considerations: The CVFD fleet currently consists of: Truck 511- Utility Truck 521 - Heavy Rescue Truck 531 -Pumper - First out - 800 gallon capacity/ 1500gpm pump Truck 541 - Supply pumper/tanker, mutual aid – 1500 gallon capacity/ 1500gpm pump Truck 551 – tanker/pumper – 2000 gallon capacity/ 1050gpm pump Rescue boat. Lake boat As with many emergency situations, shorter responses and action times save money, and lives as well as reduce losses. Each of the fleet vehicles play a pivotal role on emergency calls depending on the nature of the call and is considered essential in the provision of fire fighting and emergency services. Appendix A (Operating Procedures) attached outlines the various types of emergency calls received and response strategy. It is worth noting that truck # 551 responded, per the protocol, to 80% (104) of the 130 CVFD calls in the last year. Fire fighting requires water. Tankers are essential in providing this much needed resource. Every fire will have a pumper at a scene acting as an attack pumper, supplying water at sufficient pressure to the hoses being used on the fire. Suppression efforts begin based on the volume of water this main attack truck carries and what water a tanker can deliver. This initial delivery allows for one of two longer-term water strategies to be developed: Where a stable water source exists in proximity to the scene, supply lines, using large diameter hose, can be established. Where no stable water supply exists, the initial delivery gives time for the first tanker to refill and for mutual aid tankers to arrive at scene and the Superior Water Shuttle to be established, which brings water to the scene. In either of those cases, it is wise to allow 15 to 20 minutes for those strategies to be implemented, perhaps longer depending on driving conditions and ease of accessing stable water sources, hence the value of the initial volume of water from both the attack pumper and the tanker. Even when water is supplied to the attack pumper, through large volume lines, from a stable water source, a tanker may still be required. Because of its pump capacity, a tanker could be “put in the line” to assist with pushing water from the water source to the attack pumper when the distance and topography between the two challenge the pressure the pumper at the water source can maintain in delivering water to the scene. Mutual Aid Depending on the fire size and location, there may also be a need to call on a neighbouring department, or to assist in the provision of “Mutual Aid”. The tanker trucks are a must in these instances. In the case of requesting Mutual Aid, they provide water immediately while waiting for the help to arrive and then form a key part of the “Shuttle Service” providing the water JFAC REPORT Oct. 2016 required to keep the porta-tanks filled, which are movable, open, rubber bladders held by a metal frame, and trucks supplied. The committee questioned why it was not possible just to call on another department when there was a fire. Two answers are that: 1) it is conceivable that the other department might not be available as they are on another call (especially during brush/grass fire season), and 2) it takes longer (15 to 20 minutes) for another department to get to the CVFD district than it does the CVFD. The CVFD tankers can arrive quicker and start firefighting with on board water before the aid arrives. Superior Water Shuttle In the case of the “Superior Shuttle Service Rating”, the highest rating a non staffed fire department can achieve, the department has had to show it can respond to a fire and provide a minimum continuous supply of water of 2200 gallons per minute for 120 minutes (residential) and 400 gallons per minute for 60 minutes (commercial) for 120 minutes (residential and 400 gallons per minute for 60 minutes (commercial) from when they arrive on site. This requires coordination with other departments (Mutual Aid), timing and cooperation. Existing equipment working properly could not achieve this alone, nor could the equipment of nearby Chester Basin and other departments. It requires two or more departments working together to be able to maintain this rating. Many residents and businesses of Chester and area enjoy a premium reduction on their home and business insurance policies because the departments have been able to maintain this rating. The high volume tanker pumpers are a must to continue maintaining this rating. Not all fires are large (e.g. car fires, trash fires, small grass fires, etc.). In these instances, the water carried by the tankers may well be sufficient to deal with the problem without the need to run long lines to a water source and involve other pieces of equipment. Having the larger volume such as that carried by truck 551 ensures this need is met. Also on smaller fires, it is easier to refill the volume of water in the pumpers (531,541) from 551 and filling the tanker off a water source, than trying to fill the pumpers at a water source. Largely, this ease is based on 551 having a portable pump on the truck, which the two pumpers do not have because space on those trucks is taken up by tools required at fire and emergency scenes. Conclusion and Recommendation: From this it is the recommendation of the JFAC: 1) That, if not already done, the CVFD submit a request for replacement of Truck #551 with a new Tanker/Pumper with at least the same tanker and pumper capacities as Truck #551, to the Village of Chester and 2) that the VOC, and the MODC if required, support this request; and 3) that, working together specifications for a tender be developed without delay. JFAC REPORT Oct. 2016 This should be accomplished and a tender called so that the order for a new truck can be placed, and a purchase order for the replacement be concluded not later than the April of 2017. This time frame is important as it can take up to a year to have a truck built and delivered once the order is placed; and 4) that sufficient repairs necessary to ensure truck #551 remains operational until a new truck can be acquired be undertaken immediately. Respectfully submitted Robert Manuel Chair, Joint Fire Advisory Committee Attachments: 1. Mechanical report on truck 551 2. CVFD Operating Procedures 3. Superior Tanker Shuttle Service information 4. SWS testing information 5. Insurance grading information JFAC REPORT Oct. 2016