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PUBLIC AGENDA SESSION AUGUST 15, 2012 58
<br />The Board of Public Safety met in the Public Agenda Session at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, August
<br />15, 2012, with Board President Patrick D. Cottrell, and Board Members Laura Vasquez, Eddie
<br />Miller, and John Collins present. Board Member Luther Taylor was absent. Also present were Police
<br />Chief Charles Hurley, Fire Chief Steve Cox, and Board Attorney Andrea Beachkofsky.
<br />The meeting was held in the Board of Public Works Conference Room, 13th Floor County City
<br />Building, South Bend, Indiana.
<br />CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
<br />Board members agreed to move the Swearing In and the Promotion to Lieutenant, for the Police
<br />Department, up to the second and third items on the agenda to accommodate the family and friends
<br />of the officers in attendance.
<br />Board members discussed the following items from the agenda:
<br />- Duty Manual Revisions
<br />Fire Chief Steve Cox stated that most of the changes to the Duty Manual are administrative
<br />changes. He explained that the new Mayor, the new Fire Chief, and the organizational chart
<br />needed to be updated in the manual. Section 102.0 1, Riding Battalion Chief, and Section 104.00,
<br />24 Hour Fire Captain, were updated to include responsibility for safety of Firefighters. Chief Cox
<br />stated that Section 202.08, Recorded Phone for Overtime Calls, is not currently being used due to
<br />an outstanding Federal Court case regarding recording of departmental phone calls. He noted the
<br />phone recording has been used for twenty (20) years strictly for overtime calls from Battalion
<br />Chiefs, and has been a valuable tool for filling vacant spots in the Department. Chief Cox added
<br />that the calls have to be manually recorded, it is not automatic. Ms. Beachkofsky stated the
<br />decision was made pursuant to Federal law that the best way to handle the recording of the calls
<br />was to have all Firefighter's ratify it in the contract. Once negotiated, everyone is aware that they
<br />are being recorded and have consented to it in the signing of the contract. Chief Cox stated in
<br />Section 204.04, Decorum in Quarters, wording was added to require every firefighter to be out of
<br />bed, and have their bed made, by the end of their shift at 7:30 a.m. Section 204.06, Company
<br />Training, was changed from requiring one (1) hour of training per day to ten (10) hours per
<br />month. Chief Cox noted that they often have three (3) hours of multi - company training in one day,
<br />which is more effective than a one (1) hour in -house training. He explained that the average Fire
<br />Fighter's schedule works out to ten (10) days a month, so they changed it to ten hours per month.
<br />Chief Cox noted that some of the firefighters have up to twenty (20) to thirty (30) hours a month
<br />training. In Section 205.02, Trading of Duty Time, Chief Cox stated a change to the exchange of
<br />time was made in the paragraph limiting the number of years a firefighter is restricted from
<br />exchanging time when being found AWOL. He noted it was reduced from three (3) years to one
<br />(1) year because they felt three (3) was excessive. In Section 300.00, Rules of Conduct, Regarding
<br />Tattoos, the policy is being reviewed and needs to be modified. Ms. Beachkofsky noted the way it
<br />is currently written, it is unenforceable, and she is working on re- writing the rules to make it
<br />enforceable. She added it should be pulled from the Duty Manual in its current form. Chief Cox
<br />stated that most of the rest of the changes are just verbiage clean-ups to make the manual easier to
<br />understand.
<br />- Monthly Statistical Analysis — Fire Department
<br />Chief Cox noted that the actual number of fires this year hasn't decreased; the numbers are pretty
<br />normal, but there is a significant decrease in structure damage this year. He pointed out there have
<br />been no fatalities to date this year.
<br />- Acknowledge Mayoral Appointment to Battalion Chief — Captain James Luccki
<br />Chief Cox informed the Board that Captain Luccki is a fantastic replacement for retired Battalion
<br />Chief Buddy Kirsits. Chief Cox noted Captain Luccki has thirty -three (33) years on the
<br />department, with ten (10) years as a Paramedic Captain, ten (10) years as a Fire Captain, and time
<br />spent as part of the Rescue Divers, and Hazardous Materials teams. He stated Captain Luccki has
<br />a very thick personnel file with the majority of the file containing accommodations.
<br />- Employees of the Month — Police Department
<br />Police Chief Charles Hurley stated that Patrolman Kelly Hibbs, selected as employee of the month
<br />for April, was able to solve five (5) additional burglaries while in the process of investigating one
<br />(1) burglary. He stated this was going above and beyond the expected duties. Patrolman Ken
<br />Ryan, selected for the month of May, was working at a homicide scene when he discovered a
<br />second victim in a car two and a half blocks away in an alley. Chief Hurley noted had he not
<br />discovered the body, it would have been discovered by a child or citizen later. Patrolman Jamil
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