09-07-16 Personnel and Finance - Laserfiche WebLink

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We've also been working on our five (5) year capital plan. This year we put two (2) pumper trucks out to bid along with one (1) ambulance. We are also in the process of purchasing a new HASMAT truck. Those were all things that fit into our five (5) year capital plan as far as purchasing vehicles goes. Next year we'll have a ladder truck, vehicle extrication equipment and helmets, which are changed out every ten (10) years by NFPA requirements. This year puts us at about nine (9) years with the current set of helmets that we purchased. We'll also be applying for assistance through the federal government to try to cover the cost of the helmets through a grant. Chief Cox cautioned the Council, because it is a very competitive process, and we apply to AFG almost every year for a piece of equipment that is costly to the department. FEMA looks at the needs and the means of the City, but we are not in as bad of a place as a lot of other cities. Traditionally, we've been passed over because we are in better shape than those other places, but that is not to say that we have not been successful in getting the grants. We've received them in the past, so we're going to continue to apply for them. We are doing a mobile data terminal upgrade for all of our vehicles, which are basically the laptop computers that sit in the fire trucks and ambulances and other response vehicles. We also have been looking at our long term strategic station relocation program, which does not just include the two (2) stations that we've been hearing about. We are continually evaluating whether or not we have the right resources in the right places in the City. Additionally, on October 1, 2016, Chuck Steele will have his fiftieth (50th) anniversary as a sworn firefighter for the City of South Bend. To our knowledge, there has never been anyone who has hit this milestone in our department. We'll be having a ceremony that Monday, October 3rd at the Central Station. Chief Cox will be sending an invitation out to the Council soon. Chief Cox stated that the recruitment committee will continue to improve on its current initiative by collaborating with HR and the new diversity and inclusion officer. Even though they are testing, the recruitment process never ends. They are already working with members of the committee to enhance the success in the next recruitment cycle. Christina Brooks has been fantastic to work with so far, too. In the wellness and fitness initiative, they completed the first round of work performance evaluations from a fitness perspective. It was performed by an external company, and they took a lot of things into account in terms of age and number of years with the department and used them to validate a time for everyone, so it was not a random number that we came up with. Committeemember Voorde asked if they ever run into problems in the older fire stations regarding gender diversity. Chief Cox stated that Station Nine (9) was built in 1926, and women were not firefighters at that time. In that building there are two (2) unisex bathrooms, but there is only one (1) very small common room for sleeping and one (1) locker room, which does not accommodate two (2) sexes. When we rebuild, it will be built to accommodate two (2) sexes so that people have the privacy they need. 5