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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 5A_4/27/1989 r 0)14 VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA .,� , Post Office Box 3273 • 357 Tequesta Drive • �i;p Tequesta, Florida 33469-0273 • (407) 575-6200 N FAX: (407) 575-6203 V I L LAGS OF TEQUESTA PUBLIC S A F ETY COMM I TT E E MEETING MINUTES APR I L 6 ,. 1 9 8 9 I. The Public Safety Committee of the Tequesta Village Council held a meeting on Thursday, April 6, 1989, in the Village Hall Council Chambers, 357 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, Florida, to discuss an action-plan relative to the Tequesta Association of Voters and Taxpayers' (TAVT) Fire-Rescue Report. The meeting was called to order at 9:40 A.M. by Committee Chairman Joseph N. Capretta. Co-Chairman William E. Burckart was also present. Village Officials present were: Thomas G. Bradford, Village Manager; Carl R. Roderick, Chief of Police; Stephen Allison, Lieutenant Police Department; and Joann M. Manganiello, Administrative Secretary. Mr. Joseph Yoder, President of the TAVT was also in attendance. II. Committee Chairman Joseph N. Capretta stated that the purpose of the meeting was to "follow-up" on TAVT's Fire- Rescue Study; discuss an action-plan relative to the same; and make recommendations to Council so that they, in turn, may instruct Village Manager Bradford as to the appropriate actions to be taken in the future. Mr. Capretta emphasized the point in question; "Is a Public Safety Department appropriate for Tequesta?" He admitted that the TAVT Report had merit, but felt that it could not be accepted at "face value" without further investigation. He stressed the importance of verifying facts, costs, and financial impact. In this regard, Mr. Capretta noted that Palm Beach County Fire Chief Brice: 1) told the Village that it was "getting a bargain" ($600,000 value for $376,000) 2) still had to build Station 12 3) had deliberately kept Tequesta's costs at a minimum In light of these circumstances, Mr. Capretta anticipates a substantial cost increase (perhaps 50% or more) for Tequesta for 1990. Village Manager Bradford noted that Chief Brice had given the Village preliminary figures. The County could either borrow money or spread the cost over 2-3 fiscal 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 2 years, an option as the County goes into budget this summer. Chairman Capretta also pointed out that the County has a pay-as-you-go policy. It could amortize costs over the first year, but can Tequesta be assured of a one-time increase or "assume" an increase each year? A cost projection is needed; when the figures are "in", a comparison of cost effectiveness can be made. Mr. Capretta suggested hiring a consultant to "look into" the following basic issues: 1) verification of facts - especially critical statistics, such as, response time 2) costs - operation of a Public Safety Department - comparison of maintaining Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Service - projected costs 3) viability can police "adapt" to this Public Safety concept? - "first-responders" with capabilities/implementation in areas of Basic Life Support (BLS) and Fire Suppression? 4) Public Safety Department - how would it operate? - police as "first-responders" with BLS and Fire Suppression? - North County Ambulance back-up? - a combination of police, fire, and paramedic? 5) What does it take to provide Tequesta with fire protection? Chairman Capretta's recommendation was to first, arrive at an implementation plan approved by Council, and then, to present the plan to the public for review and response, perhaps in a referendum. Co-Chairman Burckart suggested that the issue of Public Safety be approached a little more simply. He noted that the people he had spoken to did not have any problems with creating a Public Safety Department. In general, older citizens who agreed with the concept were not concerned with costs; younger citizens, however, were. Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 3 Mr. Burckart questioned the need for a Public Safety Department himself, and voiced concern that the basic issues, as outlined by Mr. Capretta, be properly addressed. He questioned: 1) Whether or not the police can "adapt" to this Public Safety Concept? (and recommended Police Chief Roderick "look into" the same) 2) Can police cars accommodate the necessary equipment? 3) Are new, modified cars needed to make equipment accessible? 4) What effect will it have on the Village's insurance rates? 5) Does the Village have a huge liability at stake if, for example, an inaccurate diagnosis/treatment is administered by police at the scene? 6) Do we involve . the Water Company? 7) Do we use volunteers? (Mr. Bradford - good in principle, not in actuality) Essentially, Mr. Burckart agreed on hiring a consultant to study the TAVT Report, assimilate it, and determine a plan of action. He felt that this "plan of action" must be coordinated with Chief Roderick and was concerned with the possibility of his losing policemen due to the extra responsibilities imposed on them. Chairman Capretta noted that at the last Public Safety Committee Meeting, Mr. Yoder brought up some very important points regarding response time. He asked: 1) Could police be given additional training? 2) Do we change policemen's protocol; what actions to take when first to arrive at the scene? Mr. Capretta made the following recommendations as regards these points: 1) Strive for 1. 5 minute response time Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 4 2) Give police additional training - BLS, Fire-Rescue 3) Provide necessary equipment for police 4) Establish proper protocol - "first-responder" 5) Enable police to "save a life" until paramedics arrive (possibility of continued use of Palm Beach County Ambulance and Fire Rescue) Ideally, the above referenced "plan of action" could be used as a "First Phase. " In actuality, according to Chief Roderick's "First Aid/CPR Policy Report (see attachment), Tequesta Police are practically doing this now. Mr. Capretta emphasized that improvement of "first-responder" service to the public by the police be top priority, regardless as to whether or not Tequesta goes with the Public Safety Concept. He noted that it would certainly help to improve the image of the police as "life-savers. " Mr. Capretta did agree, however, with Mr. Burckart on the problem of liability and advised a short-term investigation of the risk factor be undertaken. Mr. Burckart reiterated the need for additional Basic Life Support training and emphasized that police must feel confident to go into a yb� situation and take action. Chief Roderick noted that police \ o . ' action depends on the particular situation. Tequesta Police NO . are certified to administer CPR and stop bleeding (First ,„�� e�,t°°r Aid. ) The next "step-up" for the policemen is EMT C W > (Emergency Medical Technician), at which point it would be necessary to provide defibrillators in police cars. Village Manager Bradford noted that at police training school, police receive BLS training. He asked if they received fire-extinguisher training? Chief Roderick said, "No, " although extinguishers are carried in standard police cars. Manager Bradford also noted that Greenacres City's police (in standard police cars) have BLS and ALS (Advanced Life Support) training. It also has an officer in a modified pick-up truck which holds 300 gallons of heavy water with a pumper to extinguish small fires. Additionally, Greenacres City has large fire apparatus at a particular location, as well as ambulance/rescue service to transport people to the hospital. Mr. Capretta stated that Greenacres City may be an appropriate "comparison town" to Tequesta; "we fit the picture like a glove. " He wanted to "see" a • Public Safety Department in operation first-hand. Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 5 Mr. Burckart suggested North Palm Beach as a good place to observe because it was smaller than Greenacres City. Mr. Yoder observed that Public Safety is a unique thing, one that "looks at" a particular village and uses police, fire protection, and paramedics as building blocks. He suggested that the Public Safety Concept be "tailor-made" to meet the needs of Tequesta citizens and recommended that we: 1) look at our particular environment/needs 2) hire a consultant to investigate proper police protocol 3) decide feasibility of defibrillators in police cars as part of the Fire-Rescue Unit He pointed out that as long as the police are doing "something" (even administering oxygen), it gives the person "peace of mind" which is very important psychologically. Mr. Yoder liked Mr. Capretta's idea of a "First Phase" and expressed the hope that it would materialize very quickly. Its advantage being that citizens will be happy to know they can depend on Tequesta Police as "first-responders. " He also noted that even though we're not paying police to put out fires, they do have extinguishers in their cars and should have the knowledge of how and when to use them effectively. Mr. Yoder placed "data gathering" as another important factor. He noted that the TAVT Fire-Rescue Study did not get into "analysis" of response time, but only gathered information as to response time from surrounding areas. He presented a Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Daily Data Sheet (see attachment) which logged all 911 emergency calls. He pointed out that the information supplied was incomplete/insufficient for data gathering and analysis - an antiquated system. Mr. Capretta noted that Fire Chief Brice realized the inadequacies in Palm Beach County's services, data system, and response time and intends to improve it, but when? According to Mr. Yoder, data in the TAVT Report is broken down into government entities. He would like to know what our response time is for our Village and the unincorporated areas? (a possible "plus" for reasons of annexation. ) If we can gather this basic data, and know what we're involved in, we can: Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 6 1) determine actual response time - 2) gauge what manpower is needed 3) anticipate what our demands will be In effect, we need data to use to manage our operation. He pointed out that a consultant is not needed to gather this data; dispatchers at police departments keep logs/reports. According to Chief Roderick, response time of 1.5 minutes is accurate pursuant to accident reports. He confirmed that reports are kept on every call that is dispatched and that fire rescues come under "fire assists. " Village Manager Bradford asked Chief Roderick to explain dispatch procedure. Chief Roderick explained, for example, in the case of a heart attack- 911, call is transferred to EMS and they, in turn, dispatch Fire-Rescue (a 3-way conversation. ) Next, the dispatcher enters the 911 call and time in the phone log (arrival time) and also in the dispatch log (clearing-scene time. ) Data - type of call, date ,and time - is typed into a computer which calculates response time. Relative to this, Mr. Capretta called attention to the fact that the dispatcher needs proper training to handle the information coming in (911 emergency) over the phone so that he/she can decide what vehicle to dispatch to the scene. Mr. Bradford asked Chief Roderick whether he could tell how many Fire-Rescue calls were received from January 1, 1989? Lieutenant Allison responded that they not only had that information, but also knew the log time between Tequesta Police arrival on the scene and the arrival- of the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Unit, as of January 1, 1989. Assuming that Tequesta Police respond to every call, Mr. Burckart noted that we could easily compare our response time to that of Palm Beach County. Village Manager Bradford emphasized two important issues: 1) short-term issue - Should Tequesta get into Basic Life Support or not? 2) long-term issue - Should the Village hire a consultant? As regards the short-term issue, Police Chief Roderick was requested to prepare a report within 30 days, addressed to Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 7 the Village Manager, regarding the implementation of procedures by Tequesta Police as "first-responders" in the areas of Basic Life Support and Fire Suppression. Village Manager Bradford would then disseminate said report to Public Safety Committee Membsrs/Village Council for review. In summary, Chairman Capretta broke-down the Public Safety Concept for Tequesta into 3 Phases, as follows: PHASE I 1) First-Response a) What are the capabilities of Tequesta Police? • (BSL/Fire Suppression) b) What does it take to implement it? c) If viable, do it. * Under the direction of Police Chief Roderick. 2) Consultant* - Hire one to: a) verify facts in TAVT Report b) estimate costs - insurance liability, equipment, costs of operating a Public Safety Department, maintaining Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue/ North County Ambulance, projected costs, etc. c) determine viability of Tequesta Police adapting to the Public Safety Concept d) determine feasibility of Public Safety Department - future involvement with Palm Beach County? - buy support from North County Ambulance? - link up with them? - (At this time, Fire Chief Brice wants Tequesta to remain part of the Palm Beach County Fire- Rescue Service. ) If, after investigation, the consultant concludes that the Public Safety Concept is feasible, viable, and cost effective for Tequesta, then Council would decide whether to 1 ) make the decision on the issue themselves, or 2) put it to a referendum vote (a definite need for commitment from Tequesta citizens. ) * See attached sheet for listing of consultant questions. Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 8 PHASE II Feasibility a) Is data presented by the consultant adequate for Council to base their decision on? PHASE III Consultant/Implementation of Plan As the Public Safety Concept discussion neared conclusion, Mr. Capretta advised that before hiring a consultant, Council should ensure that they are asking the "right" questions so that the consultant can provide Council with the "right" information. He asked that the minutes of this meeting be edited and sent to him and Co-Chairman Burckart for first review. He also indicated the possibility of a long process between Phase II and Phase III. Chairman Capretta stated that he wanted the job done and done right. He would prefer to see Public Safety as a whole, complete system for Tequesta, excluding Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and North County Ambulance. Mr. Bradford agreed, stating that he was tired of Tequesta's budget being dictated by Palm Beach County. Village Manager Bradford cautioned that Council make sure they have the consultant's input before going to referendum. He was also concerned with the timing involved. He assumed that the consultant would want at least 6 months for investigation of data. Mr. Bradford noted that if Tequesta wants out of the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue System, we must tell them so by April 1, 1990. Consequently, a consultant must be hired as soon as possible. Council cannot wait for October 1, 1989, the new fiscal year, to budget for a consultant. Village Manager Bradford also suggested that the Village could hold a referendum on the first Tuesday in March, 1990. Time-wise, Council would have a time lag between then and April 1, to notify Palm Beach County, "We want out. " Chairman Capretta and Co-Chairman Burckart advised Village Manager Bradford to investigate hiring a consultant right away; contact firms, get a time-span for development of an implementation plan. Public Safety Committee Meeting Minutes April 6, 1989 Page 9 There being no other matters before the Committee for consideration, the meeting was adjourned at 10:48 A.M. A copy of Police Chief Roderick's First Aid/CPR Report and Fire Report and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Data Sheet are attached and made a part of these minutes for informational purposes. Respectfully submitted, Joann M. Manganiello Administrative Secretary /JMM i VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA POLICE DEPARTMENT TYPE : POLICY TITLE : FIRST AID / CPR DATE : NUMBER : AMENDED: SUBJECT: FIRST AID AND CPR TRAINING, RESPONSE TO CALLS AND DUTIES OF OFFICER AT SCENE . All officers assigned to road patrol will be trained in the field of First Aid and CPR and will maintain a basic certificate of certification . All patrol cars will contain a fully complemented first aid kit and operational oxygen assist or pressurized resuscitator kit . All officers will be periodically checked out on the operation of the different oxygen resuscitators used by the department . Officers will be dispatched to all life threatening calls including medical emergencies within the Village. The zone car should be dispatched to a "Medical Emergency" upon receipt of the call and the dispatcher should then monitor the 911 transfer to EMS for pertinent information . The officer in route can then be advised of the nature of the emergency so the officer can enter the scene with the proper equipment (oxygen for heart attack or trouble breathing complaints, etc .) . Upon arrival , officers will render the necessary first aid to maintain life support ; breathing , heart beat , control bleeding and treat for shock . The assigned officer will remain on the scene to assist medical personnel when they arrive, if requested . Village Manager Chief of Police Thomas G. Bradford Page Carl R. Roderick VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA POLICE DEPARTMENT TYPE : POLICY TITLE : FIRES DATE NUMBER : AMENDED: SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO FIRE CALLS , OFFICERS RESPONSIBILITIES, DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT AND OFFICER TRAININ3 . All patrol cars will be equipped with a functional chemical fire extinguisher in the Five (5) to Ten (10) lb . class. All officers will receive basic instructions and training on the use of the fire extinguishers and applications. Officers will be dispatched to all fire calls within the Village limits. The officers main concern is the protection of life and then •the availability of extinguishing the fire. No officer is to risk injury to him/herself or others for the protection of property where that. .. risk may be serious or critical . The officer must use his/her experience, common sense and good judgement before taking any risk in attempting to extinguish a fire. • • Village Manager Chief of Police Thomas G. Bradford Page Carl R. Roderick N rr�f- • /Ot7- /yfo,r���� We/ ,' /, ;yi1r- '+G J(r',L' 7S?a'r. PALM ILEAC: IRE RESCUE i? 41 CONSOLIDATED -- DAILY RE. T 04/03/BB �/ S,t�`7z � 999 /PUQ /'�� - /Z j,AiS�vPftINTED: 04/04/88 01:11 �/ AGE 00 2 ALARM* CODE RECEIVED U/CTL SE REt ADDDESS UNI DISP RESP ARR ENRTE HOSP COMP QTRS 011141 999 OB:54 09:05 4016 HYTHE A C/V 547r r R54 08:24. 08:9a 08:40 09:05 09:12 7011142 100 00:46 '• 10:04 COUNTRY CLUO DR SLOG 22/2:14 �- . —' R11 08:47 08:48 08:54 09:15 09:28 10:04 10:15 011143 100 08:57 • 10:88 6000 BELVEDERE RD 9i/ 01 • s'9Cr4Ois R23 08:58 08:58 09:01 09:26 09:87 10:88 10:40 -- /0Q 9/5P /Vs!r.il•', 1 sti i/�/.r 23 09:02 09:02 09:05 09:26 09:23 04••i24 09:02 09:1 B 09:1 B 011144 999 09:21 10:45 7900 DEL PRADO CIR S 119 DOOR R55 09:21 09:21 09:23 10:04 10:14 10:45 10:52 011145 999 09:96 09:47 10090 CAMELBACK LN -- R54 09:87 09:37 09:40 09:47 10:01 E54 09:44 09:44 09:47 10:00 011146 500 09:58 10:09 10072 44TH AV S -- R51 09:54 09:55 09:58 10:09 10:59 011147 110 09:55 10:45 14555 SIMS RD 170 R52 09:56 09:56 40:01 10:24 10:28 10:45 10:53 011148 999 10:12 10:52 TPK LAKE WORTH SERVICE PLAZA R42 10:18 10:15 10:18 10:81 , 10:39 10:51 11:04 011149 100A 10:94 11:09 8758 WINDROW WAY R54 10:85 10:95 10:98 11:09 11:18 —' E54 10:85 10:85• 10:38 10:47 10:53 011150 210 10:37 11:26 4602 HOLL: LAKE DR 1 -' --- R41 10:98 10:29 10:42 11:02 11:09 11:26 11:80 011151 999 10:48 11:47 1626 DAVIS RD 110-W R38 10:48 10:48 10:52 11:18 11:25 11:47 12:00 011152 100 10:54 11:28 606 E MONET CIR I—L)N/7 lei d R16 10:55 10:56 10:59 11:15 11:18 11:28 11:06 "As �/b4r Ap E16 0:56 10:56 10:59 11:14 11:20 011158 100 11:05 12:00 640 SAXONY N K/P A/% y 01/ R52 11;06 11:06 06 11 11:12 11:81 11:50 12:00 12:00 011154 200 11:18 12:02 10970 SR 702 "• y1 Sae�f —4.40Por/ R15 11:18 11:20 11:24 11:86 11:50 12:02 12:12 011155 76 i i:34 11:52 420 CELESTIAL WAY lag/r; :5 AC“;-Fn. 7 4v �l� E15 11:36 11:87 11:89 1:52 117 ) R16; 11:36 11:86. 11:43 11:50 12:15 �, l �JI�O 111 11:86 _ 11_43 i i:4r3_ L15 11:97 11:37 11:40 11:52_12:17 011156 100 12:10 12:80 1815 FOREST HILL BLVD ...-- _ R88 12:10 12:10 12:14 12:90 12:43 011157 800 iit:.17 15:46 56 YACHT CLUS PL, Tq —'-- _ _... _ .R11 10:18 12:21 12:24 12:41 12:50 18:46 18:55 011158 500 12:26 12_48 6095 PALM HARBOR DR RE44 12:26 12:26 12:82 12:48 14:52 011159 200 12:45 13:28 2985 CROSLEY W DR -— 1439 12:47 12.47 12_51 • _ 13_F!6—_15.:22 . 011160 200 12:52 " 13:58 6152 VERDE N TR R55 12:58 12:58 12:56 13:26 13:32 19:58 14:18 —Ol&1t61 999 $41§4 18:41 9212 5 OCEAN BLVD A/1080 R58 12:55 12:57 12:59 18:20 18:89 13:41 18:59 011168 999 12:54 18:57 4005 REXFORD A -- R54. _121 D7.__.12:5719:02 19:26 19_36 18:57_ 44:28 011163 700 17:10 14:19 6411 CYPRESS LN � - R48 19:18 18:18 18:21 14:19 14:24 Pr" A, 1 ►,...-._ i 1, • . / // , , I . , * Questions for Consultant Review 1) Is Public Safety operationally feasible in Tequesta? Review TAVT-Report. 2) What is the estimated cost? A) Assess liability cost (insurance) B) Estimated start-up cost C) Annual operational costs D) Training and overtime cost E) Impact of Public Safety on Homeowner's Insurance Rates F) Projection of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue cost to Tequesta in future years G) Other costs 3) Role of' Palm Beach County 4) Role of North County Ambulance 5) Organizational impacts and changes to Tequesta 6) Other questions 4