Missoula County Fire Protection Association

MCFPA Meetings

MCFPA MINUTES

MCFPA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
July 2008 Meeting Summary

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - 7:00 PM
Seeley Lake Fire Department
200 Firehouse Lane, Seeley Lake, MT

In attendance: Cindy Super (DNRC, SWLO), Kyle Wick (Florence Fire, FS Seeley), Brent Christopherson (Missoula Rural FD), Becky White (USFS, Seeley Lake Ranger District), Debbie Ogden (Missoula County 9-1-1), Frank Maradeo (Seeley Lake Fire), Hugh Warford (Florence Fire), Charlie Lambson (Florence Fire), Allen Branine (DNRC, Swan Unit), Jim Daenzer (Swan Valley Emergency Services), Doug Hall (Greenough Potomac Fire), Jan Phillips (USFS, Nine Mile Ranger District), Bob Reid (Missoula County DES), Howie Kent (DNRC, Clearwater Unit), Tom "Ottto" Carlsen (DNRC, Missoula Unit), Scott Kennedy (Seeley Lake Fire), Marcia Kennedy (Seeley Lake Fire), Gary Honold (Missoula City FD), Michael Painter (Missoula City FD)

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bob Reid.

Bob thanked Chief Maradeo & Seeley Lake Fire for hosting this month's meeting - and Frank introduced the fine folk from Seeley Lake Fire who organized, prepared cooked & served dinner. (Scott, Marcy, Mike, Lynn, Jim & Marsha).

All attending MCFPA members introduced themselves.

Minutes, Financial Report, Correspondence (Painter)
Painter handed out July packet which included:
• July MCFPA Meeting Agenda
• May MCFPA Meeting Summary
• MCFPA June 2008 Financial Report
• Copy of May & June MCFPA MFCU Statements
o Savings (share) Balance as of 06/30/08 $14,769.02
o Checking (draft) Balance as of 04/30/08 $ 251.72
• Correspondence / Informational Items
o Invoice from GSA ($1,309.56) dated 05/20/08. (No MCFPA members in attendance could identify order - Painter will contact GSA).
o Information Kit Order From from NAEIR (National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources) - clearing house for donations to Non-profits, Schools, Churches & Government Agencies.
o Request from Dylan Miller for contact information on Scott Wagner. (Per Mr. Miller, Scott Wagner's father used to work for a fire department in the Missoula area. No one in attendance could identify a firefighter named Wagner. Painter will e-mail request to MCFPA e-mail group.)
o Notice of Clinton Rural Fire Open House & BBQ scheduled for this Saturday (July 19th).
o MCFPA Fire Safety Trailer repair / maintenance list & inventory. (See "New Business" below.)
• MCFPA 2008 Meeting Schedule - next meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 at Missoula Fire Department Station #4 (3011 Latimer).

Old Business
• 2008 Fire Prevention Events (C. Super, G. Honold)
o Smokey Bear Bobblehead Night @ Missoula Osprey Game (Sat., Aug. 02, 2008)
Cindy Super reported that Smokey Bobblehead night was scheduled to take place at the Osprey game scheduled for Saturday, August 2nd. Any MCFPA members interested in helping with public education at the game should contact Cindy (SWLO Fire Prevention Coordinator) @ 542-4321. MCFPA in January voted to commit up to $1,000 in support of this event. Participating agencies plan to have some apparatus & personnel on scene and would like to also be able to hand out any public education materials MCFPA cooperators might have available.
o Puppet Shows (Oct.2008)
Gary Honold briefly discussed this fall's puppet shows - generally held in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, MCFPA makes effort to provide fire safety education to all kindergarten classes in Missoula County. MFD's Fire Prevention Bureau will be scheduling shows - but need staffing support from any other MCFPA cooperators who can assist. There is a minimum of 5 people needed - with 6 or 7 needed to also use Sparky & Smokey Bear. It is especially helpful if fire agencies outside the urban Missoula area can contact their area's schools & help staff the puppet shows. A reminder will be sent around to all MCFPA members & to all Missoula County Schools after school starts up again in September.

• Cooperative Radio Frequency Use Agreement / Cooperative Operating Plan (F. Maradeo)
Chief Maradeo went through the Annual Operating Plan to confirm that the Fire Chiefs & Principal Contacts listed were up-to-date. Frank has been updating the Operating Plan and has also contacted MCFPA agencies to request they check & update their radio frequencies listed. There was some discussion regarding whether frequencies outside Missoula County of mutual aid agencies could or should be added. Frank will continue work on the Operating Plan (the general consensus was that the radio frequency use agreement should be a part of the annual operating plan) and e-mail around a draft copy for comment & corrections.

• Burn Permits (M. Coburn)
Mamie Coburn had e-mailed Painter earlier in the week to report that she was not able to attend this month's meeting as she would be out of town. She did ask anyone with any concerns or questions regarding this year's burning to call or e-mail her and she will get back to you.

• Fire Season Monday AM Meetings
Frank Maradeo reminded all MCFPA members that the Monday morning fire briefings had begun - they take place each Monday at 9:00 a.m. at Missoula Dispatch Center (1803 Strand, 829-7070). All interested parties are invited to attend.

New Business
• MCFPA Fire Safety Trailer (G. Honold)
Gary Honold reported that with the help of MFD's maintenance division, he had done an assessment of repair & maintenance needed on the Missoula County Fire Protection Association's Fire Safety Trailer:
o 1-Repair Broken Window Lock for Bed Room Egress Window
o 1-Repair/Replace Broken Exhaust Fan On/Off Switch for Bed Room Roof Vent
o 1-Roof Vent Cover in Living Room
o 1-Screen for Roof Vent in Living Room
o 1-Globe Type Cover for Porch Light
o 1-Repair for Broken Awning
o 1-Service/Oil Change for Generator
o 1-Guide for Driver’s Side Front Stabilizer Jack
o 1-Repair for Broken Stabilizer Jack (Check Others)
o 1-Repair for Broken Roof Light Assembly
o 1-Generator Cover
o 1-Mounted Fire Extinguisher in Kitchen
o 1-Inspect and/or Repair Seals for ALL Roof Vents
After discussion regarding the value of the trailer (MCFPA purchased the fire safety trailer in 1996 - donations were solicited from MCFPA agencies and from service organizations and the community and more than $28,000 was raised) and the history of its use, motion was made & passed to authorize up to $1,000 to effect repair & maintenance. MFD's maintenance division will prioritize and perform what repairs it can and bill MCFPA for parts - if any work needs to be contracted out (Gary thought the awning may need to be repaired by Bretz Motor Home), an estimate will be obtained. Gary also presented an inventory of the Fire Safety Trailer to be used when checking it in / out.

• Mount Sentinel Fire After Action Review (T. Carlsen)
Tom Carlsen gave a report on an after-action review of the Mount Sentinel fire of July 9th. (That review was held at the SWLO earlier today [Wednesday, July 16th]). Two specific items Tom brought up for discussion which arose during the AAR:
o It was recommended that MCFPA formalize a mechanism for closing the City's open space (Mount Sentinel & Mount Jumbo, among others) when a fire threatens those areas. Both the City & County have procedures during high fire danger to close those areas, but current restriction & closure procedures require signatures of appropriate local governing bodies. Bob Reid suggested that while fire or law enforcement agencies may already have the authority to close publicly-owned lands, it would probably be a good idea to formalize that authority in the Missoula County Disaster Plan as well. (Missoula County DES is in the process of updating that plan at present.)
o It was also discussed / recommended that DNRC and local fire agencies conduct a joint exercise prior to fire season each year. Some specific areas to practice include establishing unified command; transfer of dispatch from Missoula County 9-1-1 to MDC; and early development of a communication plan. There was some discussion that there may be some funding available for such an exercise. Hugh Warford from Florence reported that they hoped to schedule an S-420 in the Bitterroot. Bob Reid also discussed some of the lessons learned from recent disaster drills at the airport regarding the need for practicing fulfilling roles of ICS / NIMS positions.

Agency Reports (All)

• Painter (Missoula City) thanked DNRC, the Forest Service, Missoula Rural and the American Red Cross for their timely response to the Mount Sentinel fire.
MFD plans on hiring 5 new firefighters in early October.
The remodel / expansion of Station #3 continues - we hope to be able to move back in this fall.

• Brent Christopherson (Missoula Rural) reported that MRFD has fuel mitigation work in progress - in the Rattlesnake, in Pattee Canyon & in Mormon Creek.
Brent also will be following up with the Board of Directors on an MCFPA scholarship program.
MRFD hopes to again ask their taxpayers to approve their mill levy in September.
Brent also noted that they had responded to 21 fireworks calls - including 2 structure fires and 1wildland fire that threatened a subdivision that came in at 2:00 a.m..

• Howie Kent (DNRC - Clearwater Unit) reported that they had made 23 responses - mostly peopl-caused fires, including a debris fire @ the Double Arrow Subdivision.
He added that 2 of Clearwater Unit's 6 engines were currently out on fires (1 in CA, 1 in WA).

• Cindy Super (DNRC - SWLO) wanted to also thank the agencies that helped with the Mount Sentinel fire.

• Scott Kennedy (Seeley Lake) related his experience listening to the Mount Sentinel fire on the radio - he thought the interagency support was great.

• Deb Ogden (9-1-1) reported that the night of the Mount Sentinel fire, the Center was working with a bare bones staff - Deb thought they did a good job with the amount of calls and radio traffic they had to deal with.
The Center is still training dispatchers - and are also making some renovations to their work space. 9-1-1 acquired a room next door to the Center and part of their remodel will be to put in 2 additional dispatcher work stations. The Center will also be able to add dispatchers for large incidents - they hope to have those stations ready on July 24th.
The Center is conducting interviews for 4 Assistant Manager positions (out of the bargaining unit, not charged with doing dispatch).

• Bob Reid (Missoula County DES) added to Deb's report that the Center answered 178 calls during the Mount Sentinel fire - with 4 dispatchers.

• Becky White (USFS, Seeley Lake RD) reported that things were real quiet - with a couple reports of some abandoned campfires.

• Charlie Lambson (Florence FD) reported that Florence had been busy - running some 15 calls in the last 5 days, including a structure fire and a vehicle fire. They are in the process of getting plans for their new station approved. Charlie & Hugh also initiated some discussion about how & when ISO initiates a new rating for a fire district or department.

• Allen Branine (DRNC - Swan Unit) reported 4 recent incidents - 3 fires and a wind blowdown on July 4th that blocked nearly 4 miles of highway.
Swan Unit had one engine just return from a fire assignment in CA.
Allen noted that both Kootenai & Flathead had lightning-caused fires pop up after the 4th of July, in the 5-6 acre size.

• Jim Daenzer (Swan Valley Emergency Services) reports that Swan Valley is buying a Type 1 engine with CAFS.

• Frank Maradeo (Seeley Lake FD) reported that he may have to quit driving to Missoula, as there seems to be a wreck on the highway in front of him every return trip.

• Doug Hall (Greenough-Potomac VFD) reported that their Station #4 is now open in Bear Creek. Doug noted that there was not much fire activity at present.

• Jan Phillips (USFS, Nine Mile RD) reported that Nine Mile sent a crew of 15 to the Mount Sentinel fire. They also have some personnel in CA and Jan noted that they had some lightning holdovers.

• Tom Carlsen (DNRC - Missoula Unit) notified all attendees that a sparkler bomb had been found in Deer Creek in an area with a dumping problem and regular fire problem. Evidence had been turned over to investigators.

Other
The next regularly scheduled MCFPA meeting is set for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17th, at Missoula City Fire Station #4 (3011 Latimer, Missoula).

Summary written up by Painter.