Minutes 09-13-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner McKee said that there are a lot of people tonight in attendance that are not able to speak, but they can speak at regular meetings twice a month. Commissioner Yuhasz asked Bill Waddell about the list of inaccuracies in the report. He asked if these had been compiled. Bill Waddell said that he did not have the list with him, but he could get it to the Board. Commissioner Yuhasz said that he sees that this report indicated that things are working well, and they are not lacking in cooperation but in coordination. He said that the strategic planning item is the most critical item missing from the report. It is critical that the people at this table have a voice as they move forward. He said that he does not know how they are to get through this process. Commissioner Gordon said that she is interested in this topic and she will listen to the recording of this meeting, because she was unavoidably delayed. Health and safety is a major concern. She said that, in addition to all the other issues, the country appears to be experiencing more major natural events and she is concerned about these natural catastrophes. She said that she is served by a rural fire department. Commissioner Jacobs thanked all that were in attendance tonight. He said that it is clear that the members of the fire and rescue community feel comfortable working together and that is one of the basic strengths of the system. He said that the discussion of VIPER is really out of the purview of Orange County. He suggested that after identifying the problems with this radio system that Emergency Services, County staff, and representatives from the fire community come up with a strategic plan to address this problem. Commissioner Jacobs said that when he was on the Planning Board, they went over every community to make sure they had adequate fire protection. He does not know what has happened in the interim, but something has changed. Commissioner Jacobs said that they need to develop better communication about the response times. He said that averages do not work to define service areas and they need better data. He said that there is a lack of strategic planning and this is what needs to happen as a community. There has to be a plan before money is spent on infrastructure. Commissioner Foushee thanked them all for their participation and the tone of the meeting. She asked for anyone that had found inaccuracies in the report to send them to the staff. She agreed with the need for a strategic plan. If the communication problem can be fixed, then the other issues will come along. She said that part of the strategic planning has to include what can be done with the system that is now in place and how to secure the funds to upgrade the system. The funds will not come quickly, but everyone has to be a part of the solution. She said that she hoped there would be another meeting to have a steering committee to develop a strategic plan and the goals. The report, although it is flawed, does have information that is usable. Commissioner Hemminger said that it was refreshing to hear all of these comments and this report is our report, and they can fix the data in the report. She said that everyone needs to be a part of the solution. Chair Pelissier said that her colleagues made excellent points and she agreed with them. She made reference to the report and said that a lot of the concerns addressed by the fire departments tonight were in the report. She said that strained relations are people problems but this could be because of their process, or lack thereof, with communications. She said that there might need to be a task force or steering committee to help them move forward. Eno Fire Chief Bryan Baker said that the fire chiefs agreed that there is a need for a strategic planning process. He said as a fire chiefs council, they are working on a strategic plan so they can adapt to their environment. Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones said that last week the Fire Chiefs voted unanimously to engage the School of Government in the strategic planning process.