Minutes 10-03-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner McKee noted that last Tuesday the Board of County Commissioners approved a position involving planning for emergency preparedness. He asked if this person would be able to help with Goal VI. Jim Groves said this is a shared position working with both DSS and Emergency Services, and working 50 percent with each. He said this position would be able to help conduct a new federal guide for Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA). He said this is high on the list of job priorities. Commissioner McKee asked if the fire chiefs see this as helpful in their preparedness of a multi-hazard plan. Jeff Cabe said the fire service in Orange County has historically worked with fires, and rescue squads dealt with everything else. He said the rescue squads are primarily gone, and the role of the fire department is more involved. He said, with the fire service contracts, the fire departments level of service expectation has been raised. He said that there are obstacles to overcome from 911 to the new CAD system, but Jim Groves has promised that a community risk assessment is coming. He said no one individually has the resources to do a countywide risk assessment. He said this is what the Fire Chiefs had in mind when the decision was made to get a risk manager involved. Commissioner Price noted that this report was completed in 2012, and she asked what other equipment is needed in 2013. Jeff Cabe said Orange County bought the dispatcher software for IPADS, and it has a lot of capabilities; however there is a learning curve. He said there is a section of this where the firefighters can see from the trucks, what the telecommunicators are typing into the system. He said past quotes were in the range of$6,000 per truck to implement this. He said this would be $60,000 for his department, and this does not include a monthly data plan. He said Pagetrack is currently used because it is more cost efficient, and it can be used with Google maps and any mobile device. He said the County is doing ok with that part of things. He said there are some radio penetration problems, and this is a state system. He said there is work being done toward a solution. He said, with the data issue, once you go out of population areas there is minimal cell service. He said if there was anything the Board of County Commissioners could do to increase the data penetration (cell service) in the northern areas of Orange County that would be helpful. He said there are penetration problems throughout the county with the landscape of this area. Chair Jacobs said the Board is working on adding towers in northern rural Orange County, and a tower for Walnut Grove has been approved. Commissioner Price asked what can be done to help make progress. Michael Talbert said there was a report done, and the County is entering year 2 of a 5 year plan. He said progress is being made, and most of the improvements needed are in the 5 year CIP. Dan Jones, Chapel Hill Fire Chief, said he will make suggestions on cell towers and equipment, as well as some suggested changes in direction later in the meeting agenda. Chair Jacobs said the County did offer a parcel in northern Orange for a countywide training facility a few years back, and the Chiefs Association was not interested at that time. He said he would like to bring this option forth again. He suggested Council and staff to get together, along with Dave Stancil, to discuss this further. Jeff Cabe said the reason for the original objection to this site was because it was not centrally located and had no water supply. Phillip Nasseri said efforts are being made to add substations to help with ISO ratings.