Agenda 11-06-2025; 8-a - Minutes for October 7, 2025 Business Meeting and October 14, 2025 Joint Meeting with Chiefs Association and Work Session

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10 1 Chief Cabe said there were complaints from community members that the smoke noise 2 disturbs them. He explained that the training facility was built before the surrounding 3 neighborhoods were built so it was not an issue until then. 4 Commissioner Greene asked if the trouble is finding a new site. 5 Chief Cabe said yes. 6 Chief Potter said they also want to relocate Station 4, which is another reason for the 7 delay. 8 Commissioner Greene asked what the new Orange Rural training center would do. 9 Chief Cabe explained that Orange Rural is building a training facility at Piedmont Minerals 10 (owned by RESCO Products)outside Hillsborough on two acres of leased land. He explained that 11 this will keep their trucks in the district, and will keep their personnel in the district, so they can go 12 from training to response without having to drive all the way from Chapel Hill back to 13 Hillsborough. This addresses ISO requirements for training at designated facilities while keeping 14 trucks and personnel in-district for response. He said the facility will include a burn structure, 15 rappelling capabilities, confined space, and forcible entry training. Chapel Hill's Weaver Dairy 16 facility includes classrooms and a drill tower in addition to burn capabilities. Chief Cave noted the 17 Hillsborough Fire Department is in early construction permitting stages, using shipping containers 18 welded together, which creates permitting challenges. The Piedmont Minerals location offers 19 appropriate setbacks from residences in an already loud, dusty environment. 20 Chair Bedford asked how the new facility would be paid for. 21 Chief Cabe said Orange Rural is self-funding the facility from budget savings, having 22 previously funded Waterstone improvements. Chief Cabe mentioned that Orange Rural ordered 23 an engine 18 months ago for $1.1 million with expected delivery in 2027, compared to $460,000 24 for the last similar unit. 25 Chair Bedford asked Emergency Services Director, Kirby Saunders, if the pandemic-era 26 delays for ambulances are continuing. 27 Kirby Saunders explained that a congressional hearing recently addressed these issues, 28 with initial pandemic-related labor shortages and inflation now resolved, but prices remaining high. 29 One conglomerate controls about 80% of the market for both fire apparatus and ambulances, with 30 local impacts including delays, cost overruns, and increased maintenance costs. 31 Chair Bedford said it sounds like a national issue, and Congresswoman Foushee and the 32 two state senators should be kept informed. 33 Chief Matthew Mauzy said it is a national issue and is not just fire trucks, but ambulances 34 as well. He said in the last couple of weeks, his department took delivery of an ambulance that 35 had been on order for almost two years. He said they just signed a contract three months ago for 36 an ambulance that won't be delivered until the middle of 2028. He reiterated that what 37 departments were already planning to do now has to back up months and months, and years in 38 many cases, ahead of time,just so they can forecast out and take delivery in a reasonable amount 39 of time to lifecycle the existing apparatus. 40 Kirby Saunders added a point about the station the county is working on with Chapel Hill. 41 He said a site feasibility study is being done, and the ambulance that will go in that station was 42 ordered a year ago,just to try to have an ambulance by the time the brick and mortar is complete. 43 He explained that the county is having to forecast and advance purchase equipment two years 44 ahead to maintain operational fleets. 45 Chief Potter shared that some manufacturers come back after contracts are signed to 46 request additional funds due to the increased cost of manufacturing. 47 48 49 50 51