Public Safety Committee - Regular Meeting

All right. All right. We ready? Like to call the September 9th public safety meeting to order. Next, we will move on to the acceptance of the agenda. Do I have a motion? So move. Second. All in favor? I. I. Motion carries. Do I have a motion for the approval of the August 12th meeting minutes? So moved. Second. All in favor? I.

Motion passes. We don't have anyone that signed up for public comments to ordinances and resolutions. Ordinance 2025-17. An ordinance to amend title 3 municipal court chapter 3 city court section 3302 to increase city court costs pursuant to state law. So, the state changed our fee from$1 to $2. We don't really have an option or anything. Do I have a motion? A motion to approve. Second. All in favor? I. Motion carries. And this we will be bypassing the twoe rule. This is on Bulma tonight. Correct.

Yes. Okay. Other agenda items. Discussion of HFD on automatic aid with Gallatin Fire Department. So, yes. So chief brought this to me. It's been a couple months um and looking at uh changing our mutual aid situation we have them right now to automatic aid. And so we sort of looked at what what is what area that would mean and try to define that. And I asked for some data from um the emergency communication center so we could look over that and figure out you know how many how many calls we would respond to versus how many calls they would respond to and if it would be if it would be beneficial. Probably chief would explain to you all the difference between mutual aid and automatic aid. I think that would be helpful.

Yeah. Yeah. So mutual means somebody physically has to ask for us, automatic means um if say like we had a fire at South Dames off of CG's bin, which is in the city, uh we have like a 7-minute response time from station 6, automatic aid would automatically dispatch Gallton fire with that. Now that we have a unified radio system and we fundamentally work the same on the fire grounds as far as under the instant command structure to in out all the things that are mandated. Uh, automatic aid means that we would be sent together. Uh, what we're looking at for automatic aid is kind of the pinch point is the church there, which is which church is that? I know we've talked about an email. Northfield.

Northfield. So, from Northfield back towards us at station six, and then from six to Northfield church is really the biggest area. We kind of narrowed down the the mayor's information, came back with a a laundry list of calls. Uh right now the numbers we're looking at it's like 46 to8 but when I say that 46 to8 that's 46 calls that have happened in a year's time frame in that area. It doesn't mean that Gallatton didn't cover those. So they're going to put another fast car in use in January for that area. So they'll have that fast car that'll be dispatched to all medical calls in that area first. If that fast car is on another call, then that engine company or truck company, which is off of um uh station camp, would be the next unit called. If they were out on something else, then we would be the next closest. And what we're trying to do is just give a better level of service, faster response. So like if we were coming back from training and Gallton was in the middle of town doing training and we were closer, they would send us to that call even though it might be in Gallton's jurisdiction at the Northfield point. if they have a big incident in Gallton, we we normally send an engine up there anyway because they send everything to that and we provide coverage. That's a mutual aid agreement that we have with them. So really, it's just to solidify having a bigger bigger and faster response uh in that area where we're talking about from Northfield Church coming back west towards Hendersonville. And then the same for them from east uh to Northfield Church uh for us to help provide coverage for them if they're busy on other things. So looking at that and looking at the numbers, I I I appre I think what Chief Bush said is correct is with them getting some new equipment out there. Those numbers may change. Uh but right now I think the best thing to do is probably keep mutual aid because at 46 to8 means that we are in Gallatin five times as often almost six times often as they would be in Hendersonville. Um, and that's just uh, you know, I I I love helping out neighbors, but if our equipment is going to be outside of

Hendersville, I want to make sure that, you know, there's a balance that their equipment is going to be here helping us. So, and mutual aid isn't I mean, it's a great situation to be in. Um, and that, you know, we need them, uh, we call them. When they need us, we call them. So, it doesn't mean we don't go. Um, it just means it's not automatic, as Chief Bush said. And so, my best suggestion is, let us keep looking at the numbers to see what happens when Gallatton, uh, adds to some equipment and see and see if the numbers change a little bit. you good with that?

I mean, the 46 calls are, like I said, for a year's time frame. That doesn't mean that Gton didn't cover 42 of those, right? I don't We didn't They covered all 46 of them, right? All they're asking for on the automatic aid part of that is if they're busy or we have a unit that's closer that we would split that difference between the two of us. That's really all it means. Is it going to be 46 calls? I would say no. But if I tell you no and then it turns into 40, uh it's going to kind of make me look silly. Um I don't know what the numbers to expect. I I can't predict that. Uh and the highlight I guess the the the need for them to have two pieces of equipment tied up and us to go to a call would be even reduced of that 46 if that makes sense. Uh, I will say in that area, if you have a fire in that area, we had one 2018 on election night in South Dames and we had a 7-minute response time and it would have been very beneficial for us to have Gallatton be able to respond to that fire with us simultaneously. Again, your ISO points are based off that. that could potentially help us with our ISO points because we get to count their staffing and if we train with them, which we would because we're now going to be working fire scenes together, uh you potentially can get some points on your ISO rating for that, which would help us as a city as well.

Like I said that, what I worry about is our equipment would be outside Hendersonville for if in 2023 it was 46 calls and in 2024 it was 46 calls. That's based on what the chief wrote to me. Um and I have a hard time with that. I have a real hard time with that is that our equipment is going to be outside Hendersonville and I love and IC is very very important but having uh our equipment our fire having our equipment and uh and our firefighters close to uh closer to Hersville residents is what's more important to me.

I've got a question. So on mutual aid is when they call us. Um, so if for example they had two of their fire trucks on site under the current mutual aid agreement, would they call you and say, "Come help us out. We're busy." So typically they only ask for us right now if they have a big incident that everything that Gallatton has is involved in that.

Other than that, we do not cover anything. So what would what if we don't enter into this agreement? Let's just say that the fast car and that engine on the big station camp was tied up and we were not in that agreement with them. Their next closest unit would be at Vall State. It's going to have an increased response time. Whereas ours would be closer at station six if we were available. Obviously, if we're not available, it's going to be a tossup as to who goes. Tell me what a fast car is. A fast car is got two people in it, medical equipment, and uh it an ambulance then. Well, it doesn't transport, but that's really basically what it is. You're getting you're getting it's easier to maneuver in traffic, right? Because it's an SUV. Yeah.

Um it's smaller in size. You got two medically trained people on it, and they can get there, start uh initiating medical care prior to the ambulance getting there. Okay. So, is there an agreement that you're wanting signed or not signed? Right now, we've got the mutual aid agreement that's signed. That's good. This is the automatic. We go automatic. Yeah. which I which my my recommendation is we wait for wait for a year, see what the numbers are after Gallton has their fast car um and see how many responses we would have versus them because right now at 46 to 8 that's that's too out of balance for me. We don't have any fast cars in Hendersonville, do we? I'm curious how that changes. Is that a county thing or a city thing? Fast city. Okay.

We run them in the winter instead of riding the fire engines on the roads. We put fast cars in use uh in the winter months because of uh four-wheel drive and Well, it's easier and we It's easier to replace a $40,000 SUV than it is a million-doll piece of fire engine. Mhm. In case they were to slide off the road in a telephone pole, somebody slide into us. We run the fast cars when it's inclement weather. Okay. Does every station have a fast car for the winter? No. Just three and five or Yes, that's typically where we run them out of. We have enough staff. We'll up another one and run them around two, three, and five. Okay.

I'll save my thoughts for another meeting about the fast cars. But I would I would almost agree with the difference in number of calls they have than what we have. It's not anywhere near balanced. So, I would let them get their fast car in place cuz I'd like if we're going to make a trade because there's no financial compensation for hate helping them, I'm assuming. So, I mean, you wouldn't do it to make money anyway or to send a bill. Um, we might ask that they let us annex Kroger. Yeah. Yeah, that might work. But, um, so what other does that require a motion?

No, we're just having a discussion. I would actually wait a year too to see what their fast car does. That fast card is sounds good to me. Just want to make sure y'all knew what we were working on. Any other comments, questions? [Music] Do I have a motion? Motion to adjurnn. Second. All in favor? dies. I