Attendance: |
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| Mary Ellen LePage, President | Walt Eastwood, Vice President |
| Anita Holser, Secretary | Nelson O'Connor, Member at large |
| Bob Bowman, Member at large |
| The meeting was called to order at 12:35 pm at the Le Page's. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. |
| Foot bridge
There was discussion about what was going to happen to the foot bridge. POST had been talking about relocating it. They do not want to be held liable for injuries to people using the bridge and have put yellow tape up to keep people out. There was some discussion about what liability was greater - that of people attempting to use the bridge, or residents trapped this side of the creek during emergencies. It was agreed that the best solution would be to install a car bridge, which would remove the necessity of the foot bridge and improve the safety of the community. |
| Annual event dates
We decided on the following dates for our yearly events:
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| Upper Firehouse repairs
Nelson said that he is very concerned about the condition of the upper firehouse. The roof is leaking and need repairs, and the drywall has been damaged by water leaking through the roof. Discussion about the scope of repairs followed. The roof needs 1/2 inch plywood sheathing, tarpaper and wind-resistant shingles. Walt suggested renting a lift to raise the plywood sheets up to the roof. Nelson and Walt thought if we did it ourselves, we could probably complete it in one weekend. Once the roof was repaired, we could insulate, complete the drywall and and paint. Nelson made a motion that we repair the roof on the upper firehouse. Walt seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Walt will get an estimate for hiring someone to repair it, and a materials list if we decide to try fixing it ourselves. Once we have an idea of the costs, we will decide whether to hire someone or do it ourselves. |
| OSHA
Mary Ellen said that one of the Spring Valley fire chiefs had called about the Cal/OSHA requirements. Apparently there may be a new requirement this year that volunteer fire departments meet Cal/OSHA requirements. At this time it is unclear what these requirements are, and whether or not they are actually a strict requirement or a "best effort". We are not yet sure if the cost entailed is the responsibility of the state or the volunteer fire department itself. Mary Ellen said that she will look into the exact requirements and conditions and get back to everyone. |
| Radios
Mary Ellen said that the CDF has some better radios available for our trucks. She does not know how many as yet. She will contact CDF this week to find the specifics. Nelson volunteered to pick them up. |
| Pagers
Bob said that some of the pagers (especially those of Casa Loma residents) need to be reprogrammed. The pagers for residents on Casa Loma are no longer working. Nelson has sent his in to be reprogrammed. Mary Ellen said there was no point in reprogramming them until we know that reprogramming them works. If so, she thinks that CDF can reprogram them for us. |
| Boots and badges
Mary Ellen brought out a sample of the new fire boots we are ordering. The previous ones were for structures, and not appropriate to wild land fires. These will be ordered this month and should be distributed to the volunteers before this summer's fire season begins. Anita asked about the ID badges. Mary Ellen has some photos, but needs to get a few more. |
| Upcoming election
Mary Ellen said that she would like to retire at the end of her term this year. She has served for 6 years now, and would like to pass the responsibility on to someone else. She said she would still like to be in the Fire Department, and will be glad to help out with raising grants, and medical emergencies. She suggested that we begin looking for a replacement - find out who might be interested. Walt and Bob Nitzberg's names were suggested as possibilities. |
| New Grants
Mary Ellen said that she is writing a grant for medical equipment for our trucks. She has been using her own medical supplies for emergencies, but is not always available. She is also looking into First Responder classes. Anita asked about CPR classes this year. |
| The meeting adjourned at 1:50 pm. |
| Respectfully, |
| Anita Holser
Secretary |