Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.9.25 Board of Fire Commissioners MinutesPlease contact Lansing Fire Department if you cannot attend the meeting or need accommodations at 517-483-4200 or lfd.admin@lansingmi.gov Pa g e 1 CITY OF LANSING | FIRE DEPARTMENT BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS 120 E. SHIAWASSEE ST. | LANSING MI 48933 517-483-4200 LANSINGMI.GOV/FIRE 1.Called to Order at 5:30 p.m. Present: Barbara Lawrence, Jerrod LaRue, Gina Nelson (arrived late), Steve Purchase, Jon Scott, Charles Willis, and Krishna Singh Absent: None. 2.Additions to Agenda: Chair Purchase requested that the election of the Chair and Vice Chair be added under New Business. Furthermore, Chair Purchase asked that the request for advanced sick leave be added under New Business as well for Firefighter Odom. With no objections voiced, the two items referenced above were added. 3.Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve by Commissioner LaRue and seconded by Commissioner Scott. All voted in favor to approve June 11th, 2025, minutes as written. 4.Public Comment – Agenda Items (time limit: 3 minutes): None. 5.Review Communications: None. 6.Comments from Chair Chair Purchase expressed gratitude to the Board for entrusting him to lead them for the last term. He noted that he is looking forward to seeing the energy that the new Chair will provide. 7.Presentations Training Chief Rivet indicated that his division consists of two Training Captains: Captain Dickerson, and Captain Villegas. There is currently an open Training Captain position that was recently posted and should be filled soon as a permanent position or a temporary assignment. There are a couple of Lansing Fire Department (LFD) members that are testing tomorrow, July 10th, for Fire Officer II, which would make them eligible for the Training Captain position currently being offered. The Training Department has various roles, including but not limited to: o EMS training for all members, which includes EMS renewals whether they are an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or a paramedic through credentialing with EMS continuing REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JULY 9TH | 5:30 PM | TRAINING|3015 ALPHA ACCESS | LANSING MI Fire Commissioners 1st Ward Barbara Lawrence, Vice Chair 2nd Ward Jerrod LaRue 3rd Ward Vacant 4th Ward Gina Nelson At Large Steve Purchase, Chair At Large Jon Scott At Large Charles Willis At Large Krishna Singh Please contact Lansing Fire Department if you cannot attend the meeting or need accommodations at 517-483-4200 or lfd.admin@lansingmi.gov Pa g e 2 education credits (CE’s). In addition, training is responsible for basic life support (BLS) renewals through the American Heart Association (AHA). They also ensure that all members have their Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), as well as their Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certifications. Furthermore, the Training Division confirms that every EMT and paramedic has the Tri-County certifications that are required to practice in this area. o The Training Division also provides any fire training that is required by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) annually. Training covered by this division includes: bloodborne pathogens, confined space, technical rescue, hazmat, extrication, water rescue, and ice rescue. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. o Recruit training is also a significant responsibly that the Training Division handles. Over the last two and a half years an average of 75 people has gone through the academies. These individuals come from various backgrounds with some having their EMT or paramedic license, as well their Firefighter I and II certifications, some having the medical or fire training, while others have no certifications whatsoever.  Chief Rivet noted that the division is busy with just the three of them, however, he has a highly motivated staff that work very hard.  The Training Division recently acquired a reserve ambulance, in addition to a reserve firetruck, which will have a significant impact on driver training, as well as Firefighter I and II training.  Upon moving to the new building, the Training Division’s vision is to turn LFD into the premier training center in the state. There will be live fire training at the new building, and high-rise training. Also, the department can host Firefighter I and II classes. If the Michigan Medic Program is in place, LFD can run their own paramedic program. This would have a significant financial impact on the department as the revenue generated from the paramedic program could offset the cost of additional training staff.  Commissioner Scott inquired about funding if other fire departments would pay to participate in the training being offered at the new facility. Chief Rivet noted that if they did run a paramedic school, they could charge $10,000 to $12,000 per student. Chief Sturdivant indicated that he has been working with Mayor Schor to establish an enterprise fund in combination with the new training center. The hope is to become a regional training center for the area. The only current live burn training being offered is at Lansing Community College (LCC). The state does not require live fire training as part of the Firefighter I and II training. LFD is looking to go above and beyond what the state requires training wise for not only the members, but the customers as well. The move to the new training facility is likely going to happen in late 2026, early 2027.  Commissioner Nelson asked what is going to happen to the old training center. Chief Sturdivant noted that he has had conversations on repurposing the center. The city has not decided yet on what is going to happen to the property. Chief Sturdivant is recommending that the property be kept for later potential use. The Mayor’s Office and Public Service are exploring the options. Chair Purchase inquired about the tower and whether that was going to come down. Chief Sturdivant noted that the tower would likely come down but that has not been concretely determined.  Vice Chair Lawrence recalled that all training can be performed at the new site. Chief Rivet noted that live burns and high-rise training have been a challenge at the current training center. Many of the training opportunities have arisen due to the creativity of the training staff. In Please contact Lansing Fire Department if you cannot attend the meeting or need accommodations at 517-483-4200 or lfd.admin@lansingmi.gov Pa g e 3 addition, Chair Purchase inquired about training opportunities for other regional partners once the transition to the new building takes place. Chief Rivet stated that if the Training Division ultimately has increased staffing, they can charge for live burn training, Fire Officer classes, as well as other training opportunities. A fee schedule for all the various training opportunities would just have to be established.  Chair Purchase asked if the Training Division had any needs at this time. Chief Rivet remarked that the following items noted below would be helpful: o More staff would be extremely beneficial, as the current Training Captains are getting a significant amount of overtime, due to their workload. Furthermore, increased staff would allow the division to run a paramedic school. Chief Sturdivant noted that he is looking at restructuring LFD as it is outdated. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division has two Captains, and the Training division has three Captains. They work together closely, so a merger combining the divisions makes the most logical sense and would address the staffing issue. o Chair Purchase asked for further clarification on what the EMS Captains do daily. Chief Sturdivant noted that the EMS Captain role is new to the organization, and that they are primarily focusing on equipment in addition to records management at this time. They are pretty engaged in the day-to-day operations of the department. As these are new positions, their concrete job roles are still being solidified currently. o Getting newer reserve rigs to train on that are digital would also be beneficial. The reserve ambulance that was just received is going to be helpful when the members are learning to drive learning to drive.  Chair Purchase inquired about the water rescue challenges that LFD currently faces and what steps are being taken to ensure that all personnel have the right training to deal with the extensive waterways in the city. Chief Rivet advised that three members just went to the Indiana Water Rescue School. The goal is to look at hot mapping within the city and confirm that four boats are enough for coverage. He noted that he just talked to Chief Sturdivant the day prior to the meeting about boat operator school. The biggest challenge right now is time. It is simply going to take time to get the department where it wants to be with water rescue, but they are moving in the right direction. The ice rescue discipline is also being worked on. 8. Fire Administration Report – Chief Sturdivant  Ingham County 911 Center has had Emergency Medical Dispatch training (EMD) over the last couple of months. This training helps dispatchers assist with basic level patient care over the phone. 80% of the calls that LFD responds to are EMS related, and half of those are BLS in nature. Chief Sturdivant noted that the current plan is to maintain the five Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances that the department currently has, and to apply for two additional ALS ambulances. They will be stocked with ALS equipment, however, they will be staffed at the BLS level. Chief Rivet and Chief Lack are currently working on a plan for paramedics (Captains, or Engineers) that are not currently certified to provide patient care in the Tri-County. The plan as it stands, is for these paramedics to recertify their certifications, and maintain them going forward. These Captains and Engineers would not be staffed on the ambulance but may assist if needed. Chief Sturdivant wants everything at the ALS level, however, they will be staffed at the BLS level. Please contact Lansing Fire Department if you cannot attend the meeting or need accommodations at 517-483-4200 or lfd.admin@lansingmi.gov Pa g e 4 o Chair Purchase noted that there was a lot of resistance at the county level going to the BLS model. He was curious as to what had changed. Chief Sturdivant indicated that the call volume, and a recent change in the Tri-County doctor, who ultimately has a different perspective than the previous doctor, had made a significant impact. Furthermore, LFD pushed the data and had conversations with peers at the Fire Chiefs level. University of Michigan Health - Sparrow Hospital is going through a transitional period, and it is not uncommon for LFD personnel to sit with a patient for 90 minutes waiting in the emergency room (ER). There is simply not enough staff to immediately turn the patient over, so fire personnel wait with the patient until the ER staff can address them. Metro wide this is an issue that departments are facing as the number of hospitals has been reduced, while the call volume has only increased. The new Director of the Emergency Room at the University of Michigan Heath – Sparrow Hospital was at last month’s Metro Chiefs meeting, and we are working on reducing the wait times. The application process for the BLS units has already begun. This process is done through the state and the Tri-County. Chief Sturdivant expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity that this is going to present to the organization’s EMTs. o Chair Purchase inquired about what the funding source is for the two new BLS units. Chief Sturdivant indicated that two units are being refurbished with new chassis. This will put seven medical units on the road, two of which are BLS. o Chair Purchase asked about the staffing perspective for the new BLS units. Chief Sturdivant indicated that the department is currently staffed heavy due to the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant. Chief Sturdivant will be working with the union, as he would like to increase daily staffing from 41 to 45 personnel. The current contract is up for negotiation in January, with the expiration occurring in June. o Chair Purchase inquired about the possibility of a BLS engine as the engine was mentioned in the past. Chief Sturdivant indicated that the BLS engine is still on the backburner. The focus right now is on the BLS units and seeing how that works for the department, and reassessing as needed. The department is currently running out of room at the stations to house additional apparatuses, so a BLS engine may not be a possibility at this time for this reason as well. Chief Sturdivant has a meeting scheduled with Mayor Schor to talk about the opioid settlement monies. As of right now, this money is being used to finance paramedic training. The department has so many other needs, so other possible expenditures are being explored. $4 to $5 million dollars in revenue is generated through ambulance services that goes directly into the general fund. Please note that this is with modest collection rate. If the department was aggressive about collections, that number would increase. Chief Sturdivant would like to see a small percentage (1 to 2%) of ambulance revenue go back into the fire department. Currently the department is developing their deployment models for new stations two and station nine. There currently are not any additional resources to build more stations. For this reason, LFD has partnered with Michigan State University (MSU) Grad Student Research Department to conduct data collection. They will primarily be looking into where the calls come in the most. Please contact Lansing Fire Department if you cannot attend the meeting or need accommodations at 517-483-4200 or lfd.admin@lansingmi.gov Pa g e 5 The ISO assessment will take place mid to late August. The department is looking to go from a rating of two to one. Chief Sturdivant noted that the department transited to a new records management system this week. ESO is being utilized for both NFIRS (fire) and EMS reports. Everything is going well so far. With the new fiscal year beginning last week, Chief Sturdivant mentioned that he would like to focus on new equipment, particularly around the tactical EMS teams. Also, the department needs to focus on active violence incident (AVI) equipment, as many of the items are outdated. For this reason, special operations will be one of the main focal points of this year’s budget. LFD needs to be a lot more engaged in local training being offered. Chief Sturdivant would like the department to participate in these trainings if possible. The leadership team has been advised to let him know of these trainings, so that participation from the organization is likely. LFD is the largest resource in the region, thus if a major event occurs, the organization will be called upon. Commissioner Nelson inquired whether LFD has had AVI training in response to what happened recently in Idaho. The local law enforcement agencies typically facilitate AVI training. Chief Sturdivant is looking to get more attendance at these trainings going forward. o Chief Rivet noted that the members do participate in an annual AVI training. The Lansing Police Department (LPD) will provide a lecture, so that everyone utilizes the same vernacular. o Commissioner LaRue inquired about the possibility of applying for training grants. Chief Sturdivant noted that training grants are not something that is commonly available anymore. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to get equipment and staffing grants as well. 9.Old Business: None. 10.New Business Firefighter Odom’s request for advanced sick leave o Chair Purchase referenced that this a rare request. There is a section in the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) contract that addresses an advancement in sick leave if the following conditions are met: There is a medical certificate signed by a physician or another medical practitioner. The request must be submitted in writing and approved by the Fire Board. All available sick leave and annual leave must be exhausted prior to the sick leave advancement being provided. Sick leave credit should not exceed an amount that is reasonably ensured will be subsequently earned back by the member. o Firefighter Odom provided a background on his injury to the Fire Board, and a discussion took place amongst the board members. The request was made with a doctor’s note, and he did submit it in writing via email to Chair Purchase. Please contact Lansing Fire Department if you cannot attend the meeting or need accommodations at 517-483-4200 or lfd.admin@lansingmi.gov Pa g e 6 o Commissioner LaRue motioned to approve, and Commissioner Nelson seconded. The motion was amended by Chair Purchase to provide advanced sick leave not to exceed September 10th, 2025. All voted in favor to approve the motion. Selection of Chair and Vice Chair The nominations were moved from the June meeting, due to some excused absences. o Commissioner Nelson nominated Vice Chair Lawrence for Chair. Commissioner Singh seconded. Vice Chair Lawrence accepted the nomination. Commissioner Nelson motioned to close nominations, without objections. A motion to approve Vice Chair Lawrence’s nomination by unanimous consent was approved by Commissioner Willis and seconded by Commissioner Singh. All voted in favor. o Commissioner Willis nominated Commissioner Singh for Vice Chair. Commissioner LaRue seconded. Commissioner Singh accepted the nomination. Chair Purchase motioned to close nominations, without objection. A motion to approve Commissioner Singh’s nomination by unanimous consent was by approved by Commissioner LaRue and seconded by Commissioner Nelson. All voted in favor. 11.Requests for Commissioners to be Excused: No Commissioners were absent, however, Commissioner Nelson was five minutes late to the meeting. 12.Commissioner Comments Commissioner LaRue expressed his gratitude for the run statistics provided. He had reached out to Chief Sturdivant regarding a concerning incident from 2023, and he had asked if the crew had been retrained. Chief Sturdivant noted that the crew had since retired. Assistant Chief Tobin addressed it at the time of the incident. A meeting with Mayor Schor and several City of Lansing Council members occurred as well, once the video had resurfaced several months ago. Commissioner Singh thanked the Chief for the statistics provided, and for getting people credentialed in different disciplines. He requested a new current roster whenever possible. Commissioner Lawrence inquired if there was an update on the retirees’ contributions. Chief Sturdivant noted that he was not advised of any updates. Commissioner Willis asked what the update date is on station two’s new station. Chief Sturdivant stated that the crew will be moving into the new building a week or two after Thanksgiving. 13.Public Comment (on any matter – speakers must state their name and address; time limit 3 minutes) 14.General Order A moment of silence was requested by Chair Purchase for the three first responders that lost their lives or were injured in Idaho; Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, as well as Engineer Dave Tysdal. Commissioner Nelson requested to add a Fire Chief in Texas who had their car washed away in the flood in Kerr County to the moment of silence as well. A moment of silence was observed by all attendees. Please contact Lansing Fire Department if you cannot attend the meeting or need accommodations at 517-483-4200 or lfd.admin@lansingmi.gov Pa g e 7 Commissioners thanked Chair Purchase for his serving as Chair. 15.Meeting adjournment at 7:02 pm. Minutes formatted and submitted Friday, July 11th, 2025, by Alyssa Hagle. Alyssa Hagle | Fire Prevention Administrative Specialist, Fire Marshal’s Office 517-483-5087 | E: alyssa.hagle@lansingmi.gov