Aldermen Weigh Needs For Fire Department, Discuss Other Issues

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Discussion about the Water Valley Fire Department was the final topic at last Tuesday’s lengthy city board meeting. Ward Three Alderman Cinnamon Foster provided an overview of issues at the fire department after aldermen agreed at last month’s meeting to look at long-term needs for all city departments, starting with the fire department.

Foster first recommended that the city pay the annual $45 dues for Fire Chief Sherman Gooch to join the Mississippi Fire Chief’s Association.

“Nobody has ever put him in the fire chief’s association and I would like to do that,” Foster explained as aldermen voted unanimously in favor of her request.

Next Foster provided details about the fire department, explaining that the city fire department is a combination department utilizing city employees and volunteers for response. She also noted that the Mississippi State Rating Bureau has rated the department as a 7 out of 10, with 10 being the worst. Foster added that the rating is based on criteria in three categories, the actual fire department, which is 50 percent of the rating; the water department, which is 40 percent; and communications, which is 10 percent.

“We came up with some things that we are trying to work on to decrease our rating,” Foster explained, citing 6 as a goal that would reduce insurance premiums in town. She also listed work that needs to be done to maintain the current 7 rating.

Foster started with manpower, reporting that at least three certified firefighters need to be ready to roll on the fire truck.

“Currently we have one firefighter that goes to the fire and one that must stay at the dispatch desk no matter what is going on,” Foster explained about the city-employed fire fighters on duty that only include two certified officers, the chief and assistant chief. 

She also said four fire fighters are required to fight a structure fire.

“This is the only safe way to work a fire scene,” Foster added. She also reported the department is supplemented by approximately 30 volunteer fire fighters. The volunteers are paid $10 per call if they respond to a fire in the city, but can only respond to a call if they are not working at other jobs.

Next Foster then pointed to the truck requirements.

“We currently have two (fire trucks), of which are in need of great repair or replacement. They barely passed the last inspection,” Foster told aldermen, referring to the annual pump test required as part of the rating process. Foster also said the trucks need new tires, citing a law that requires that all emergency response vehicles to have new tires installed every seven years.

“We need to bring this into compliance so we have a lot of tires to purchase, big tires,” she added. 

Foster also explained that city trucks also respond to fire calls outside of the city limits which is also part of the data reviewed by the Mississippi Fire Rating Bureau.

“The state fire rating system looks at statistics, so if 25 percent or more calls go outside the city limits, they require for our department to have four trucks. We do go outside the city limits so we are lacking on the truck department,” she added.

Next Foster listed water department requirements as part of the rating system.

“The water department needs to meet a goal of 3,000 gallons per minute or better for the top five buildings in the city with a six inch (water) main. All of the water pipes and hydrants need to be in good working condition and need to be pressure tested, including the hydrants,” Foster continued.

Next Foster cited training requirements.

“There is a minimum amount of training that is needed, which includes in-house training,” Foster explained. “Most exercises require more than one person and we only have one, full-time firefighter on staff available to train due to the other firefighter being stuck on the dispatch desk and cannot leave the desk and training cannot be done.”

Foster then cited the fire load, which is a currently 3,000 gallons per minute based on the building sizes as part of the rating process. 

“This is the amount of water that has to be pumped from the hydrants to put out a fire based on the top five largest buildings in the city. For each 1,000 gallons per minute that is required, you have to have one fire truck. Right now we only have two fire trucks, so by those numbers we need to have three fire trucks,” she explained.

Foster’s sixth point was the need to adopt an up-to-date fire and building code, noting that the current codes were adopted in 2003 and are now outdated.

“A law that was passed in 2015 states that municipalities must adopt new codes every six years,” she added. “According to the state rating bureau, our codes are outdated due to the fact that they are greater than 10 years old,” Foster continued.  She also said updating the codes is a simple process as the city can adopt the International Fire Code and International Building Codes.

Next Foster pointed to funding the city receives from the annual state fire rebate fund, money that is earmarked for specific purchases. Currently the fund has $118,302.71 for Fiscal Year 2016.

“We have all of this money, but Sherman has been sending a list of items that he needs to different people for a long time,” Foster added. “We need to utilize this money,” she added.

Next Foster noted that the department is grossly understaffed, adding that two firefighters were scheduled to be pre-tested to qualify for entry in the state fire academy to achieve certification. However, during discussion at the meeting it was revealed that neither employee had passed the pre-test.

“So they get another chance?” Foster asked.

“Three chances,” Gooch answered.

“Then what happens?” Foster also asked.

“Three strikes and I think they should be out, but since we have the dispatch we can’t put them out because we are so short-handed. We have to dispatch and be firemen. It is taking a toll on the fire department when we need to do what we need to do,” Gooch explained about fire fighters also juggling dispatch duties.

“Since I have been fire chief, four years, I haven’t been at full staff,” Gooch said, adding his crew works a lot of overtime to cover fire shifts. The discussion then centered on how to retain fire fighters, including the pay scale.

“Our combination status that we are at with the state requires four full-time employees supplemented with volunteers with two trucks. We currently have two certified full-time employees, one of them is our chief and the other one is tethered to the dispatch desk and cannot go to a call,” Foster added.

“Can someone explain to me why our fire men are answering a telephone and tied to a desk?” Ward One Alderman Kagan Coughlin asked.

“I have been asking that question since I heard about it,” Foster said.

“I have to,” Gooch added.

“Does anybody know?” Coughlin asked.

“As far as I know, it has been like that since the 1970s,” Police Chief A.J. Hernandez said.

City officials then focused on the shortage of officers at the fire department, which needs eight full-time officers to be fully staffed; and on the police department, which is down to five full-time officers. 

One solution was to  authorize department heads to actively recruit employees, prompting a motion from Coughin to give department heads that authority. The department heads would then bring their recommendations to aldermen for a final decision. His motion passed unanimously. 

Other house-keeping issues discussed in the meeting were to  make sure department heads have copies of their budgets. Aldermen also  requested the department heads including Michael Scroggins, who oversees multiple departments, to bring recommendations to the November meeting outlining what their respective departments need.