Departments

Transcript (~35 min @ 1:10)

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▶ 0:52 Jen Grigoraitis: Mr. Clerk. So seeing no one wishing to speak in public comment. I will motion by unanimous consent to close public comment. Seeing no objection public comment is now closed. We have several Department budgets before us tonight all related to our fire department. And I know we have Chief Kalina here to join us. So if you want to come up to the table Chief and get settled, I will entertain a motion to suspend the rules so we can hear from the chief just spend the world. So we have a motion to suspend the rules made by President Cinella seconded by counselor Karm chady all in favor any opposed the rules are suspended and so Chief we have you here tonight to talk about Department 2021 and then also the ambulance Enterprise fund. It's welcome. Thank you for being here.

▶ 1:51 Speaker 2: your choice

▶ 2:05 Speaker 3: You have in a funny. It's a pretty modest increase.

▶ 2:09 Speaker 4: In the overtime.

▶ 2:13 Speaker 4: I'm sorry in the Sally and Wages that's reflecting the believable contractual increases at the union was able to achieve.

▶ 2:27 Speaker 5: Really nothing much much more to that any questions on it.

▶ 2:31 Speaker 2: Any questions from counselors?

▶ 2:35 Jen Grigoraitis: No. Oh Council McMaster. Thank you

▶ 2:36 Shawn M. MacMaster: madam. Chair. Good evening Chief. Thank you for being here. looking under Fire contractual We look at. 2023 mayor's budget. It looks like it's an increase there up to 100,000 but it doesn't say there's a percent change. That is an increase, isn't it?

▶ 3:00 Shawn M. MacMaster: On the ambulance one. No, we're we're talking about fire, aren't we?

▶ 3:04 Speaker 2: We started with ambulance. My apologies. I thought we started with fire

▶ 3:07 Jen Grigoraitis: chief. We mixed it up just to keep it extra no questions on the ambulance

▶ 3:09 Speaker 6: tonight. I'm sure.

▶ 3:13 Jen Grigoraitis: All right. So if there's no questions on the ambulance Enterprise fund that's a separate order. So why don't we move to the fire budget

▶ 3:25 Speaker 2: Sorry, can you move to the fire budget? Yes. Thank you.

▶ 3:34 Speaker 3: okay, again, the

▶ 3:39 Speaker 4: a small increase again in the salaries again the

▶ 3:40 Speaker 3: contractual

▶ 3:41 Speaker 5: and we have a increase in the

▶ 3:45 Speaker 4: overtime to compensate for that increase. in the salaries

▶ 3:52 Speaker 4: that's in the salary and wages and then some minor increases

▶ 3:55 Speaker 3: to help gathers in line with

▶ 3:57 Speaker 5: a training and OSHA requirements and if

▶ 4:04 Speaker 4: to

▶ 4:05 Speaker 7: get our fit testing for the

▶ 4:09 Speaker 4: medical masks that we all have to wear we have to

▶ 4:13 Speaker 3: be tested on that annually and

▶ 4:15 Speaker 4: it's

▶ 4:17 Speaker 7: looked at Contracting it out and it was

▶ 4:21 Speaker 5: about 8,000 and then we also looked at. Purchasing the equipment and testing. I'm sorry training. Up to six employees to do the training in-house and that came

▶ 4:33 Speaker 4: in that just under $3,000. So that's the cheaper way to go to compliance with

▶ 4:37 Speaker 5: the ultra requirements.

▶ 4:42 Speaker 3: The other increase you'll see in the professional

▶ 4:45 Speaker 7: service line.

▶ 4:47 Speaker 5: The annual Hazmat training that we have to do and that went up in price from last year.

▶ 4:55 Speaker 5: But that's the the increase there.

▶ 4:58 Speaker 3: And that's more that's that train is going to be a more of a practical training this

▶ 5:01 Speaker 5: year where we'll go out and actually do a while Hands-On. drill marked up drill training to coming in coming to compliance with OSHA first respond to her hazardous materials training and then

▶ 5:22 Speaker 4: the other increase you'll see there is the Metro News. The Metro dues is the fire chiefs dues. For Metro Fire Metro Fire is 36 communities

▶ 5:32 Speaker 5: within the Metropolitan Boston area

▶ 5:36 Speaker 3: and they haven't gone up in dues in

▶ 5:38 Speaker 5: 20 years and they informed his last year that they were going to go up.

▶ 5:45 Speaker 4: To an additional 2500 to make it a total $5,000 annually.

▶ 5:48 Speaker 5: for

▶ 5:51 Speaker 4: the dues to belong to Metro Fire

▶ 5:55 Speaker 7: a Metro Fire they'll run when we have multiple on fires. They have a Dispatch Center that we we

▶ 6:03 Speaker 4: call and we can get the resources needed and believe a

▶ 6:06 Speaker 5: lot of the money goes funding those.

▶ 6:15 Speaker 4: duties the dispatch the

▶ 6:18 Speaker 7: the Run cards just running the system. So

▶ 6:21 Speaker 4: it's a very much needed resource.

▶ 6:30 Shawn M. MacMaster: Council McMaster, thank you madam chair. Thank you Chief. My apologies. So with respect to fire contractual it looks like it's level funded at 100,000 but The prior if we move to the left for mayor mayor's budget proposed budget. We've spent in this current fiscal year roughly under $80,000. Do we anticipate spending the remainder of what was budgeted for? Motor vehicle repairs and maintenance before the end of the fiscal year and if so on what yeah my

▶ 7:03 Speaker 4: motor vehicle repair I have I just checked it today.

▶ 7:07 Speaker 7: About 17,000 left on that and my engine

▶ 7:08 Speaker 3: tool.

▶ 7:13 Speaker 7: Is been in the shop getting a PM, so I haven't got the bill on that yet. But yeah, we expect I don't believe I'll get it to zero, but

▶ 7:19 Speaker 4: it'll be It'll be used and then I have a later one. That needs to go out for some PM. That's it's

▶ 7:28 Speaker 7: constant. Okay, the pm has to every 2050 hours engine hours. It's recommended that the truck goes out for preventive maintenance

▶ 7:39 Shawn M. MacMaster: stay on top of things. Well, I'm pleased to see chief that level-funded I think is you, you know, it's leave. This is my fifth budget now and every time you've come before us there's been a slight increase in that actual line item, which in large part was based on us not keeping up with with our apparatus and I know that something you've advocated for it's something this console has been responsive to so is it is it fair to say that the reason we're not seeing a 21 to 24% increase like prior years is because we've replaced aging apparatus. That's

▶ 8:12 Speaker 3: correct. And we've also kept up

▶ 8:16 Speaker 7: what up prevent a maintenance which prevents the major malfunctions. It's easy to get them when a problem is first developing before you blow an engine which would happen

▶ 8:30 Speaker 4: on engine too many to I think it was maybe three years ago now and that cost $40,000 to fix that's it, you know.

▶ 8:38 Speaker 6: So one of the things she could PM would have caught

▶ 8:41 Speaker 4: that earlier.

▶ 8:42 Shawn M. MacMaster: One of the things I know we've talked about this and I know Consuela Grigoraitis and I have had conversations about the importance of having a vehicle replacement plan. So it's something I do think we should really work towards so that we're looking at the needs of our of our fire apparatus, you know, as as time goes on as opposed to waiting until we're at a point where you know, a vehicle is aged to the point where we're having to invest significant money and when you're having to come back before us to go even above what was asked, Or budgeted for in a particular fiscal year because I know in the past, you know, we have done that so good job to you for at least, you know getting us to the point. We're not seeing that increase. It does raise a question though about the the current state of our of our ladder truck. So right now we we actually have three ladder trucks. We have the new latter one, which is being host. At the central fire station, that's correct. We have the old ladder one which right now is is parked in the in the alley between Memorial Hall and the fire station, correct? And then there's latter two, which is that's an

▶ 9:56 Speaker 4: engine 3. It's packed up in ancient 3 station. Yes.

▶ 9:58 Speaker 8: and so is the plan to

▶ 10:01 Shawn M. MacMaster: eventually take the current latter one the one that's parked outside. And keep it in service but to have that be the new. Ladder to when the new latter one goes online. Is that is that the plan and that's correct and that will sell what's currently up or attempt

▶ 10:20 Speaker 7: to sell attempt to sell. Correct? What's currently up

▶ 10:22 Shawn M. MacMaster: at engine 3, correct? Okay, is there. What's the plan if you know? for addressing the latter truck that we are parking outside in an alley and it's been there now for probably a month

▶ 10:39 Speaker 3: just under a month. Yes. What's the plan for that? So the plan is to build on to the Tremont Street Fire

▶ 10:49 Speaker 4: Station a

▶ 10:52 Speaker 7: Bump out I call the dog house but a bump out of about 20 feet.

▶ 10:58 Speaker 4: Off of one of the bays at the Tremont Street fire station.

▶ 11:04 Speaker 7: The Tremont Street Fire Station apparatus floor was is

▶ 11:06 Speaker 4: a it's a slab. It's there's no basement under

▶ 11:10 Speaker 7: it. So it's in perfect condition it can hold the weight.

▶ 11:15 Speaker 4: But the length of a truck the tractor tires just get into the threshold. So 20 feet would wouldn't

▶ 11:24 Speaker 7: build an app and put in a new garage door on it and

▶ 11:30 Speaker 7: put the truck inside the building keep the

▶ 11:31 Speaker 4: equipment safe and keep the elements off the truck.

▶ 11:35 Shawn M. MacMaster: So they're concerns now about about the latter truck that we've taken out of. The central fire station and we're parking outside as they're concerns

▶ 11:44 Speaker 8: about the elements having an

▶ 11:48 Speaker 6: adverse effect on that on that ladder truck

▶ 11:51 Speaker 8: from a I guess the safety perspective in

▶ 11:53 Shawn M. MacMaster: terms of what needs to function when our firefighters

▶ 11:55 Speaker 6: are respond. Yes, I mean

▶ 11:58 Speaker 7: you know currently right now it's outside and

▶ 12:04 Speaker 4: You know it rained last night so we can't keep our

▶ 12:06 Speaker 7: gear on it because you can't lock the truck. We can't keep our radios on it. Because I don't want someone it's more of a security

▶ 12:13 Speaker 3: concerned farming that someone coming

▶ 12:17 Speaker 4: through the alleyway could just take a piece of Public

▶ 12:21 Speaker 7: Safety Equipment and you know when it's in the fire station, it's secured.

▶ 12:28 Speaker 3: But I do have less concerns than if it was wintertime the cold

▶ 12:31 Speaker 7: elements ice building up on the truck and you know within five minutes with someone would have to climb

▶ 12:38 Speaker 4: up that it would be a safety issue.

▶ 12:41 Speaker 8: I do remember raising concerns when

▶ 12:46 Shawn M. MacMaster: the the order came before us to to approve the request for the latter track of multiple is the current the request for the new ladder truck. Is it is it going to fit and I know that it does but then what what's going to happen with? The other ladder truck and what does that mean for the third ladder truck? And I recall at that time you you thinking ahead about it. And I also recall sitting in in a meeting with the administration and consulate Jamal

▶ 13:15 Shawn M. MacMaster: Dean and counselor Stuart last spring. And it being raised that they're there was a plan in that and you weren't in that meeting but that the administration raised that there was a plan and we would be seeing an order come before us. Do you know why that that didn't happen to your knowledge?

▶ 13:32 Speaker 7: I do not know the answer to that. Was it

▶ 13:34 Shawn M. MacMaster: your understanding that the administration was going to put forward in order to fund a bump out or some some type of a structure that would house the the truck that would be taking that the new ladder truck would be replacing.

▶ 13:50 Speaker 4: I put my request to facilities in

▶ 13:53 Speaker 7: March or April of last year. And there was some discussions. I met with the Samson and Western and Samson Samson and Western I'm not sure how it goes. on-site and there was a couple of different plans flowed around.

▶ 14:13 Speaker 7: My original plan was just what I just described. Then there were other plans possibly putting it in a tent but then we're concerned about rodents. climbing up in nesting in it and

▶ 14:25 Speaker 7: doing more damage, so

▶ 14:29 Speaker 7: It one full circle and now it's back to just doing this

▶ 14:33 Shawn M. MacMaster: bump out. So did you make a recommendation though to the administration for what you think would be the appropriate structure

▶ 14:39 Speaker 6: to house ladder truck?

▶ 14:42 Speaker 3: Where I did?

▶ 14:43 Shawn M. MacMaster: And when you say facilities meaning that would fall under the director of

▶ 14:48 Speaker 4: DPW. Yes.

▶ 14:50 Shawn M. MacMaster: and that there was no no affirmative steps or communication to you from that level about what is going to happen knowing that this new truck was going to be delivered

▶ 15:06 Speaker 3: the new truck was supposed to be delivered in November.

▶ 15:10 Speaker 7: And you know, thank God it wasn't but this pass November. Yeah, but due to covid

▶ 15:15 Speaker 3: and some

▶ 15:19 Speaker 4: Shutdowns at the factory and supply chain issues. It was delayed and we just took receipt of

▶ 15:24 Speaker 5: it on May 3rd.

▶ 15:27 Shawn M. MacMaster: And if we're going to if the if the plan is to sell. the current latter two

▶ 15:37 Shawn M. MacMaster: Then we'll have a place to house both of the ladder trucks. Why would we I understand we need to put this truck somewhere right now. Why would we build something out if it's not going to be needed in the long term? Well the

▶ 15:51 Speaker 3: current latitude which is a

▶ 15:54 Speaker 7: 1995 E1 so it's

▶ 15:56 Speaker 4: 20.

▶ 15:58 Speaker 3: Six almost 27 years old my math

▶ 16:01 Speaker 4: is right.

▶ 16:03 Speaker 3: And the NPA standard said we shouldn't be on it after

▶ 16:06 Speaker 4: 20 years.

▶ 16:08 Speaker 7: Okay. But we're pumped the boatload of money to keep it seaworthy for

▶ 16:15 Speaker 4: lack of a better word and say for the firefighters

▶ 16:16 Speaker 7: that operate on it.

▶ 16:19 Speaker 3: That's a different truck than this truck.

▶ 16:22 Speaker 7: We spent.

▶ 16:26 Speaker 7: To give you the history. If you don't know it when we bought that truck.

▶ 16:29 Speaker 4: It didn't fit it headquarters. So it was up at engine 3 for many years and then they

▶ 16:35 Speaker 4: I think they put $200,000 into the apparatus full of headquarters to shore up the weight of the the apparatus because this building over here.

▶ 16:43 Speaker 4: was built for heartstrong carriages and the apparatus is getting bigger and it's heavier and

▶ 16:47 Speaker 7: the water demands. I mean our engines carry 750

▶ 16:52 Speaker 7: gallons when I got on there were 500 gallons, but we had three pumps so we could deliver 1500 gallons, which

▶ 16:57 Speaker 4: is required by the ISO.

▶ 17:02 Speaker 7: So now we only have two engines so our tanks are 750. We still meet in the requirement, but we're doing it with two engines.

▶ 17:07 Speaker 3: If we got a 1500 gallon tank, it wouldn't

▶ 17:09 Speaker 7: fit in any of our buildings the apparatus. Our buildings are old to Antiquated. They don't

▶ 17:16 Speaker 4: meet our needs.

▶ 17:19 Speaker 7: but the ladder does

▶ 17:21 Speaker 3: And again, we don't have a weight issue

▶ 17:24 Speaker 7: on the floor of engine toe because it's on a slab. It's just a length.

▶ 17:30 Speaker 5: And we needed the bump out.

▶ 17:32 Speaker 7: about 20 feet

▶ 17:33 Speaker 4: to to get that

▶ 17:36 Speaker 7: enclosed and then normally there's an engine

▶ 17:39 Speaker 3: company spare engine stored at Engine 2. I would

▶ 17:41 Speaker 4: relocate that up to the east side.

▶ 17:44 Speaker 7: with the latter is

▶ 17:46 Speaker 4: that we would get rid of.

▶ 17:48 Speaker 7: If I know it's kind of confusing maybe but so are you

▶ 17:50 Shawn M. MacMaster: saying one way or the other that a bumper would would house something some some vehicle? We don't sell it would

▶ 17:58 Speaker 7: only would house the ladder truck because that's my longest ladder.

▶ 18:01 Speaker 3: So with because we can't go up and

▶ 18:04 Speaker 7: hide in the truck because it won't fit in the building we have to Have a lower profile, but it's longer. The trucks 100 72 inches long, which I

▶ 18:14 Speaker 4: think is 57.

▶ 18:17 Speaker 7: 57 feet long and our apparatus Bays headquarters that can accommodate it But you know.

▶ 18:25 Speaker 8: Okay. Thank you counselor pay.

▶ 18:30 Mark Garipay: Thank you counselor McMasters last couple of questions. I have regarding maintenance

▶ 18:37 Speaker 9: but just for clarification.

▶ 18:39 Mark Garipay: the reason why the replacement of And E1. I think we're calling it The Old ladder truck. Yeah, the Tiller that we're going to keep the only fits in the Main Street Station, correct? Right, correct. Okay,

▶ 18:54 Speaker 9: and that's the whole whole reason for

▶ 18:56 Speaker 3: that. In fact one. We have fires a mutual Aid when we bring in a surrounding Community a lot

▶ 19:02 Speaker 7: of company to cover the city. They have to park outside because their trucks don't fit in because they're not buying trucks to fit in our divine trucks to fit in their own stations, but it does not fit in Melrose. So that's why we get the truck.

▶ 19:15 Speaker 4: the way

▶ 19:16 Speaker 7: it's what it's all fits in this building.

▶ 19:20 Mark Garipay: And regarding the salaries everything's contractually had mentioned. When do we have any contracts up this year fire contracts?

▶ 19:28 Speaker 3: The fire contract will be going on July 1 will

▶ 19:32 Speaker 4: be going into the last year of its lifespan. So they

▶ 19:35 Speaker 7: they should be going from negotiations in January sometime.

▶ 19:39 Mark Garipay: So that doesn't affect this year's fy23 budget.

▶ 19:48 Speaker 10: Can you?

▶ 19:52 Mark Garipay: See in here that you wanted to. put in another line item in for for mattresses and we have 20 mattresses and we're only replacing four. I'll often do we change those out. I mean that seems like something that we should.

▶ 20:07 Speaker 3: I've been cheap four years. I've never purchased them and I know chiefly every did but I don't know what

▶ 20:13 Speaker 7: yeah that was.

▶ 20:16 Mark Garipay: And so we're only going to do we're going to

▶ 20:21 Speaker 3: go on a cycle. We do four years that I think that I requested that but I think that I yeah.

▶ 20:27 Jen Grigoraitis: Just there's a free cash order that's coming before us on the if you look at the June 6th Council agenda. There's that's part of a free cash order. I don't know how many mattresses it's for but there is a request. I didn't see anything. I saw

▶ 20:38 Mark Garipay: General but I didn't see any specific on those but and can you go into just to give me a little educate me a little bit on what goes into the administrative fees at a collected and the in the master box fees that are collected.

▶ 20:52 Speaker 3: Sure. So the administrative fees

▶ 20:55 Speaker 4: is the it's the details the fire details that we have.

▶ 21:04 Speaker 3: And if you look in at the increased last year.

▶ 21:09 Speaker 4: That was due to the project down.

▶ 21:14 Speaker 7: On office Waynes Pond the Patrick's Patrick's place. So Patrick's way. There was a lot of blasting going on down there that required fire

▶ 21:24 Speaker 4: details.

▶ 21:27 Speaker 10: And how about the master box? So the

▶ 21:30 Speaker 7: master box the master box of the red fire boxes that

▶ 21:32 Speaker 3: you see on buildings.

▶ 21:34 Speaker 4: And the Buildings file-op systems are connected to that Master box.

▶ 21:35 Speaker 7: So when the fire alarm goes off it automatically transmits the alarm through the Firebox right into all three fire stations instantaneous. So my fire alarm

▶ 21:49 Speaker 7: superintendent, he maintains the wise on the city side and

▶ 21:50 Speaker 4: we charge a small fee of $250 for a site for all the master boxes that are all throughout the city. We waved all the fees last year due to covid and

▶ 22:04 Speaker 3: and they're still collecting, but that's

▶ 22:10 Speaker 4: that's where we are so far for our fiskier 22. At 34,000.

▶ 22:16 Speaker 10: and then

▶ 22:20 Mark Garipay: the fire response times I was looking at and we're above the recommended standard of 90% Can you just explain a little bit how that process goes from the time we take a call and when does the windows that clocks that ticking I guess.

▶ 22:38 Speaker 3: So there's a couple of points that you can track. We just track when

▶ 22:44 Speaker 7: we dispatch the call, but the event really happens whatever the event is if it's a fire it's when it's first noticed. And then people call 911 and

▶ 22:55 Speaker 4: then the police will call us.

▶ 22:56 Speaker 3: So it could be a minute delay before we get the call.

▶ 22:58 Speaker 7: Not a delay, but just as it goes through its process.

▶ 23:03 Speaker 3: But the clock and these are the stat.

▶ 23:07 Speaker 4: Is when we do actually do the dispatch and

▶ 23:09 Speaker 7: the stats and then I wraparatus.

▶ 23:13 Speaker 3: And the NPA 1710 recommends the standard we be hit in 90%

▶ 23:18 Speaker 7: of our response times within six minutes.

▶ 23:20 Speaker 4: And you can see that the three years data there.

▶ 23:25 Speaker 7: Last year, we hit at 91.2% of the times that we were better than the standard.

▶ 23:33 Speaker 3: and

▶ 23:36 Speaker 4: and that's due to the three stations, you know, the city's

▶ 23:39 Speaker 7: pretty much well covered no matter where it is our response time. So I would say probably in the four the five minute range and that's including the

▶ 23:47 Speaker 3: time the call comes in to the

▶ 23:51 Speaker 7: What we call out the shoot time, you know, once it's dispatched it might take them a minute.

▶ 23:59 Speaker 4: To two minutes to get out depending what the call is if it's a

▶ 24:01 Speaker 3: fire type call. It's going to be a little slow getting out

▶ 24:02 Speaker 7: because they're putting all their safety equipment on. Before they respond if it's a medical Aid call on a day like today. They probably just grabbing it. a jacket and off there going to the call, so they'll probably getting out the door. About 45 seconds to a minute and a half.

▶ 24:21 Mark Garipay: Yeah, when I saw that time, I was was pretty amazed at.

▶ 24:26 Mark Garipay: It's that quick and when they get the call and run out, that's a great job. parking the ladder truck on the side. You said when I keep in as much equipment on it. And I know that's only temporary because the other truck will be online. The new truck will be online fairly soon. I'm assuming

▶ 24:46 Speaker 9: Is there any so I'm just waiting on as a result

▶ 24:49 Speaker 3: of that? Yeah, so, I don't know the time frame because we're waiting

▶ 24:54 Speaker 7: for some equipment to come in like we just got a new battery.

▶ 24:56 Speaker 4: Hurst tools that we purchased for it

▶ 25:00 Speaker 4: it needs to be lettered.

▶ 25:01 Speaker 7: mocked up

▶ 25:07 Speaker 7: The membership needs to be trained on it to some subtle differences, even though the trucks look the same.

▶ 25:14 Speaker 7: Operationally there's there's some new meters flow

▶ 25:17 Speaker 4: meters and things like that if we had the big fire.

▶ 25:21 Speaker 3: And we put a hydraulic.

▶ 25:24 Speaker 7: Power steering in the teleportion of the truck. And that's different than the other power steering. So it's

▶ 25:31 Speaker 4: actually

▶ 25:34 Speaker 7: It's it's really nice, but we just don't want the the members to just think they know how to drive a truck. You're going to get out and practice when you're not responding so that you you get

▶ 25:45 Speaker 7: a good feel for it. So we're not damaging it.

▶ 25:48 Speaker 3: So this does some some training that has to go on before cause equipment

▶ 25:53 Speaker 3: training and it needs to be let it

▶ 25:56 Mark Garipay: But having the having the Latta truck outside the station, will it slow down any response time

▶ 26:03 Speaker 4: or do you feel it really doesn't slow the response time

▶ 26:04 Speaker 7: down other than the fact that they have to come down. I at night time it the truck gets moved to

▶ 26:10 Speaker 3: this between City Hall and the fire station

▶ 26:16 Speaker 7: because the dispatch is right on the lower level there and that's man 24/7.

▶ 26:22 Speaker 7: So the thought process if someone went to open cabinet doors that person would hear someone on this side of the building where there's no one on the other side.

▶ 26:31 Speaker 7: But we bring like I say a firefighting gear inside and our radios the portable real estate. Where on there. Over their shoulder and we just put it on a table at this back here.

▶ 26:43 Speaker 3: so in the daytime if the gear is still

▶ 26:46 Speaker 7: back here they had to come back here to get together then go out the front door and over to the Memorial Hall side, but

▶ 26:52 Speaker 3: I haven't seen any significant delays.

▶ 26:56 Speaker 7: operating this way I want to get it inside soon.

▶ 27:03 Mark Garipay: I'm just gonna make a comment. This is kind of the first hearing that we're potentially adding on to another I built another fire station to store a piece of equipment when we're in the middle of a study of all of our Public Safety buildings. It's a little concerning that and I know this wasn't started but it's a little disappointing that this wasn't resolved prior to the new truck coming in and and we're in the middle of a public safety study and would potentially be looking to invest in a building that we don't even know what we're going to do with could be in the next three four years. It's It's quite concerning and a little disappointing to be honest with you. I know that's another. Design Group, but thank you. Well, we if I

▶ 27:55 Speaker 7: we've known for decades that there's a

▶ 27:57 Speaker 4: space issue with fire apparatus as

▶ 28:01 Speaker 7: A the job one from just fighting fires to now it's medical AIDS. It's Hazmat. We have Hazmat Trails. We have all sorts of now where Tech rescue. It there's a lot that we weren't doing 50 years ago that we're doing now and if you go back to when that building was built 130 years ago. the job's changed and

▶ 28:23 Speaker 4: about this we've done studies before and the needs of the needs and

▶ 28:29 Speaker 7: that's all I got to say on that.

▶ 28:32 Speaker 2: Council crime JD

▶ 28:34 Manjula Karamcheti: Chief thank you so much for being here because I have the opportunity that I first just wanted to say thank you for what you do and for what your team does since I was a Brownie troop leader and a girl scout leader when we're bringing kids to go see the stations. It's always been like a really nice Community activity to participate in and everyone's always been so good to the kids and being home from covid for the past few years. I didn't realize how often the fire department was in my neighborhood. But every time you're there the residents are treated. Well, they're supported they're cared for so I just really appreciate that and would be interested to learn more in the future about what the needs are. I am a newer counselor, but just really appreciate the work that you do the one question that I did have. We've talked a lot about old ladder truck one I have noticed in many residents have noticed that there is some native. American imagery on that truck and I'm just curious if there are any plans to remove it given sort of where we are as a city and as a nation. Yes.

▶ 29:45 Speaker 7: There is a plan the new truck will not have any of those markings on it. And the person that

▶ 29:52 Speaker 3: we do in the lettering of the truck.

▶ 29:54 Speaker 7: Is already designed out re-lettering the truck that we are going to keep. They're going to take the sign board off. They're going to reach a strip it. And it's just going to say Melrose ladder 2 on it. No. nothing else be very very neutral.

▶ 30:12 Speaker 11: Thank you. I appreciate you appreciate that very much.

▶ 30:18 Maya Jamaleddine: Counselor jimaldean, thank you. Thank you Chief. I do have a question about the ambulance projected Revenue. I have noticed that with Medicare and Medicaid and the collection rates have is very impressive actually 90% 96% I do see with other insurances and patient build is 70% and patient build is down to 2% I can totally understand when the patient is well directly why it's that low when with other insurances do who does the collection

▶ 30:54 Speaker 3: so we have contracted with professional ambulance services. They're out of Cambridge. and they do a billing and

▶ 31:04 Speaker 5: collections

▶ 31:07 Speaker 4: For 4% fee of what's collected?

▶ 31:12 Speaker 7: And so it's been pretty good. I believe

▶ 31:14 Speaker 4: the the rate on the Medicare is increasing this

▶ 31:18 Speaker 5: year, which is why things are being able

▶ 31:20 Speaker 4: to be stabilized. What an increase? Yeah.

▶ 31:23 Maya Jamaleddine: So so I guess my question if we are contracted with a company the company is responsible to do especially when it comes to insurances directly. They're supposed to deal with them and these bills should be collected at least with a higher rate from that 70% Is there are we giving any feedback or contacting them that this is not. The rate that is, you know, we're expecting or are we looking to other? companies that might be more

▶ 31:58 Speaker 3: well, we put it out the bid in.

▶ 32:02 Speaker 4: Professional ambulances the one that met the bid specs for

▶ 32:06 Speaker 3: the billing. It's all projection, you know, and I believe every year. We project around 1,600 transports.

▶ 32:17 Speaker 7: For the fire department ambulance we do more but sometimes the private ambulances will pick up what we can't because

▶ 32:22 Speaker 3: we're already on calls. I think this year I don't

▶ 32:25 Speaker 4: I didn't bring my file on that. So apologize.

▶ 32:30 Speaker 4: I think what projected for about 1,700 transports.

▶ 32:32 Speaker 5: You know.

▶ 32:38 Speaker 3: I yeah, this is one of those on the collection rate, you know, but the

▶ 32:45 Speaker 4: staff at Pro ambulance. They're the ones that chase down. You know the billing so we do our reports and then it just gets submitted electronically to

▶ 32:54 Speaker 7: problem. If you get transported now, they'll probably

▶ 32:57 Speaker 5: have all the information for billing.

▶ 32:59 Speaker 7: within an hour, it's all done electronically, and

▶ 33:01 Speaker 4: I don't think they keep staff 24/7 but that's how that's how quick it works and

▶ 33:08 Maya Jamaleddine: Yes, so would would you be the person who is communicating directly with those contractors to tell them? Okay why

▶ 33:18 Speaker 3: this is not no. Well, like I say.

▶ 33:20 Speaker 4: The rates are set by. the insurance companies, you know, I mean we have our rates set here and then The insurance companies pay it if it's Medicare, it's a it's

▶ 33:32 Speaker 7: a set rate doesn't matter how much actually goes into the

▶ 33:34 Speaker 4: yeah the workup of a patient.

▶ 33:38 Speaker 3: And then there were some people that unfortunately can't

▶ 33:42 Speaker 4: can't afford it. And you know, we just eat those that service

▶ 33:45 Speaker 7: but we provide the service we don't worry about the money. We would provide Top Notch service to the residents. No,

▶ 33:50 Maya Jamaleddine: I totally understand when it's it comes to patients. No matter how low is the percentage it it's fine. I wouldn't even mention it. But when it comes to insurances, I would expect that. You know, if we can collect it from insurance is because they're getting paid by the patients. Yeah, we should be able to collect the most possible. So that's what it is. Do you do we know? What was the rate the year before?

▶ 34:17 Speaker 7: I don't have it in front of me.

▶ 34:19 Speaker 12: Okay. Thank you. Okay. Thanks.

▶ 34:23 Jen Grigoraitis: Any other questions Council of Vice chairman Glee Riley,

▶ 34:26 Leila Migliorelli: thank you madam chair. Thank you Chief. Nice to see you tonight. Just a question about the bump out project. Just so I can understand this correctly since this is the first time we're hearing about it. Is that something you've already requested that there's a request that has been made to fund this bump out project and a timeline is this or is this a question for DBW? I it's probably

▶ 34:50 Speaker 7: a question for DBW. I made my request too deep BBW for the need what I needed and

▶ 34:56 Speaker 4: they run the facility so I mean

▶ 34:58 Speaker 7: What an architect cost or it's all in my head, you know?

▶ 35:03 Speaker 13: Did you make that request? In when we received this the new fire truck like at what point did you make that request of DPW that you noticed that you needed to bump out last year last year? Yeah. Okay. All right. Thank you.

▶ 35:20 Speaker 2: Any other questions?

▶ 35:22 Jen Grigoraitis: I will entertain a motion to move the bottom line and Department 221 ocean of move the bottom line Second. So you have a motion to move the bottom line and Department 221 made by counselor garapay seconded by councilor Karm chadie any discussion Seeing none Mr. Clerk. Can you please call the roll Vice chairman?

▶ 35:40 Speaker 1: Yes. Counselor McMaster. Yes counselor Eccles. Yes castlegarapay. Yes counselor. Jamaladin. Yes counselor Stewart. Yes councilor crime Genie. Yes counselor bremski. Yes counselor Williams. Yes, president sonella. Yes and chair Grigoraitis. Yes, that's 11. Yes. And

▶ 36:01 Jen Grigoraitis: yes, so that carries and chief. If you can just bear with us for one second for some procedural gymnastics. We can get all of your things done in one while you're sitting up there. So I would entertain a motion to take order 2022-18 out of order.