COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - MINUTES - 3/15/2007
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE – CITY OF MUSKEGO Approved 5/8/2007
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2007
Mayor John Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:38 PM and led those present in the Pledge
of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Johnson, City Administrator Sheiffer, Ald. Borgman, Ald. Madden, Ald.
Schaefer, Ald. Snead, Ald. Melcher and Ald. Salentine.
Excused: Ald. Buckmaster
Mr. Pat Simpson of System Planning Corporation was in attendance to make the presentation.
Guests: 34
STATEMENT OF PUBLIC NOTICE
The meeting was noticed in accordance with the opening meeting law.
REVIEW MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
Ald. Borgman moved to approve the minutes of February 22, 2007, seconded by Ald. Schaefer.
Upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS
Presentation of “Development of a Master Plan for Provision of Fire/Rescue Service”
Mayor Johnson introduced Mr. Pat Simpson of the TriData Division of System Planning
Corporation. Mr. Simpson shared background information on his company and himself.
Mr. Simpson’s presentation began by stating that the focus is on three key elements:
Consistency of Service
Communication
Consensual Planning
He commented that though it is relatively common to see jurisdictions with several fire
companies not-for-profit in the East and Northeast, it is a little unusual to see it in the Midwest.
Mr. Simpson went over the report which consisted of 36 recommendations:
1. Establish a single Department of Fire-Rescue Services responsible for these emergency
services within the City of Muskego and establish the necessary codes and administrative
orders for its formation and operation.
2. The City of Muskego needs to create a Director of Fire-Rescue Services position to
oversee the operation and administration of this fire-rescue department in the city.
3. The City of Muskego, when creating the new Department of Fire-Rescue Service, should
also create an advisory board to assist the new director in establishing policy and
procedure.
Committee Of The Whole Minutes – March 15, 2007 Page 2
4. The Director of Fire-Rescue Services, the Fire-Rescue Advisory Board and the City
Administrator should do a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats (SWOT)
analysis of the current emergency services in the City of Muskego. This plan should be
the cornerstone for all planning for fire-rescue operations in the City of Muskego.
5. Muskego Fire Department needs to schedule teambuilding and interpersonal training
from an outside source to help the department become better focused upon its overall
goals and objectives and develop a team culture.
6. If fire-rescue services continue to operate as they are now, it is essential that there be
routine structured dialog between the independent fire companies and the City of
Muskego.
7. Muskego Fire Department must update and then enforce the rules and regulations of the
department and the organizational bylaws.
8. Tess Corners Fire Company should work to finish the revisions to their bylaws and get an
organizational buy-in to stay on focus for the future.
9. The City of Muskego should require an annual audit of the financial operations of Tess
Corners and Muskego fire companies by a certified and bonded public accounting
company.
10. Coordinate the regular training conducted by each fire company so that personnel from
one company may be able to use the training session conducted by the other company to
satisfy their training obligations.
11. Muskego Fire-Rescue Services should track the call taking time for all emergency calls
(911) as a matter of routine call segment documentation.
12. Muskego Fire-Rescue Services should evaluate the use of Emergency Medical Dispatch
to provide citizens the needed assistance in certain medical situations until the arrival of
the EMS crew.
13. Finish updating the dispatching system for the city and include a fully integrated records
management system for the Department of Fire-Rescue Services to monitor and evaluate
all areas of operations.
14. Fire safety education should be coordinated between Muskego and Tess Corners fire
companies to provide the optimum level of service with the best cost to the citizens.
15. Add a full-time fire inspector to the city’s inspection department staff and develop a fee
schedule for inspections to fund the position.
16. In conjunction with NFPA 1720-4.1.1, develop a single incident command structure with
specific titles and responsibilities for emergency operations.
17. The Director of Fire-Rescue Services, with input from the Fire-Rescue Advisory Board,
should develop standard operating guidelines for all emergency operations conducted
within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Muskego.
18. Ensure that at least 13 personnel are available to respond to any reported structural fire or
fire emergency and upgrade the response as needed.
19. Ensure that operational policies establish 29CFR1910.134 compliance before any interior
attack begins at all structural fires, except as permitted by the regulations.
20. Establish a “safety committee” under the supervision of the Director of Fire-Rescue
Services and the Fire-Rescue Advisory Board to monitor health, safety and wellness
issues and compliance with required standards in all fire-rescue departments serving the
city.
21. Review, update and improve the fire departments’ response systems using the previously
stated “Hazard Level” guidelines.
Committee Of The Whole Minutes – March 15, 2007 Page 3
22. Provide the ERZ mapping, alarm assignments and special alarm assignments to dispatch
after it is approved by the Director of Fire-Rescue Services with input from the Fire-
Rescue Advisory Board.
23. Continue the practice of using “first responders” who report directly to the scene of fire
emergencies.
24. Before the City of Muskego authorizes the Department of Fire-Rescue Service to become
an ALS provider in the city, a financial feasibility study should be undertaken by the
jurisdiction and the current billing vendor to ascertain the viability of this operation.
25. Begin to record and store unit and personnel responses for both volunteer companies.
26. Review the call processing and dispatch procedures to determine areas to change to
improve the time to dispatch the first unit.
27. Dispatch should monitor and track the actual time of the first emergency unit to go
enroute.
28. When the city decides that another aerial unit is needed, because either response times are
high or the demand for the unit increases, it should be placed at Tess Corners Fire Station
2.
29. The apparatus and major capital equipment used by Tess Corners and Muskego fire
departments should be strategically planned and purchased by the City of Muskego to
provide effective and efficient community fire safety protection.
30. The Director of Fire-Rescue Services and the Fire-Rescue Advisory Board must set a
single process for all equipment purchase and placement programs for safe and effective
operations.
31. The volunteer leadership teams at each department should determine where there are
communication deficiencies and take measures as necessary to improve communications.
32. The City of Muskego must be an active partner in the development and implementation,
the director and the Fire-Rescue Advisory Board, for a formal citywide educational,
recruitment and retention program aimed at soliciting and retaining new members in the
Muskego fire-rescue system.
33. The City of Muskego should seriously consider assisting the fire-rescue companies with
some of the following programs: Station Live-in Programs, Recognition
34. Establish a volunteer firefighter appreciation day and highlight it annually with a
proclamation from the City of Muskego.
35. The Director of Fire-Rescue Services and the Fire-Rescue Advisory Board should
evaluate the f ire and EMS response data annually to be sure all types of calls are being
responded to within proper time frames.
36. A strategic process should be used to develop the long range plan for emergency services
in Muskego.
He noted that Tess Corners company is an anomaly. They not only have an authorized strength
of 61, but have people waiting. That’s something to be commended. It’s a very rare situation.
One area that needs to be enhanced is the communication system between and within the fire
companies and the jurisdiction. In regard to the finances, looking at the cities in Wisconsin that
they used, the cost per capita for rescue services in Muskego, the citizens are getting a
tremendous buy. They are doing a good job. Both companies would benefit from sharing
resources and the interaction of personnel during training sessions between the organizations
would be an excellent mechanism to improve departmental relations. Another issue was the City
of Muskego needs a mechanism for emergency medical dispatch. They looked at fire safety
Committee Of The Whole Minutes – March 15, 2007 Page 4
education. They are doing a good job. Give them the resources and the focus and work together.
Recommended adding a fire inspector to the city staff and the number of inspections and fees
could support this position. He pointed out that the population will increase by 30 percent in the
next 20-25 years. Muskego fire-rescue services are currently being delivered adequately but this
potential future growth and future demand needs to be addressed and the City of Muskego
should set a plan for the next 10 years to stay ahead of this curve.
COUNCIL AND CITIZEN INPUT
Ald. Salentine asked for clarification of the Director of Fire Rescue Services title as the position
was referred to by other titles in the document. As he referred to Tess Corners #4, she advised
that it was Tess Corners #1 and #2. Mr. Simpson said the key to adding another ambulance
would be 500 calls.
Referring to the Table 8 Apparatus Replacement Schedule, Ald. Melcher inquired if the schedule
would hold true for all makes of trucks, or do some last longer than others. Mr. Simpson stated
it’s a benchmark and from personal experience, the fire personnel pretty much know what
equipment is going to hang together and what isn’t. Don’t be persuaded by the bottom dollar,
but the mechanism that will do the job. The little bit of extra may pay off down the line. Mayor
Johnson, on the odometer/hours of useful life, is that a combination of hours and miles? Mr.
Simpson said 80,000 miles would attribute to 25 miles per hour. Mayor Johnson surmised it was
a formula for coming up with odometer time. Mr. Simpson concurred. Ald. Schaefer asked with
the replacement of trucks, with the population and the amount of calls, did he find it adequate
with the amount of equipment that is in the city right now? Mr. Simpson, not having the data
with him, could not respond to the question. He did express that the condition of the equipment
may be an issue.
Referring to the Fire Rescue Advisory Board, Ald. Melcher is the make-up listed common to
other communities or is it unique to Muskego having the two companies? Mr. Simpson said they
try to identify the stakeholders and make sure that all groups are represented. The City of
Muskego would have to work out this internally. Everybody needs to get together, establish
communications. The city has a mission and he felt the city was very capable. Ald. Melcher
asked if the business representative could be any business at all or accounting? Mr. Simpson
said it depends on the jurisdiction and sometimes you can find businesses that are really
interested in rescue services. Mayor Johnson interjected with Chamber of Commerce sort of
thing. Mr. Simpson, exactly, when brainstorming the issue, where can they go to find a few
people that aren’t government and to get a view that isn’t so much government.
Andy Mack: Do you feel the director’s position could be eliminated by going with the board and
work more with the aldermen and the city directly which really hasn’t happen in the past? If we
improve and work closer with the city, would we even need the director? Mr. Simpson
recommended the director position as right now, the companies are at the critical mass and to
have somebody that represents fire-rescue with the administration is more for the fire companies
benefit than it is for the jurisdiction. Andy Mack, would it work with just the board? Mr.
Simpson said it could work. Andy Mack, could it be tried for a time frame and if it wasn’t
functioning properly, then step up to a director? Mr. Simpson said the key with the director is
sitting down and establishing the criteria of what you need in a director as a consensual work.
Committee Of The Whole Minutes – March 15, 2007 Page 5
Gentleman #2, regarding the fire inspections, there was an error in the communication? They do
the inspections twice a year. They do 1200 inspections per year. Mr. Simpson said the data they
received from the city’s inspection department. Gentleman, in the Tess Corners side, they do
514 plus about 25 reinspections and Muskego does 700. Mr. Simpson stated the volume is high
enough that it would support a full-time position just from the fees collected. The other thing is
it creates a consistency that is critical plus it gives access to one functional person all the time.
The City of Muskego is at the point where it is no longer a little farming community on the edge
of Milwaukee but a first-tier suburb. Something is going to happen probably within the next 10
years that number is going to be a five-fold increase. Gentleman advised the members of the
Common Council that Big Bend/Vernon operates off a fireboard and also the North Shore Fire
Department if they are looking for references.
Robert Rammer (Chairman of Police and Fire Commission), from the Police and Fire
Commission standpoint, the report says the director will develop guidelines for all emergency
operations. This sounds like police and fire. Also, the mention of the safety committee
monitoring all emergency personnel. Mr. Simpson said this is specific to the fire-rescue services
and does not go beyond that scope. Robert Rammer, Where would the Director of Fire Rescue
Services fit in as far as the Police and Fire Commission and statutory requirements? Mayor
Johnson responded that is a legal issue and depends on definitions. How it is defined under the
statutes would depend on the position and who would have control of the position.
Ald. Melcher noted that on page 57, recommendation #7 has been cut off and needs to be
corrected for the final draft.
Ald. Salentine thought the general public would question why hire a director when there is a
Police and Fire Commission. Could he explain a fire commission is only for a full-time city
department. They don’t do volunteer departments. Why doesn’t our Police and Fire Commission
take control of this. Mr. Simpson said they are getting into issues that are specific to
Wisconsin. He did say the intent behind this mechanism goes back to whereby there is a need
for a full-time, paid professional person to function as an administrative head of fire-rescue
services. The benefits that will come about from such things as economy, keeping the fee
structure up, many other things will pay for the position. Mayor Johnson said the difference is
the report says the recommendation is that the city establish a fire department consisting of two
separate fire companies, feeding into that one department. When you create a municipal fire
department, then you are required to have a fire chief therein lies the problem, can you have an
administrative person without the operation, does that person still have to be picked by the
commission. This, again, will have to be answered from a legal standpoint. We contract with two
fire companies so under State law, the city does not have a fire department. Mr. Simpson stated
this would be one of the first issues to pursue.
Phil Dibb #4, You have two non-profit companies and board of directors, how do you integrate
the directors when no one cares if the director is there? How does a director fit into a private
company? Mr. Simpson said he or she doesn’t really fit into the private company. They are an
employee of the jurisdictional authority. The fire companies still have fire chiefs and officers,
etc. exactly as they had. It’s a matter of establishing standards and norms and everything that the
services are going to be performed in the jurisdiction. These would be a function of that person
to see that those benchmarks are being met. It’s an administrative function. Phil Dibb responded
there is no drive for the department to listen to this person. (Hand/finger motion from Ald.
Committee Of The Whole Minutes – March 15, 2007 Page 6
Salentine indicating dollars was the drive.) Phil Dibb agreed there was a drive. Mayor Johnson
said the person and the department would be a supportive mechanism for the companies, an
organization that would enable what they do whether it be budget, coordination, training and
they’d look to that person for guidance. They would still function as separate companies but
come through that person to get money, to get budget, to get training, to coordinate policies and
procedures. Ald. Salentine offered that the director would be setting up the annual contracts with
the companies. Mr. Simpson said that is exactly what they were talking about in the document.
Ald. Salentine said the incentive would be the annual contract and making sure everything is
done the same. Mayor Johnson stated they are trying to do what is in the best interest of the
community, the best, fastest and most economical service for Mrs. Smith. We need to coordinate
the efforts of both companies who are unique and get things standardized. It’s a way to increase
the response to the community and make the good service even better.
Ald. Madden saw the director position as a communicator as communicating is an issue who is
going to work with both sides to translate to the city, who has no clue, and give both companies
the benefit of making sure the city understands their needs. It’s a benefit for all three.
Ald. Melcher stated recommendation #36 is the prime one in terms of the strategic process. This
particular commission together with the fire departments need to go through to come up with
something in terms of a plan. He saw that as the only thing that would be a buy-in for both
departments; otherwise, this is just a nice document. Something we can all read but unless they
come to own it, come up with their own plan, nothing is going to go anywhere. He thought this
was a very key thing for the director’s position being the one with the advisory board to come up
with and working with two fire companies to come up with a plan that they can own, that they
can buy into, that is really something that is going to guide their future. Would you agree? Mr.
Simpson agreed. He referred to the bottom of page 55 relative to the City of Muskego’s choices.
Gentleman #5, asked if it was correct that the director would not have an operational authority?
Mr. Simpson said that was correct. Gentleman, questioned if they would still be able to lay out
their training and equipment maintenance schedules. Mr. Simpson said they could double their
training schedule as one company trains on one day and the other on another and there would be
the opportunity for to take advantage of the other day to get in their training. Gentleman asked if
the guy would guide or direct. Mr. Simpson stated it depends on what you mean, leader or
manager. Gentleman, are you looking for a leader or a manager? Mr. Simpson thought the
primary goal of the position is to help set the strategic path.
Gentleman #6, aren’t we better off with one department and one chief. He thought it would solve
the problem. Mr. Simpson shared an observation that the city is not there yet.
Michael Kuwitzky, this person that is going to be selected for the position, did he concur that the
individual would have to have some very good credentials from the fire-rescue service arena in
order to be able to represent the companies. Mr. Simpson indicated absolutely as you can not do
something that you don’t have any understanding. Michael Kuwitzky said that he was bothered
by the term administrator as there are people who are administrators and they can’t administer
anything.
Committee Of The Whole Minutes – March 15, 2007 Page 7
Gentleman #8, it doesn’t matter who’s name is on the door, what quality of service do you feel
they are getting. Mr. Simpson replied the fire service right now in Muskego is probably in the
upper 25%-30% of fire service in the country as full-time and volunteer.
Mayor Johnson thanked Mr. Simpson and the public for their attendance. He will be asking the
Common Council to consider the report in the next week and a half and they will agendum the
process on how to go about looking at the report, how to implement and the next steps. He
envisioned more meetings with public involvement.
Ald. Schaefer thanked the volunteer firemen for their hard work and what they have done for the
community.
Ald. Melcher questioned if the Phoenix software would adequately take care of the information,
the CAD system in terms of time and dispatch. Mr. Simpson deferred to the Mayor. This was a
product he did not know about. Mayor Johnson mentioned the other cities using the CAD
system and they thought it was good. He thought it would be satisfactory to Muskego’s needs.
Mayor Johnson announced that once the final report was received, it would be published on the
city’s web site.
ADJOURNMENT
Ald. Snead moved to adjourn at 8:12 PM. Seconded by Ald. Melcher. Upon a voice vote, the
motion carried unanimously.
Stella Dunahee, CPS
Recording Secretary