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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-13-2002 Meeting I PUBUC SAFETY COMMITTEE COMMfITEE ROOM - May 13,2002 1:30 P. M. PRESENT: Young, Mayor, Williams, Chairman, Beard, Boyles, Shepard members, Commissioners Colclough, Hankerson and Cheek, Wall, Attorney, Russell, Deputy Administrator, Gillespie, Fire Chief, Scott, Fire Dept., L. Bonner, Clerk of Commission. MEDIA: Williams, Augusta Chronicle, Norris, Metro Courier, Eidson, Metro Spirit, Eskola, Channel 6. Clerk: We have an addition: To discuss ambulance response time. (Requested by Commissioner Williams) Mr. Boyles: So move to add. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion carries unanimously. 1. Motion to approve Change Order No.1 to Architects Virgo Gambill for Fire Stations 1, 7, 8, 12, 19. I Mr. Beard: So move for approval. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion carried unanimously. 2. Approve contract with Bowman Security in the amount of $35,886.99 regarding the construction of an upgrade and installation of the C.C.T.V. (Closed Circuit Television) System in the Augusta Richmond County Jail and the Augusta Richmond County Detention Center of its existing security monitoring system. Funding is provided in existing funds within the Sheriff Department. Mr. Shepard: So move for approval. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion carries unanimously. 3. Motion to approve $1,000.000.00 in SPLOST funds allocated for the Fire Department to construct Fire Station #15 in 2002 to be shifted to the year 2003, and to shift $1,000.000.00 of SPLOST funds allocated for the Fire Department to purchase fire engines in 2003 to be shifted to 2002. I 1 Mr. Boyles: So move for approval. Mr. Shepard; Second. I Motion carries unanimously. 4. Approve Ballistic Vest replacement for Road Patrol Division whose current vests are reaching the tive-year life cycle, as well as the purchase of new Ballistic Vests for transportation and CivillFugitive Division officers. Mr. Shepard: So move for approval. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion carries unanimously. 5. Request approval of expenditure of $49,458.00 to purchase an Outdoor Firing Range System. (Sole bidder) Mr. Shepard: So move for approval. Mr. Beard: Second. I Motion carries unanimously. Discuss ambulance response time. Commissioner Williams: I requested that this be put on the addendum for today. We had some serious accidents in this city over the weekend, especially on yesterday. There was a very serious accident that happened on Reynolds Street. I happened to be on the Riverwalk at the time on 8th Street. We had a patrol car to hit another automobile coming out of 9th Street. Both cars were a total lost just from my observation. The front end on the patrol car was totally demolished. The officer was really traveling at a high rate of speed but besides that the ambulance service took, from the time I walked from 8th Street goin~ across the Riverwalk under the entry way to get down to my car and drove to 9 Street and parked. I think the accident probably happened around 7:00. It took from 7;00 until at least 7:25 for an ambulance to arrive. They stayed there from 7:25 to 7:45. I went over and asked the driver, is there any reason why you have not left. He had two people with neck collars on, two people on the board. The officer was walking around saying he was ok. I imagine he was kind of nervous. They had him in the rear and ended up putting him in the back. It took all that time and the still did not leave there until 7;45. The driver told me, well, I'm in charge, when I decide it's time to go then that's when we'll go. I said ok and walked off. Something has to be done. Downtown as close as we are to University Hospital it took, and the Fire Department was there assisting them. The Fire Department came out and assisted the ambulance service in putting these people on stretchers. I 2 I There was a couple in a car that was broadsided because they evidently pulled out and did not see him. The ambulance took entirely too long for an ambulance to come to that location and then stand around and everybody was doing something. But they were not attending to them as they were putting them in a position to do something. They put them on a stretcher and they set there for the longest. I got on my cell and called the 821-1080 to ask if another ambulance was being summoned because I thought they needed two ambulances. Finally, another ambulance did come. We have got to get a handle on our ambulance service because we are not getting the service that we're paying for. I saw that for myself. I was not an e6ewitness, I did not see the accident, I heard it. I heard it when he came across 8t Street, I heard the brakes and I heard the collision when it hit. When I got there and waited and there were other witnesses. I think one of the news stations was there and showed it on the late news. That was a bad accident and it could have been a fatality. I've been saying about our public safety with our Fire Dept., with our Sheriff's Dept., with our ambulance service with the Fire Dept. being First Responders all of us are running and I am afraid that we're going to hurt somebody trying to get to somebody that's not really in as bad a shape as we're going to leave them in when we get there. There is an incident that we brought up in this same meeting Chief, before your tenure here. The Fire Dept. came along Gordon Hwy and Tubman Home Road, 8;00 in the morning, you would've thought they were on 1-20. The other engine right behind the first engine. I think Chief Scott got a call on that particular incident. That makes no sense to me. Our drivers have got to understand that to create another emergency to go to an emergency is really bad. I just wanted to bring that to this Committee to get us to look at something to find some way of doing something else. I Mr. Beard: I'm really concerned about the response time because this is not the first time I've heard about a lack of response. I would suggest that we have Rural Metro come before the Committee or either the Mayor or the Administrator can talk with them. I think our next step is to let Rural Metro know that we're having some concerns about the response time. Mr. Boyles: I would like to make a motion that we ask Rural Metro to attend our next Public Safety Committee meeting. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion carries unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission I /bb 3 Mr. Beard: Second. I Motion carries unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Oerk of Commission /bb I I 4 I PUBLIC SAFETY AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - May 13,2002 1:30P.M. 1. Motion to approve Change Order No.1 to Architects Virgo Gambill for Fire Stations 1,7,8, 12, 19. 2. Approve contract with Bowman Security in the amount of $35,886.99 regarding the construction of an upgrade and installation of the C.C.T.V. (Closed Circuit Television) System in the Augusta Richmond County Jail and the Augusta Richmond County Detention Center of its existing security monitoring system. Funding is provided in existing funds within the Sherif[ Department. 3. Motion to approve $1,000.000.00 in SPLOST funds allocated for the Fire Department to construct Fire Station #15 in 2002 to be shifted to the year 2003, and to shift $1,000,000.00 of SPLOST funds allocated for the Fire Department to purchase fire engines in 2003 to be shifted to 2002. 4. Approve Ballistic Vest replacement for Road Patrol Division whose current vests are reaching the five year life cycle, as well as the purchase of new Ballistic Vests for transportation and Civil/Fugitive Division officers. - 5. Request approval of expenditure of $49,458.00 to purchase an Outdoor Firing Range System. - - I ADDENDUM PUBLIC SAFETY AGENDA May 13, 2002 1:30 P. M. - ADDITION TO THE AGENDA: I. Discuss ambulance response time. (Requested by Commissioner Williams) - - ..-..