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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-28-2002 Meeting PUBLIC SAFETY COMMlTIEE COMMITIEE ROOM - October 28, 2002 1:30-P:-M. -I PRESENT: M. Williams, Chairman, L Beard, T. Boyles, S. Shepard members, Commissioner R. Colclough, G. Kolb, Administrator, J. Wall, Attorney, ABSENT: B. Young, Mayor. ALSO PRESENT: L. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, H. Williams, Augusta Chronicle, S. Norris, Augusta Focus, G. Eskola, Channel 6. 1. Motion to approve the purchase of 2 Thermal Eagle Imagers from Vallen Safety Supply Company in the total amount of $17,800 for use in Fire/Rescue. Chief Gillespie: This is a request in conjunction with Risk Management. What we're talking about here is two Thermal Eagle Imagers to add to our thermal imaging cameras that we have available that we have available in our current response area. This is a very good buy. As you can see in your packet they are helpful not only for our people but for locating citizens in burning buildings. Mr. Beard: So move for approval. I Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion carries unanimously. 2. Motion to approve contract with Turner Associates on behalf of the Turner Ricci Woodhurst team for architectural services for the Judicial Center. Mr. Wall: I had come over to ask that this be postponed until the next Committee meeting. The architects have not gotten their fee proposal together. Mr. Oscar Harris with Turner Associates is out of town this week. We have a meeting planned with him on November 5. Because of that Mr. Kuhlke and I ,'had recommended that this be put off until the Committee meetings in November which will be November 11. However, in light of the discussion that went on earlier about the Commission meeting being moved to November 6 we could probably get the package to you on the afternoon of November 5 if you all want to take it up and carry it straight to the Commission. We will meet on the morning of November 5, I think we'll iron out the fee. We'll have the agreement ready and can get it to you probably on the afternoon of November 5 and then you all can consider it on November 6 or we can stick with the original plan which was to bring it back on November 11. I Mr. Shepard: We thought that since the public would be having their hands full with the new voting machine and as a courtesy to the Mayor, that we should have 1 our full Commission meeting not on election day but have it the day after. Of c'ourseitwoulO-tiiKe-th'e-right-of-circulation-to'day-to-move-tharmeeting-burwe thought that would be the appropriate thing to do if we could convince everybody else to go along with us. Mr. Williams and I and Mr. Bridges were of one mind that that was the appropriate recommendation to every member of the Commission so we would like to put that on the record. 1- Mr. Wall: The question is, is it agreeable with this Committee for us to carry it to the 6th knowing that you will not get the full contract until the afternoon of November 5. Mr. Beard: I think we should bring this back to the Committee. Because that would give everybody time to really look at it. I so move for the November 11 meeting. Mr. Boyles: Second. Motion carries unanimously. 3. A request from Gold Cross Emergency Medical Service to discuss ambulance transportation in Augusta. Mr. Schneider: There are a couple of things that have happened in the last couple I of days that I'm not quite sure on and would like a little bit of guidance. I'll start out with a letter that I sent to Administrator Kolb. On September 25th, Gold Cross was called to respond to three emergency calls in the city of Augusta. Gold Cross has received no subsidy from Richmond County. We want to provide ambulance service if possible, but we can't provide backup ambulance service for free. These request came from Richmond County 9-1-1. We responded and in turn the bills were sent to Administrator Kolb for these calls. I also told him that we would be more than happy to meet with him to discuss and possibly workout an agreement for backup ambulance service for Richmond County. I also stated that in the event of a major disaster Gold Cross would assist with no problem. We received a response from Mr. Kolb stating that he received the letter and that he did not feel the County was responsible for those bills. He also made the statement that if we no longer participated in the Mutual Aid Agreement with Rural Metro or respond to emergency calls in Riclimond County to let him know. The point is we're not saying that we will not respond to emergency calls in Richmond County, we're saying that we can't do to for free. If that were the case, you're paying Rural Metro a subsidy per month, so they are not running calls free. If that were the case you could run two ambulances and bring in mutual aid from all around and cost you anything, What we're saying is that we're willing to sit down with the County, work out an agreement if we're needed and if we're called that the County would subsidy us on a per call basis. We have no Mutual Aid Agreement with Richmond County. We had a Mutual Aid I Agreement with Rural Metro when they were not receiving a subsidy. But we 2 have never had a Mutual Aid Agreement with Augusta Richmond County. The Secoho-clarification-I-n'e'ed:--On-October-14llLwe-had-a-requestironrthe-Medical College of Georgia to move a patient that weighted in excess of 600 pounds. This patient was a citizen of Richmond County living on Wrightsboro Rd. I called the Fire Department and asked if they would assist us with man power because we moved this patient on the back of a flat bed wrecker. I was told that yes we would. The Battalion Chief called me and wanted to know what time and I told him I would let him know. About thirty minutes later, I got a call back from Chief Rogers saying that Chief Gillespie said it would cost us $2000 if the Fire Department came and helped us' move that citizen. Gentlemen I need to know number 1 is the Fire Department charging on a per call basis when they did help Rural Metro carry that patient in at no charge. We've got two pieces of property in this county that we pay taxes on. It's my understanding that these taxes are going up to support fire and police. I don't have a problem with that and I agree with that. ~I Mr. Williams: Any citizen of Richmond County, whether they are a property owner or not, if there is assistance needed from the Fire Police or whatever we are going to assist them. Those are the rights of our citizens. I Mr. Kolb: This was not an emergency situation. This was a private call to a private ambulance service. Rural Metro has been subsidized since 1996 by this government. We have been paying them. I think Rural Metro backs up Gold Cross. Mr. Schneider: We have a Mutual Aid Agreement with Rural Metro in Columbia county as well as other counties. Mr. Kolb: And we have not received a bill prior to this time. I would think that you would allow us to meet with Mr. Schneider and sit down and determine what the Mutual Aid arrangement is going to be. We are obligated to respond to emergencies but not to assist private ambulance services. Chief Gillespie: That as stated was not an emergency call. It was a private hospital transfer call in a private hospital that has people that are on duty at the hospital plus this is a patient that is going to be transported for a fee by this private ambulance company who could call another crew in to help them out whether than tie up a non emergency crew for a non emergency transport. After further discussion, I Mr. Wall: The version of the law side is that the Chief is correct in so far as where there is an emergency situation then the Fire Department is there to assist. I do think that you run into some problems and I'm going to raise the gratuity clause because that's the one that comes into play in a lot of situations, where you're simply there helping out a business. Because they do not have sufficient 3 manpower or whatever to take care of the situation in a non emergency situation. nron:'t unaerstancnlie reason wnyGoli:l-Cross intliissilITa:tion, coulanorliay'e some how put together the manpower necessary to move the lady into the house. Whether it be Public Works, the Fire Dept., or whoever it is, we cannot get into the business of assisting private companies in non-emergency situations. An emergency situation, yes. We're there to respond. I do think that the Fire Chief is the one who has to make the decision as to whether this is an emergency situation or a non-emergency situation. 1- Mr. Beard: Is there a Mutual Aid Agreement between the two? Mr. Schneider: No, we don't at this time. We did at the time of this call. If we needed backup on calls they would respond and vice versa. Mr. Mays: I think that Rural Metro, Gold Cross, the Fire Dept., the Administrator and the Attorney should meet and decide how our citizens will be served. Mr. Boyles: I will make this in the form of a motion that we ask the Administrator and our Attorney if necessary to meet with the three major parties involved and bring us back a comprehensive policy so that we will know by our next Committee meeting. I feel like there is a gap somewhere in our emergency service Mr. Shepard: Second. I Motion carries unanimously. 4. Discuss additional funding for Indigent Defense Tripartite Committee. (Requested by Commissioner Shepard) Mr. Shepard: I move we concur with the decision of the Finance Committee on that issue. Mr. Beard: Second. Mr. Kolb: The Finance Committee approved appropriating from Contingency about $50,000 to carry thern through the fiscal year. Hopefully, that will do it, if not we'll be back to the Commission for additional funds. The second piece of that is to discuss it during the Budget Workshop, Motion carries unanimously. 5. Approve amendment to Augusta Richmond County Code Title 3, Chapter 5, Section 86 to allow motorized carts use on certain roads in Augusta. I 4 Mr. Wall: State law requires that certain things be done in order for motorized carts to use pu15licstreets.-You an-nave previously aaopteQ~all-0rdijjancethanet forth those requirements and designated a location on J. Dewey Gray Circle, out by Doctors Hospital. You are now being requested to amend it again to include a portion of 10th Street between Broad and Savannah River. This is for the First Friday event between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. or such other times as authorized by the Mayor. This will require an Ordinance to do. The request was made by the Morris Museum of Art to shuttle people back and forth from their facility to Broad Street. That's the suggestion and the recommendation. There is also a request to waive the second reading. --I Mr. Beard: So move for approval. Mr. Boyles: Second. Motion carries unanimously. 6. Receive a report from the Human Relations Commission regarding police brutality cases tiled with agency. (Requested by Commissioner Williams) Mr. Williams: I asked for this report from Human Relations on the progress that has been made in the last two years on police brutality cases. I Mr. Thomas: You asked for two years and we went back three years. Every time we receive a complaint against the Richmond County Sheriff's Department we send out an inquiry to law enforcement. Law enforcement normally responds within a certain amount of time as to whether the case has merit or does not have merit. In the cases that I have presented to you today all of those cases have basically the same comment and that is that Richmond County acted accordingly. Mr. Williams: In your tenure as Director are you telling me that there have been no cases of police brutality? Mr. Thomas: That's not what I'm saying. Since I've been there I've had occasion to go on record to say that the Sheriff's Dept has not used excessive force. What I've given you here does not contain that information, because it's not there. After further discussion, I Sheriff Strength: When I saw on the agenda, that this was going to be about police brutality, I really got concerned. So I had our folks come up with a list of complaints from 2001 when I took of every complaint received from Frank Thomas. In 2001 we received 40 complaints to investigate. Out of that forty to investigate, two were abusive force. One of those, the lady has already pled guilty and the other one is pending. That is not only the best record in Georgia, that is the best record in the United States of America. This year we've received 5 three. We answer 330,000 calls a year. You all can't figure how low that is. This year'we've-onl y-received-three-complain ts. 1- Mr. Boyles: So move to receive this as information. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion carries unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned, Lena J. Bonner Oerk of Commission /bb I I 6 PUBLIC SAFETY AGb~lJA COMMITTEE ROOM - October 28, 2002 l:3o-P. M. 1. Motion to approve the purchase of2 Thermal Eagle Imagers from Vallen Safety Supply Company in the total amount of $17,800 for use in FireJRescue. 2. Motion to approve contract with Turner Associates on behalf of the Turner Ricci W oodhurst team for architectural services for the Judicial Center. 3. A request from Gold Cross Emergency Medical Service to discuss ambulance transportation in Augusta. 4. Discuss additional funding for Indigent Defense Tripartite Committee. (Requested by Commissioner Shepard) , 5. Approve amendment to Augusta Richmond County Code Title 3, Chapter 5, Section 86, to allow motorized carts use on certain roads in Augusta. 6. Receive a report from the Human Relations Commission regarding police brutality cases filed with agency. (Requested by Commissioner Williams) - - - I . I - - ~UBLlC SAFETY AGENDA COJ\1MITTEE ROOM-November 11, 2002 1:30 P. M. I, Update from the Administrator regarding the development of a comprehensive policy concerning ambulance transportation in Augusta. (Referred from October 28 Public Safety) 2. Motion to approve contract with Turner Associates on behalf of The Turner Ricci W oodhurst Team for architectural services for the Judicial Center. (Deferred from October 28 Public Safety) 3. Motion to enter into a contract with the firms of Continental Construction Company and ParsonsIH. E. Henigh Company to perform the construction of Fire Stations #8 and #12 in the respective amounts of $1,294,444 and $1,091,478. 4. Approve migration to Cisco PIX firewall. 5. Approve amendment to Augusta-Richmond county Code Title 4, Chapter 2, Section 74 to prohibit the outside storage of tires where water could accumulate in such stored tires. 6. Approve Work Authorization # I for the new Judicial Center.