Garland RFD works to get house in order

Friday, April 12, 2013

General housekeeping was the order of the day Wednesday night during the Garland Rural Fire Department Board's second meeting after a restructuring of the board.

Board member Connie May said she has learned that all incident reports must be submitted by email and that the option to fax or mail reports was no longer available. Because of this, the board is looking into Internet options for the department. She said the training reports are due by the 20th of the following month, but no record of reports being filed for the months of January and February could be found at the station.

She said the Internet connection also could be used for watching training videos online. May said Bourbon County Emergency Manager Terri Coop has given her a list of resources for online training options. The board also discussed purchasing a wireless router for the station.

May also mentioned the Internet connection could save the department a little money.

"So many of the books are outdated, it's not feasible to purchase new books if we can do it online," May said.

The board then addressed the issue of missing equipment from the department.

May also told the board that written notices need to be sent to former members of the department to return any equipment or property that belongs to the department.

"Things and items that are purchased by the fire department with the fire department's money is , in turn, taxpayer's and people's money," May said. "That leaves a lot of things around here that need to be brought back."

She said she recently found a receipt for $500 for new T-shirts and sweatshirts, but could not find any at the department, although some were returned unused later at the department.

She also said bunker gear bags, suspenders, shirts, jackets, helmet liners and other items also are missing. She said other items that need to be returned are radios, chargers, breathing apparatuses and any other items pertaining to the fire department, including salvage items. Return of the gear also helps prevent former volunteers from acting on behalf of the department.

May also presented a list of items that were ordered for the department in the past, but could not be located now. The board declined to share that list with The Tribune until they have examined the legalities of sharing the list.

She also said 100 stamps, and two 20-books of stamps were purchased, but cannot be found at the department.

"If it's on our list, it has to come back," May said.

The board suggested that even current volunteers bring their gear in so that it may be inventoried again.

Don Banwart, former Scott Township Fire Chief has more than 45 years experience as a volunteer firefighter and attended the meeting in an advisory capacity. He informed the board that many neighboring departments loan gear if there is a need. He also told the board if they have a surplus of something, loaning that out to another department can be noted on grant applications, which improves the department chances of getting grants.

"The more you help someone else, the more it helps you get grants," Banwart said.

In other discussions, May contends the GRFD has never been "closed" despite prior reports that former volunteers had locked the station.

She said the department was never "closed" because automatic aid agreements were in place with the Scott Township Fire Department.

"They (aid agreements) are automatically in place, whether we are out there or not," May said. "I think it got spoken wrong that we closed it, [that] nobody has the fire department open, [that] nobody's protected...that's not the case."

She said she understands that the department was "built by the blood, sweat and tears" of people in the past, but when grants and public funds start being used, that becomes money that is the taxpayers' money and people are appointed to oversee it.

"That is what has been done," May said. "...I see both sides. I sit out there and listen to everything on both sides...hopefully things will die down. Hopefully people will understand it (the department) is still here for the community."

May also took time to dispel rumors that the department is joining District 3.

"We're not part of District 3, we're District 2 and we want to stay District 2," May said.

She also discussed calling neighboring departments in Missouri to find out what mutual or automatic aid agreements are already in place with the GRFD. She said it was difficult to determine because so much paperwork is missing from the station.

"The papers around here have disappeared," May said.

She said any records of other departments that might have paid dues to the department also are gone.

She said she thought dues were paid from over there (Missouri) and carried over here and given to an individual person, but could not be sure because of missing paperwork.

"Because there is no record of it," May said. "There's no record that we have found."

She said she has claims that people have paid dues and she said she doesn't doubt them.

"We just have no record of where it has gone," May said.

She also discounted rumors that one could not serve on the department if they live outside the fire district.

"As long as they can get there in ample time and be able to help, I don't see any reason to not to (let them volunteer)," May said.

She said they are getting calls from more interested volunteers and have received about 10 applications thus far.

In other action, the board:

*Approved the purchase of a locking mailbox for the station.

*Approved purchased of an external LED light for the exterior of the station.

*Discussed options for cleaning bunker gear, which is recommended once per year.

*Approved retaining Marmic Fire and Safety Co., Parsons, for inspection of the department's fire extinguishers.

*Discussed looking into obtaining cold-pack vests for firefighters.