Sep 16, 2024 Hilton Head Community Services & Public Safety Committee

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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY,

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

THERE HE IS, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC THAT LORD STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU.

SO, UM, DO

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.

THANK YOU.

AND A MOTION FOR

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - August 19, 2024]

MOVED.

SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.

GREAT.

AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION,

[5.A. Fire Rescue Mid-Year Report - Chris Blankenship, Fire Chief]

AND CHIEF BLANKENSHIP IS HERE AS ALONG WITH SOME OF HIS STAFF TO FILL US IN.

GOOD MORNING.

MORNING.

HAPPY MONDAY.

SO WE'RE HERE TODAY, UM, TO GIVE OUR MID-YEAR REPORT.

WE WILL GET STARTED.

SO THIS, UH, JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS REPORT IS JANUARY ONE TO, UM, JUNE 30TH, 2024.

SO IN THAT TIME, WE DO HAVE A, UM, INCREASE IN TOTAL, UH, CALL VOLUME, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS PRETTY MUCH PROPORTIONAL TO OUR EMS. UM, WENT FROM 46 74 IN 2023 UP TO 49 26, AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE YEAR ABOUT AVERAGING ABOUT 300 CALLS MORE PER YEAR, WHICH SHOULD END US UP ABOUT 10,000 CALLS ON THE YEAR.

AGAIN, AS USUAL, OUR BUSIEST STATIONS ARE STATION ONE IS STATION FIVE, STATION ONE IS IN SHIPYARD, AND STATION FIVE IS AT THE FRONT GATE OF HILTON HEAD PLANTATION.

UM, WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE OF, UH, FIRE RESPONSES IN THE STATION SEVEN DISTRICT THIS YEAR, UH, WHICH IS THE, UM, THE ONE ON THE CROSS ISLAND OPERATIONS.

UM, TOP FOUR FIRE INCIDENT TYPES FROM JANUARY TO JUNE.

FIRE ACTIVATED FIRE ALARMS AS USUAL.

ALARM IS SOUND DUE TO MALFUNCTION, AUTHORIZED CONTROLLED BURNING, WHICH IS A REMINDER THAT WE GO OUT AND INSPECT EVERY OPEN BURNING THAT IS REGISTERED ON THE TWO SATURDAYS A MONTH.

AND, UH, SMOKE TECH ACTIVATION.

TOP THREE MEDICAL INCIDENTS.

UM, A REGULAR EMS CALL, EXCLUDING VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

WE'RE AT 3,300 FOR THE YEAR.

WE'VE HAD 89 MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS WE RESPONDED TO WITH INJURIES AND 76 ACCIDENTS WITHOUT INJURIES.

OUR TOP IMPRESSIONS ARE GENERALIZED WEAKNESS.

UH, HEAD INJURY USUALLY CONTRIBUTED BY A FALL AND SYNCOPE.

UM, WE DO, UH, REPORT ON OUR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.

AND I WILL PREFACE THIS WITH AT CURRENTLY IN OUR REPORTING.

THIS IS IF THE CREW BELIEVES IT'S A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, WE ARE GETTING WITH OUR VENDOR TO MAKE THAT A, UM, REQUIREMENT TO BE FILLED OUT BEFORE THE REPORT CAN BE CLOSED OUT.

SO, UM, CHRISTOPHER OSTERMAN IS WORKING WITH, UM, FIREWORKS, WHO IS OUR VENDOR, TO MAKE THAT A FIELD WHERE THEY HAVE TO DO IT ON EVERY SINGLE CALL SO WE CAN HAVE SOME BETTER DATA.

SO FIRST SIX MONTHS WE HAD 40, 42 INCIDENTS AND KNOWN SHORT-TERM RENTALS.

70% OF THOSE, UM, SHIPYARD NORTH, SOUTH FOREST BEACH, OR STATION TWO AND SEA PINES.

UM, WE DO RECEIVE FOUR COMPLAINT INVESTIGATIONS, THREE COMPLAINTS OF OPEN FLAMES OR COMBUSTIBLE ON COM COMBUSTIBLE DECKS SUCH AS A CANDLE, A GRILL, OPEN FIREPLACE, UM, AND ONE COMPLAINT RELATED TO FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS BEING BLOCKED BY CONSTRUCTION CREWS AT A SHORT TERM RENTAL.

SO ALL FOUR OF THOSE WERE INVESTIGATED AND REMEDIED.

UM, BIG ONE FOR THIS YEAR.

THIS IS, THIS IS AWESOME.

OUR CARDIAC ARREST SURVIVAL RATE.

YOU CAN SEE ON THE GRAPH, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FROM 2013 TO 2024.

UM, THE BLUE, THE BLUE GRAPH IS THE STEEN SURVIVAL RATE, WHICH IS OUR, OUR SURVIVAL RATE.

AND THEN THE, THE LINE IS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

AND YOU CAN SEE FROM 2023 TO 2024, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE HAS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN ABOUT 10%.

HOWEVER, OURS HAS GONE UP.

UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY SITTING, UM, YEAR TO DATE TODAY AT 70%.

SO THAT'S WITNESSED SHOCKABLE CARDIAC ARREST.

UM, WE'RE AT A 70 PERCENTS RATE, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF, OF 24%.

UM, WITH THAT, I WANNA SHARE THIS STORY WITH YOU.

THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A SURVIVAL, UH, THAT WE HAD AND, UM, A SUN ACTUALLY DOING CPR ON HIS, ON HIS FATHER.

SO IF I COULD BEAR WITH ME, FOR EVERY ONE MINUTE THAT CHEST COMPRESSIONS ARE NOT PERFORMED, THAT PATIENT HAS A 10% CHANCE LESS

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HIT 9 1 1.

YOU HAVE A POLICE FIRE MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

HEY, I NEED HELP.

UM, MY DAD IS LIKE, CHOKING ON SOMETHING OR THROWING UP.

MY NAME IS ZACHARY STARES.

UH, I'M A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M GONNA .

UM, SO IT WAS A WEDNESDAY MORNING.

UM, I REMEMBER WAKING UP TO MY MOM SCREAMING, UH, I COULDN'T HEAR IT AT FIRST, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

SO I KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TOOK A FEW MORE SCREAMS TO REALIZE IT WAS SOMETHING URGENT.

UM, I REMEMBER PUTTING ON SOME SHORTS AND I RAN UPSTAIRS AND MY DAD WAS JUST LAYING IN BED.

UM, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

MY MOM WAS PANICKING.

UM, WE THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING WITH MY DAD CHOKING.

UM, BUT MY MOM HANDED ME HER PHONE AND I CALLED NINE ONE ONE.

I GOT INTO CONTACT WITH AN OPERATOR AND TOLD HIM THE ADDRESS, AND HE HELPED ME, UM, PUT ON A, A RHYTHM.

UM, AND I USED THAT TO GIVE MY DAD CPR FOR ABOUT SIX MINUTES BEFORE, UM, EMS ARRIVED.

MY NAME IS KYLE RAMSEY.

I'VE BEEN WITH HILTON HEAD FIRE RESCUE FOR ALMOST 12 YEARS, AND I AM, UH, CURRENTLY AN FAO PARAMEDIC.

IT WAS ROUGHLY 6 45, 7 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.

THE TONES DROPPED FOR A MEDICAL CALL TO ORIGINALLY A CHOKING PATIENT.

UH, WE GOT TO THE AMBULANCE AND STARTED RESPONDING TO THE CALL.

AND AS WE WENT CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE SCENE, IT THEN GOT UPGRADED TO AN UNCONSCIOUS PATIENT.

AND THEN BY THE TIME THAT WE ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE, IT HAD BEEN FULLY UPGRADED TO A CARDIAC ARREST AND WE MADE IT INTO THE BEDROOM.

UH, THEIR SON WAS PERFORMING CHEST COMPRESSIONS, UM, ON HIS FATHER.

WE DID, UM, ACTUALLY CONFIRM THAT HIS FATHER HAD A PULSE RIGHT WHEN WE GOT THERE.

SO, ZACH'S, UM, IMMEDIATE CHEST COMPRESSIONS FOR PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MINUTES BEFORE WE ARRIVED.

UH, REALLY SAVED HIS FATHER'S LIFE.

WE TOOK OVER TAKING CARE OF HIS FATHER.

UH, WE DID LOSE A PULSE, SO WE STARTED CPR ONCE AGAIN.

SO, AND THROUGH SOME INTERVENTIONS OF AIRWAY MANAGEMENT, CHEST COMPRESSIONS AND DEFIBRILLATION, WE, UH, SHOCKED HIS FATHER TWICE AND WE GOT A PULSE BACK AND HE STARTED TALKING TO US.

MY NAME IS NICHOLAS FERNANDEZ.

I AM COMING UP ON TWO YEARS NEXT MONTH, CURRENTLY FIREFIGHTER AND WORKING MY WAY TO BE A PARAMEDIC.

I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WHO WERE THERE CAN SAY THIS ENOUGH THAT HE, I THINK HE WAS THE MOST INTEGRAL PART OF THIS WHOLE, WHOLE CALL, UM, IN SAVING HIS FATHER.

HE, HE IS THE REAL HERO IN THIS, IN THIS STORY.

I REALLY DON'T FEEL LIKE I DID THAT MUCH.

IT WAS, IT WAS ALL, ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER.

UH, THE OPERATOR, UM, ALL THE EMS GUYS, UH, BUT EVERYONE DID A GOOD JOB.

AND, AND THAT'S WHY MY DAD'S HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE HILTON HEAD FIRE AND RESCUE.

I AM PROOF THAT THE CHAIN OF SURVIVAL DOES WORK.

PLEASE LEARN CPR TODAY.

GOOD LITTLE FEEL, GOOD STORY THERE.

UM, FULL CIRCLE.

ZACH.

ZACH TOOK CPR WITH US.

UM, HE'S ACTUALLY COME BACK AND, AND TALKED TO SOME OF OUR CPR CLASSES TO THE COMMUNITY.

TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.

AND IT'S JUST, THAT GOES TO SHOW THIS IS WHAT WE DO HERE, AND IT STARTS WITH THAT BYSTANDER CPR.

WE SAY THAT EVERY TIME WE DON'T SAVE ANYONE WITHOUT BYSTANDER CPR.

IT IS IMPORTANT AND WE HOPE EVERYONE LEARNS IT AND, AND GETS TO KNOW.

UM, JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, UM, PERSON, KENZIE ROBBAR FOR PUTTING THAT, UH, VIDEO TOGETHER.

I THINK SHE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH THAT.

BACK INTO OUR REPORT, OUR COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION DIVISION COMPLETED 20, JUST OVER 2,500 INSPECTIONS, 257 PLAN REVIEWS.

UM, WE DID 25 CAR SEAT CHECKS, UH, 167 SMOKE ALARM CHECKS, UH, TAUGHT 372 STUDENT C-P-R-A-E-D AND, UH, CONDUCTED 10 FIRE INVESTIGATIONS.

UH, PICTURE HERE ON THE, ON THE BOTTOM IS ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS CALLED AFTER THE FIRE, UH, THAT WE CONDUCTED AT MARSH SIDE VILLAS, UM, SHORTLY AFTER THEY HAD A FIRE THERE.

UM, IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE GO AND TALK TO THE COMMUNITY AFTERWARDS AND, UM, LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRE.

WE ALLOW SMOKE ALARM CHECKS, UM, AND, UH, AND, UM, ESCAPE CHECKS FOR THEM, FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THAT, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT HAS BEEN VERY BUSY.

UH, THE LAST SIX MONTHS I CONDUCTED THE, UH, THE HOT GIRLS SUMMER CAMP, WHICH IS HANDS-ON TRAINING.

UM, VERY, VERY, UH, SUCCESSFUL, OH ME, GO BACK.

VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.

WE HAD 2020, UH, HIGH SCHOOL AGED GIRLS COME AND JOIN US, UH, FOR A WEEK LONG SESSION THIS SUMMER WITH THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THEM WAS PHENO PHENOMENAL.

THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THEIR, UM, THEIR PARENTS WAS, WAS GREAT.

AND

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SO VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.

WE'LL BE DOING THAT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.

WE ALSO DID THE FIRE RESCUE EQUIPMENT ACADEMY AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WITH SOME OF THE YOUNGER KIDS.

UM, THAT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.

THEY GOT TO LEARN, UM, WHAT WE DO AS FIREFIGHTERS.

SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE, THAT WE USE.

UM, THEY GOT TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON, UH, THOSE TOOLS.

UM, IN THE SCHOOLS, WE'VE GOT THE RED HOT READERS, UM, THAT WE'RE STILL, THAT WE'RE STILL DOING.

UM, ON FRIDAYS WE HAVE OUR STUDENT RIDEALONG PROGRAM.

AND, UH, WE IMPLEMENTED A TOWN STAFF RIDEALONG PRO PROGRAM.

AND COUNCILMAN BROWN I KNOW HAS ALSO ALREADY COMPLETED IT.

UM, SEE JOSH GERBER THERE.

AND THAT HAS, UH, GONE OVER VERY WELL.

IT GIVES THE REST OF THE TOWN AN IDEA OF WHAT WE DO AND GETS TO RIDE OUT WITH US AND, AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT FIRE RESCUE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, SOME DATA THERE ON HOW WE'RE DOING ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.

UM, FEATURED ON FIRE RESCUE ONE BETTER.

EVERY SHIFT PODCAST OR NEW APPARATUS MEDIA IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS.

YOU'LL BE SEEING THAT AS WE ROLL OUT.

UM, OUR NEW FLEET OF TRUCKS.

AND THEN SOME, SOME OF OUR TOP TRAINING POSTS.

OBVIOUSLY THE GIRLS CAMP WAS, WAS HUGE.

THE TAKE ME BACK THURSDAY, SOME OF OUR TRAINING STUFF AND OUR CARDIAC ARREST SURVIVOR STORIES.

SO IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT OUR PEOPLE, UM, WHAT WE DO.

AND WE'VE ALSO STARTED HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF OUR RETIREES AND ALLOW THEM TO TELL SOME STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT, ABOUT THEIR TIME WITH FIRE RESCUE, OUR NINE ONE COMMUNICATIONS.

OUR CALLS IN, UH, FOR SERVICES ACTUALLY GONE DOWN IN 2024.

UM, YOU'LL SEE THE, THE 2023 COMPARED TO 2024 WE'RE, WE'RE IN INTAKING LESS CALLS IN THE 9 1 1 COMMUNICATIONS CENTER, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.

ALL THAT TELLS ME WITH OUR CALLS ARE CONTINUING TO GO UP.

WE JUST DON'T HAVE 20 PEOPLE CALLING IN A CAR WRECK INSTEAD OF ONE OR TWO.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

ALWAYS.

UM, OUT AND ABOUT.

WE HAD 12 COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS, 360 ATTENDEES AND TOM DISTRIBUTED.

OH, OVER 1200 PREPAREDNESS GUYS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

OUR STAFFING UPDATE, SO THIS IS, I'LL GIVE YOU MORE OF TODAY'S.

UM, WE BROUGHT THE LIEUTENANT OF EMS. WE FILLED A VACANT, UH, FOURTH FIRE INSPECTOR POSITION, AND OUR CANDIDATE POOL INTERVIEWS WERE HELD IN MAY.

AND WE ADDED 14 INDIVIDUALS TO OUR CURRENT HIRING POOL.

UM, ONBOARDED 10 NEW EMPLOYEES, EIGHT FIREFIGHTERS, ONE TELECOMMUNICATOR, AND ONE FIRE INSPECTOR.

AND OF THOSE, UH, THREE ARE LOCAL LIVING ON HILL HEAD.

ONE WAS A SKILL BRIDGE PROGRAM THAT WE DO WITH THE, UM, THE ARMED FORCES FOUR RESIDENTS, SOUTH CAROLINA AND TWO OUTSIDE.

SO CURRENTLY WE ARE TWO FIREFIGHTERS SHORT, UM, AND ONE, UM, COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION SPECIALIST, WHICH WAS A RECLASSIFIED POSITION, UM, FROM COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT.

SO TEND TO LEAVE, UH, THREE SHORT AS OF TODAY.

UM, WE HIRED TWO NEW MED CONTROL PHYSICIANS.

OUR CONTRACT FOR MED CONTROL PHYSICIAN WAS UP.

UM, WE WENT OUT TO BID.

WE GOT DR. ANDREW MATTHEWS AND RICHARD URBANSKI, BOTH HILTON HEAD, UM, HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS.

DR. MATTHEWS IS ACTUALLY THE MED CONTROL PHYSICIAN FOR THE ENTIRE HOSPITAL.

HE'S COME ON BOARD AS OUR MED CONTROL PHYSICIAN.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE TWO OF THESE GUYS.

THEY ARE, THEY ARE IN OUR, IN OUR HEADQUARTERS, IN OUR STATIONS EVERY WEEK, TRAINING OUR GUYS, MEETING WITH 'EM, UM, GOING OVER SOME OF THE CALLS WITH THEM.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY OUT RUNNING CALLS WITH US.

UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY GLAD TO HAVE THESE TWO GUYS ON BOARD.

UM, THEY WILL BE THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE, WHICH WILL BE THE, THE NEXT STEP OF, OF, UH, PREHOSPITAL CARE ON THIS ISLAND IN THE COMING YEARS.

UM, DR. MATTHEWS HAS ALREADY IMPLEMENTED THAT IN HIS, UH, FORMER ROLE IN OUTSIDE OF CHARLOTTE.

SO HE HAS SOME, SOME HISTORY.

AND WE'RE CURRENTLY OUT LOOKING FOR, UM, SOME GRANTS TO GET THAT PROGRAM ROLLING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOSPITAL AND HOPEFULLY THEM SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

THE FIRST SIX MONTHS FIRE RESCUE IS NOW AN ADVANCED LEVEL PEDIATRIC CARE SERVICE DEMONSTRATING A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY CARE AND BETTER OUTCOMES FOR PEDIATRIC PATIENTS.

UM, WE RECEIVED THE 2024 MISSION LIFELINE AWARD RECOGNITION FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION FOR OUR COMMITMENT AND SUCCESS IN HIGHER STANDARDS OF CARE FOR HEART ATTACK PATIENTS.

AND, UH, CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF 278 COMMUNITY AEDS TO CONFIRM LOCATION AND ENSURE ALL WERE FUNCTIONAL.

SO WE HAVE 278 FORWARD FACING AEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE CHECK THEM MONTHLY.

HOW OFTEN, UH, THEY HAVE TO CHECK THEM MONTHLY.

SO THEY'RE ALL CHECKED MONTHLY.

UM, WE JUST REPLACED IN CAPITAL LAST YEAR, ALL OF THE, THE TOWN OWNED AEDS, LIKE THIS ONE OVER HERE.

'CAUSE THE OTHER ONES WERE ENDING THEIR, UH, REACHING THEIR END OF SERVICE LIFE.

UM, AND I THINK WE GOT ABOUT 70 OF THOSE, UM, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY NOW.

SO, UH, KEY, KEY INSTRUMENT IN OUR, UH, CHAIN OF SURVIVAL ENGINE ONE, UM, AS I REPORTED LAST YEAR, ENGINE ONE, UM, WHICH IS OUR QUENTIN DOWN HERE IN SHIPYARD, UH, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON JULY 4TH, 2023.

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SO ALMOST A YEAR TO THE DATE.

SO, UM, THAT'S ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR US TO GET THAT THING BACK IN.

SERVICE.

FIRE RESCUE IS AWARDED THE FIRE SAFE SOUTH CAROLINA DESIGNATION FOR THE FIFTH YEAR SINCE ITS INCEPTION.

AND THAT GOES TO, UM, PATHWAYS TO OUR COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION.

IT'S EVERYTHING THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY WITH INSPECTIONS AND, AND PREVENTION.

SENIOR FIREFIGHTER, MAX PETERSON AND FIREFIGHTER KEITH FROM MCBURNEY WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE HILTON HEAD ROTARY AS THE 2024 FIREFIGHTER AT EMT OF THE YEAR AND COMPLETED SOME CIP PROJECTS.

LIKE I JUST SAID, THE AEDS, YOU CAN SEE THERE.

UM, WE DID INSTALL A NEW COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH, OUR CAD SYSTEM IN MAY.

THAT IS THE SYSTEM THAT INTAKES THE CALL, UM, AND SPITS OUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE RESPONDING.

SO, UH, NINE ONE CALL COMES IN, NINE ONE TELECOMMUNICATOR INPUTS.

UH, WHAT'S GOING ON? THAT IS THE SYSTEM THAT THEN TELLS US WHAT TO, WHAT TO SEND AND, AND WHERE TO SEND IT TO.

WE ALSO INSTALLED OUR NEW STATION LEARNING SYSTEM AND ALL OF OUR STATIONS THAT WAS COMPLETED IN MAY REP REPLACING, REPLACING THE PREVIOUS 20-YEAR-OLD SYSTEM, I'LL SAY THAT WAS FULLY FUNDED, UM, BY, UH, BEFORD COUNTY.

THAT WAS A, UH, COUNTYWIDE INITIATIVE TO ALL FIRE STATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY.

WE WERE THE FIRST ONES TO RECEIVE IT SINCE WE ALREADY HAD STATION ALERTING, WE WERE SLATED TO REPLACE IT.

UM, THEY WENT AHEAD AND DID US FIRST, AND WE'RE FULLY UP AND RUNNING WITH THAT NEW PUMPER FLEET.

SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORTS IN OUR, IN OUR FLEET REPLACEMENTS.

WE HAVE RECEIVED FIVE OF THE EIGHT PUMPERS.

UM, THEY ARE IN SERVICE, UH, TODAY.

AND, UH, JUST A LITTLE PICTURE OF THEM.

THEY'RE GREAT TRUCKS.

UM, THE GUYS, GUYS LOVE 'EM.

WE'VE BEEN OUT DOING A LOT OF TRAINING.

UM, PROBABLY THREE OF THEM WERE ON A FIRE THIS MORNING.

SO THEY ARE OUT AND ABOUT AND, AND FUNCTIONING SOME CURRENT INITIATIVES.

WE'RE WORKING ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH OUR 20 24, 20 26 STRATEGIC PLAN, LOOKING AT OUR STAFFING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

WE HAVE, UH, COMMITTEE INTERNAL COMMITTEES, UM, PUT TOGETHER THAT ARE LOOKING INTO ALL THESE INITIATIVES, WORKING WITH TOWN STAFF TO PLAN FOR A NEW FIRE RESCUE HEADQUARTERS TO BRING OUR HEADQUARTERS NINE ONE COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION CENTER IN EOC UNDER ONE ROOF INTO A HARDENED BUILDING.

SO THAT IS IN AN INITIATIVE RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN LEASE SPACE, UM, IN OUR COM CENTER IN EOC AT, UH, HILTON HEAD, PSD ONE.

AND WE'D LIKE TO GET THAT ALL, UM, UNDER ONE ROOF ALL TOGETHER IN A HARDENED BUILDING, STILL WORKING ON PLACING OUR PUMPER FLEET INTO SERVICE AND PREPARING FOR THE NEW QUINCE TO ARRIVE AT THE END OF 2024.

AND, UH, WORKING ON SOME TRAIN TRAINING CENTER IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, THE BIG ONE FOR THAT IS WE'RE BUILDING A, A CLASSROOM ON THE TRAINING CENTER.

'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE'RE TEACHING CPR TO JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE PLACE TO DO IT.

IT WE'RE, WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST OURSELVES, WHETHER IT'S TRAINING FOR OUR GUYS OR CPR TRAINING.

SO WE NEED ANOTHER SPACE, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT, UH, REACHING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO FIND SOME SPACES OUT THERE TO, TO TAKE THAT ON THE ROAD.

UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR FIRE RESCUE AND OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT REPORT AND THE PRESENTATION WAS SPECTACULAR.

REALLY NICE JOB.

UM, PATSY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, START WITH ANY QUESTIONS? UH, NOT MANY QUESTIONS, BUT THANKS.

AND, UH, I'LL, UM, MY HUSBAND QUOTES HIS LATE FATHER IS SAYING, UM, ALWAYS IMPRESSED, BUT NEVER SURPRISED.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS GREAT.

UH, I LOVE SEEING THE YOUNG WOMEN, UH, COME AND PARTICIPATE.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PROGRAM AND CONTINUING IT AND, AND WHAT YOU DO WITH SCHOOL AGED KIDS DURING THE YEAR, AND BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB DURING THE SUMMER.

UM, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND, AND THAT 70% SURVIVAL RATE'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

UM, AND, AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, THE NUMBER OF STATIONS THAT WE HAVE AS WELL AS THE CPR TALKING SOMEONE THROUGH IT ON THE SITE, AS YOU SAY, IF THERE'S SOMEBODY THERE THAT INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS.

SO WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, THANK YOU AND KEEP DOING IT.

THANK YOU, ALEX.

SURE.

THANK YOU.

UM, CHIEF, I DID PARTICIPATE IN THE, UH, RIDE ALONG PROGRAM AND, UH, WE, THANKFULLY WE DIDN'T GET ANY CALLS , UH, FOR TWO REASONS.

ONE, NO ONE WAS IN NEED OF SERVICE AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO TELL ME NO TO DRIVING A TRUCK.

.

NO, I, I WAS, UH, I WAS OVERLY UH, IMPRESSED WITH, UH, THE TIME THAT I SPENT WITH, UH, WITH YOUR FOLKS.

UM, TWO THINGS SORTA STICK OUT TO ME.

UM, ONE'S A VERY SIMPLE THING, UM, AS THEY WERE, UH, TAKING ME THROUGH A TOUR OF THE TRUCKS, UM, THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR ITEM, I GUESS WHEN YOU HOOK UP TO A FIRE HYDRANT, THERE'S LIKE THIS LITTLE SWIVEL THING THAT YOU HOOK UP TO THAT ALL THE FIRE HYDRANTS ON HILTON HEAD HAVE, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.

BUT

[00:20:01]

MM-HMM.

TYPICALLY THE TRUCK IS TAKING THIS LOW SWIVEL DEVICE WITH THEM, THEN HOOK INTO A FIRE HYDRANT, THEN HOOKING UP TO THE TRUCK.

UM, SO THE FACT THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOUND OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH GRANTS TO PROVIDE TIME SAVING EQUIPMENT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCIES, THAT'S JUST SO IMPRESSIVE.

AND THEY WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT DOES THAT IN A MUNICIPALITY.

SO, UM, I WANTED TO, UH, JUST SHARE THAT WITH EVERYONE.

AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION WAS JUST THE COMRADERY AND THE FAMILY-LIKE ENVIRONMENT THAT THOSE FOLKS OFFERED WHEN I SPENT TIME WITH THEM WAS JUST SIMPLY AMAZING.

UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH ENOUGH JOB AS IT IS.

UM, BUT TO BE AMONGST FOLKS THAT YOU LIKE AND, UH, HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH WHILE YOU ARE WAITING TO DO, UH, THE SERVICE, I THINK IS JUST SO IMPORTANT.

SO, HATS OFF TO YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, FOR KEEPING FOLKS MOTIVATED ALL THE TIME.

SO THANK YOU.

GREAT EXPERIENCE.

I, I RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY TO TO, TO TRY THAT RIDE ALONG AND PARTICULARLY US, UM, HERE ON COUNCIL.

I THINK YOU'LL, YOU'LL LEARN A LOT AS, AS YOU GO THROUGH THAT, THAT EXERCISE.

GOOD.

THANK YOU STEVE.

UM, I'D LIKE TO SECOND, UH, COUNCILMAN BROWN'S COMMENDATION OF THE WORK OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

IT'S IMPRESSIVE.

IT'S GOOD FOR THE ISLAND TO HAVE THE REPUTATION OF HAVING SUCH OUTSTANDING SERVICES FOR EMS, WHICH IS A CONCERN FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AS WELL AS FIRES.

UH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

YOU, THE REPORT YOU REPORT INDICATED THAT YOU HAD THREE DECK FIRES.

UH, ARE GRILLS PERMITTED ON OUTDOOR DECKS OF MULTI-FAMILY BUILDINGS? SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY WERE FIRES.

I THINK THEY WERE COMPLAINTS.

COMPLAINTS.

SO, UM, GRILLS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN, IN CERTAIN MULTI-FAMILY.

UM, LIKE A TOWNHOUSE, IT WOULD BE, BUT A MULTI-FAMILY THAT SOMEONE IS ABOVE YOU, THEY'RE NOT.

SO A LOT OF TIMES THE COMPLAINTS WE GET ARE SOMEONE BURNING A CANDLE OR A GRILL OR A, LIKE A CHIMNEY ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEN WE GO OUT AND INVESTIGATE THOSE.

BUT, UH, I WILL SAY GRILL FIRES IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE OF OURS.

UM, FOR FIRES IS, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.

LAST YEAR.

THE DATA SHOWED PREVIOUSLY THAT IT WAS OUR KITCHEN FIRES.

I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT SKEW TO OUR, OUR GRILL FIRES.

AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE THE BUILT-IN GRILLS IN THESE LARGE HOMES, UM, THAT WHETHER THEY'RE NOT BUILT PROPERLY OR THEY'RE LEFT ON, UM, STUFF LIKE THAT.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIG, UM, RISKS, I WOULD SAY.

BUT, UH, FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE FOUR THINGS, THOSE ARE JUST COMPLAINTS.

UM, I NOTED THAT THE OVERALL 9 1 1 CALLS HAVE INCREASED AND THAT MANY OF 'EM SEEM TO BE EMS AS OPPOSED TO FIRES.

MM-HMM.

, ARE WE HAVING MORE PEOPLE FALL DOWN, MORE PEOPLE WITH EACH OTHER IN CARS? SO I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS YOU'RE SEEING THIS TREND OVER 20 YEARS.

UM, OUR, OUR 20 YEAR DATA SHOWS THAT OUR CALL VOLUME HAS GONE UP 60% IN 20 YEARS.

AND IS, IT CORRELATES COMPLETELY TO EMS. SO, UM, ON ONE HAND PEOPLE AGE VERY WELL ON THIS ISLAND.

UM, AND DOWN HERE, SO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, I BELIEVE IS GETTING OLDER.

UM, WE'RE HAVING, I THINK WE'RE HAVING SOME OF US, SORRY, SOME OF US, SORRY, .

UH, I, I THINK, UM, WE'RE HAVING AN INFLUX OF MORE YEAR-ROUND RESIDENTS.

UM, BUT OUR DATA DOES SHOW THAT WE ARE SERVING OUR RESIDENTS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE.

SO THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, IT, IT IS, IT IS OUR RESIDENCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO.

SO YES, I THINK WE'RE GETTING OLDER.

YOU'LL SEE IN MY ANNUAL REPORT, WE'LL ACTUALLY BREAK THAT DOWN.

64 AND OLDER IS OUR, ABOUT 86% OF WHAT WE DO.

UM, SO I JUST, YEAH, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S AN OLDER POPULATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO.

UH, MY LAST QUESTION OR COMMENT RELATES TO, UH, RESPONSE TIMES, WHICH YOU HAVE LAID OUT EXTENSIVELY HERE FOR A WHOLE VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

MOST OF THEM SEEM TO BE VERY GOOD.

YOU'RE DOING BETTER THAN THE, THAN THE STANDARD, AND THERE'S A FEW THAT ARE NOT.

ARE THERE ANY STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO DEAL WITH THOSE FEW THAT ARE NOT YEP.

AS THE STANDARDS? SO, ABSOLUTELY.

AND THAT IS, UM, WE, WE BELIEVE OUR NEW CAD AND OUR NEW STATION ALERTING ARE GOING TO, UM, SHOW THAT THOSE TIMES ARE GONNA GET BETTER.

UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NEWER SYSTEMS. UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT AS ANTIQUATED AS OUR OLD SYSTEM.

SO YOU'LL START, YOU'LL START TO SEE THOSE THINGS TREND TO THE BETTER.

OUR CALL PROCESSING TIME, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT.

THAT'S FROM THE TIME THAT THE 9 1 1 COOK TELECOMMUNICATOR PICKS UP THE PHONE UNTIL THEY DISPATCH THE FIRST UNIT.

WE HAVE ACTUALLY SLOWED THAT DOWN INTENTIONALLY.

SO WE DON'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY SEND SOMEONE EMERGENT TO EVERY SINGLE CALL.

WE PROCESS THE CALL AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT EMS CALLS.

WE'LL PROCESS THE CALL.

IF IT'S A CARDIAC ARREST, YES, THEY'RE GOING OUT THE DOOR RIGHT AWAY.

IF IT'S, UM, CHEST PAIN, DIFFICULTY BREATHING, THOSE ARE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED.

IF IT'S A

[00:25:01]

WE'RE RUNNING MORE NON-EMERGENT CALLS THAN WE EVER HAVE BECAUSE WE'RE SLOWING THAT DOWN, GETTING THE INFORMATION AND DETERMINING IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THE RISK OF RUNNING LIGHTS AND SIRENS OR SENDING TWO UNITS TO, OR IS IT REALLY NOT LIFE-THREATENING, NOT THAT EMERGENT.

AND WE CAN SEND A SINGLE AMBULANCE NON-EMERGENT NO MATTER WHERE IT'S AT ON THE ISLAND.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING YES, THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT.

AND CHRISTOPHER OSBECK, MY BATTALION CHIEF, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING IS CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT OUR DA OUR DATA, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO, TO IMPROVE THAT.

THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSES AND THE EXCELLENT JOB THAT YOU AND THE DEPARTMENT ARE DOING.

THANK YOU.

WELL, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN.

I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A SECOND AND THANK THE YOUNG MAN WHO WAS SO PREPARED AND, UM, WAS ABLE TO ASSIST THAT CHAIN OF SURVIVAL THAT YOU TALK ABOUT IS CRITICAL.

AND MY ENCOURAGE, UM, ALONG WITH THE RIDE ALONGS THAT, UM, UM, COUNCILMAN BROWN MENTIONED THAT EVERYONE DO THE CPR TRAINING.

UM, IT IS THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME.

AND YOU GUYS ARE SO PROMPT AND PREPARED.

UM, IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE.

I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, SPEAK TO JUST A MOMENT ABOUT YOUR RESILIENCY.

THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB, AND I ALSO WANNA COMMEND YOU ALL AND THE FACT THAT YOU SHOW UP AT SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES AND SITUATIONS THAT ANY OF US COULD IMAGINE, AND YOU DO IT DAY AFTER DAY.

AND, UM, WITHOUT YOU, WE'D BE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLACE.

AND YES, I ALWAYS GET EMOTIONAL TALKING TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT WITHOUT YOU, THINGS GO SOUTH REALLY FAST.

AND I'M JUST GONNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION THAT I RECEIVED IN THE PAST, STEVE, WITH REGARD TO, UM, FIREPLACES AND BARBECUES.

THEY SHOULD BE 10 FEET AWAY FROM YOUR HOUSE, MINIMALLY.

ALL OF THESE, UM, BARBECUE KITCHENS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE BEING BUILT, THEY'RE SO BEAUTIFUL, 10 FEET AWAY FROM YOUR HOUSE HELPS TO PRESERVE YOUR, YOUR HOME AND YOUR LIFE SHOULD SOMETHING NOT GO RIGHT IN THE FUTURE.

UM, AND I'M GOING TO WAIT UNTIL YOUR NEXT REPORT TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, BUT I WAS JUST GOING THROUGH THE, UM, INCIDENTS BY RISK AND THE SIGNIFICANCE VERSUS THE LEVEL THAT YOU GUYS, UM, ATTRIBUTE THEM TO.

AND I FIND SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, TO BE VERY INTERESTING.

BUT WITHOUT BELABORING IT HERE TODAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.

I HOPE THE COMMUNITY TAKES ADVANTAGE OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE OFFERING.

UM, YOU'VE FIRE AND RESCUE AND HILTON HEAD HAS ALWAYS BEEN AMAZING, TOP-NOTCH, ALWAYS THE BEST.

BUT YOU GUYS RECENTLY, LAST SEVERAL YEARS, TAKING IT TO A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LEVEL AND WE'VE TRULY APPRECIATE IT.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE SOME, UM, UNFINISHED

[6.A. Consideration of a Resolution Adopting Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Practices/Integrated Pest Management Policy - TJ Jett - Chief Environmental Officer]

UM, WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING GROUNDS, MAINTENANCE PRACTICES, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT COST, UH, POLICY.

AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THIS MORNING BY JT JET, OUR CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

UH, GOOD MORNING.

AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BRING THE, THE, UH, DRAFT OF THE LATEST IBM TO YOU FOR YOUR REVIEW.

SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE, UH, AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON APRIL 8TH TOWN STAFF HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO REVISE THE POLICY BASED ON VALUABLE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED.

THE REVISIONS WE'VE MADE ADDRESS THE CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS PUT FORTH BY THE COMMITTEE, AND WE BELIEVE THEY SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE THIS POLICY.

WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING MS. CONTE AND MS HUBS, WHICH HAS HELPED REFINE OUR APPROACH.

I UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE A FEW ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADDRESSED, AND I'M SURE THAT WE WILL GET TO THOSE TODAY.

BUT TO REVIEW SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PRESENTING TO THE COMMITTEE OR AS FOLLOWS, WE MOVE SEVERAL ITEMS FROM THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES SECTION TO THE PROCEDURES SECTIONS AS IT WAS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE ITEMS TO BE LISTED THERE.

WE CLARIFIED THAT EXISTING CONTRACTS WILL BE BROUGHT INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE IPM POLICY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

IT WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF ADOPTION OF THE POLICY, WE PROHIBITED THE USE OF GLYPHOSATE ON ALL TOWN PROPERTIES, ALL TOWN OWNED AND MANAGED PROPERTIES WHERE THE POLICY APPLIES.

WE REQUIRED NOTIFICATION OF PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

[00:30:01]

WE PROHIBITED THE USE OF PESTICIDES WITH ANY KNOWN CARCINOGEN AND DEFINED KNOWN CARCINOGENS.

WE PROHIBITED THE USE OF NON-ORGANIC PESTICIDES WITHIN 25 FEET OF WATER OR MARSH EDGES.

WE DIFFERENTIATED NOTICE REQUIREMENTS DEPENDING ON BROADCAST AND NON-BROADCAST APPLICATIONS.

WE CLARIFIED THAT EPA LEVEL ONE PESTICIDES CAN BE USED WHEN OTHER METHODS DO NOT ADEQUATELY CONTROL THE PEST AND IS ONLY DEEMED NECESSARY TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC LOSS.

WE REQUIRED SIGNAGE FOR PESTICIDE APPLICATION NOTIFICATIONS TO BE A STANDARD SIZE OF THREE SQUARE FEET IN AREA.

WE MODIFIED SIGNAGE, EXCUSE ME, REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE CHEMICAL INFORMATION AND LINKS TO THE TOWN'S IPM POLICY AND SCHEDULE.

WE DESIGNATED FACILITIES DIRECTOR OR QUALIFIED DESIGNEE AS HAVING APPROVAL AUTHORITY.

WE REQUIRED APPLICATION RECORDS TO BE PROVIDED TO THE TOWN.

WE REWORKED THE DEFINITIONS SECTIONS OF TO BE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER AND ALIGNED WITH THE STATE LAW DEFINED TERMS AND ADDED REFERENCES TO THE STATE REQUIREMENTS AS DIRECTED BY THE TALENT ATTORNEY.

AT THIS TIME, I'D BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS THE Q MAY HAVE REGARDING THESE CHANGES.

THANK YOU.

UM, STEVE, I'LL START FROM THIS END.

ALEX, ALEX, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOT TO THIS POINT, PATSY? YES.

UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, MR. JET AND ALSO MR. LANGER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND TO, TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LAST ITERATION OF THE POLICY.

AND, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WORK AND THE POSITIVE ENERGY GOING FORWARD TO TRY TO FIND A WAY FORWARD.

RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, UM, SOME INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTRACTORS.

SO HAVING A POLICY IN EFFECT IS GONNA BE A MARKET IMPROVEMENT, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THINGS THAT, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UM, THERE'S THREE MAIN POLICY OBJECTIVES I'VE ALWAYS HAD.

UM, THAT IS TO REDUCE PESTICIDES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

AND, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN THIS POLICY THAT DOES THAT.

THERE ARE A FEW TWEAKS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES ARE ASKING FOR.

AND, AND IN A MINUTE, I WANT YOU TO ADDRESS THOSE.

UM, BUT ALSO KEY IS THE NOTICE TO PUBLIC.

AND SO THE, THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE THE LAST POLICY ARE MARKET IMPROVEMENT OVER THE PREVIOUS DRAFT ABOUT NOTICE TO PUBLIC.

AND THE THIRD IS THAT THE TOWN POLICY SHOULD CONTROL AND THE STAFF SHOULD MAKE THE DECISIONS AND NOT THE CONTRACTORS.

UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE POLICY LIES.

AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART OF IT, IS THAT WE MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENS.

UM, THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT I NOTICED, UM, IN, IN THEIR REVISED DRAFT.

ONE IS WITH REGARD TO THE CONTRACTS WITH LICENSED CONTRACTORS.

SO CLEARLY WHEN, UH, A NEW CONTRACT COMES UP, WE CAN INCLUDE, UH, REQUIRED COMPLIANCE WITH THIS POLICY.

BUT THERE'S SOME OTHER PROVISIONS IN HERE NOW THAT, UH, SAY THAT IF, IF, UH, THE EXISTING CONTRACTS DON'T, THEN WE'RE GONNA TERMINATE THOSE CONTRACTS WITHIN THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONTRACT ITSELF.

SO THEN THE NEW POLICY CONTROL.

SO I LIKE THAT BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED ABOUT EXISTING CONTRACTS AND, AND HOW, UH, WE CAN, UM, UH, HAVE THE POLICY APPLY TO EXISTING CONTRACTS.

I APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.

UM, I WAS TRYING TO WRITE DOWN SOME OF THE OTHER POSITIVE THINGS THAT I SAW SINCE THEN.

AND, AND I HAVEN'T WRITTEN 'EM ALL DOWN YET, BUT AS WE GO THROUGH IT, PERHAPS IF THERE'S SOME MORE THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, I, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT, UM, STATUS RESPONSE.

THE COMMUNITY GROUP HAS ASKED FOR A FEW MORE REVISIONS.

UM, AND, AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THEM AND, AND WE ASK THAT, UM, THEY MARK UP THE, THE CURRENT DRAFT THAT WAS SENT OUT TO THE COMMITTEE AND, AND THE COMMITTEE'S RECEIVED A COPY OF THOSE REQUESTED REVISIONS.

UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE, UH, REPEATING IN A DIFFERENT WAY, THE SAME LANGUAGE, UH, MAYBE A LITTLE PREFERRED LANGUAGE, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO, UH, GUIDING PRINCIPLE ABOUT, UM, UH, PEOPLE AND CHILDREN AND DOGS AND PARKS.

AND, AND I THINK THAT LANGUAGE I DON'T THINK IS SUBSTANTIVE.

IT'S MORE, UM, UH, STYLISTIC AND THE WAY, UH, THE WORDS ARE USED TO EMPHASIZE.

UM, THERE'S ANOTHER PHRASE THAT WAS MENTIONED, UM, AND THAT IS TAKING OUT, UM, A PHRASE LEAST TOXIC APPROACH.

UM, AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND FOLKS WHO ARE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND KNOW, I, IT IS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I TOOK CHEMISTRY IN HIGH SCHOOL, , SO I DON'T PRETEND TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE CHEMICALS INVOLVED, BUT LEAST TOXIC APPROACH IS A, A CODE WORD OR A SIGNAL PHRASE.

UM, SO, UH, THE SUGGESTION THAT'S MADE IS TO BE, UH, INSTEAD OF USING LEAST TOXIC APPROACH TO SAY THE FOLLOWING APPROACH, WHERE WE SET OUT WHAT THE

[00:35:01]

SO THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, AS A RETIRED ATTORNEY ANIMAL, THERE TO BE A CONFLICT IN LANGUAGE ABOUT WHICH CONTROLS.

SO THE SAY TO SAY THE FALLING APPROACH IS TO TAKE OUT CONFLICTING LANGUAGE AND SIGNAL WORDS, UH, BECAUSE IF, IF YOU USE LEAST TOXIC APPROACH, THERE COULD BE THREE REALLY TOXIC THINGS AND YOU JUST CHOOSE THE LEAST OF THOSE TOXIC THINGS.

SO IT'S, IT'S CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, THE STAFF CAN RESPOND TO THOSE SUGGESTED REVISIONS.

AND THEN THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES HERE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT, UH, WHY THOSE IMPORTANT, WHY THOSE REVISIONS ARE IMPORTANT.

AND THE LAST ONE, UM, THAT I RECALL BEING SUGGESTED IS TO COMBINE, UM, TWO OF THE CATEGORIES, UM, THAT IS, I TURN THE RIGHT PAGE, UM, TO COMBINE, UM, BEACHES, PARKS, DOG PARKS, ATHLETIC FIELDS, AND PLAYGROUNDS, UM, INSTEAD OF TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES TO COMBINE 'EM IN ONE SO THAT THE SAME APPROACH IS USED FOR BOTH OF 'EM BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE CHILDREN AND, AND DOGS, UM, AND FOLKS USING THOSE FACILITIES.

SO THAT'S THE REASON BEHIND THAT IS COMBINING THEM.

SO IT'S THE SAME APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO TWO DIFFERENT ONES.

UM, SO I THINK THEY MAKE SENSE.

UM, AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING STAFF'S COMMENTS ABOUT IT AND THE COMMUNITY'S COMMENTS ABOUT IT.

UM, AND I WOULD URGE THE COMMITTEE TO, UH, SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THESE REQUESTED CHANGES BECAUSE I THINK WITH THAT WE ARE TO THE PLACE WHERE WE CAN ADOPT THIS POLICY.

UH, THIS COMMITTEE CAN RECOMMEND THE FULL COUNCIL ADOPT THE POLICY AND MOVE FORWARD.

SO IT'LL BE MORE THAN READY FOR THE SPRING SEASON NEXT YEAR.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

THANK YOU PATY.

AND I SEE THAT, UM, WE HAVE A, AN APPROACH HERE.

SEAN WOULD, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.

UH, SEAN LON, YOUR ASSISTANT TOM MANAGER.

UM, SO AS WAS REFERENCED BY, UH, MR. JETT AND COUNCILMAN BRYSON, WE DID RECEIVE, UH, LATE ON FRIDAY, SOME, SOME CHANGES FROM THE COMMUNITY, SOME CONTINUED CHANGES FROM THE COMMUNITY.

UM, HAVING RECEIVED THOSE LATE ON FRIDAY, WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DIVE IN, IN, INTO GREAT LEVEL OF DETAIL INTO WHAT SOME OF THOSE IMPACTS OF THOSE CHANGES MIGHT BE.

UM, SOME OF THEM ARE FAMILIAR TO US.

WE, WE'VE SEEN 'EM IN PAST, PAST COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC.

UH, YES, TO YOUR POINT, SOME OF THEM ARE AREN'T, ARE SEMANTICS, BUT THERE ARE SOME KEY DIFFERENCES IN, IN LIKE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN REFERENCE TO A PEST CONTROL ADVISOR.

UM, OUR POLICY DOESN'T REFERENCE THAT WE, WE WOULD NECESSARILY BRING A PEST CONTROL ADVISOR ON STAFF OR AS, UH, AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.

THAT ULTIMATELY MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS, OF THIS POLICY, BUT WE LEFT OURSELVES SOME FLEXIBILITY AS THIS IS SOMETHING NEW FOR US TO, TO BEGIN TO OPERATE AND IMPLEMENT.

UM, AND WE CAN WORK THROUGH THAT AS, AS WE BEGIN TO DO THAT.

UM, SOME OF THE OTHER CHANGES, UM, UH, ARE, ARE MORE SUBSTANTIVE.

UM, WHILE I, I APPRECIATE THE APPROACH OF DESCRIBING IT AS THE FOLLOWING APPROACH.

UM, THERE, THERE WAS SOME, SOME REASON FOR HOW WE, WE CRAFTED THE, THE LEAST TOXIC, UH, APPROACH.

UM, THERE IS BEST PRACTICE OUT THERE WHERE THAT LANGUAGE IS USED IN OTHER BEST PRACTICES.

IT ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR TO TO, TO OUR STAFF, UM, TO OUR, OUR CONTRACTORS ABOUT WHAT OUR APPROACH IS.

NOW THAT, THAT IS FULLY MORE DEVELOPED WITHIN THE POLICY ITSELF AND TELLS EVERYBODY WE HAVE AN ORGANICS FIRST APPROACH.

HOWEVER, IF WE'RE, WE DON'T RECEIVE THE RESULTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE OR EXPECT TO RECEIVE WITH ORGANICS, WE WILL THEN MOVE TO THE LOWEST LEVEL.

AND I HAVE TO LOOK TO TJ 'CAUSE THIS, I DON'T PRETEND TO BE AN EXPERT IN THIS, THE LOWEST LEVEL, LEVEL THREE OF A SYNTHETIC PESTICIDE TO NOW TRY TO GET THE RESULTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE AND THEN SO ON AND SO FORTH FROM THERE.

AND, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR PARKS AND ATHLETIC FIELDS, UH, WE DO TREAT, WE DID PURPOSELY TREAT THEM DIFFERENT THAN PLAYGROUNDS, UH, IN DOG PARKS.

UM, OUR PARTS IN OUR ATHLETIC FIELDS, UH, WE DO HAVE A CERTAIN STANDARD OF CARE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN OUR DOG PARKS AND OUR PLAYGROUNDS.

THEY'RE ALSO USED DIFFERENTLY.

UM, AND SO WE DID, WE, WE DO HAVE A DIFFERENT, UM, PATH FORWARD IN THAT PLAYGROUNDS AND, UM, DOG PARKS WOULD BE BASICALLY, OR ORGANIC POLICY.

AND THEN THE NEXT LEVEL WOULD BE A, A LEVEL THREE, A CAUTION OF A SYNTHETIC PESTICIDE, UH, FOR OUR PARKS AND OUR ATHLETIC FIELDS.

UH, WE HAVE SOME ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH CURRENTLY IN THOSE, IN THE, IN THOSE FIELDS, UM, THAT WE GIVE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT MORE RUNWAY.

UM, AGAIN, FOLLOWING THAT APPROACH, OUR GOAL IS NOT TO GO RIGHT TO LEVEL TWO OR, OR TO A, A, A, UM, TO A A, A HARSHER OR CHEMICAL.

IT IS TO BEGIN WITH AN ORGANIC, LET'S TRY AND GET A RESULT WITH AN ORGANIC, IF WE DON'T GET THE RESULT THAT WE WANT, WE MAY PUT ADDITIONAL ORGANIC DOWN TO TRY TO GET THE RESULT THAT WE WANT.

BUT IF, IF WE DON'T RECEIVE THAT RESULT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

UM, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, UM, TO HOW WE CURRENTLY DO BUSINESS.

UM,

[00:40:01]

I THINK AS YOU GO THROUGH AND WE, WE CAN CHECK ALL THOSE BOXES.

UM, ALTHOUGH THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT MAYBE SOME WOULD NOT, LIKE, THERE'S SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT MAYBE OTHERS DON'T LIKE AS WELL.

UM, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED OUR POLICY DIRECTIVES AS, AS WE'VE LAID THIS OUT.

BUT, UM, LONG STORY SHORT, UM, WE DID RECEIVE SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS, UH, THAT FEEDBACK, BUT TO, TO GO THROUGH AND, AND, AND TELL YOU EXACTLY LIKE, WE COULD DO THIS, WE COULD NOT DO THAT.

WE, WE JUST SIMPLY HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO, TO, TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

BUT FROM A BIG PICTURE, THAT'S, THAT'S KINDA WHERE WE ARE AS WE, WE SEE SOME OF THE WORDS ON THE, ON THE, ON THE PAPER.

YEAH.

UM, MADAM CHAIR, A COUPLE COMMENTS.

I APPRECIATE THE TIMING.

I THINK, UM, THE COMMUNITY, CERTAINLY, I DIDN'T RECEIVE THE CURRENT DRAFT UNTIL, I THINK IT WAS THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK.

UM, SO TIMING WAS IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.

UM, THE, YOU MENTIONED A PEST CONTROL ADVISOR.

UM, I DIDN'T, IT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE REQUESTED CHANGE.

UM, I KNOW THAT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST, BUT, UM, THE COPY I'M LOOKING AT, UM, DOES NOT SUGGEST ADDING A PEST CONTROL ADVISOR THAT I'VE SEEN ON THE COPY FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, REQUEST FOR SOME REVISIONS.

FACT, THE CHANGES ARE ONLY ON THREE PAGES.

THE FIRST PAGE, THE THIRD PAGE, FIRST AND THIRD PAGES.

I, IF I COULD, MADAM CHAIR.

UM, SO IN THE CHANGE TO ON PAGE ONE, SO THE, IT'S ATTACHMENT THREE, PAGE ONE, THE EDIT TO NUMBER THREE, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST TOWARDS THE, THE, I GUESS THE SECOND TO LAST LINE OF THAT CHANGE, IT, IT, IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, BY A LICENSED PEST CONTROL ADVISOR AND TOWN STAFF.

OH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING.

OKAY.

YEAH.

YEAH.

IT, IT WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF ADVISOR THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED.

OKAY.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

SO OF THAT CHANGE ON PAGE ONE, THE PARAGRAPH THREE AND HER PEST MANAGEMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES IS THE ONLY PROBLEM THE STAFF HAS WITH, UM, INCLUDING A LICENSED PEST CONTROL ADVISOR, IS THAT THE ONLY PROBLEM? A A AGAIN, THAT IS, UH, THAT IS OUR, OUR POINT OF CONCERN.

BUT AGAIN, GOING, GOING THROUGH THIS LINE BY LINE, UH, I'M, I'M NOT PREPARED TO GO THROUGH AND FULLY EVALUATE THIS AT THIS POINT.

SO I THINK, UM, PICKING OUT THAT PHRASE WOULD BE OKAY THEN.

SO I THINK HEARING THAT THE, UM, STAFF RECEIVED THE REQUESTED CHANGES ON FRIDAY, AND HERE IT IS MONDAY MORNING AND NOT HAVING TIME TO DO IT, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS NOT THE BEST ENVIRONMENT TO GO THROUGH THE CHANGES AND DEBATE THEM AT THIS MOMENT.

I'D PREFER TO GIVE STAFF SOME TIME, UM, TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE REQUESTS AND THEN CIRCLE BACK AND BRING IT BACK TO US WITH THEIR COMMENTS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN FULLY HEARD AND STAFF'S HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE AND WE CAN MAKE OUR DECISION IN TO, TO MOVE IT FORWARD WHEN IT'S PREPARED TO EVERYONE'S SATISFACTION.