Meeting Minutes for June 22 - 23, 2007
NC Association of Rescue & EMS, Inc.
June 22, 2007
Hickory Metro Covnention Center, Hickory NC
Commander Gary Whitman called the meeting to order.
Invocation was given by Chaplain Dean Wall.
Welcome was given by Thomas J. Alexander, Fire Chief of Hickory.
The Auxiliary was excused for their meeting.
Adoption of order of business; motion by Robert Poe with adding election of officers; second by Scott McCaskill; motion carried.
Roll call of voting delegates; Jerry Bradshaw.
Guests were recognized; Regina Godette-Crawford Assistant Chief OEMS and staff, Robert Swiger Field Service Supervisor Department of Insurance/ OSFM and staff, Rhonda Stevens Fire & Rescue Pension Fund Coordinator, Mary Beth Young EM, Scott Bullard Community College Director and Fred Bone with Bone & Associates..
None.
Commander Whitman recommended Honorary Life Membership for Robert Poe and Debra Poe. Each were elected to Honorary Life Membership.
Robert Swiger Field Service Supervisor Department of Insurance; On behalf of Commissioner Jim Long your State Fire Marshal and Senoir Deputy and Assistant State Fire Marshal Tim Bradley and the staff of OSFM, I would like to welcome you to this Conference and appreciate the NC Association of Rescue Squads and Emergency Medical Services for allowing us to be here and to be able to give this report. (1) New Computer Program, hope to have up and running very shortly. (2) Special Schools coming up; Rescue College September 21-22-23, 2007 Centeral Carolina Community College, Sandord NC High Angle Rescue, November 2-3-4, 2007 at Pilot Mountain State Park. (3) Level III Instructors re-qualification online. (4) Educational Methodolgy Instructors, re-qualifaction online. (5) EVD Instructors,
re-qualification online. (6) Professional Development Task Force, Survey now online and will be passed out at this meeting. (7) Announced he was retiring as of 8-1-2007.
Mary Beth Young, Emergency Services Coordinator; (1) NC SERT Partners just met to access Hurricane Readiness for this season. (2) NC legislative monies have allowed EM to train 12 highly qualified helo-aquitic technicians. Also this weekend selection is occurring and we are looking forward to adding more special trained personal by next hurricane season. (3) EM has distributed the DRAFT NC Coastal Region Evacuation and Sheltering plan to all emergency managers for review and comment. (4) 18 County Liaison Teams have been trained; membership includes 1 county personal and 1 person each from Office of State Fire Marshall (OSFM), Office of Emergency Medical Systems (OEMS), NC Forestry and NC National Guard. (5) We participated with the Office of Emergency Medical Systems (OEMS) in the Medical Evacuation Triage and Treatment Assessment (METTA) - in Onslow and Surry Counties last week.
Regina Godette-Crawford Assistant Chief of OEMS; (1) Introduced staff members. (2) Staff has worked hard to prepare the BLS competition. (3) Grant of 2.4 million from Duke Endowment. (4) Dale Hill resigned from OEMS and has taken a position with Wake Med. (5) Glenda Hale new EMSC Coordinator. (6) Legislation OEMS is following. H-535 Criminal background checks for current and future EMS personnel, S-42 Justus Warren task group recommendations for Storke Advisory Council, keep check for other bills that may effect EMS. (7) EMS Today October 6 - 10, 2007 in Greensboro NC
Henry Sermons /Terry Foxx ; Will combine the Certification Board and Rescue Sub-Committee into one report.
Terry Fox; Rescue Sub-Committee & Certification Board. (1) The Rescue Sub-Committee met at Pinecroft Sedgfield FD on April 24, 2007. Topics of discussion included several requests for various certification levels. These individuals were approved for the next level of the specialty certification process. (2) Discussions continued on attempting to finalize and settle some issues with the specialty certification process, hopefully with some final answers forthcoming soon. (3) The Agricultural Rescue Technician Program was discussed as there will be pilot programs forthcoming in the fall.
The Certification Board met at Pinecroft Sedgfield FD on April 25, 2007. (1) The Rescue Sub Committee report was approved along with other sub-committee reports. (2) The NIMS Train-the-Trainer program was discussed in length by Mr. Bradley stating the Fire/Rescue Commission was drafting a letter to NC Emergency Management regarding this issue. A report would be given to the Board upon receipt from NCEM. (3) Pro Board was discussed and a site visit will be held in August. (4) The group was advised of a floating reception for Robert Swiger, who is retiring on July 31, 2007 from 1-4 PM at the OSFM office in Raleigh. (5) With no further business the meeting was adjourned.
Robert Poe / Doug Lowe; (1) Very educational process with each agency give reports to the Fire & Rescue Commission. (2) Volunter Junior Standard is being devoloped by the Commission. (3) Austim program was developed for Emergency Services. (4) I-40 reversal was discussed. (5) Community College grant to teach NIMS was discussed and a letter is being sent to EM about the qualification for the Fire & Rescue Instructor to teach the NIMS program. (6) Eurged all members to follow legislation that effects Fire, Rescue & EMS.
Dean Wall;(1) The fund is sound. (2) Legislature approved 4.5 million for 2007-2008. (3) With proper training, most claims could be prevented. (4) Our safety programs seem to be helping to reduce claims. (5) Departments with several claims will be worked with to make sure they have a safety program and a safety officer. (6) Board is pro-active in preventing injuries; three losses in a year will trigger an administrative review. (7) Back injuries and vehicles are a major concern. (8) No rate increase for next year. (9) Next meeting 8-20-2007 in Greensboro.
Rhonda Stevens Coordinator for the Fire & Rescue Pension Fund; (1) The fund is very sound. (2) New 800 number has cut down the hold time. (3) $2.00 increase in benefits this year is in budget bill. (4) Six month waiting for those that want to return to work. (5) Contact her is you would like for her to come to your department and explain the pension fund. (6) New computer system should allow you to view your departments TAD online.
Tommy McNeill; (1) Rifle Committee was appointed in Dunn. (2) Approved a 50th Anniversary Commemorative Rifle. (3) Rifle #1 will be raffled off with 30 tickets being sold @$100.00 each. (4) Only 50 will be made and they will be available online to the membership.
Henry Sermons; (1) Budget presented for information only. (2) Budget approved at the January Board of Directors Meeting.
Robert Poe / Fred Bone; Gave presentation on the Legistature and the Legislation of the more than 200 bill they are tracking for the Fire, Rescue & EMS.
Tommy McNeill; (1) 19 New squads in 2007, 548 Squads in the Association. (2) Total membership 21,833. (3) Twenty Lifetime Members. (4) Five Emeritus Members. (5) Fourty Eight Associate Members. (6) Six Hundred Fifteen Individual Members. (7) Total membership 22,521. (8) Two hundred thirty five departments in the Brotherhood 5,635 Members. (9) Six Hundered Individual Members. (10) Total membership 6,270.
Jeff Hinshaw; (1) Not much to report. (2) Joel Faircloth has been hired as Deputy Executive Director and came on board April 1st.
Jerry Bradshaw reporting; (1) Two filed for office. (2) Gary Whitman for Commander. (3) Tommy McNeill for Vice Commander.
Glenn Cowan; No Report.
Gary Whitman; (1) Your package contains benefits available to members and most of these benefits come from the relief fund. (2) Will continue working on increasing benefits. (3) Funding 460 scholarships at a cost of $780,000 per year.
Tommy McNeill; (1) 10 teams in competition. (2) Please adhere to the schedule. (3) Thanks to OEMS and Keith Harris who was the liaison for the competition.
Gary Whitman for Anita Cox; Long Range Planning Committee; (1) Continuing to work on project. (2) Site plan has been approved. (3) Steel has been ordered. (4) Should be dried in by the January meeting planned for Goldsboro.
Gary Whitman; Memorial Fund Committee; (1) Continuing to work on the project. (2) Money that has been donated is drawing interest. (3) Memorial will be at the State Vistitor Center to be built in downtown Raleigh.
Phillip Killian; (1) Hickory Metro Trade Center, Hickory, June 21-22-23, 2007. We are here and things seems be falling in place. (2) DJ will start at 8PM. (3) Womanless beauty padget at 9PM. (4) Fanstic Shakers the band for Saturday.
Phillip Killian; Hickory Metro Trade Center, Hickory, June 19-20-21, 2008.
There being no further business the convention was adjourned.
Gordon A. Joyner/Secretary-Treasurer
(Not official until approved by the Board of Directors.)
Meeting Minutes for June 22 - 23, 2007