Meeting Minutes for June 25 - 26 - 27, 2009
NC Association of Rescue & EMS, Inc.
June 26, 2009
Greenville Convention Center, Greenville NC
Commander Gary Whitman called the meeting to order.
Invocation was given by Chaplain Carnie Hedgepeth.
Welcome was given by Commander Gary Whitman
The Auxiliary was excused for their meeting.
Adoption of order of business; Motion Glenn Cowan; second Robert Poe; motion carried.
Roll call of voting delegates; Jerry Bradshaw called the names of 26 voting delegates.
Guests were recognized; Drexdal Pratt Chief OEMS and staff, Department of Insurance/ OSFM Steve Sloan, Rhonda Stevens Fire & Rescue Pension Fund Coordinator, Todd Brown EM, and Fred Bone with Bone & Associates.
None.
Todd Brown, NC Search & Rescue Coordinator; (1) Several large incidents supported by NC Rescue and EMS this past year the Evans Road Fire-Hyde County and a Missing Child-Harnett County. (2) NCEM just completed 2 large exercises. On June 20th thru 22nd the JRSOI (Joint Receiving Staging Onward Integration) Exercise was conducted. It was held at the Winston Salem Fairgrounds and consisted of approximately 1000 personnel including 650 National Guardsmen from both NC & SC, NC Forestry Service, NCEM, and many local first responders with the NC Baptist Men doing all the feeding for 3 days. The exercise was to test the JRSOI Plan and SOP which consists of establishing an area in a central location to receive, credential, and provide a rest area for Intra and Inter State Mutual Aid Resources before being sent out on missions in disaster areas. The second large exercise was an Earthquake Exercise held at the State EOC in conjunction with the Western Branch and with many of the Western Counties participating as well. It was also to test the new Earthquake Annex that has just been written and added to the States Emergency Operations Plan. All the State Emergency Response Agencies participated in the exercise to include OEMS, OSFM, all State LE agencies, NCNG, and one of our USAR teams actually deployed their team to the impacted area to practice their deployment procedures. (3) As many of you have heard there was a food processing plant (ConAgra) that had a rather large explosion in the packing portion of the plant that injured many and killed 3. Task Force 8, made up of responders from Raleigh Fire, Cary Fire, Durham Fire, Chapel Hill Fire, Wake County Public Safety and EMS, responded as well as one of our RRT's and stayed on scene for 2 days until the last victim was found. NCEM also had an area coordinator that remained on scene the entire time coordinating all State resources that were brought in to assist. (4) On May 28, NCEM held its first "Governors Hurricane Exercise". This was a table top exercise to introduce Governor Perdue and her cabinet members on the Concept of Operations that the SERT follows during a State of Emergency and Federally Declared Disasters. The Governor and her cabinet came to the EOC and spent about 6 hours with us that day learning about the Response of Operations, Logistics, Planning and the Recovery efforts that the SERT performs during disasters. (5) Our next large exercise will be on August 18th with the McGuire Nuclear Power Plant. (6) The NCEM Fall Conference this year has been scheduled Oct. 18 - 21 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Hickory.
Rhonda Stevens, Coordinator NC Fire / Rescue Pension Fund. (1) Attorney Generals office has ruled to stop retro active retirement checks being paid. The checks will start the month of the application. So, be sure to turn in when you are 55 yrs and have in 20 years of service. (2) The technical corrections has passed and become effective July 01, 2009. There will not be a $25 fee for getting refunds or rejoining the fund after July 01, 2009. (3) If a department wants to get money refunded for a member that member must sign a form to have that money refunded. (4) In the event of a member death the amount paid in on the member will be paid to the family. (5) TAD Roster Service is as of 2007 as the 2008 rosters are not reflected due to changes in the database and the 2008 data has yet to be merged over.
Henry Sermons / Terry Foxx ; Will combine the Certification Board and Rescue Committee into one report.
Gordon Joyner; (1) Make sure that your departments have a safety program in place. (2) Everyone please remember to buckle up and arrive alive. (3) The state has proposed to appropriate 2 million for the fund next year and 1.5 million the following year. (4) Next VSWCF Board meeting in August 17, 2009.
Howard A. Shaw; (1) Rhonda had reported earlier. (2) The pension paid per month is up from the original $50 to $170 now. (3) There have been past years in which an increase has been approved, however there is not an increase budgeted this year. (4) The board will continue to pursue getting the money returned that was removed from the fund in a past administration. (5) Thanks again for the nomination back to the Pension Board as Gov. Perdue has reappointed me for another term.
Tommy McNeill / Gordon Joyner reporting; Joel and myself met with Paul Miller of the NC State Fire Association to discuss the possibility of combining the two conventions. We will talk more on the issue but at this time it is not feasible to come forward with a presentation. We will continue to take it under advisement.
Henry Sermons / Gary Whitman Reporting; (1) Budget presented for information only. (2) Budget approved at the February Board of Directors Meeting.
Robert Poe / Fred Bone; Gave presentation on the Legislature and the Legislation of the more than 106 bills that they are tracking for the Fire, Rescue & EMS.
Tommy McNeill; (1) New squads in 2009 - 11. (2) Squads Closed 4. (3) Squads Dropped 4. (4) Squads in the Association 559. (5) Total paid membership 21,976. (6) Lifetime Members 21. (7) Emeritus Members 6. (8) Associate Members 47. (9) Individual Members 700. (10) Total membership 22,750. (11) Departments in the Brotherhood 226. (12) BH Members 5,766. (13) Individual BH Members 700. (14) Total Brotherhood Membership 6,466.
Jeff Hinshaw / Gary Whitman; No Report
Jerry Bradshaw; (1) There are 26 voting delegates. (2) Tommy McNeill is running for Commander and Robert Poe is running for Vice Commander. (3) Area 10 had a director to resign which is Herb Roberson. There has been one resume submitted from David Stamey to fill the term and will be recommended to the Directors for approval.
Glenn Cowan; Proposed changes to the Constitution & By-Laws; Motion from the Constitution Committee to accept proposed changes; second Bill Henderson; motion carried. Changes were approved as presented and a copy will be attached to the hard copy of minutes on file in the office.
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) Please make sure scholarship applicants and recipients adhere to the rules and deadlines.
Tommy McNeill / Allen Johnson; (1) 15 teams in the competition. (2) Please adhere to the schedule.
Terry Foxx, Training and Standards Committee; (1) The training and standards committee has not met and is awaiting the completion of the rewrites on the Technical Rescuer Standard, when further changes to our standards will be discussed.
Gordon Joyner; Everything is in place and hope everyone enjoys the weekend of competitions and awards.
Gordon Joyner; Greenville Convention Center, Greenville, April 22-23-24, 2010.
There being no further business the convention was adjourned.
Gordon A. Joyner/Executive Director
(Not official until approved by the Board of Directors.)
Meeting Minutes for June 25 - 26 - 27, 2009