Board of Selectmen Regular Meeting Materials (linked)

August 31, 2020
To the Board of Selectman,
I would like to commend The Board of Selectman, Bruce Miller and any others who contributed in estab-
lishing 24/7 coverage strategically in 2 of the Towns Firehouses. I believe this is a good thing. I would
also like to commend them with ending Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) liabilities as well.
However, I feel that this has caused some (perhaps unintended) consequences at least for the Residents of
Quaker Hill, whom I represent on the RTM. Given that paid full-time and part time Waterford ambulance
services have been concentrated to Cohanzie, coupled with the FLSA decisions Volunteer/Part-time fire-
fighters (At Quaker Hil! and across town) had to make, many chose to be Part-timers or to join the Wa-
terford Ambulance Service. This effectively moved many Quaker Hill Volunteers out of volunteer ser-
vice, leaving a deficit at Quaker Hill. Simultaneously, Paid Part-time shifts would no longer be available
at Quaker Hill, creating a larger deficit in personel.
T understand that one shift was offered to Quaker Hill for Saturdays. However, given the low availability
of volunteers, especially while they are working their day jobs to generate income for their households,
this threatens to impede response times further from Quaker Hill and would require more volunteer hours
to cover this time.
24/7 is very important. The concern here by people in Quaker Hill is categorized by two valid points.
1.) Roads run North to South in Waterford and response time from Cohanzie would be slower to Quaker
Hill.
Here are some examples from four points of Quaker Hill (According to Google Maps) in minutes:
A.) Quaker Hill School Cohanzie: 9 minutes, Quaker Hill 2 minutes
B.)Algonquin Gas Transmission Line and Bloomingdale Rd (No Hydrants) Cohanzie: 7 minutes, Quaker
Hill: 2 minutes
C.)Bella Vista Dr (Subbase ordinance blast radius) Cohanzie: 9 minutes, Quaker Hill 5 minutes
D.)Donald Ave Cohanzie: 12 minutes, Quaker Hill 4 minutes
2.) What if Cohanzie has a call, then something happens in Quaker Hill?
Also, we have roads without fire hydrants in Quaker Hill and the nearest tanker trucks come from about
20 minutes away in Groton or Oakdale (I am told). I hope this can be addressed as well.
L look forward to hearing a solution that works well for the residents of Quaker Hill and Waterford as a
whole, I am willing to support any common sense spending on the RTM that will help resolve the con-
cerns and conditions mentioned above.
Respectfully Submitted,
Gregory Attanasio
Waterford RTM District 2 (Quaker Hill)

Elizabeth A. Sabilia
132 Oswegatchie Road
Waterford, Connecticut 06385
August 20, 2020
Via Email Only to RBrule@waterfordct.org
Robert Bruie
First Selectman
Town of Waterford
15 Rope Ferry Road
Waterford, Connecticut 06385
RE: FIRE SERVICES REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Dear Rob:
As we discussed at the Board of Selectmen’s August 20, 2020 meeting, | am forwarding to your office
my request for information pertaining to Waterford Fire Services. While this is not a formal request
under the Freedom of Information, | anticipate that such a request is unnecessary at this time and that
the administration will be able to meet this request for information in a timely manner.
Specifically, the information | seek is listed below:
e What is the current staffing level ai each Fire Company?
e Please provide the schedule of assignments for each Fire Company from June 1, 2019 to June
30, 2020.
e Please provide the schedule of assignments for July 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.
e How many volunteer hours were logged from June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020?
e How many volunteer hours were logged from June 1, 2018 to June 1, 20197
e How many part-time firefighters are employed? Please provide the past twelve months of hours
for each part-time firefighter for each week. Please provide the past twelve months of hours
worked by full-time firefighters for each week.
e Please provide a list of certifications/trainings of volunteer firefighters (not current Officers) by
Fire Company.
e Please provide a list of certifications/trainings of volunteer fire Officers by Fire Company.

Please provide a list of all trainings from June 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020 conducted by Fire
Services (not volunteer companies).
Please provide a list of the total number of hours each full-time firefighter has received training
from June 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
Please provide a list of the total number of hours each part-time firefighter has received training
from June 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
Please provide a list of the total number of hours each volunteer firefighter has received training
from June 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
Please provide a list of each piece of equipment in each Fire Company.
Please provide a list of volunteers certified to operate each piece of equipment in each Fire
Company.
For each structure fire in the past 12 months, please provide the following information:
Time of INITIAL 911 Call;
Time of Initial Dispatch;
Recipients of Initial Dispatch;
Indicate whether a subsequent call for response originated from Dispatch, identify the
recipients (i.e. individuals or companies) and for each subsequent call, the time of said
dispatch;
o Indicate how and what method of dispatch used in each instance (ie. Reverse 911, Text
Message, or Telephone call)
o Time First WFD equipment on scene and the number, positions, and employment status
(i.e. Full-time, Part-time, Volunteer) of each responder,
o Whether the structure was an “occupied” structure and how many occupants were
present;
The number of work hours used for each such response;
The expenditure of funds for each such response (include staffing expenses);
Time of any request for Mutual Aid and the method of requesting mutual aid; and,
Report each response of Mutual Aid and the role of the mutual aid responders (i.e. FAST
team, traffic contral)
oo Co 0
o Oo 0 0
Are fire department response times at or below the median for similar departments in the
region?
Are the Fire Services total expenditures per capita at or below the median for similar
departments in the region?

e Are the Fire Services capital expenditures at or below the median for similar departments in the
region over each of the past 10 years?
e Is the Fire Service overall operational budget (excluding capital expenditures) at or below the
median for similar fire departments in the region for each of the past 10 years?
e Does Fire Service have a written long-range plan? If so, please provide. If not, why not?
e Does the Fire Service have a written staffing plan for the FY 2021? If so, please provide.
e Have Waterford Fire Fighters being denied access to portions of any Fire Company’s property in
whole or part? If so, describe:
Each Fire Company that has so denied access;
The professed reason for the denial(s);
Which area(s) were Waterford Fire Fighters denied access to;
Under what authority did such deniai(s) issue;
The dates of such denial(s); and,
All documents relating to any such denial(s).
oo0dc0OUCOOUUlUO
As we discussed at the Board of Selectmen meeting, some of the questions listed in my request have
been outstanding for well over one year when | was a member of the Public Protection Committee of
the RTM. | appreciate your willingness to obtain these responses; but, should a Freedom of
Information Request be formally required, | am happy to so recast this letter as such. In the spirit of
cooperation, | would certainly anticipate that these questions would be answered in a timely and
comprehensive fashion.
Very truly yours,
Elizabeth A. Sabilia,
Selectwoman
Cc: Kathleen Peterson (Via Email Only to KPeterson@waterfordct.org)