March – April 2023
• The Fire Department finally received the batteries for the portable radios it ordered 6 months ago. The radios have been programmed and put to use.
• H.R.H.R., Police, and Fire Depts discussed an MOU for employees whom we sent to training that states they have to stay [employed with the city for a certain amount of time or pay the City back for the training.
• The department received partial funding for a new fire training facility from the City of Bethel Capital Budget and will seek the remainder through a General Fund budget request. This facility will be constructed by Draeger and will feature live-burn chambers, forcible entry doors/windows, reconfigurable walls for victim searches, vertical ventilation props, fire department connection, standpipes, stairs, and rope rescue anchors for technical rescues. Donation letters have been submitted to local organizations and businesses, but no responses have been received.
• The department participated in a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) using the recently updated City of Bethel Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). • The EOP provides a framework for the preparation, response, and recovery phases of various types of emergencies and/or disasters the City of Bethel could encounter.
• The department has started the process of developing a specification with Braun Northwest, Inc. for a new Advanced Life Support Type-1 Ambulance to replace Medic-4, the 1999 Ford ALS Type-1 ambulance. The department will utilize a cooperative bid purchasing contract to acquire and purchase this vehicle.
• The department placed an order with MARSARS, Inc. to obtain a new ice rescue sled retrieval system which will replace our current Rescue Alive equipment. This new system is the same system that the department trained on with the U.S. Coast Guard last Fall. It will assist our responders with performing these ice and water rescues more quickly and efficiently.
• We have received the parts for the Class-A Foam system for Engine-4. Staff determined that a 1” valve was required, upon finding the ¾” valve shipped was too small for the current foam system plumbing. This project was put on hold to allow for the receipt of Engine-5 this summer to allow this apparatus to be taken out of service for modifications.
