Laserfiche WebLink
Regular Meeting City Council <br />May 10, 2004 <br />Page 10 <br />personnel that they choose or who volunteer and not the whole department, <br />which would not be cost effective to try to train the whole department. The <br />closest response team is Longview, DLS, which is a private company, that they <br />have used on occasion. They will respond, but they are two hours away. There <br />is also one in Sherman. <br />Mayor Fendley advised the Council that this is not in Mr. Grooms' budget for <br />this year, but he had requested that he bring this forward because he felt that <br />the city needed to work with our industry and go ahead and get this problem <br />resolved. <br />Mr. Grooms explained that the city has applied for a FEMA Grant for their <br />physical wellness and fitness program. He further explained that would allow <br />them to take their personnel, which they are suppose to be doing anyway, and <br />give them comprehensive physicals. The first would be that and immunization <br />and on an annual basis they would have to keep this up. Mr. Grooms said in <br />order to have a HAZ-MAT Team, the city has to make sure they have these <br />personnel who are assigned this duty have their physicals and immunizations. <br />He called the Council's attention to their handout, which shows an option A <br />and option B. Option A is the most expensive but it would allow them to go <br />ahead and incorporate the funding for the wellness and fitness program so they <br />can go forward and initiate the physicals and immunizations for the complete <br />staff. He advised that in that process they can pick the 15 or 18 personnel from <br />that and it will not be a problem. Mr. Grooms said that option B focuses on <br />targeting enough funds for those particular ones. <br />Councilman Bell questioned Mr. Grooms regarding using the Firefighters <br />Association Training, which would not cost the city anything. Mr. Grooms <br />said he did not have a problem with that. But after talking with the Texas <br />Commission on Fire Protection, who certifies the curriculum at this time he <br />was advised that he talk to Texas A&M Extension service and both agencies <br />have confirmed this and they recommend, because the city's personnel are <br />certified through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, to go ahead get the <br />