A report from Municipal Technical Advisory Service for Signal Mountain’s Fire Department was presented to the council on Monday night. In it were comments and recommendations to improve service, however, said the representative from MTAS, “I can’t find a lot wrong with your department.”
The fire department is categorized as Class 2, and has 29 paid firefighters who are certified and two fire stations which are sufficient for the population.
That rating reflects how prepared the community is for fires and it determines homeowner’s insurance rates. The town’s ISO rating is 2. Chattanooga and Memphis are among the few fire departments in the state with a rating of 1. The council was informed that the fire department itself is only 50 percent of the score. Other factors that weigh in are the water supply and how emergency calls are handled by 911 and how the response to those calls is handled. That affects the time it takes to arrive at a fire, which is one of the most important issues, the council was told.
Comments made for the Signal Mountain department include that 16 people is the number considered to be fully staffed for a residential fire. The Signal Mountain department brings nine firefighters, however its mutual aid agreements with surrounding municipalities supply the remainder of needed people. A recommendation was made to add the requirement to have fire sprinklers in the building code for new construction houses. An update to the rate structure of the department was also recommended so that there would always be someone present at a fire who is recognized at the top of the chain of command. He said someone is needed to be in the position of making decisions. The council was also informed that 10 mental health visits are required to be made available to firefighters with PSDT.
Signal Mountain’s ISO ratings are good and in response to questions about how to raise the rate, he said that the council is responsible for balancing what the town can afford with the acceptable risk. Maybe some risk is acceptable, he said, and some standards may be unattainable.
Chief Eric Mitchell said his department has been recognized by the state fire marshal’s office for being in the top 10 percent for making smoke detectors available to homeowners and for the risk protection efforts for citizens.
An interconnect agreement made official on Monday between Signal Mountain Water Utility and Walden Ridge Utility District will help to ensure a water source for the benefit of both parties. Another agreement between the two is expected in relation to a purchase agreement for water and who is responsible for what. American Rescue Plan funding will be used for the interconnect project.
A temporary full-time police officer, a new position, will be created for the police department. Several employees in the department have retired or left and this new position will be used to help fill the vacancies. Because the budget was created for a fully staffed department, the money is still there and can be used for the new job. This temporary position will only be good until the end of this budget year.
Approval was given for a consultative service agreement with Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It will be free and provides assistance to OSHA for identifying things in the town’s facilities that cannot be seen such was mold and air quality. This will help Town Manager Elaine Brunelle to create and maintain plans for the interior and exterior of the town’s properties. In the unlikely event that a gross violation is found, an opportunity will be given to fix it.
Repairs to the library will be moving forward with the board’s approval of the lowest and best bid to replace the HVAC for the amount of $39,869. And J&J Construction has agreed to pay for repairs to the library’s elevator.
Requests to purchase equipment was under discussion at the meeting. Fire Chief Mitchell has requested a new fire engine to replace one that is 10 years old. With the life expectancy of an engine at 15 years, the immediate need for it was questioned. He said the problem is with the age of the department’s back-up trucks, one of which is 29 years old. The 10-year-old truck could be a replacement for that oldest truck. A new engine is not in the budget and would require a budget amendment, which the council was reluctant to make. A new engine now has a price of $900,000 and is expected to continue to increase. Additionally, he said delivery for it would now be two-years out. Chief Mitchell was asked to research the cost of a used 10-year-old truck to replace the current back-up engine.
Another vehicle for the public works department has been included in the town’s five-year plan, Director of Public Works Loretta Hopper told the council. A street sweeper is in the budget from stormwater funds, she said. The plan that started two-years ago, increased the stormwater fees to residents and money is being collected for this equipment. Before the next meeting Ms. Hopper will find out the amount that has accumulated that is allotted for the street sweeper so far and that amount will be considered when the council makes a decision.
In response to concerns from citizens about speeding on James Boulevard, the Signal Mountain Police Department has done traffic studies. The council was told that results of the most recent evaluation in the past two weeks, showed that cars were, for the most part, traveling at the legal speed limit. The average of 8,000 cars was 30 mph. Mayor Charles Poss said that flashing speed signs might help the drivers that do speed, to know how fast they are travelling and to slow down. He acknowledging that it appears to be a perceived problem. The police department will also publish those studies to inform residents.