Firefighter pay schedule changed, emergency director requests suggestions on preparedness exercises

By Charlene Sims, Journal staff

LCJeditor@icloud.com

MOUND CITY – The Linn County Commissioners received reports from the ambulance, fire department and emergency management services on Monday, June 15.

Interim Linn County Fire Chief Brian Shroyer gave the weekly fire report. Shroyer  said there were three emergency medical service (EMS) assists, one power line down, one crash detection, one motor vehicle accident, one mutual aid call to Miami County and one structure fire.

Shroyer said that he had been speaking with the firefighters about the payroll schedule. He said they would like to go back to once a month instead of quarterly. He said he would like to see that too if the commissioners approved.

Commissioner Alison Hamilton and Jim Johnson agreed to going back to paying the firefighters monthly. Commission Jason Hightower was not at the meeting.

Interim Emergency Management Coordinator Linda Simons said that a local emergency planning committee (LEPC) meeting was planned for Thursday, July 23. It will be in Pleasanton at the health department at noon and a meal will be served. The meeting is open to the public.

Simons said she had sent out an email as a reminder to the departments and to the businesses and cities that usually come. She said she had sent a questionnaire  about the exercises that they would like to see. She added that there had not been much of an exercise program in the last few years and she wanted to change that.

“We need to be exercising our capabilities and so I’ve sent out a questionnaire to them,” Simon said. “You know what do you need to exercise. And so we’re going to put that together and hopefully have a good discussion about what everybody else needs because it doesn’t do any good for me to plan an exercise if it doesn’t benefit those involved.”

Simons told the commissioners that she had put out an email to all Linn County employees that she would teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes. She said that had been discussed previously but had not been followed up on. It will be free to county employees.

After an executive session, Hamilton moved to hire Simons at the rate of $52,457 annually for the position of interim Emergency Management Coordinator.

American Medical Response (AMR) operations manager Dawn Brooks was not at the meeting and the AMR report for July 1 through July 19  was read by Commission Chair Alison Hamilton. The report showed there had been a total of 74 calls resulting in 46 transports. The average response time is 15 minutes 7 seconds. The calls by city were:

• Blue Mound, 5 calls, 3 transports

• Centerville, 1 call, 1 transport

• Fulton, 1 call, no transports

• Greeley, no calls

• La Cygne, 21 calls, 14 transports

• Fontana, no calls

• Lane, no calls

• Linn Valley, no calls

• Mapleton, no calls

• Rich Hill, no calls

• Mound City, 19 calls, 12 transports

• Parker, 2 calls, no transports

• Pleasanton 22 calls, 15 transports

• Prescott, 3 calls, 1 transport

Response numbers and times for this time period by commission districts are:

District 1 – 22 responses, 14 transports, 15 minutes 6 seconds average response time

District 2 – 26 responses, 17 transports, 12 minutes 21 seconds average response time

District 3 – 26 responses, 15 transports, 17 minutes 46 seconds average response time