Consent Items
Minutes of the Last Meeting
Held 15 March, 2022
Submitted by Dan Gower
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm by Don Black. Members of the Board in attendance were Don Black, Dan Gower, Lou Henson, Mike Crabill, Bill Long and Brooks Frederick. Also in attendance were Sharon Sanders and Chellie Stewart with the SB-VFD Auxiliary.
The consent items were presented. Revisions of the spreadsheets used to track budget vs. expenditures were discussed. The consent items were approved unanimously.
Old Business
Chief Gower provided feedback and the revised lease agreement for Station Two with the addition of the water tank that was approved previously. The tank has been installed and plumbing to be accomplished.
New Business
Don Black informed the Board that the fund-raising letter is nearing completion and the mailing list is nearing completion for forwarding to Alamo Mailing. Given that the number of candidates for Board membership matched the number of available positions Chief Gower made a motion that ballots were not required for an election. Motion passed unanimously.
Lou Henson reported that a new auditor is being sought for the annual audit of the Fire Department’s financial records.
Don Black presented a motion for the endorsement and support of the efforts underway to establish Llano County Emergency Services District #5. Motion passed unanimously.
Don Black presented research on radios to supplement our current inventory of radios given the deterioration of many of the radios. Originally budgeted for $25,000, the discussion brought forth the need for more than five new radios. The motion was made to increase the proposed buy of radios from five to ten radios with ten collar microphones and a NTE value of $50,000. Motion passed unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 1920.
Treasurer’s Report
Submitted by Lou Henson, Board Treasurer
Revenue Thru March 2022
| Source | Income | Expenses | Net | Projected | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total for FY 2022 | $45,884 | $796 | $45,088 | $159,950 | $114,862 |
| Miscellaneous | $2,711 | $0 | $2,711 | $3,750 | $1,039 |
| Donations | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $6,100 | $5,100 |
| Memorials and Bequests | $8,103 | $0 | $8,103 | $0 | $8,103 |
| Giving Campaign | $3,118 | $0 | $3,118 | $74,300 | $71,182 |
| Golf Tournament | $22,705 | $253 | $22,452 | $20,900 | $1,552 |
| Memorial Day BBQ | $0 | $0 | $0 | $10,900 | $10,900 |
| Sip and Stroll | $0 | $543 | $543 | $13,800 | $14,343 |
| Bass Tournament | $0 | $0 | $0 | $17,800 | $17,800 |
| Llano County Support | $8,000 | $0 | $8,000 | $9,300 | $1,300 |
| TFS Rural VFD Insurance and Training | $248 | $0 | $248 | $3,100 | $2,852 |
Operating Budget Thru March 2022
| Budget Category | Actual | Budget | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total for FY 2022 | $6,712 | $71,300 | $64,588 |
| Administrative | $852 | $5,500 | $4,648 |
| Communication | $0 | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| EMS and FRO | $1,193 | $5,500 | $4,307 |
| Responder Gear | $357 | $6,500 | $6,143 |
| Apparatus | $256 | $16,000 | $15,744 |
| Fuel | $1,477 | $3,000 | $1,523 |
| General Maintenance | $559 | $9,000 | $8,441 |
| Insurance | $0 | $10,300 | $10,300 |
| Training | $665 | $5,000 | $4,335 |
| Utilities | $1,352 | $6,000 | $4,648 |
Capital Budget Thru March 2022
| Item | Projected | Actual | Grant | Awarded | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total For FY 2022 | $239,215 | $155,183 | $111,902 | $81,402 | $73,780 |
| SCBA (2021 ) | $97,000 | $107,051 | $81,402 | $81,402 | $25,649 |
| Responder Gear (2021) | $40,000 | $25,214 | $30,500 | $0 | $25,214 |
| Air Fill System (2021) | $15,460 | $15,688 | $0 | $0 | $15,688 |
| Water Tank Station Two | $25,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Portable Radios | $25,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Lucas Device | $15,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Water Supply Trailer | $30,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Hurst Ram | $7,215 | $7,230 | $0 | $0 | $7,230 |
Cash Flow March 2022
| Item | Actual | Totals |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning Checking Account Balance | $376,908 | |
| Income | $35,480 | |
| Expenses | $22,809 | |
| Ending Checking Account Balance | $389,578 | |
| Certificates of Deposit. | $54,374 | |
| Auxiliary Checking Account | $10,122 | |
| Total Cash Assets 31 January, 2022 | $454,074 |
Chief’s Report
Submitted by Dan Gower
Medical Calls to date – 47
Fire Calls to date – 5
Brush One continues to cause problems with failure to crank – issues are not resolved, and the vehicle is in maintenance at Highland Safety Center.
Command Vehicle had a recall. Upon inspection the front brake pads were at 2mm – changed front and rear brake pads.
Cascade system up and running – bottle fill training conducted. Four SCBA transferred to Llano Jail with spare bottles.
ESD brief and Q&A to be held 19 April 2022 – Brooks Frederick and Chief Gower are signatories for the effort.
BBQ planning well underway and after a VERY successful and profitable golf tournament we are looking forward to a large turnout for the BBQ. Prices raised from $12 to $14 because of rising prices in all food product.
Training plan and SOP/SOG document is about 50% done and being accomplished by several volunteers in the department.
CPR classes for the community and our FRO are being coordinated. Careflite has volunteered to lead and to provide instructors with Hamilton EMS in support.
Auxiliary Report
Submitted by Mary Lopez
No report submitted.
Grant Report
Submitted by Bill Daly
Texas A&M Forest Service
PPE Grant – request was funded for $ 20,000 at the October 13 funding meeting. Bunker Gear and Dual Certified Gear is on order (helmets received). We filed for reimbursement 3/31/22 but they denied it because bunker gear on invoice is on backorder. Grant expired April 13, but we received an extension until October 13. As soon as all gear is delivered, and we pay for we will submit for reimbursement.
Firehouse Subs
Grant application submitted on 1/13/2022 for $10,494.80 -Wildland PPE- 10 sets of pants & shirts, 30 Bullard helmets & goggles, 30 pairs gloves, 10 radio chest harnesses. No matching funds are required for this grant. We received notice on April 5, 2022 it was not funded, received a new quote of $8,933.30 from MES, and submitted new grant application on April 7, 2022. Notice of approval/denial will be sent by July 7, 2022.
Old Business
Replacement Radios
Submitted by Don Black
The total quote for ten radios and five upgraded remote speaker mics stands at $51,044.90. The amount approved by the Board was $50,000. I gave verbal approval to Bearcom to proceed with the order but we need Board approval for the extra expenditure.
New Business
New Board
Submitted by Don Black
It is time to announce this year’s Board of Directors and appoint officers. I feel that someone else should assume the role of Secretary so that the Chief does not hold two positions, and so will be looking for nominees.
Proposed Personal Vehicle Policy
Submitted by Don Black
Written guidelines and procedures form the basis for most aspects of VFD operations. These constitute the “how to do it” manual for members of our organization. However certain things transcend these SOP’s and SOG’s due to their universal applicability and their potential impact on organizational liability. These should be adopted as statements of policy and conveyed to the membership as the manual of “what to do and not do”.
The Board has adopted some of these already, including both a Social Media Policy and a Purchasing Policy. As a result of continued confusion and the potential risk to safety and liability, I propose that a Personal Vehicle Policy be adopted as well. My suggestion for this document is attached here: Personal Vehicle Policy Initial Draft.