Westhampton Firefighters Association - Meeting Minutes page 1 of 2
Meeting Date: Tuesday, December 4th, 2012.
Order of Business:
Meeting called to order: 19:55 Members present: 22
Previous Meeting Minutes: Read and Approved
Treasurer’s Report:
Deposits (donations and other): $ 50 Payments: $ 396 (incl.s flags & poles)
Total in: Checking: $ 144.47 7-day account: $ 5289.30 Savings: $ 4568.70
Grand Total: $ 10,002.47 Note: 1699.78 is in Flag Fund.
Review and update of Old Business:
1.) Progress report: Project to Replace damaged/missing House Numbers: tabled until later in the Spring.
2.) Report on new Shirts for the Association: payments still out: $65.
3.) Lock box for the Fire Dept.: slot to be cut in the top; then it will be bolted down.
4.) Next month: the Bell Tower subscription payment is due.
Chief’s Report:
1.) Discussion on the Department Budget, Grants status, etc.: the $125,000 SCBA Grant Application is in,
for which there will be an approximately $10,000 match set aside required from the Town.
$235,000 is applied for, for a new Tanker, which will require a 5% match by the Town, which is
not set aside yet.
2.) Update on the ambulance contract situation: Chief made a presentation and update on the progress
and suggested options being developed. The discussions will continue.
3.) Discussion ensued on incidents that were responded to over the last month.
4.) Report and discussion on Department Training.
5.) Permitted Brush Burning Season has started. Starting this season, Brush Burning Permits will all be
managed and applied for on-line, via the Department’s web site. Some education of the Public may
be needed, but the new system is easy to access and leaves even less room for “error” in
interpreting permits.
6.) The new Modine heater was installed and is working in the bay behind Engine-1; thanks to Jeff Brooks.
7.) December 17th at 10:00 at the Westhampton Elementary School will be S.A.F.E. Training.
8.) Pump Testing was completed, successfully.
9.) The Air Trailer was successfully deployed to Springfield to the “Live Burn” Training Facility to support a
large live-burn training exercise, and it performed perfectly.
10.) The Chief and Don Long reported the retirement of Don from the Department. There was a round of
thanks for Don’s many years of Service to the Department and the Community.
11.) Chief presented that Melissa Start, currently an E.M.T., wants to become a Firefighter, and going
through the Call/Volunteer Recruitment Program, will take the FF-I/II Program in July in Springfield.
12.) The question was raised and discussion followed on the County Classes leading towards the FF-I/II;
it was noted that the classes still meet once per month, and are available as a refresher course, too.
New and Other Business:
1.) There was extensive discussion as to the direction that the Department would be going in reference to
the ideas about providing Ambulance Service for the Town of Westhampton. The consensus of the
Association was to support the concept of the Town developing its own Ambulance Service in
conjunction with a partner (or partners) in the Service field. To that end, and to establish such a
Service, there was a MOTION made (Zimmerman) and seconded (Bridgman) for the Firefighters
Association to provide up to $3000 toward the purchase of a used Ambulance, most probably from
the Easthampton Fire Department, sometime in the Spring of 2013. Motion passed unanimously.
2.) Annual Association Elections were held, and the following slate was nominated and elected, pending
acceptance to take their seat by those elected: President, Chris Brooks; Vice-President, Keith
Robbins; Treasurer, Maryanne Duggan; Secretary, John Zimmerman.
Westhampton Firefighters Association - Meeting Minutes page 2 of 2
Schedule and Dates:
Next Training: no training in December; next training to be next month.
Events: no other this month.
Next Regular Department and Association Meeting will be Tuesday, January 8th, 2013.
Training at 18:00 Hrs.; Meeting at 19:00 Hrs.
Refreshments Schedule Reminder: list was read and is posted.
Vehicles Checking Reminder: list was read and is posted. Reminder and warning that vehicle checking
is NOT being done regularly, which is a very dangerous situation! Firefighters are asked to please do their
fair share of this critical work.
Meeting adjourned: 20:38