FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS HENRY SANTANA CITY COUNCILOR AT LARGE AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
TODAY IS APRIL 25, 2025 AND IT IS 10:04 A.M. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DARK OF SLASH CITY COUNCIL TO VIEW
AND BROADCAST IT ON ITS FINALE CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FILES CHANNEL 964 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL C CC.
BOSTON TO BOSTON DAKO AND WE MADE PART OF THE RECORDING AVAILABLE TO OUR COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY
SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFY IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY
VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON. RON COBB. RON COBB BOSTON GLOBE FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET
NUMBER 0335. ORDER FOR A HEARING REGARDING OUR CITY OF BOSTON GRANTS ADMINISTERED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS HENRY SANTANA COUNCILOR LAUREL AND
COUNCILOR ED FLYNN AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 29, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE AND WE WILL
ALSO RECEIVE LETTERS FROM COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHN TORY AND WE ALSO RECEIVE LETTERS OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR WORRELL AND COUNCILOR COUNCILOR WEBER.
BEFORE I GIVE MY OPENING REMARKS I'M GOING TO ALLOW FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO GIVE SOME OPENING REMARKS. SO COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? THANK YOU SO MUCH MR CHAIR AND
GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. I WANT TO THANK YOU, MR CHAIR FOR BEING SMART IN HOW YOU'RE DOING THIS HEARING ORDER AND HEARING ALL OF THE GRANTS AT
ONCE. I THINK IT'S IT'S REALLY SMART. YOU KNOW, THESE GRANTS ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING IN FAVOR AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE GRANT TODAY. AND SO I THANK YOU ALL FOR
TAKING TIME OUT OF BUSY SCHEDULES TO TO BE HERE TO TO TEACH US MORE ABOUT THESE GRANTS. AND I VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING IN FAVOR OF THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR THE INTENTION OF THIS HEARING WITH SOME HIGHER LEVEL POINTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND A COUPLE OF DETAILS FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL.
LIKE MANY DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND CITY LAWS, THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT ROUTINELY APPLIES FOR AND RECEIVES A WIDE VARIETY OF GRANTS AND GIFTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS PRIVATE PRIVATE CORPORATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. THAT FUNDING TYPICALLY REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR BFD AND PROVIDES
FOR CRITICAL STAFF EQUIPMENT AND REVENUE. SOME GRANTS ARE ALLOCATED TO THE CITY AND SOME ARE COMPETITIVE GRANTS THAT ARE AWARDED BASED ON THE MERITS OF BFD APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
OUR PANELISTS TODAY WILL BE DISCUSSING BOTH TYPES OF GRANTS AND PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF COMPETITIVE GRANTS. BFD HAS OR PLANS TO APPLY FOR AS WELL AS ALLOCATED GRANTS THAT BFD TYPICALLY RECEIVES
MOST OFTEN FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT SOURCES. AND WE WILL FURTHER BE DISCUSSING HOW THE GRANT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT HERE COMPARES TO PAST RECENT YEARS. I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE IN
PARTICULAR THAT WE ARE OPERATING IN A RAPIDLY SHIFTING FEDERAL AND STATE ENVIRONMENT THAT PUTS GRANTS FUNDING FOR ALL CITY DEPARTMENT AT RISK INCLUDING OUR LIFESAVING FIRST RESPONDERS AND CRITICAL
EMERGENCY SERVICES LIKE OUR BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. THAT WILL CERTAINLY BE PART OF TODAY'S DISCUSSION. THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S HEARING MORE GENERALLY IS TO ALLOW THE CITY COUNCIL TO BE WELL
INFORMED WHEN BFD GRANTS COME BEFORE THIS BODY FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL. OFTEN THIS REVIEW PROCESS IS CONDUCTED AT THE TIME THAT GRANTS RECEIVED BY THE CITY
OF BOSTON WHICH CAN PROVIDE AN INCOMPLETE PICTURE OF GRANTS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS THEY FUND BY INSTEAD OF CONDUCTING THE COUNCIL'S OVERSIGHT ROLE PROACTIVELY AND
WHICH WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH THE CITY COUNCIL CAN BETTER ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE EFFECTIVE FUNDING AND FUNCTION OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT WHILE PROVIDING GREATER PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY.
WE'RE JOINED TODAY BY BOTH MEMBERS OF THE BFD ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE AS WELL AS ON THE GROUND FIRE STAFF WHO ARE WORKING IN THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED BY
GRANTS RECEIVED BY BFD BY HAVING MANY BFD STAFF PRESENT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO DEEPLY
UNDERSTAND AND DISCUSS THESE BFD PROGRAMS WITH STAFF WITH HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. AS CHAIR I HELD A SIMILAR HEARING ON IN THIS COMMITTEE LAST YEAR AND I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE AND CO-SPONSOR FOR
TODAY'S HEARING. COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR HIS RECOMMENDATION THAT WE COULD BRING MORE NUANCE TO THIS YEAR'S DISCUSSION BY EXPANDING THE BFD STAFF INCLUDED ON THE PANEL AND I'D LIKE TO EXTEND MY
DEEP APPRECIATION TO THE STAFF OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR WORKING WITH ME AND MY TEAM IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY'S HEARING TO PLAN AND COORDINATE A PRODUCTIVE AND EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION INCLUDING IDENTIFYING THE APPROPRIATE BFD
STAFF TO JOIN US TODAY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE MY DAY. I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO ALL THE PANELISTS WHO MADE TIME TO JOIN US HERE TODAY .
BEFORE I PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PANELISTS THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR ED FLYNN WHO ALSO A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS HEARING ORDER AND I'D LIKE TO
HAND HIM OVER THE FLOOR FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS. THANK THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND I WANT TO SAY THANK IT TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL THAT
IS HERE. MEMBERS OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING
ABOUT AND REVIEWING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUNDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES ANNUALLY SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO BE THE BEST FIRE DEPARTMENT IN MY OPINION IN THE COUNTRY WITH CUTS TO FEDERAL GRANTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNDING. IT IS CRITICAL THAT OUR PUBLIC
SAFETY AGENCIES INCLUDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTINUE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT TO OUR RESIDENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE
ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRANTS HOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS USING THEM, WHAT BACKUP RESOURCES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IF WE DON'T GET PARTICULAR
GRANTS OR IF THERE ARE ANY CUTS ACCORDING ADDITIONAL GRANTS THAT MIGHT BE IN THE PIPELINE. WHAT HAPPENS WITH LEFTOVER
SURPLUS FUNDS IF IF THAT APPLIES AS YOU KNOW SINCE BEING ELECTED ON TO THE COUNCIL IN 2017, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS FOR A FIRE
HOUSE IN THE SOUTH BOSTON WATERFRONT AND IN THE HEAT AND AN EMS STATION AS WELL ON THE SOUTH BOSTON WATERFRONT WITH THE RAPID POPULATION GROWTH IN THE LAST DECADE.
I'M ALSO CURIOUS TO LEARN ABOUT HOW THE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF STAFFING SERVICES EQUIPMENT VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS. AND MR CHAIR, I JUST WANT TO
SAY THANK YOU TO YOU FOR WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING PANEL. YOU ALSO HAVE AN OUTSTANDING GROUP OF DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE THAT ARE
IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN. WITH THAT I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PANEL AS THE
COMMITTEE INVITED TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CHOSE IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BFD. I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO PANELS TODAY IN FRONT OF US. WE'VE INVITED FROM THE BOSS
OF FIRE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATION FINANCE AND GRANT MANAGEMENT KEVIN COYNE, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE SHAUNA LYNCH OF PROGRAMMATIC
GRANTS MANAGER. JULIE DEVIN FINANCIAL GRANTS MANAGER AND I ALSO HAVE HERE AND YOU'LL INTRODUCE YOURSELVES BUT I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ON
PANEL I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'VE DIVIDED IT HERE BUT WE HAVE PATRICK ELLIS CHIEF OF OPERATIONS FIELD SERVICES RODNEY MARSHALL CHIEF OF OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES, FIRE MARSHAL HARLAN KELLY
DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DIVISION. JOSEPH SHEA DEPUTY CHIEF SAFETY HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIVISION. JOSE AUSTRALIA SAFETY HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIVISION.
SCOTT MALONE DEPUTY CHIEF TRAINING DIVISION. JOHN MCDONALD PATRICK'S DISTRICT CHIEF TRAINING DIVISION AND CAPTAIN KENNETH HAYES TRAINING DIVISION.
I KNOW THAT DUE TO EMERGENCY NATURE OF THE WORK THAT BFD BFD DOES STAFF AVAILABILITY CAN SOMETIMES CHANGE UNEXPECTEDLY UNEXPECTEDLY AND WE MAY HAVE SOME LAST MINUTE CHANGES AND
OUR PANEL FOR THE PANELISTS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, I'D LIKE EACH OF YOU TO STAY. YOUR NAME AND TITLE FOR THE RECORD AND ONCE EVERYONE HAS INTRODUCED THEMSELVES I WILL
MOVE WITH YOUR OPENING REMARKS . IF IT GETS INTRODUCED I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO ACHIEVE. RODNEY MARSHALL, PLEASE FIRST. GOOD MORNING COUNSELOR. MY NAME IS RODNEY MARSHALL,
DEPUTY CHIEF OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. GOOD MORNING. PATRICK ELLIS DEPUTY CHIEF CHIEF OPERATIONS FIELD SERVICES. AND GOOD MORNING AGAIN KEVIN COYNE DEPUTY
COMMISSIONER, ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JULIE JEVON. I'M THE FINANCIAL GRANTS MANAGER FOR THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. OKAY, AWESOME.
I DO WANT TO ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT SOUNDS AS IF YOU COULD ALL DO IT IN THE
EVENT IT IS TO OR NOT. DO YOU WANT HIM TO STAY THERE OR JUST COME ON IF YOU WANT I MEAN IF YOU WANT TO. YEAH, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. YEAH. YEAH. AND IF IN ANY EVENT, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE
THAT YOU KNOW. SO THIS MORNING WE HAVE SHAUNA LYNCH THE PROGRAMMATIC GRANTS MANAGER. SHE IS HERE THE FIRE MARSHAL CALL AND KELLY CHIEF JOHN MCDONALD OF TRAINING.
CHIEF SCOTT MALONE OF TRAINING. CAPTAIN KENNETH HAYES OF TRAINING. AND CHIEF JODY SHEA OF SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELLNESS CHIEF AUSTRALIA WHO YOU MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY IS IS NOT AVAILABLE
TODAY. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND WITH THAT I HAVE BACK TO YOU ON FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS PRESENTATION ON WORDS THAT YOU WANT TO PROVIDE.
THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER PAUL BURKE, I WANT TO THANK MR CHAIRMAN AND THE CITY COUNCILORS FOR THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MY NAME IS KEVIN COYNE, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE AND I'M JOINED BY MY MY COLLEAGUES RODNEY MARSHALL AND CHIEF PATRICK ELLIS. DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANY ANY
WORDS OR JUST DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THESE GRANTS TO THE GRANTS THEMSELVES TO FINANCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES
MAKES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY A SAFER CITY. YOU KNOW, WITH THESE GRANTS WE'RE MORE EFFICIENT, WE'RE BETTER EQUIPPED, WE'RE BETTER TRAINED. WITHOUT THESE GRANTS WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT IT'S JUST NOT AS
SAFE. SOME OF THE GRANTS GO FOR OUR HEALTH UNDER OUR DEPUTY CHIEF JODY SHEA. SO WITH THIS MONEY WE'RE A HEALTHIER DEPARTMENT. WITHOUT THESE GRANTS OBVIOUSLY WE WOULDN'T BE AS HEALTHY. SO THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THESE GRANTS AND HOPEFULLY YOU'RE OUT THERE SAY YES TO THEM. I'LL JUST ECHO OF WHAT CHIEF
ELLIS JUST SAID AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT. WE ALSO PROVIDE THE GRANTS ALSO HELP THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF BOSTON. YOU KNOW, SMOKE DETECTORS FIGHT
FIRE EDUCATION TO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. PEOPLE ALL OVER THE CITY. SO THESE GRANTS NOT ONLY HELP THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE DEPARTMENT, THEY HELP THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY.
SO THE WAY THAT OUR WORK IS STRUCTURED IN TERMS OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT GRANTS, YOU KNOW, AS THE ADMINISTRATION FINANCE YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF LEADING THE GRANTS TEAM. YOU KNOW, JULIE AND SHAUNA AND
WE HAVE ANOTHER GRANT RIDER THAT IS DEVELOPING THE WORK THAT WILL ARE THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO SUPPLEMENT. YOU KNOW, THE MONEY THAT WE GET FROM THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. VERY IMPORTANT THE WORK THAT
THEY'RE DOING. I MEAN AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TODAY IS OUR SWORN MEMBERS WHO ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ON ALL OF THE GRANTS AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTER THEM
AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW, THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED IN THE OUTLINE OF THE GRANT ARE BEING MET AND YOU KNOW, THE GRANTS TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMPLIANCE OF THAT. ARE WE SPENDING THE MONEY APPROPRIATELY?
IS THE TRAINING AND OUR SERVICES THAT ARE PART OF THOSE GRANTS BEING ADMINISTERED CORRECTLY AND HOW DO WE CLOSE OUT THOSE GRANT GRANTS TO GET THE MONEY BACK TO THE CITY?
SO YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT GRANT AWARDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY OFFER AN ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IT'S JUST CRITICAL TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN RESPONDING TO THE
CITIZENS OF BOSTON. YOU KNOW, WE REALIZE THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS WITH WITH BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY AND YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY FOR EVERYBODY. SO AGAIN, THE IMPORTANCE
OF RECEIVING THESE GRANTS AND ADMINISTERING IT CORRECTLY IS SO IMPORTANT. THE GRANTS ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS THEY PROVIDE ESSENTIAL FUNDING FOR EQUIPMENT, TRAINING AND STAFFING, ULTIMATELY ENHANCING
PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES EFFECTIVELY ACCESS TO THESE GRANTS ENABLES US TO
ACQUIRE NECESSARY RESOURCES LIKE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT VEHICLES AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE BE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE THROUGH THE REGULAR BUDGET PROCESS.
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR SUPPORT TODAY AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR JOINING MEJIA TODAY FOR THE WORK THAT I DO IN SUPPORT OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIPT OF THESE FUNDS. AGAIN, I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH IS SO CRUCIAL TO THE WORK THAT
WE'RE DOING. I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF NOW TO JULIE WHO CAN GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE GRANTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND THAT WE'RE ADMINISTERING AND WORKING ON. GOOD MORNING.
SO THE DEPARTMENT HAS 13 ACTIVE AWARDS CURRENTLY EIGHT ARE FEDERAL AND FIVE ARE STATE FUNDED AND THEY TOTAL MORE THAN $3 MILLION. THE MAJORITY OF THE
DEPARTMENT'S FEDERAL FUNDING IS AWARDED BY DHS SLASH FEMA. WE'RE CURRENTLY ADMINISTERING TWO ASSISTANT TO FIREFIGHTER GRANTS. THE GOAL OF THESE FUNDS IS TO
ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND FIREFIGHTERS WITH RESPECT TO FIRE AND FIRE RELATED HAZARDS. THESE FUNDS SUPPORT OFFICER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT FIRE GROUND SURVIVAL TRAINING,
CANCER SCREENING A REGISTERED DIETITIAN, CLINICAL DIRECTOR, AN INJURY PREVENTION SPECIALIST AND SUPPORTS OUR HEALTH AND LADDERS PROGRAM A NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING COMPREHENSIVE
COMPREHENSIVE INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM COMPRISED OF BFD MEMBERS WITH TRAINING OR CERTIFICATIONS IN AREAS SUCH AS FITNESS, NUTRITION OR SPORTS MEDICINE.
THE DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY ADMINISTERING TWO FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE PROVIDING CRITICALLY NEEDED RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE
REDUCTION IN RESIDENTIAL FIRE RISK INCLUDING ACCESS TO SMOKE ALARM INSTALLATION FIRE PREVENTION, EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE ADOPTION AND AWARENESS
OF BUILDING CODES AND TO ASSIST RECIPIENTS TO AGGRESSIVELY INVESTIGATE EVERY FIRE THROUGH INCREASED EQUIPMENT TRAINING AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES. IN ADDITION TO THESE FOUR
ROBUST ASSISTANT FOR FIREFIGHTER GRANT PROGRAMS, THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 86,000 FEDERAL FUNDS UNDER OUR PORT SECURITY GRANT TO
SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT'S FOCUS ON SHIPBOARD TRAINING TO ENSURE THAT DISTRICT CHIEFS ARE RESPONDING TO FIRES ON VESSELS ARE READILY PREPARED. ON FEBRUARY 24TH OF 2025 THE
THREE YEAR PERIOD OF THE DEPARTMENT'S SAFER GRANT WHICH IS STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANT ENDED. THIS GRANT ASSISTS LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS WITH STAFFING AND
DEPLOYMENT CAPABILITIES. WE SUBMITTED AND RECEIVED PAYMENT REQUEST AMOUNTS TOTALING OVER $10 MILLION OF THE 24 MILLION AWARDED TO THE DEPARTMENT TO FUND THE
HIRING OF 85 FIREFIGHTERS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. THE DEPARTMENT WAS AWARDED $260,000 FROM THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION TO PURCHASE AND INSTALL
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS IN THE HOMES OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON AS WELL AS TO EDUCATE CONSTITUENTS OF THE DANGERS AROUND CARBON MONOXIDE.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO BEEN AWARDED FEDERAL BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE FUNDS PASSED THROUGH THE STATE POLICE TO SUPPORT THE ACCREDITATION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S LAB. OUR STATE FUNDING IS PRIMARILY
ISSUED THROUGH THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES. AN ANNUAL STATE EARMARK HAS HISTORICALLY PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING
ACADEMY BUDGET SUBJECT TO YEARLY LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND APPROVAL. THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED AN ANNUAL MINIMAL ALLOTMENT
OF $1.75 MILLION AS FAR BACK AS 2008 AND FISCAL YEAR 19. THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED AN ALLOCATION OF 2.25 MILLION UP UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 24.
OUR INITIAL ALLOCATION WAS EXPECTED TO BE 2.25 MILLION AND IT WAS REDUCED BY 50% TO 1.1 TO 5 MILLION DUE TO BUDGET CUTS
ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH IN FISCAL YEAR 25. THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED 500,000 AN UNPRECEDENTED DECREASE
OF 56% FROM OUR FISCAL YEAR 24 ALLOCATION AND A 78% DECREASE DECREASE FROM OUR FISCAL YEAR 23 ALLOCATION. THESE FUNDS ARE CRITICAL TO
SUPPORT THE BOSTON FIRE TRAINING ACADEMY AND THE ROBUST TRAINING THAT OCCURS DEPARTMENT WIDE AS WELL AS TO THE NEW RECRUITS COMING ON BOARD TO
JOIN OUR MEMBERS. WE RECEIVE ANOTHER STATE ANNUAL EARMARK AND THAT HAS PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAZMAT RESPONSE TEAM.
IT TOO WAS SUBJECT TO YEARLY LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND APPROVAL IN FISCAL YEAR 25. WE WERE ALLOCATED $593,750
WHICH IS A 63% REDUCTION FROM OUR FISCAL YEAR 24 ALLOCATION WHICH WAS 1.6 MILLION. IN DECEMBER OF 2024.
WE SUBMITTED A FEDERAL APPLICATION TO DHS FEMA UNDER ASSISTANT FOR FIREFIGHTER GRANT FOR THE NEW SOLICITATION THAT WAS RELEASED ASKING FOR 1.4 MILLION.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF AN AWARDS STATUS TO DATE AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THE CITY IS MONITORING COMMUNICATION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON
FEDERALLY FUNDED GRANTS AND WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE FINANCE CABINET TO UNDERSTAND IMPACTS REGARDING THAT THAT GRANT APPLICATION REQUESTED
CONTINUED FUNDING FOR OUR IN-HOUSE WELLNESS PROGRAM HEALTH AND LADDERS WHICH AIMS TO PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY PREPARE ITS MEMBERS THROUGH EDUCATION AND NUTRITION, FITNESS AND RECOVERY.
THE REQUEST WAS MADE TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING OUR NUTRITIONISTS CLINICAL DIRECTOR, THE INJURY PREVENTION SPECIALIST WHO IS A LICENSED PHYSICAL THERAPIST HIRED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE GROUNDED IN
MEDICAL SCIENCE AND RESEARCH TO REDUCE AND PROACTIVELY PREVENT LINE OF DUTY INJURIES. THIS FEDERAL REQUEST ALSO
REQUESTED A CRISIS INTERVENTION AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICE WHICH WOULD BE MAINTAINING A 24 SEVEN PAGE CALLBACK CAPACITY FOR MEMBERS
DEALING WITH CRISIS INTERVENTION NEEDS. IT WOULD IT WAS ALSO REQUESTED THAT A DEDICATED STAFF CLINICIAN BE AVAILABLE TO THE
DEPARTMENT AT ONE DAY A WEEK AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM. ALL OF OUR CURRENT GRANTS HAVE
BEEN APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO. WE RECENTLY RECEIVED AN FBI 25 FIREFIGHTER SAFETY EQUIPMENT GRANT WHICH IS GENERALLY
RELEASED ANNUALLY. IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE PIPELINE IN THE QUOTA SYSTEM. THE AWARD HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE STATE.
AN OVERVIEW HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO RDR FOR REFERENCE BUT THAT IS A GRANT THAT ENDS JUNE 30TH OF THIS YEAR SO WE ARE SEEKING COUNSEL'S DISCUSSION OF THAT
GRANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCEPT AND EXPEND TO MOVE FORWARD. THE SECOND GRANT THAT IS PENDING COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR ACCEPTING EXPEND IS AN FBI 19 FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY
GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $58,000. THIS TOO HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO IDR. IT WAS AWARDED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020 AND DID NOT GO THROUGH THE K-1 CODE TO PROCESS.
IT PRECEDES MY TIME WITH THE DEPARTMENT. BUT IT IS A RETROACTIVE REQUEST TO ENSURE THAT THE GRANT IS SUBMITTED THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE GRANT APPROVAL PROCESS.
WE ARE MINDFUL WHEN WE'RE SUBMITTING GRANT APPLICATIONS THAT THERE ARE COMPETING NEEDS AMONG CITY RESOURCES. SO WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE
INDIVIDUALS HERE THE MEMBERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT IS NEEDED AND WHAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO REQUEST THROUGH GRANT FUNDS. YOU KNOW DUE TO OPERATION FUNDS
BEING SOMEWHAT DECREASED WE DO TRY TO USE THE GRANTS IN A MANNER JUST TO SORT OF SUPPORT OUR OPERATING FUNDS.
BUT WE'RE SEEING SOME SOME REDUCTIONS IN IN BOTH OUR STATE FUNDING AND OUR FEDERAL FUNDING. SO I THINK THAT'S JUST ABOUT ALL OF OUR GRANTS.
IT'S A LOT. THERE ARE A FEW. AND THE LAB ACCREDITATION IS A SMALLER GRANT THAT WE HAVE.
WE ARE ALSO NOT SURE IF IT'S FOR THIS MEETING BUT POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO I BELIEVE YOU WILL SPEAK WITH AT A LATER TIME GETS A PIECE OF SUPPORT AND
INCENTIVE GRANT AS WELL AS A PIECE OF TRAINING GRANT AND THEY ALLOCATE IT'S DONE BY CALL VOLUME AND POPULATION. THEY ALLOCATE A PORTION
OF THOSE FUNDS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR OUR FIRE ALARM UNIT. FOR CAD CAD MAINTENANCE OUR FIRE STATION ALERTING SYSTEM
ITEMS THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR DISPATCHERS AND ALSO REGISTRATION FOR COURSES FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN THEIR 16 HOURS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION THAT'S
REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO BE NEXTGEN CERTIFIED. AND I THINK THAT'S THAT'S EVERYTHING WE APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S INVOLVEMENT AND OUR
HAPPY TO SHARE WHATEVER WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND THE GOOD WORK THAT GOES ON WITHIN THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
GIVES ME OVERVIEW. APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND PARTICULARLY ALSO THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND WHO KEEP OUR CITY AND MAKE OUR CITY A SAFE PLACE
TO LIVE. SO WITH THAT I'D LIKE TO PASS IT OVER TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES STARTING WITH LEAD SPONSORS AND THEN GOING IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL. SO I'M GOING TO START WITH
COUNCILOR FLYNN. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR OPENING QUESTIONS AS WE DO. I THINK IT WAS SIX 7 MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL TURN AROUND. YOU KNOW?
ALL RIGHT, COUNCILOR FOR YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND MR CHAIR, THE THE THE TWO GRANTS THAT ARE KIND OF IN
PROCESS NOW UNTIL IG ARE ARE WE ABLE TO GET THOSE FOR IN TIME FOR US TO VOTE WHEN WHEN ALL OF THESE GRANTS COME UP. YES COUNCIL.
I THINK MY HOPE IS THAT THOSE WILL BE BROUGHT UP FOR SUSPENSION AND PASSAGE AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. I THINK WE WERE JUST WAITING FOR THIS HEARING TO HAPPEN SO THAT WAY ALL COUNCILORS ARE
INFORMED ABOUT THE GRANTS. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS. IT'S IT'S CRITICAL SO
APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR COOPERATION. SO I I'M OBVIOUSLY GOING TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE GRANTS AND
I KNOW THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS ASPECT OF ONE OF THE GRANTS? I THINK I DIDN'T CATCH THE FULL
NAME BUT THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE GRANT WHAT IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE? WHAT SERVICES YOU WOULD HAVE IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING
FIREFIGHTERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND WHAT IT ENTAILS? YEAH, YOU COULD SAY THAT IN THE BACK. THIS IS CHIEF JOSH JOSEPH SHEA
WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE SAFETY HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIVISION FOR THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. GOOD TO SEE YOU, CHIEF. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR, FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. I JUST WANT TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF STATISTICS THAT WHEN I WAS
REVIEWING SOME OF MY MATERIALS LAST NIGHT, THEY JUMPED OUT AT ME. FIREFIGHTERS ON AVERAGE DIE TEN YEARS YOUNGER THAN THE CIVILIAN POPULATION. AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF A
FIREFIGHTER THAT RETIRES AT THE AGE OF 65 IS AROUND SIX YEARS. CANCER IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG FIREFIGHTERS IN 2020 FOR 75% OF ALL LINE
OF DUTY DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO ATTRIBUTED TO OCCUPATIONAL CANCER. FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A 39% 39% INCREASED RISK OF DYING FROM CANCER.
WE HAVE HAD 28 ACTIVE MEMBERS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER IN THE PAST IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS INCLUDING ONE MEMBER WHO PASSED AWAY LAST JUNE AT THE AGE OF 28. OUR YOUNGEST MEMBER DIAGNOSED
SO FAR HAS BEEN 26 YEARS AT 26 YEARS OLD. HE'S CURRENTLY FIGHTING A BATTLE. WE HAVE TEN MEMBERS OUT WITH CARDIAC RELATED INJURIES. WE HAVE LOST A 44 YEAR OLD
FIREFIGHTER TO CARDIAC RELATED ISSUES IN MARCH. CARDIO CARDIAC ISSUES ARE ALSO OF GREAT CONCERN DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR WHEN WE'RE
WORKING AT A HOT WORKING AT PUTTING OUR BODIES, PUSHING OUR BODIES TO THE EXTREMES. THE SKIN DOES NOT ALLOW THE BODY TO COOL DOWN WHILE WE'RE
PUSHING OUR BODIES TO LIKE I SAID EARLIER TO THE EXTREME DEIDRE THE ADRENALINE RUSH THAT FIREFIGHTERS EXPERIENCE WHEN RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY IN WHICH WE GO FROM A RESTING
HEART RATE TO A SPIKE CAN ALSO TAKE A TOLL ON A FIREFIGHTER'S HONOR ON A FIREFIGHTER THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. SO ALL OF THESE STATISTICS
UNDOUBTEDLY AFFECT A FIREFIGHTER AND HIS FAMILY. I MEAN I DON'T THINK I COULD GET MUCH MORE SPECIFIC THAN THAT. WE DO HAVE CURRENTLY WE ARE IN
THE PROCESS WE'RE ACTUALLY ENDING A BODY SCREEN. IT IS BY UNITED DIAGNOSTICS. UNITED DIAGNOSTICS.
THEY ARE PROVIDING US CALCIUM SCORING WHICH IS FOR PLAQUE BUILD UP IN OUR ARTERIES, LOW DOSE CHEST SCANS THAT LOOKS AT INTERNAL ORGANS. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE LUNG TO
DETECT EARLY STAGE CANCER. WE'VE BECOME MORE PROACTIVE THAN WE USED TO BE. IS A DEPARTMENT AROUND 13 YEARS AGO WE HAD A RASH OF FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAD DIED. IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY OTHER WEEK
WE WERE BURYING A FIREFIGHTER FROM CANCER SOME TYPE OF HEART ATTACK. SO COMMISSIONER BURKE'S PREDECESSOR THERE, JOE FINN. COMMISSIONER FINN, HE'S THE ONE THAT STARTED THE SAFETY, HEALTH
AND WELLNESS DIVISION AND HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. WE STARTED OUR OWN PROGRAM HEALTH AND LADDERS WHICH IS IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF A WE'RE NOT
LOOKING FOR THE BODY BUILDER. WE'RE LOOKING FOR FUNCTIONAL FITNESS AND WE ALSO WORK WE FOCUS ON NUTRITION FOR THE FIREFIGHTER AS WELL.
THE TECHNIQUES ARE AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED COMMISSIONER FINN AN OUTSTANDING AND OUTSTANDING LEADER THAT HAS DONE TREMENDOUS
WORK IN THIS FIELD NOT JUST HERE AND IN BOSTON BUT ACROSS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SUPPORTING FIREFIGHTERS, THEIR FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THAT'S THAT'S THE THE QUESTION I ALWAYS ASK WHEN WHEN I TALK TO FIREFIGHTERS I'M MORE INTERESTED IN THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE FIREFIGHTER AND THEIR FAMILY AS WELL.
MANY, MANY FIREFIGHTERS HERE PROBABLY KNOW MY UNCLE DENNIS WHO WAS A BOSTON BOSTON FIREFIGHTER. HE WAS A DECORATED VIETNAM VETERAN AS WELL AND HE DIED
YOUNG ON THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. HE WAS HE DIED YOUNG BUT HE WAS A FRIEND FROM HEART DISEASE.
BUT YOU MENTIONED WHEN FIREFIGHTERS RETIRE THEY THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A RETIRED FIREFIGHTER AFTER THEY RETIRES IS ABOUT SIX YEARS.
IS THAT RIGHT? SIX YES. SIX YEARS. AND THAT'S BASED SO THAT WAS A STAT THAT I GOT FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL. AND WHAT ARE THE WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF DEATHS? IS IT CANCER AND HEART ISSUES? CANCER AND HEART? AND WHAT WHAT TYPE OF CANCER DO THEY TRADITIONALLY DEVELOP?
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA? WE'RE COMING UP WITH ALL KINDS OF CRAZY CANCERS NOW ONES WE'VE NEVER HEARD OF. BUT TRADITIONAL IT'S LUNG CANCER PROSTATES AND OTHER ONE
SKIN CANCER. WE HAVE A SKIN CANCER CLINIC EVERY EVERY EVERY FALL. THE LAST SKIN CANCER CLINIC WE HAD 400 MEMBERS SCREENED 7676
REQUIRED A FOLLOW UP. OKAY. YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE THAT ARE
VETERANS ALSO WITH THEM. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HEALTH AND I AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SUPPORT. I SUPPORT OUR VETERANS AND FIREFIGHTER THOSE THAT HAVE
SERVED IN THE MILITARY CERTAINLY. BUT IS THERE ANYTHING UNIQUE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING VETERANS ALSO IN THEIR FAMILIES?
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I DO THINK THAT ONE THING THAT THIS DEPARTMENT LACKS IS A MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT TO IT. WE'RE DOING OUR BEST THROUGH OUR EAP.
I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT THE RCMP IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND IN THE PAST FEW FEW YEARS IS WE'VE HAD SOME SUICIDES AND SUICIDE
ATTEMPTS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GET SOMEBODY THAT IS FAMILIAR WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CULTURE SHIFT YOU HOW WE THE WAY WE WORK WE CAN'T JUST DEAL
WITH THE AVERAGE THERAPIST THAT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TYPE OF WORK WE DO AND WHAT WE SEE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOMEONE IN THERE THAT ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THE JOB IS ALL ABOUT.
THAT'S EXCELLENT. DO THEY DO HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THAT OR ARE YOU JUST TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT PERSON AT THIS TIME? WE'RE TRYING TO WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND WE'RE ACTUALLY AND
THE OTHER PROBLEM WOULD BE FUNDING ALL OF MY ALL OF MY ALL MY INITIATIVES ARE FUNDED BY GRANTS. SO IF IF WE LOSE THE GRANT IF WE DON'T GET A GRANT, THAT INITIATIVE GOES AWAY.
SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I MEAN IF WE COULD EVER GET SOME TYPE OF FUNDING FROM THE CITY THAT WOULD BE A GREAT, GREAT THING BECAUSE IT CAN BE TOUGH. I MEAN IN THAT POLITICAL
CLIMATE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW IF THOSE GRANTS ARE GOING KEEP COMING OUR WAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED YOU
WOULD LIKE TO A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR THAT UNDERSTANDS THE CLIMATE OR WHAT FIREFIGHTERS GO THROUGH. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT YOU MADE AND THAT'S
SOMETHING I SUPPORT. I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS. I MEAN MANY, MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW WHY I SERVED 20 SOMETHING YEARS IN THE NAVY INCLUDING
OVERSEAS AS WELL. BUT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I DID BESIDES GETTING MARRIED WAS BEING ENGAGED IN THE VA MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. BUT I FEEL AND I'M STILL
ENGAGED WITH THEM BUT I FEEL TALKING TO OTHER VETERANS AT LEAST AT LEAST THEY UNDERSTAND YOU CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE. SO I GUESS IT'S MORE OF A
COMPARISON TO THE FIRE. BUT I WOULD I WOULD THINK WE WOULD NEED TO PRIORITIZE THAT PROGRAM AND WHATEVER I CAN DO TO BE HELPFUL TO IT.
AND I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S CRITICAL TO NOT JUST THE FIREFIGHTER BUT TO THE THE FAMILY AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY. I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, COUNSELOR.
THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. KNOW THAT WE DID DO THAT. THAT IS IN ONE OF OUR PENDING AFG APPLICATION FORMS. WE'VE NOT GOTTEN ANY SORT
OF NOTICE OF THE AWARD BUT IT HAS BEEN PRESENTED BY OUR EPA TEAM TO CHIEF MARSHALL OF SUPPORT SERVICES. I THINK WE HAVE SORT OF, UH, AN
ENTITY THAT THE POLICE USE FOR SIMILAR SERVICES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ENGAGE WITH. SO IT IS IN THE PIPELINE BUT AGAIN THE FUNDING IS WE'RE NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL BE
GETTING THAT FUNDING OR NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. THANK YOU. I GUESS MY FINAL QUESTION AND I DON'T WANT TO I WANT TO LET MY
OTHER COLLEAGUE SPEAK AND DO WE KNOW DO WE KNOW OR ARE THERE ANY STUDIES OR ANY ANECDOTAL STORIES THAT YOU COULD SHARE?
BUT IF A FIREFIGHTER DEVELOPS SOME TYPE OF HEALTH ISSUE, MAYBE A SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE, MAYBE HE HAS HE OR SHE HAS CANCER OR HEART DISEASE, MAYBE
THEY WERE IN THE MILITARY ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. BUT DO WE KNOW DOES THAT DO WE DO ANY STUDIES AT ALL THE IMPACT INCLUDING THE MEDICAL
IMPACT IT MIGHT HAVE ON THEIR CHILDREN HAVE STATISTICS OR STUDIES BEEN DONE ON THE CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS ALSO
AND DO THEY ALSO EXPERIENCE SIMILAR MEDICAL ISSUES THAT THEIR THEIR THEIR PARENT MAY HAVE? IS THAT SO YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE OF THEIR EXPOSURE TO THAT? YEAH.
PARENTS WHETHER EXPOSURE TO TOXINS EXPOSURE TO YOU KNOW TERRIBLE WORKING CONDITIONS INSIDE OF FIRE BREATHING ALL THAT BUT THEN WHEN WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN DOES THAT
ACTUALLY HAVE ANY IMPACT ON ON THE CHILDREN? I YET TO COME ACROSS A STUDY I MEAN I CAN LOOK LOOK INTO IT FURTHER I KNOW I THINK YOU HAD DISCUSSED THIS LAST TIME. YEAH AND WE HAVE WITH WE HAVE A
PRETTY CLOSE CONNECTION WITH DANA-FARBER. THEY'VE BECOME LIKE IF WE HAVE A FIREFIGHTER THAT'S DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER WE CAN EXPEDITE THE PROCESS.
THEY GET US IN THAT QUICK WITHIN LIKE 5 TO 7 DAYS FOR A DIAGNOSED. ONCE DIAGNOSED I CAN LOOK INTO THAT, SEE IF THEY'VE DONE ANY STUDIES ON THAT BUT I HAVE NOT
SEEN ANYTHING YET LIKE THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL. AND THEN MY MY FINAL QUESTION IS WHEN A FIREFIGHTER IS COMES
DOWN WITH A SERIOUS MEDICAL ISSUES SUCH AS CANCER OR SUCH AS HEART DISEASE AND THAT PERSON IS STILL ON THE JOB,
WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GIVING THAT FIREFIGHTER IN TERMS OF MEDICAL SUPPORT OR COUNSELING OR THE
NECESSARY TIME OFF OR THE OR THE OR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, STAY IN CONTACT WITH THE DEPARTMENT WHETHER IT'S THROUGH TRAINING OR OTHER OR OTHER
WAYS. BUT I GUESS MY MY MAIN POINT IS ARE WE CERTAIN THAT THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT FIRE FIGHTER HAS THE NECESSARY TIME OFF SO
THAT HE OR SHE IS ABLE TO SPEND THEIR TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR MEDICAL PROVIDER AND NOT BE BURDENED BY NOT HAVING A
PAYCHECK I BELIEVE UNLESS YOU KNOW ONE OF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT. I HAVE YET TO COME ACROSS A SITUATION WHERE A FIREFIGHTER HAS BEEN FORCED BACK TO WORK.
I HAD TO WORRY ABOUT A PAYCHECK WHILE THAT WHILE THEY'RE FIGHTING THE CANCER COUNSELOR KNOW I JUST MADE YOU KNOW IF WAS TO COME DOWN WITH CANCER OR
HAVE A HOT ISSUE THEY PUT ON AN ANGEL'S INJURY LEAVE STATUS YOU KNOW THEY GET THEIR FULL PAY WHILE THEY RECEIVE TREATMENT SO THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, WORRY THAT THEY'RE YOU KNOW, HAVE TO
GO TO WORK OR WHATEVER OR OR MISSING OUT ON ANY KIND OF TREATMENT AND THEN, YOU KNOW ,AS FAR AS IN JODI'S UNIT, THEIR DEPUTY, SHE YOU KNOW, WE
HAVE A NEW LIKE A CANCER LIAISON FIREFIGHTER THAT WILL ASSIST PEOPLE GETTING THEM TO THEIR APPOINTMENTS TO AND FROM OR ANY KIND OF TREATMENTS AT THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS AND ANYONE WHO COMES DOWN WITH ANY KIND OF SICKNESS
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AN OUTSTANDING JOB THE LOCAL 718 PLACE AS WELL WORKING WITH THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT SAM DILLON BUT THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS AN EXCELLENT UNION IN MY OPINION AND ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MR CHAIR, I'M GOING TO HOLD OFF ON QUESTIONS AND GIVE MY COLLEAGUES AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING
AGAIN EVERYONE. I HAVE JUST THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I THINK YOU DID A REALLY GREAT JOB JULIE, IN UNDERLINING HOW
IMPORTANT THESE GRANTS ARE AND HOW THEY ARE A SUPPLEMENT TO THAT. WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET AND HOW PRECARIOUS THE SITUATION IS RIGHT NOW WITH AND SO I JUST
HOPE THAT WE ARE STILL ABLE TO PART OF THE THING THAT MAKES US GREAT AS A CITY IS OUR ABILITY TO INNOVATE IN OUR ABILITY TO DO THINGS THAT ARE REALLY CUTTING EDGE AND I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH FOR FOR
HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND I WANT ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS TO BE THINKING ABOUT THAT. AND SO I JUST YOU KNOW, I'M HOPING FOR THE BEST AND KNOW
THAT WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST. I'M ALSO THERE ARE SO MANY EXAMPLES I THINK THAT WE CAN SEE FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT A DEAR FRIEND HAS A
CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND THAT JUST THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF LENIENCY IN TERMS OF AND A LOT OF LIKE HEALTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND SEEING THAT MODEL I THINK IS IS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PREVALENCE OF CANCER AND THE PREVALENCE OF CANCER IS CONNECTED TO THE OVEREXPOSURE THE HIGH EXPOSURE TO
CARCINOGENS AND IS IT RELATED TO P FAST THAT WE HAVE PROHIBITED MADE MOVES TO PROHIBIT HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH BOTH BOTH ARE
CORRECT AND SO IF I IF I UNDERSTAND IT WE ARE WE ARE PHASING OUT THE USE OF GEAR WITH P FAST WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE TIMELINE HORIZON FOR THAT?
SO NO I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT BUT I WILL SAY THIS MUCH COUNSELOR NO MATTER WHAT THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE P FAST OUR IN OUR GEAR THIS THIS
FAST ALL AROUND US THIS P FAST IN AND THIS DESK IN FRONT OF ME SO I WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THAT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMELINE IS ON THAT BUT THAT IS
ONE OF OUR CONCERNS AS WELL. MASSACHUSETTS YEAH I THINK IT'S 27 JULIE'S LOOKING AT UP NOW. I KNOW MASSACHUSETTS DID YOU KNOW THE GOVERNOR PUT SOMETHING OUT MAYBE LATE LAST FALL OR
MAYBE LATE SUMMER LAST YEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PHASING IT OUT AND I KNOW THE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY PREPARING TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THEIR GEAR TO MEET REQUIREMENTS WHEN WHEN THIS COMES DOWN THE PIPELINE FOR US
. ARE YOU SAYING THAT'S MORE ASPIRATIONAL BECAUSE OF PRESENCE OF FAST AND EVERYTHING WE DO THAN IT IS ACTUALLY LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE? IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN ACHIEVE.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE WE TO REPLACE THE BUNKER GEAR, YOU KNOW, ON A SEMIANNUAL BASIS FOR ALL OF THE FIREFIGHTERS. SO IT WOULD JUST INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, BUYING GEAR THAT DOES IS
FAST FREE FOR AT LEAST SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS CUT COSTS. SO THERE IS A COST ISSUE THERE AS WELL, RIGHT? YEAH. WHERE THE BUNKER GEAR THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT IS THAT DOES HAVE FAST HOLDS UP IT'S A
IT'S A MORE DURABLE PRODUCT. WHAT THE PROBLEM WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IS IF WE GO TO THE P FAST FREE IT IT'S NOT GOING TO HOLD UP AS MUCH SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A MUCH GREATER COST IF
IT'S NOT GOING TO HOLD UP AS MUCH IN WHAT SENSE JUST TO OUR ABILITY DURABILITY OVER TIME. YEAH SO YOU'LL HAVE TO BUY MORE BE MORE FREQUENCY OF BUYING
GEAR IN EFFECT ACCORDING TO HEALEY EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2027 MANUFACTURERS AND SELLERS OF PPE FOR FIREFIGHTERS WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM KNOWINGLY
SELLING GEAR CONTAINING INTENTIONALLY ADDED GAS CHEMICALS. OKAY, DEPUTY MALONE CAN SPEAK
MORE TO THIS. THANK YOU, DEPUTY CHIEF ALONG TRAINING I WILL BE MEETING WITH THE MAJOR SUPPLIERS OF THE BUNKER GEAR JOURNAL GEAR THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND MOST OF WAY THE FASHION ISSUE IS IS AND THE MOISTURE BARRIER AND THEN THE OUTER LAYER DPF HASN'T BEEN REMOVED IN THE OUTER LAYER SOMEWHAT LIKE A AND TYPE THING
SO IT'S LESS RESISTANCE TO OILS NOW BUT MOVING FORWARD IT'S THE MOISTURE BARRIER SO WE OUR CONCERN IS THAT GOING FORWARD IT WILL OVERHEAT SO IT'S THEY'RE IN A TRANSITION PERIOD.
THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND THE LATEST AND GREATEST RIGHT NOW THE 2027 WHEN THAT TURNOVER IS ADJUSTING GEAR LEGALLY WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE WHEN WE WANT TO
GET OUR PEOPLE IN THE BEST GEAR THAT'S GOING TO BRING COST PRESSURES OBVIOUSLY HEALTH RIGHT. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. BUT WE WILL CHANGE WE WE WERE MEETING WITH THE SUPPLIERS
AGAIN NEXT WEEK. WE WERE OUT FDIC LAST WEEK MEETING WITH THEM. WHERE ARE THEY TODAY AND WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO BE TOMORROW? BUT IT'S STILL AN UNKNOWN AND WHAT THE COST IS AND THE
LONGEVITY OF THE GEAR AS WELL WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE BUT WE MAY END UP TURNING OVER THE GEAR MORE OFTEN AND CLEANING IT OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE AS WELL. I WISH WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT
WE DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE. WELL, I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS SOONER FOR
THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S MOST YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE CONCENTRATION AND WHERE WE CONCENTRATE OUR FIRE PREVENTION WORK.
THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT IF WE DID A HEAT MAP NOT TO USE THAT WORD BUT IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO USE BESIDE A HEAT MAP SO WE DID A HEAT MAP OF PREVALENCE OF WHERE FIRES OCCUR IN THE CITY.
I'M THINKING WE WOULD SEE LIKE EAST BOSTON FOR SURE WE'D SEE DORCHESTER, WE'D SEE SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. IS THAT WHERE WE ARE WHERE WE CONCENTRATE A LOT OF OUR FIRE
PREVENTION WORK? IS THAT I'M SORRY COLE KELLEY I'M THE FIRE MARSHAL IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW. WHAT WAS THE QUESTION AGAIN, COUNCILOR, ABOUT WHETHER WE ARE WE CONCENTRATE OUR FIRE
PREVENTION WORK IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THE DATA TELLS US THAT THE FIRES ARE MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR. NO WE DON'T NECESSARILY TARGET THE THE BUSIER QUOTE UNQUOTE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE'RE
HAVING MORE OCCURRENCES OF BUILDING FIRES AND INCIDENTS . THE BUSIER AREAS DO TEND TO REQUIRE A BIT MORE OF OUR ATTENTION. WHEN YOU SAY BUSIER YOU DON'T JUST MEAN BUSIER BY LIKE PEOPLE
YOU MEAN BUSIER BY LIKE BUSIER BUSIER BY INCIDENT NUMBER. YEAH. SO SO EAST BOSTON IS TENDS TO BE A SLOWER FIRE DISTRICT WHEREAS DORCHESTER AND ROXBURY TEND TO BE THAT BUSIER OR MORE
ACTIVE DISTRICT. SO NATURALLY WE'LL END UP TARGETING MORE OF OUR RESOURCES TO THE BUSIER AREAS BUT WHERE WE'RE NOT PURPOSELY DOING IT IT'S JUST THAT IT'S SORT OF LIKE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS
THE GREASE. I THINK IT'S A GREAT BIT YEAH THAT THAT WAS SORT OF LIKE THE LEADING LIKE I THINK THAT WHERE THE AREAS WHERE THERE IS MORE PREVALENCE OF THE BUSIEST MORE ACTIVE SHOULD PROBABLY GET A LOT MORE OF THE ATTENTION WHEN IT COMES TO CORRECT PREVENTION.
THANK YOU. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION IS JUST ADMINISTRATIVE WHAT IS THE CUTOFF AGE FOR JOINING BFD? SO 3232 YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
WELL I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. IT I KNOW IS EASY WORK AND TALKING ABOUT THE PREVALENCE OF CANCER IS ALWAYS VERY WEIGHTY AND YOU TAKE THIS JOB ON WITH THAT RISK AND I THINK
THAT IS A VERY HEAVY BUT WE ALSO VERY MUCH NEED FIREFIGHTERS AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO EVERY DAY ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY AND LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THESE GRANTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT. BEFORE I GET IT OVER TO COUNCILMAN FLYNN FOR A SECOND ROUND, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION I THINK YOU MENTIONED I THINK YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE GRANTS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED IN
THE PAST AND I THINK FORGETTING ON THE NAME OF THE ONE THAT YOU SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT HAS GONE DOWN LIKE 78% SINCE 2023, CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT
THAT THAT HAS AND NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY THAT GRANT BUT JUST LIKE I MEAN THE IMPACT THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN A DECREASE OF FUNDING THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED AS A AS A PERSON NOW IS IT LIKE WHERE WHERE WHERE'S OUR
DEPARTMENT BEING AFFECTED? SURE. SO THAT THE TWO GRANTS THAT HAVE SEEN THE VERY LARGE REDUCTIONS ARE ACTUALLY STATE
EARMARK. SO IN PRIOR LEGISLATION IN PRIOR YEARS THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO THE ACT OF 2008 WHICH ALLOCATED THE DEPARTMENT
MORE MONEY. THAT LANGUAGE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LEGISLATURE GOING FORWARD SO THERE HAVE BEEN HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS WE'VE SPOKEN
WITH CHIEF ELLIS UH CHIEF MALONE HAS ALSO BEEN IN TOUCH REGARDING THAT BUT BASICALLY THOSE EARMARKS ALLOCATED TO OUR
TRAINING ACADEMY WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IT'S WHERE OUR RECRUITS START AND THAT MONEY HAS TO HAVE IT'S REIMBURSABLE IN NATURE BUT IT
TO HAVE A NEXUS TO THE ACADEMY. SO THE EXAMPLE THAT WE SOMETIMES USE WHEN YOU KNOW WE'RE INQUIRED IF IF THIS IS REIMBURSABLE UNDER THIS MONEY IS IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS GOING
FOR A SPECIALIZED TRAINING FOR USE OUT IN THE FIELD THAT WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THIS EARMARK OF FUNDING. HOWEVER, IF THEY WERE GOING TO GET SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO
COME BACK AND FACILITATE THAT TRAINING DEPARTMENT WIDE THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE. SO WE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO
RECEIVING ABOUT $2.2 MILLION FISCAL YEAR 24 IT WAS CUT IN HALF AND IN ADDITION TO THAT REDUCTION WHICH WAS A9C STATE REDUCTION. WE ALSO HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH
THE BUDGET OFFICE IN ORDER TO FUND SOME OF OUR SCBA SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS TO FOR USE AT THE
ACADEMY BUT IT COVERS YOU KNOW TRUST LADDERS THAT ARE RECRUITS ARE USING IT HAS FUNDED PICNIC BENCHES AND SEATING ON THE
ISLAND FOR THE INCOMING RECRUITS. IT HAS FUNDED THE PURCHASE OF HAY FOR LIVE FIRE BURNINGS,
DRILL BOOKS ALL OF ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SUCCESSFUL RECRUITS. SO YOU KNOW, WE I ALWAYS TRY TO
TELL FOLKS WE WE CAN'T ALWAYS RELY ON THIS MONEY BUT IT HAS BEEN WE'VE SEEN THAT THE REDUCTION HAS BEEN TROUBLESOME. IT FUNDS SOMETIMES THE OVERTIME
OF THE INSTRUCTORS THAT ARE BROUGHT DOWN TO THE ISLAND TO TEACH THE RECRUITS AND NOT SURE IF YOU KNOW LIKE DEPUTY MALONE TO SORT OF SPEAK TO OR ANY
OF THE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE TRAINING UNIT AND OUR HAZMAT GRANT AS WELL IS ANOTHER EARMARK THAT WE'VE SEEN A REDUCTION BY A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT AND THAT FUNDS TESTING STRIPS RAPID DETECTION, RADIOACTIVE DETECTION. IT JUST VERY IMPORTANT ITEMS
THAT WE TRY NOT TO STRAIN OUR OPERATING BUDGET WITH AND WE RECEIVE THIS EARMARK AND USE IT FOR THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. OH THANK YOU.
THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. UM AND YEAH IT'S INSANE THAT THE THE FUNDING REMOVED FROM THAT SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS COUNSELORS TO ALSO
UNDERSTAND THAT IMPACT ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW AS YOU KNOW WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF BUDGET SEASON AND I'M SURE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE COMING DOWN TO VISIT US VERY SOON TOO, RIGHT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OR SO.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'LL PASS IT BACK OVER TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR SUCH A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU MR CHAIR AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TEAM THAT
IS HERE. I ALSO FAILED TO MENTION WHEN I ADVOCATED FOR THE FIRE PRESENCE AND EMS PRESENCE IN THE SOUTH
BOSTON WATERFRONT FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. ALSO MY GOOD FRIEND COUNCILOR FLANNERY MICHAEL FLAHERTY ALSO DID AS WELL. SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MICHAEL WHO'S BEEN AN
EXCEPTIONAL LEADER ON THE COUNCIL IN SUPPORT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS AS WELL AS HAS HIS FATHER WHO WAS A STATE STATE LEGISLATOR.
I ALSO HAVE HEARD AND I ALSO HAVE HEARD THAT LOCAL 718 IS STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THE OF THESE GRANTS THE ESPECIALLY THE SAFETY HEALTH AND WELLNESS
ESSENTIAL TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO AGAIN SAY THANK YOU TO 718 AND COUNCIL COUNCILOR FLAHERTY I
GUESS MY QUESTION IS I REPRESENT THE THE SOUTH END BUT ALSO SOUTH BOSTON WATERFRONT AND I KNOW WE HAVE SOME LIFE
SCIENCES IN THOSE AREAS INCLUDING THE FORT POINT. DOES ANY OF THE IMPACT OF HAZMAT CUTS POTENTIAL COST AS IT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON
ACTUALLY THE THE RESPONSE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TO ANY ANY NEIGHBORHOOD REALLY AS IT RELATES TO RESPONDING TO A HAZMAT RESPONSE OR WHAT WHAT
DISADVANTAGE DOES THIS CUT HAVE ON FIGHTING A FIRE EVEN IF IT'S THROUGH TRAINING WHAT WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE?
THE COUNCIL HAS ANY CUTS LIKE I SAID IN MY OPENING REMARKS WERE DECREASE OUR EFFICIENCY. OKAY SO TRAINING IS THE BACKBONE OF ANY DEPARTMENT. THE MORE WE PRACTICE THE BETTER WE ARE ON THE FIRE GROUND
BECAUSE ANY INCIDENT WE GO TO IS AN UNKNOWN. WE CAN'T PRACTICE FIRE EVERY SINGLE INCIDENT SO WE TRY TO BROADEN OUR KNOWLEDGE HORIZON SO WE CAN ENCOMPASS ANYTHING. SO WHEN WE ATTACK SOMETHING WE
HAVE A FIELD FOR THE BEST PRACTICES. OKAY SO WHEN WE CUT OUR FUNDING AND NOT TRAINING BUDGET AND AGAIN WE RESPOND TO MORE THAN JUST FIRES WE HAVE HIGH ANGLE US RESCUE. WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE TRAINS,
WE HAVE A MYRIAD OF NUMEROUS THINGS THAT WE TRY TO TRAIN FOR . SO IF WE CUT THE TRAINING BUDGET AND WE CAN'T TRAIN AS MUCH WITH LESS EFFICIENT OC AS
FAR AS A HAZMAT CUT THE HAZMAT THE SAME THING APPLIES. ALL RIGHT? IF WE DON'T TRAIN OUR PEOPLE UP TO A CERTAIN STANDARD THEN TO BE LESS EFFICIENT AT THE HAZARD. I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING TO THE SOUTH BOSTON, THE LABS ON THE
WATERFRONT AND WHATNOT. OKAY. WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THE SAME WE HAVEN'T CUT UNITS. WE'RE GOING TO STILL HAVE THE SAME RESPONSE BUT THE PEOPLE ON THOSE UNITS MIGHT NOT BE UP TO THE SAME EFFICIENCY AS PEOPLE IN THE PAST BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE SAME AMOUNT
OF TRAINING. THANK YOU. MY MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO A LOT OF OVERDOSES ACROSS THE
CITY. WHAT WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE ON A PARTICULAR FIREFIGHTER THAT'S INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, HELPING HELPING THIS PERSON
WHETHER IT'S THROUGH KNOCKIN OR WHETHER IT'S TO SAVING THE PERSON'S LIFE, SUFFERING FROM SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES.
BUT THAT MUST BE STRESSFUL DOING THAT ALL YOU KNOW, SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK MAYBE MAYBE IT'S NOT THAT MUCH. MAYBE IT'S NOT THAT LONG OR MANY TIMES IN THE WEEK BUT IT'S
FREQUENT. BUT DO WE HAVE AND DO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IMPACT IT HAS ON A FIREFIGHTER IN TERMS OF DEALING AND DEALING
WITH THAT STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT IN A CONSISTENT MANNER? WELL, AGAIN, COUNSELOR, I THINK IT SPEAKS TO WHAT YOU WERE ALLUDING TO EARLIER WITH THE
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. IT'S JUST LIKE ANYTHING IF YOU KEEP PILING SOMETHING UP LITTLE BY LITTLE, YOU KNOW, FIRST IT STARTS OUT AS A LITTLE MOLD AND
IT'S A MOUNTAIN. SO THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS SEEING THAT DAY IN AND DAY OUT NOT ONLY THE THE OPIOID ISSUES BUT ANY OTHER
INCIDENT EVERY RESPONSE TO AGAIN THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, THE CONTINUOUS PILING ON OF THE INCIDENTS. LIKE I SAID, ONE INCIDENT MIGHT
NOT AFFECT THE MEMBER BUT OVER A 25 YEAR CAREER, YOU KNOW THE NEXT INCIDENT COULD BE THE ONE THAT PUSHES THEM OVER THE EDGE. SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE AS JULIE
SAID, WE'RE LOOKING TO GET A ON BOARD HEALTH CLINICIAN THAT THAT COULD RELATE TO THE THINGS THAT WE SEE ON A DAY AND DAY OUT BASIS.
THANK YOU AND OF NOTE COUNSELOR, WE DO HAVE SOME FUNDING TO DO A PEER PROGRAM THROUGH OUR EAP.
IT'S INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. UM I'M JUST TRYING TO PULL UP THE INFORMATION HERE SO THAT I CAN GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND.
UM, BUT IT'S BASICALLY TO OFFER CONFIDENTIAL ASSISTANCE SUPPORT TO ALL DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS IN TIME OF PERSONAL NEED OR DUE TO TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS THAT HAVE CAUSED ACUTE OR CUMULATIVE
STRESS. SO GRANT FUNDS WERE PROVIDED IN ORDER TO ENGAGE IN THAT COURSEWORK. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WERE UM YOU KNOW ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO
ATTEND. UM IT IS TWO DAYS OF CLASSROOM TRAINING AND THEN A TWO HOUR ONLINE COURSE PROVIDED BY UM THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FIREFIGHTERS.
UM, AND THE CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS, SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION CRISIS INTERVENTION ,REFERRALS TO LOCAL RESOURCES AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. UM PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO LEARN HOW TO BUILD AN EFFECTIVE PEER PROGRAM. INSTRUCTORS USE SMALL GROUP LEARNING METHODS AND SKILL BUILDING EXERCISES TO ENCOURAGE STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND
MASTERY OF THE MATERIAL SO THAT THE COURSE THAT IS BEING OFFERED IN MAY WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT'S FULL. SO MEMBERS ARE INTERESTED AND THEY'RE ENGAGING TO HELP US
BUILD OUT OUR OUR PEER SUPPORT UNIT. AND THEY'RE OFFERING THE COURSE AGAIN IN JUNE AS WELL. SO WE'LL WE'LL SEE MORE ACTIVITY THEN AS WELL. THANK YOU. SURE.
I WAS AT A CONFERENCE MAYBE A YEAR AGO, MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AT FLORIAN HALL AND IT WAS SPONSORED BY 718 BUT THE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS BUT
ALSO I THINK THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT IT WAS GEARED TOWARDS THE THE HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS NOT JUST IN BOSTON BUT I THINK WAS I THINK
IT WAS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND OR AT LEAST AT LEAST MASSACHUSETTS. SO I GET. SO MY QUESTION IS WHAT TYPE OF MEDICAL SUPPORT OR WHAT TYPE
OF SERVICES ARE WE OFFERING WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL? IS THERE ANYTHING UNIQUE ABOUT WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS THAT THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IN TERMS
OF HOW WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR THEM, HOW WE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEM? I THINK IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS ONE. SO WITH CHIEF SHADE DISCUSSING THE SKIN SKIN CANCER CLINICS
THAT WERE FEDERALLY FUNDED AS WELL AS THE UNITED DIAGNOSTIC SCANS, UM WE DID EVALUATE IT OF COURSE AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 25
FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP OF ABOUT 1501 OF THE GRANT OPTIONS WAS TO OFFER MAMMOGRAMS.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE EVALUATED THE NUMBER OF WOMEN WE WERE ADVISED BY THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE VERY STRICT STANDARDS IN OFFERING
THAT. BUT WITH DISCUSSIONS WITH CHIEF SHEA AND HIS TEAM, I BELIEVE THERE WERE COORDINATION MADE FOR ANY OF THE WOMEN IN THAT
CATEGORY TO BE ABLE TO BE SET UP FOR MAMMOGRAMS. ALSO THE THE NINE BODY PART SCAN THAT IS BEING DONE THROUGH
UNITED DIAGNOSTICS ALSO DOES AN EXTERNAL PELVIC EXAM FOR THE WOMEN. UM, SO WE'RE WE'RE AWARE OF THAT AND I THINK SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELLNESS IS DOING A
GREAT JOB WITH OUTREACH AND MAKING SURE THAT AGAIN WE DON'T WE DON'T KNOW HOW FIRE SERVICES AFFECT WOMEN. UM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS PROACTIVE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT
THEY ARE OFFERED, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER TYPE OF SERVICES OR ASSISTANCE THEY MAY NEED UM SPECIFIC TO FEMALES.
THANK YOU. I REPRESENT CHINATOWN ALSO AND I ALSO NOTICED THOUGH IN CHINATOWN THEY DON'T THE APARTMENTS AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW
ARE VERY CRAMPED AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE LIVE CLOSE TOGETHER, PACKED TOGETHER. BUT I DO NOTICE AT TIMES THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE
CARBON MONOXIDE HOME DETECTORS AS WELL FOR VARIOUS REASONS. BUT IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO BE HELPFUL TO RESIDENTS IN
CHINATOWN TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE THEM AS MUCH SUPPORT AS WE CAN? MANY OF THEM HAVE LANGUAGE CHALLENGES.
BUT I SAID THE LANGUAGE CHALLENGES BUT I ALSO HAVE PEOPLE ON MY STAFF THAT THAT SPEAK CANTONESE IN MANDARIN.
I'D BE WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU AND I CERTAINLY KNOW CONNIE WONG MIGHT BE HELPFUL TOO BUT JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO FOR THE RESIDENTS OF CHINATOWN. HEY COUNCILOR.
SO YEAH, WE ACTUALLY WANT ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE IN THE FIRE PREVENTION DIVISION IS TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF SMOKE AND CO DETECTORS CITYWIDE AND THERE'S THERE'S BASICALLY THREE
GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TARGETING TO TRY TO GET THOSE SMOKE AND CEOS INSTALLED IN THEIR HOUSES AND THOSE ARE THOSE ARE SENIORS. ANY FOLKS WHO ARE RECEIVING ANY KIND OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
AND TO YOUR POINT ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENGLISH AS THEIR SECOND LANGUAGE. SO YEAH, WE ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING A PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE OUTREACHING THROUGH OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM TRYING TO REACH THOSE PEOPLE AND GET
THOSE SMOKE DETECTORS INSTALLED IN THE RESIDENCES THAT DON'T HAVE THEM SO FAR DID YOU EVER. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THIS. DO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS NOT
HAVE THE SMOKE DETECTOR OR CARBON MONOXIDE? COMPARED TO WEALTHIER COMMUNITIES, HAS THERE EVER BEEN A COMPARISON WHERE YOU KNOW SOME OF LIKE FOR EXAMPLE,
I REPRESENT THE MOST RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OF ANY DISTRICT CITY COUNCIL. SO I SPENT A LOT OF TIME. BUT DO WE KNOW IF IF LOW INCOME
RESIDENTS TRADITIONALLY HAVE LESS SMOKE DETECTORS OF CARBON MONOXIDE THAN THAN KIND OF WEALTHIER COMMUNITIES? WELL, I DON'T HAVE HARD DATA ON THAT, BUT I'VE WORKED IN MOST
OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY AND I SPENT PROBABLY HALF MY CAREER IN THE SOUTH IN WHICH TENDS TO BE HIGHER INCOME FOLKS. SO THOSE RESIDENTS, THOSE TOWNHOUSES, THOSE UNITS GENERALLY SPEAKING THEY'RE
GOING TO BE UP TO CODE WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO HOUSES. I WAS APPOINTED TO ENGINE 16 ON MORTON STREET AND MATTAPAN AND LOTS OF THOSE RESIDENCES WOULDN'T BE UP TO CODE.
OUR FIRE CODES THEY THEY'RE LACKING IN SMOKE DETECTORS SO DETECTORS SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES TO THE SO IF SOMEONE
DOESN'T HAVE ONE IN THEY AND THEY DO NEED ONE. IS THERE A PROCESS FOR THEM TO REQUEST IT OR HOW WOULD THEY GO ABOUT DOING THAT?
YEAH, WELL SO IF IT COMES TO OUR ATTENTION, YOU KNOW IF WE ON ON AN INCIDENT THE FIELD COMPANIES DISCOVER YOU KNOW A AN APARTMENT A HOUSE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAVE PROPER SMOKE DETECTORS OR SEAL YOU KNOW THEY
CAN REFER THAT TO OUR FIRE PREVENTION DIVISION FOR SURE AND WE AND OUR EDUCATION UNIT IS PRETTY CONSISTENTLY PUTTING ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS
AND TRYING TO CAPTURE AS MANY OF THESE PEOPLE AS AS AS WE CAN . SO YEAH, WE'RE WORKING HARD AT IT RIGHT NOW. NO, THANK YOU. I WAS IN CHINATOWN LAST WEEK AND HAD AN APARTMENT AND I SAW
A SMOKE DETECTOR AND THE THE LID WAS DOWN AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE NINE VOLT BATTERY TYPE OF THINGS AND THE BATTERY WASN'T IN THERE AND IT WAS A IT
WAS A SMOKE DETECTOR THAT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE OTHER THAN THE BATTERY. AND I SAID TO THE THE WOMAN AN ELDERLY WOMAN HOW COME YOU DON'T HAVE A BATTERY? AND SHE SAID I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE BATTERY SO
OBVIOUSLY I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO BUY A COUPLE OF BATTERIES. BUT WE DON'T DO WE HAVE ANY PROGRAMS LIKE BATTERIES THAT ARE JUST GIVEN TO RESIDENTS FOR
FOR THOSE TYPES OF REASONS? I THINK THAT'S I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY MORE MORE OF THAT THAN WE THINK. SO COUNCILOR, THE NEWER SMOKE DETECTORS I'LL COME FORWARD A TEN YEAR LIFE AND THEY'RE SEALED SO YOU DON'T NEED TO
REPLACE BATTERIES. OKAY SO IF WE'VE COME ACROSS A PERSON THAT HAS ONE THAT YOU KNOW IS ACCUSTOMED TO USING BATTERIES, WE WILL REPLACE THAT WITH A TEN YEAR LIFELINE. OKAY.
SO THAT'S THE THAT'S A MORE UPGRADED YES. YEAH. OKAY. WE JUST RECENTLY CAME OFF A TWO YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RED CROSS THAT ALSO DID AN OUTREACH
PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO INSTALL SMOKE DETECTORS AND THE CAM HOUSING. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. YEAH, THANK THANK YOU.
LET ME ASK ONE MORE QUESTION. I DON'T WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE HERE LONGER THAN NECESSARY. ONE OTHER ISSUE THAT I AM THAT I AM FOCUSED ON IS THE PORT
SECURITY TRAINING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I REPRESENT THE OBVIOUSLY THE THE WATERFRONT AREA. I KNOW THE IMPORTANT ROLE THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT PLAYS AND RESPONDS TO FIRES OR HAZMAT ISSUES BUT ALSO WORKING WITH THE NAVY AND WORKING WITH THE COAST GUARD LNG TANKERS AS WELL
. CAN YOU GIVE US. GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR. CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT THIS GRANT WOULD DO AND AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON HOW IMPORTANT
IT IS TO HAVE A STRONG AND VIBRANT FIRE DEPARTMENT AS IT RELATES AS IT RELATES TO PORT RELATED ISSUES. WELL, OUR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
SPEAK TO THAT FINANCIAL AND HAVE IT OUR JOY. BUT AS FAR AS THE SHIPBOARD FIREFIGHTING, AS YOU KNOW, BOSTON IS 45% WATER AND WE'RE BUILDING MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE NEAR THE
WATER. THEY DID A GREAT JOB ON HARBOR. EVERYONE WANTS TO LIVE THERE. EVERYONE WANTS TO WORK THERE WHILE WITH THE SHIPS COMING IN. WE HAVE EV SHIPS COMING IN. WE HAVE OTHER CONTAINER SHIPS
COMING IN AND YOU KNOW, THEY NEVER BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. SO THE SHIPS A LOT OF TIMES ARE DANGEROUS. THEY'RE DANGEROUS TO FIGHT FIRES IN THE DANGEROUS TO ACCESS.
SO FROM OUR END OF IT WE NEED TO TRAIN WE NEED MORE TRAINING THERE THERE IS A DEFICIT THERE FOR US ON THAT WHEN WHEN THE CRUISE SHIPS COME INTO BOSTON AND I FOLLOWED CLOSELY I HAVE A
GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LONGSHOREMAN BUT WHEN THEY COME INTO BOSTON AND IF THERE'S A MEDICAL ISSUE OR IF THERE'S A FIRE IN AND AROUND A CRUISE
SHIP EVEN A SMALL FIRE, WHAT IS WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF A BOSTON FIRE IN TERMS OF RESPONDING TO SOMETHING ON A ON A CRUISE SHIP ? WE RESPOND.
WE SPEND IT DEPENDS UPON WHICH SHIP NOW A CRUISE SHIP SOMETIMES IT'S DONE INTERNALLY. WE MIGHT NOT EVEN GET A CALL DEPENDING ON IF THEY DO IT INTERNALLY, IF THEY CALL IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF MEDICAL NEED, THEY WOULD DISPATCH
BOSTON FIRE AND BOSTON EMS. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT THE WHAT ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS IT RELATES TO THE ARRIVAL OF A
LNG TANKER? SO THAT WAS IS DOWN TO THE COAST GUARD AND THE BOSTON POLICE. THEY SET UP THE THE SHIPS COMING IN SECURITY AND THEN IT
WORKS ITS WAY UP TO UP TO EVERY . BUT THERE IS EXTENSIVE SECURITY EVERY DAY AS THAT SHIP YOU KNOW I WAS YOU KNOW WE'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THE COUNTRY WHERE WE BELONG IN LNG TANK GOING TO A
MAJOR CITY TO UNLOAD AND IT HAS ITS HAZARDS AND THE SECURITY IS PRETTY TIGHT ON THAT. WE HAD A WE HAD A HEARING ON THAT AN HOUR MAYBE SIX MONTHS AGO WITH COUNCILOR CARTER WHO
LIVES IN EAST BOSTON AND THAT'S THE ISSUE WE TALKED ABOUT. I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. I MR CHAIR COUNCILOR, IF I MAY
JUST AS CLEAN UP FOR YOURSELF. WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT THE THE STUDY WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS IN CONSTRUCTION. THERE WAS TWO STUDIES DONE A FEW YEARS AGO ONE FOR ASBESTOS
WOULD SHIPBOARD SHIPBUILDERS AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE FAMILY MEMBERS WERE COMING DOWN WITH LUNG CANCER JUST FROM THE COALS BEING BROUGHT HOME THAT WAS LIKEWISE FOUND IN THE
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COMING HOME TO SILICATES, THE GYPSUM ALL THE THINGS COMING HOME AND THE WORK IS NOTHING WAS EVER DONE ON THE FIRE PART OF THAT. BUT YOU WOULD THINK THAT FIRE
DEPARTMENT MEMBERS ON A DAILY BASIS WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON SHIFT WE MOST TIMES LEVI GEAR BEHIND BUT WE'RE GOING TO A FIRE DETAIL WHERE WE'RE IN THAT
GEAR FROM HOME. YEAH TO THE DETAIL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION SITE AND THEN COMING HOME. SO I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE LIKE MIND YOU BUT WE'VE NEVER DONE A STUDY ON THAT.
ON THE FEMALE FRONT WE'RE DOING A CLASS ON MONDAY EIGHT FEMALES LARGEST GROUP OF FEMALES WE'VE EVER HAD WHERE WE HAD AN ISSUE ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE UPDATED OUR FACILITIES. IT WAS ALWAYS IN THE GEAR YOU KNOW THAT THE MANUFACTURERS OF THERE'S SO FEW WOMEN IN THE FIRE INDUSTRY THAT THE THE MANUFACTURERS OF THE GEAR WERE
BASICALLY JUST GIVING THE WOMEN SMALLER GEAR NOT GEARED TO THE SIZE HOW A WOMAN IS BUILT AND WE HAVE CAPTURED WE'VE UPDATED THAT AND THEY LOOK GOOD ON THAT
FINE EXCELLENT. DOES EVERY FIREHOUSE NOW HAVE THOSE WASH MACHINES THAT ARE
HIGH HIGH TECH HIGH END THAT TAKE OUT THOSE CHEMICALS WHEN THEY'RE WASHED? I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NAME OF THE WASHING MACHINES BUT DOES EVERY FIREHOUSE HAVE THAT NOW? YES, THEY DO.
THEY'RE CALLED EXTRACTORS AND THEY WERE FOUNDED BY THE ALASKA FOUNDATION AND THE GARY SINISE FOUNDATION AND EVERY FIREHOUSE HAS THEM AND THE GEAR IS ALSO SENT OUT ON TOP OF THAT IT'S
SENT OUT TWICE A YEAR TO ACTUALLY BE PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED AND INSPECTED. ANY REPAIRS NEED TO BE MADE, THEY REPAIRED AND IF THE GEAR IS NOT UP TO, IT'S TAKEN OUT OF AND THEY'RE ISSUED NEW GEAR
WHEN WHEN THE GEAR GOES THROUGH THE WASH MACHINE AND THEN THEN IT'S DONE AT THE WASH MACHINE THEN WHAT IS THE NEXT PROCESS? IS IT DRIED OR IS IT YES, IT'S
IT'S AIR DRIED. IT'S LIKE A CLOSET IT'S A IT'S A WARM CLOSET. IT BLOWS WARM AIR FOR IT. OKAY. AND THAT'S THOSE ARE ALL KIND
OF AREAS THAT ARE SECURE OR ARE THEY OPEN? EACH FIRE IS A LITTLE JUMPY. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE FIRE HOSES YOU'VE BEEN A FIRE HOSE IN ON THE CITY DEPENDING UPON HOW
THAT FIRE HOUSE IS SET UP, THE NEWER FIRE HOSES WOULD HAVE DEDICATED AREAS SOME OF THE OLDER FIRE HOSES IT'S IT'S A HODGEPODGE AS TO WHERE THEY ARE, WHETHER YOU COULD FIT IT
IN THE WASHING MACHINES. THERE ARE A LOT OF WASH MACHINES WHERE PEOPLE CAN DO THEM AT THE SAME TIME LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR ONE
PERSON TO FINISH AND SOME HAVE TO SOME HAVE WON. THE GEAR HAS TO BE BROKEN APART IN ORDER TO BE WASHED THIS STUFF HAS TO BE SEPARATED. THE MOISTURE BARRIER AND THE THERMAL AREA IS SEPARATED FROM
THE OUTSIDE AND THEN IT'S DRY SEPARATELY AND THAT'S PUT BACK TOGETHER. ARE THERE CONCERNS AT TIMES THAT THE EQUIPMENT BREAKS DOWN THE WASH MACHINE BREAKS DOWN OR
ARE THEY STURDY MACHINES STURDY BUT WE DO HAVE IN-HOUSE FACILITIES AND A CONTRACTOR ALSO TO REPAIR THEM AS NEEDED.
OKAY, EACH MEMBER IS A FORM OF GEAR SO WHEN ONE IS OUT OF SERVICE THEY'LL HAVE ANOTHER SET OF GEAR THAT THEY CAN USE. OKAY. IN MY FINAL QUESTION BEFORE
BEFORE I'M FOR I AM IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DO DURING THIS BUDGET PROCESS TO SUPPORT THE
BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT? I DO I DO ASK THAT OFTEN AND I KNOW EVERYONE I KNOW DEPARTMENTS WILL SAY WE HAVE ENOUGH, WE HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES THAT YOU KNOW WE'RE
FINE BUT YOU KNOW, I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IF YOU WANT TO I MEAN I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR YOU.
YOU DON'T HAVE I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER NOW BUT IF THERE'S ANY SERVICES SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR, MR CHAIR, WE SHOULD FOLLOW UP AGAIN WITH
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OFF LINE. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AS WE GO INTO THE BUDGET SEASON TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO TO DO THEIR JOB
EFFECTIVELY. SO. MR CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR COORDINATING THIS MEETING FOR YOUR IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
AND COUNCIL. CAN I JUST GO BACK TO ONE POINT REGARDING THE PORT BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS A REALLY AGGRESSIVE APPARATUS REPLACEMENT PLAN. YOU KNOW, IT WAS YOU KNOW, PUT TOGETHER SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND
LUCKILY THE LEADERSHIP HERE AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET OFFICE SUPPORTS THAT. BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW OVER THE NEXT YEAR IS WE LOOKED AT
THE MARINE UNIT FLEET ITSELF. SO BETWEEN BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE WILL HAVE RECEIVED THREE NEW PIECES OF MARINE UNITS. WE RECEIVED ONE NEW DIVE BOAT PROBABLY ABOUT LESS THAN A
MONTH AGO WHICH IS NOW DOCKED OVER AT UMASS BOSTON AND THERE'S TWO LARGER BOATS COMING THIS ONE COMING IN EARLY FALL, A 37 FOOTER AND A 69 FOOT BOAT
IS COMING SOMETIME IN EARLY NEXT YEAR. THESE BOATS ARE, YOU KNOW, SUPER TECHNOLOGY, THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO DEAL WITH MARINE FIRES.
ALSO THE TECHNOLOGY THE SAFETY OF THE HARBOR IS SUPER IMPORTANT IN THESE THESE BOATS ARE A GREAT ADDITION TO THAT AND PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW AND YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY
WHEN YOU WILL SEE IT IN OUR BUDGET SUBMISSION WE DID ASK FOR A MARINE UNIT ENGINEER. UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE NOT HAD SOMEBODY WITH A DEDICATED EYE TOWARDS DEALING WITH BOAT MAINTENANCE IN THE PAST.
A LOT OF THE BOAT MAINTENANCE THAT WAS HAPPENING WAS EITHER BEING DONE BY OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS OR A FLEET MAINTENANCE STAFF AND WE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE BOATS ARE
COMING IN NOW WHICH JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN EQUATE, YOU KNOW F-250 OR YOU KNOW A SMALL VEHICLE. SO WE ARE IT IS IN THE BUDGET YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE ASKING
FOR A MARINE UNIT ENGINEER WE UNDERSTAND IT IS IN THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE STEPS WE'RE TAKING FOR THE LONG TERM SUCCESS OF YOU KNOW WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD APPARATUS REPLACEMENT PROGRAM AND NOW
WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE MARINE UNIT WHICH HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS WITH THE MACHINE EQUIPMENT AND THE BOATS NOT BEING MAINTAINED THE WAY THEY SHOULD HAVE AND BY NO FAULT
OF ANYBODY WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE DEDICATED STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, REPAIRING A BOAT WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, A SPECIAL, YOU KNOW, TRAINING THAT PEOPLE GO THROUGH. THANK YOU, CAPTAIN.
I THE THOSE COMMENTS ARE A GREAT TO HEAR AND AND I KNOW THE MARINE UNIT AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE CERTAINLY BUT THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE MARINE UNIT AND THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT THEY ALSO ARE COMMITTED TO RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT GREATER BOSTON. WHAT HAPPENS IN CHELSEA HAS AN IMPACT AND THESE BOSTON BUT IT'S ABOUT BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING EACH OTHER AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE FOR YEARS HAS SUPPORTED CERTAINLY THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON BUT ALSO SUPPORTED A
LOT OF RESIDENTS ACROSS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS AS WELL, ESPECIALLY DURING DIFFICULT TIMES AND WHEN I GO TO DIFFERENT EVENTS OUTSIDE OF BOSTON, PEOPLE WILL OFTEN
COME UP TO ME AND THEY'LL SAY WE HAD A MAJOR FIRE HERE AT THIS THIS TOWN OR IN THIS CITY AND BOSTON. BOSTON FIRE RESPONDED AND PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE WORKING
WITH THE WITH THE CITY OF TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENTS. SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT KIND OF COOPERATION THAT BOSTON FIRE HAS HISTORICALLY DONE.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU, MR GENERAL, IN THESE THREE BOATS YOU KNOW, IN TOTAL I MAKE UP ABOUT A $10 MILLION INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY HAS GIVEN US WHICH IS YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
THANKS, KEVIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN FLYNN. AND THANK YOU TO OUR PANELISTS
FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I'VE BEEN INFORMED BY CENTRAL STAFF THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ONE SIDE OF A PUBLIC TESTIMONY. I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE
DID RECEIVE I DON'T KNOW IF I SAID ALL THE NAMES BUT WE DID RECEIVE THREE LETTERS OF ABSENCE FROM THREE DIFFERENT COUNCILORS HOUSE WARD COUNCILOR WEBER AND COUNCILOR PEPPER.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS INTO THE RECORD. I WON'T TURN IT OVER TO YOU IF YOU WON'T HAVE ANY CLOSING REMARKS OR UM YEAH. NO, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE
ENTIRE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF THINGS. THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS HERE BEHIND ME ARE THE ONES WHO WERE DELIVERING THE SERVICE TO THE
PUBLIC. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THEM PERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE OFFICE OF BUDGET MANAGEMENT AND WE
CONTINUE TO WORK, YOU KNOW, AMIABLY TO A SUCCESSFUL BUDGET THIS YEAR TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF BOSTON. AWESOME. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR FOR BEING WITH US
HERE THIS MORNING. YOU KNOW, ALSO I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN AND THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
SUPPORTING IN THESE GRANTS AND SUPPORTING THE AMAZING WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. SO I WANT TO JUST TAKE OUR PANELISTS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN TODAY'S
HEARING. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO MY CO-SPONSORS FOR SPONSORING THIS HEARING THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 0335 AS A THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU,