Windham – Windham WVFD held their regularly scheduled meeting recently with half of the board attending physically and the other half attending via Zoom. The meeting was called to order and the board approved the minutes and expenditures, before moving on to the chief’s report.
Chief Rich Gano reported that they had 559 calls year to date. (October 31, 2020) He also reported that ambulance 2812 which was sent out to be re-boxed had a few more issues to be addressed that would be an additional $6200. The board discussed the increase and determined they should just get it done now, rather than later. Fiscal officer Casey Timmons said they could get it in the loan since the township donated $50,000 of their Cares Act money to be used toward the new ambulance, lowering the amount they’d need to finance. He also reported that the loaner ambulance broke down would need a new starter as well as a window regulator. The township will get the repair completed A.S.A.P. The board accepted Tyler Watson’s resignation. Watson was an EMT and didn’t take very many shifts, so his resignation won’t affect the schedule.
The board also approved the purchase of two iPads and two MiFi to be used for filling out their reports using the Health EMS Software. The cost for the use of the system is $110/ month, the same as the other service they were using.
The fire district is expecting to receive some Cares Act monies from Windham Village but is unsure of the amount. They plan on using that money to purchase new turn-out gear for the firemen.
Board member, Jake Bowden stated that Parkman Fire Department was applying for a grant for Marks Radios and would like to add Windham into their grant. The board said they might be interested in it, depending on how much of a match is needed. The district approved the purchase of a UV light for $189 for sanitation purposes.
There were still issues with payroll. Firemen not signing their timesheets are problematic and can’t be paid without a signature. The board will only pay hours on signed slips and will not make any pay adjustments. Firemen, EMT’s and paramedics need to make sure their timesheets are accurate before signing them. The board also discussed considering purchasing a finger scanner system for payroll.
Fiscal Officer Casey Timmons tendered her resignation, effective 12/31/2020. She thanked the board for the opportunity and stated that she would help the new fiscal officer get settled. The board asked Timmons if she could post the job, with a description in the local papers. They decided the deadline for applications would be December 1, 2020. This would give them time to look over applications and interview candidates prior to the December meeting.
Lastly, it was suggested that the district consider doing the next few meetings via Zoom due to the rising COVID numbers. They made no decision on the suggestion and adjourned the meeting.
