Fire department news fills Linwood agenda

Posted: 8/16/06

Fire department news fills Linwood agenda

Alice Pickering
Linwood Area Reporter

Fire Chief Joe Dolphy said the National Incident Management System training is scheduled for 6 -10 p.m., Wednesdays, Aug. 16, 23, and 30. The news came at the Linwood town board meeting on August 8.

A national requirement to have a coordinated response to emergencies and chain-of-command, in Linwood this NIMS training is mandated for firefighters, board chair, clerk, maintenance personnel, and other key people. This training is for ICS 100 and 200. Next year, there will be training in ICS 300 and 400. It is to be incorporated into the township emergency plan.

Supervisors passed a resolution making the NIMS training mandatory for all board members and employees, with the funds to cover the training to come from the general fund. The vote was 5-0.

Dolphy reported cracks in the fire department parking lot. There has been some crack repair, but these have opened again. He asked the board to consider having the cracks refilled, and then seal coat the lot.

Supervisors approved the appointment of new firefighters Paul Franzen and Kevin Kreigshauser. Both appointments are conditional on successfully completing physical exams and agility tests. The vote was 5-0.

Dolphy reported 17 emergency responses in July: nine were for fires and eight were medical emergencies.

The board accepted Rich Gabrickís letter of resignation from the fire department. He will remain a reserve member of the department and will be available as a fire marshal.

As of Aug. 5, Gabrick completes 30 years of service in the department.

Resident Bob McCormack asked if there is a burning ban in the township. Besides the lack of water in the swamp, he has observed very dry conditions and a lot of tinder in sections of Carlos Avery near where he lives.

Dolphy said the DNR burning ban was recently lifted, but could be reinstated. The township can also be more restrictive than the state.

Policy change

Linwood has changed its policies of having groups seeking funds to make presentations at regular board meetings rather than have these made at the annual meetings.

In keeping with the policy change, representatives of the Lakes Area Youth Service Bureau of Forest Lake gave an overview of the services provided to the community. The YSB service area corresponds roughly to the Forest Lake Area Schools district lines.

YSB provides resources for parents, including parenting programs, guidelines for discipline, step-parenting and dealing with suspected substance abuse, according to Pam Trudeau, YSB development and communications manager.

Focus of all programs is on early intervention. The organization sponsors a Parent Fair at Forest Lake Senior High. There is a hotline and a drop-in center for parents and youth.

The community justice panel seeks to find resolution of problems instead of sending juveniles to the court system. The goal is to have young offenders take responsibility for their behavior, understand the victimís feelings, make amends, and understand the impact of their actions. If successful, the changes in behavior can benefit youth, community, and be a cost-saver for the community by avoiding court action.

For those on the panel, a young personís change in attitude is the basic criterion determining success. Very few individuals demonstrate an attitude of not trying, and fail to pass the interviews of the community justice panel. Renee Wagner is coming on board as YSB community-justice volunteer.

Rachel Haefele, teen member of the YSB, explained some of the programs in which she has participated. These include Focused Youth Improve, the Dreams with Wings program, and other programs to provide basic supplies for young parents. The latter are distributed through Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center.

One interesting fact about YSB funding is that only a few years ago, 75 to 80 percent of funding for the programs came from government funds and grants and the balance came from client fees. Now, this has switched so that only 45 percent of YSB funds come from the government. YSB must raise 55 percent of its funds. Trudeau estimates that about $250,000 comes from non-government sources.

In 2005, about $257,000 of the total support of $531,064 came from counties, cities, school districts and the State of Minnesota. Client fees were nearly $47,000. Contributions, grants, United Way contributions, and in-kind contributions totaled $234,700.

Expenses for 2005 totaled $544,195. Of that, $449,615 or nearly 83 percent was spent for Program Services. Administrative costs were just under 8 percent, with Fund-raising and Development just over 9 percent.

Parents or youth seeking advice or help can call 651-464-3685 or check the website www.ysblakesarea.org. Those wishing to offer assistance can also contact YSB.