Committee Report on the Department of Public
Safety
Committee members:
Charles Duhon, Chair
Dr. Wayne Robichaux, secretary
Paul Oncale, Director of the Department of Public Safety
Wondell Wesley, President Volunteer West Bank Fire District
Major Sam Moody, Sheriff’s Office
Tommy St. Martin, citizen member
Danny Millet, Councilman
Darnell C. Usury, Councilwoman
Agency Overview:
The Department of Public Safety has been active in developing plans for all
eventualities proscribed for such an agency under the guise of planning and preparedness
in the areas of petrochemical, hurricane and terrorism. They also have pursued local
safety issues such as the problem of Rail Safety in the Parish. There is no overall Fire
Services Plan by admission of all parties.
The Department of Safety is tasked with numerous jobs including Fire Safety,
Animal Control, Airport oversight, and all the planning and preparedness responsibilities
for the parish with a small staff carrying a big load. Diverted attention away from any one
of these areas could result in trying times at least, a public relations disaster for the
administration or personal disaster for some individuals in the parish if response is
affected. These additional tasks have been assigned without additional funding for their
performance.
Currently, training requires overcoming several hurdles including monetary,
logistical and coordination of diverse schedule impediments which can adversely impact
the insurance ratings.
The customers of the Department Of Public Safety from Fire Services to planning
and preparedness are the people of St. John the Baptist Parish and the elected
administration that serves them.
They expect that their tax dollars will be managed and spent in the most officious
manner. They imagine that plans are considered and based on reasonable expectations of
eventualities in conjunction with our regional and statewide emergency system and that
these plans are tested to the best of ability. Customers hope that the plans meet or exceed
the necessities of the parish to protect life and, to the fullest extent possible, the property
of the people.
Specifically, that the Fire Services be rapidly responsive, professional in their
approach, pro-active in their planning and preparation, void of systemic or personal
problems which might adversely affect performance and equipped to meet the needs of
the parish no matter where or when they are called upon to answer the bell .
BUDGET OVERVIEW:
The current economic environment will impact the overall Fire budget as the districts are
financed by 0.25% tax from 1984 and the career positions are paid for by a 0.25% tax
from 2003. Both these taxes are based on sales which have been adversely affected by the
current recession. The 2010 sales taxes are akin to the 2007 performance of 4.6 Million
vs. the 08/09 tax base of 7.0 Million annual. The current practice of funding capital
projects using non- reoccurring/ unsecured sales tax needs review. There is an absolute
need to combine the two Fire Service tax ordinances into one budget management
system. The following spreadsheet includes budget, FD 2009 activations and resource
allocations.
LaPlace FD
Reserve FD
2010 Budgets
1,187,845.00
494,962.00
YTD (Deficiency)
944,300.00
103,891.90
O of Fire Svs 2010 Budgets 2176.691.00
09 Activations
1074
284
Resources
LaPlace VD
Reserve FD
Fire Engines
7
5
Paid Firefighters
21
6
Paid Chiefs
2
2
Vol Active Firefighters
10
10
Fire Stations
5
5
Garyville FD W B FD
Total
321,692.00 321,192.00
2,325,691.00
116,195.94 106,751.27
1,271,139.11
302,814.86
147
162
1667
Garyville FD W B FD
Total
4
7
23
6
6
39
2
2
8
8
15
43
2
5
17
The Emergency Preparedness / Public Safety Department areas of responsibility are
substantially underfunded as compared to the region and specifically to neighboring
parishes. The long term funding through Entergy will cease with the decommissioning of
Water ford 3.
MAJOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS AS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC
SAFETY DEPARTMENT
The Fire Services section has no clear plan and there has been none since the
career members came on board in 2004. This has led to difficulties within the districts
and the system as a whole resulting in confused lines of authority, dissention in the ranks,
and adds to an already difficult time recruiting for both groups. A true “Department
“technically does not exist and there are potentially significant problems between
Volunteer and Career members. One result of this absence of parish wide perspective is a
lack of unified approaches and systemic plans and controls. Things are different from one
district to another and even one truck to another.
While, thanks to the professional diligence of the current fire fighters both
volunteer and career, our ratings are in the top 25% in the state. We have been warned
that they are tenuous and require actions to maintain or improve them. Some of these
improvements involve other departments such as water (e.g. improving pressure at some
points in the system) and public works (e.g. feedback on repairs to hydrants) and their
respective budget constraints. In addition, the current districts have no input into new
construction and newly developing areas for proactive fire safety.
The parish is not immune to a nationwide reduction in volunteerism and to a
decrease in applicants for public service such as career fire fighting. A stimulus to get
qualified people is absolutely necessary to increase numbers responding to scenes and to
increase available career staff on duty at the respective stations.
The bulk of public safety planning and preparedness is currently in the hands of
mainly two individuals with experience and know how. Both have expressed interest in
retiring in the near future and no replacement has been groomed or considered putting the
department’s future in a precarious position.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Hiring an overall Fire Executive
Performance measure: Developing a St. John the Baptist Parish Fire Department to
better accommodate a parish wide system of management and planning
Overall improvement in chain of command and communication issues
Standardization of equipment management
Budgetary unification and better oversight and control
Responsibility: The hiring is under the purview of the Parish President with the
assistance of the Director
of Public Safety under whom the Fire Executive would serve.
2. Creation of a St. John the Baptist Fire Department with four subservient
districts under the direction of the Fire Executive/Chief
Performance measure: See above for Initiative 1
Responsible Party: It is thought that the Council will be required to pass an
Ordinance to achieve this. The
Parish attorney will be instrumental in the leg work for properly wording such an
ordinance.
Resources needed: This will not affect the monies available by the prior passed tax
issues. It will only consolidate them under one budget and one budget authority.
3. Development of a Training Facility (In the next Five Years)
Performance Measures: Improvement on current problems of scheduling training.
Improvement in mechanisms of training and the development of Specialty Teams
which we do not currently have. Reduction in expenditures for courses as well as
travel expenses incurred for these
courses.
Responsible Party: The Fire Exec. /Chief in conjunction with administration and the
Council
4. Develop a Fire Prevention Officer Position
Performance measures: Improving the currently non-existent situation of Fire
Service input into Planning and Zoning and to coordinate communications on Water
issues and Hydrant Maintenance. To help maintain the system commensurate with
National Standards.
Responsible Party: The Fire Executive/Chief should be tasked with developing the
office and hiring the person.
Resources needed: Salary Commensurate with experience, not to exceed that of the
Executive/ Chief.
5. That the Administration takes an overall review of P. M. I.’s role in the
Administration of Fire Services.
.
Performance measures: Reduce outsourced activity and resulting expenditures
premised upon the ability of these jobs to be performed in house under the direction
of the hired Fire Executive.
Responsible Party: The Fire Executive recommended in Initiative 1.
Resources needed: None. This should be accommodated by the currently employed
fire accounting position under the direction of the Executive. It could conceivably
save monies now being paid to of the budget to the contractor.
6. To place the management of the Fire Civil Service under the Parish’s
current Parochial Civil Service Coordinator.
Performance measure: More expedient processing of fire civil service matters and
utilization of current in house expertise. Reduces duplicity of effort.
Responsible party: Current parochial civil service administrator and Fire Executive
Resources needed: Administrative directive.
Emergency Preparedness/ Department of Public Safety
7. It is vitally important that the Administration actively and immediately
pursue the finding replacements for the near total experience and mastery of
the O.E.P. contained in the presence of the Director (expected retirement
February) and the Assistant Director (expected retirement within three years).
It is imperative to begin training now for the vast amount of technical expertise
required to adequately safeguard the needs of the Parish in the future. A long
range target of providing 24 hr. coverage of the operations center to more
adequately protect the lives of the parish citizens.
Performance Measure: A transfer of information and process managing of vital
importance to the welfare of the citizens of St. John Parish. Creating a smooth and
orderly transition of direction of the Public Safety Department. The 24 hr coverage is
deemed an important target for the department as a significant piece of the overall
emergency notification system for a Parish with so many potential safety issues over a 24
hr. work cycle.
Responsible party: The Department of Public Safety and its Director, the Parish
President, and the Parish Council under their responsibility to protect the Parish and its
citizens.
Resources needed: An Urgency to move on a pressing need now before it becomes a
significant deficit with potential liability.
Adequate funding to hire and train the appropriate individuals for the above mentioned
positions.
8 . The department is substantially underfunded as compared to the region and
specifically to neighboring parishes. The long term funding through Entergy will
cease with the decommissioning of Water ford 3.
Performance measures: A more consistent funding source for the future operation and
staffing to the requirements of the E.O.C. to the standards urged above. The current
Office funding is very dependent on the federally required contributions of the nuclear
power facility which is due to be phased out about 2024. The rest of the budget is filled in
piecemeal by various means including the Fire Services Budget, which could better be
used in that area alone; the 911 budget, which could be applied to the 24/7 coverage
recommended in initiative 8; and the economic development tax, which seemingly should
be applied to that area and not public safety.
Responsible Party: Administration and Council
Resources needed: Possible sources of dedicated money:
1. Dedicated tax solely or shared with another area of government, e. g. Sheriff
2. Dedicated millage rate for the maintenance of a mandated department
3. An ordinance shifting money in the yearly budget to insure that the department has a
consistent and dependable budget to allow for stability in staffing and project needs.
9. That the Administration begins an Organizational review of the current
Department of Public Safety
To identify those tasks currently assigned to it which do not clearly fit its operational
mandate. Furthermore, strong consideration should be given to those tasks for which no
funding is available to the Department despite the additional workload required to
manage or oversee those missions. Areas to be considered include Animal Control
(Public Works), airport management (Administrative or Economic Development), 911
addressing (Planning and Zoning), Street Sign Oversight (Planning and Zoning and
Public Works), Parish wide industrial work place and O.S.H.A. oversight (Human
Resources).
Performance measure: By cutting out an unnecessary step, it is expected that the
processes of these activities will be expedited and ultimately improved. Public Safety has
neither funding nor capability nor expertise nor mandate to perform these tasks. The
Department has over the years been assigned these jobs for various reasons which have
more to do with institutional failures and resistance to change or responsibility. These
jobs need to be done in the appropriate areas of expertise and responsibility and the
Administration needs to stand behind this requirement.
Responsible Party: The Administration.
Resources Needed: The will to apply and enforce appropriate job descriptions
throughout the Parish Departments which will most efficiently utilize the talents and
areas of interest of the individuals working in those departments.
10. Review of Chapter 6 of the St. John Code of Ordinances with a goal toward
bringing The O.E. P. up to current legislative requirements especially as regards the
required name change to “Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness”.
Performance measures: Defining the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness consistent with legislative and federal guidelines identifying the specific
areas of interest and activity of this department.
Responsible Party: Administration in conjunction with the current and future Director
and appropriate individuals with expertise.
Resources needed: See above.
11. Create more Public Educational programs for channel 15 and group
presentations as has already been successfully done in hurricane preparation.
Performance measures: An improved public awareness to necessary responses to the
multiple potential life threatening events that exist in this Parish from hurricanes to toxic
releases to terrorism, domestic or foreign, as well as more common events such as rail
safety and medical events, e.g. flu.
Responsible Party: Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security.
Resources needed: Funding not currently available. See initiative 9.
Animal Control
12. Return the management responsibility for animal control to the Public Works
Department. The current administrative responsibility is somewhat hampered by
the budget stemming from Public Works Department. The Public Safety Directory
should assure the animal shelter staffs are complying with the existing ordinances
pertaining to the operation of the animal shelter.
Performance measures: Compliance to the existing ordinances will bring operating
supply cost overrun in line with projected budget.
Responsible Party: Director of Public Safety.
Resources Needed: No funding needed.