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<br />neighbor needs help or you need help, the surrounding neighboring cities provide help at their <br />own cost. He advised that if there were a fire between 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Andover, Anoka, <br />Oak Grove and Ramsey would all respond. He advised that there is also a joint powers <br />agreement between Ramsey and Nowthen. He explained that if there was an incident in <br />Nowthen they would reimburse the City for personnel and vehicle costs and vice versa. He <br />advised that in developing the budget he took into account firefighter safety and ensuring that the <br />department stays safe and maintains the same level of service. He noted that they had also <br />received four FEMA grants for a total of about $500,000. <br /> <br />Councilmember Jeffrey questioned the difference in the number of calls that they receive during <br />the day compared to the night. <br /> <br />Fire Chief Kapler responded that they get about 12 day calls compared to 30 night calls. <br /> <br />Human Resources Manager Reed Kone advised that firefighters are required to go through <br />rigorous medical protocol before joining the department. She stated that ACMED would cover <br />some things that other doctors and insurances would not. <br /> <br />Councilmember Dehen questioned why they could not simply take a checklist to their own <br />doctors. <br /> <br />Human Resources Manager Reed Kone replied that if the City requires someone to get a physical <br />they must pay for it. She advised that it is best for the City to have a relationship with the doctor <br />so that they are able to get information when needed. She stated that someone's personal doctor <br />might not be so willing to share the necessary information with them. <br /> <br />Fire Chief Kapler advised that everyone in the department is required to have a respiratory <br />examine once a year as well. He noted that the service actually comes to them so that everyone <br />could be tested at the same time and is also cheaper. <br /> <br />Councilmember Elvig questioned if that was because of the smoke. <br /> <br />Fire Chief Kapler responded that it was required by the NFP A. He then reviewed the individual <br />line items for the budget of the department and the changes from 2008 to 2009. He advised that <br />there was a request for a ten percent increase for the paid on call firefighters, as they had not <br />received an increase for several years. They were also requesting reclassification of the fire <br />secretary in recognition of what is actually being done. <br /> <br />Councilmember Jeffrey questioned if the duties for that position had actually evolved. He just <br />wanted to ensure that there were duties added to the position to justify the change in <br />classification. <br /> <br />Fire Chief Kapler responded that he had been working with Human Resources Manager Reed <br />Kone on this reclassification. He advised that they had reviewed the other positions and core <br />functions and determined that the new description is more accurate. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session / July 29, 2008 <br />Page 11 of 15 <br />