Board of Directors/2017-02-07/Minutes

From PCSAR

Current revision

[edit] Status of this document

This document is official. It has been adopted by the board at the 2017-02-16 meeting. It can be amended at any board meeting.

[edit] Attending

Present:

• Brett Wuth (President)
• Frank Melo (Director at Large)
• Susanna MacGarva (Administrator)

Absent with Regret:

• Igor Grujic (Secretary/Treasurer)
• John MacGarva (Director at Large)

Quorum was not achieved. All motions needed to be ratified at the next meeting with quorum. Motions were ratified at the 2017-02-16 meeting.

Guests:

• none

[edit] Meeting

[edit] Call to Order

The Meeting was called to order at 17:37 by Brett. Susanna recorded the minutes.

[edit]  Agenda

Moved by Brett Wuth, seconded by Frank Melo that the Agenda be adopted as amended. Carried.

[edit] Minutes

Minutes of 2017-01-17 meeting. No Errors or Omissions

Moved by Brett Wuth, seconded by Frank Melo that the minutes of the January 17, 2017 board meeting be adopted as presented. Carried.

[edit] Administrator's Report

Susanna reported that the CRA annual filing has been completed and sent off. She will be completing the Alberta Registries annual return and mail out.

[edit] New Administrator Search

The following resources were use to place ads: The Pincher Creek Voice, Pincher Creek Echo, Shootin' the Breeze, and Kijiji. It was discussed that the Advertising Budget be amended to allow for these ads.

Moved by Brett Wuth, seconded by Frank Melo that the budget for Advertising be increased from $0.00 to $300.00. Carried.

Frank Melo presented the committee with one resume and one phone number of people who had expressed interest in the Administrators job.

[edit] Financial Statements

Susanna drew it to the board's attention that the Bank Charges to date are over budget due to the increase in the Mastercard fee from $35.00 to $65.00.

Moved by Brett Wuth seconded by Frank Melo to increase the budget for Bank Charges from $50.00 to $140.00. Carried.

There are a couple of Administrator accounts that were over budget due to the fact that mileage had not been included in the budget calculations. Brett requested that the Administartor verify charges to these categories and that a budget adjustment be proposed keeping the total Administrator unchanged.

Moved by Frank Melo, seconded by Brett Wuth that the Financial Statements be accepted as information. Carried.

[edit] Approval of cheques over $500 or outside budget

Moved by Brett Wuth, seconded by Frank Melo that payment of $768.59 to MacGarva Company Ltd. for administrator's services in the month of December 2016 be approved. Carried.

Moved by Brett Wuth, seconded by Frank Melo that payment of $1212.09 to Rocky Mountain Mechanical for repairs to the Mobile Command Post be approved. Carried.

A motion that payment of $2,884.67 to Wildsoft Consulting for instructional services at the SAR Basic Course was tabled until the next meeting

[edit] Liaison

Brett reported that the RCMP remain comfortable with the Community Response Group and they will be looking to include the CRG in searches along with PCSAR.

The Board discussed liability issues faced by members of the CRG that respond to searches. These are the same issues that are faced by specialized individuals (such as outfitters and sledders) or spontaneous volunteers, that the RCMP have request in the past. The tasking agency is responsible for the people they request help from.

The request will come from the RCMP to the individual CRG members. PCSAR may offer to help communicate that request to the individuals. But neither PCSAR nor the CRG will be requesting that the individuals respond.

There was a discussion about whether the CRG might want to have the arrangements formalized in an MOU. Brett will discuss with Wanda. However in the past negotiating written agreements with the local RCMP have been unsuccessful. PCSAR's MOU with the local RCMP was agreed, but needed to be sent to the provincial RCMP 'K' Division beauracrcy for approval. They submitted it to the national RCMP lawyers for review, and after a year still did not have any response.

Brett went to the provincial SAR workshop in Nordegg and presented on how the CRG was created to allow the community to use some of our now former members that don't meet the new provincial requirements. It was well received.

Brett spoke extensively with the SAR Alberta President, who didn't feel the solution was ideal, but understood the need.

The workshop had several other presentations and sessions. It was a good learning and general liaison opportunity.

Brett later brought up aspects of the provincial requirements with the Fire Commissioner.

Both the OFC and SAR Alberta for the first time expressed an interested in making small adjustments to provincial requirements to make it easier for groups like ours. The changes however appear to require a lengthy process and it may be some time before we see any improvements.

[edit] Fundraising

The Calgary Scrambling and Mountaineering Club is hosting a fundraiser on February 9. Brett and hopefully Igor will attend.

The Shell Social Investment Fund new application deadline is March 31, 2017. The application is about 16 hours to complete for our target of $10,000 - $12,000.

[edit] Training

On January 24, 2017, an ICS 100 workshop was offered at the fire hall.

Thursday February 16 is our regular Technical Rescue practice at the Pincher Fire Hall.

On Saturday February 18, we have a snowshoe up to and around the Akamina Pass in Waterton. 

ICS workshop at the firehall to work through the online course at 18:30 (6:30 pm) on Tuesday February 28.

Lethbridge SAR is running a SAR Basics course over 6 days: March 3-5 and March 17-19.

Lethbridge SAR will be running a Swiftwater Rescue Course in our area (at the Oldman Dam), June 10 & 11.

[edit] Membership

John and Susanna are preparing the letter to former members that are missing either the Criminal Records Review and/or ICS 100. They will have a draft ready by next Tuesday.

[edit] Equipment

John forwarded a report that he had reviewed and approved Rocky Mountain Mechanical invoices. He also advised that he had not stopped by the firehall and started either the truck or command post since January.

[edit] Prevention

Brett was invited by Pat Neumann (PCES) to co-present and answer questions for a grade 5 Canyon School class on rescue equipment following a story they had read. Trip plans and recruitment flyers were sent home to parents.

We need to print more recruitment flyers.

[edit] Strategic Planning

The board went through a strategic planning session.

Our big task in the last year was coming into compliance with the provincial requirements. Now what is the next major area we are struggling with?

The problems with the province have greatly reduced our core group. We're seeing attendance numbers of 4-10 vs previously 15-20. How can we move forward with these number? Workload has now been downloaded to this small group. Burn out for this group is becoming very real.

The goal for future strategic planning should be to develop a plan to address the level of participation, number of members, and rejuvination of the organization.

Barriers we are currently facing include:

• amount of work
• burn out
• mindset
• life has changed for long-time volunteers
• the disparity between paid and volunteer responders on the same incident

brainstorming some solutions:

• Look at a paid model
• lots of community members with Basic SAR training like the first aid model
• bring in fresh blood

[edit] Adjournment

The next regular Board Meeting is scheduled for March 7, 17:30. Brett will call a sooner meeting by e-mail to ratify the motions of this meeting which was held without quorum.

Moved by Brett Wuth, seconded by Frank Melo to adjourn. Carried.