6.16.2026 Fall River City Council - Public Safety

City Council Committee on Public Safety, dated for June 16th, 2026, set to begin 4:04 p.m. Clerk, call the roll.

Councilor Canio.

Here.

Councilor Raposa.

Here.

Chair Pacheco.

Here.

Pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium.

Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made, whether perceived or unperceived by those present, and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

First item on the agenda, citizens input. We have three people signed up.

First on the list is Helen Rego, 41 Foster Street, subject motorbikes.

Helen Rego, 41 Foster Street. Thank you for allowing me to get this off my chest.

My name I I want to bring the attention to the growing safety of issue in our city.

Recently, I was involved in a car accident near the Niagara fire station, when a young man on a motor sized cycle came barreling around the corner and smashed into the front of my car. I have $12,000 worth of damage. He tore the plate right off the car.

The Seeing more and more of these, you know, and I had a right of way. I had the traffic on the left stop, the traffic on the right stop, and I had the leeway to go down, but he just came barreling along and just hit me.

So, I think that something seriously has to be done. Somebody's going to get killed there because we have a lot of accidents right at that corner.

I want to thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Rego.

Next up is John Silvia, 51 Ada Street.

Subject Route 24 South Ramps.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Thanks for letting me speak. Um you know, we all know there's been a homeless problem all over the city. Um but what's happening now is the Route 24 Southbound lanes off Brighton Avenue.

There's some tents set up there in the wetlands area and what's happening is these folks are bringing wagons or they're riding bikes so they're walking up the ramps and as you're taking the exit to get off at 30 miles an hour, 40, they just like stop walking in there.

They have a wagon or they have a bike.

Um I'm just concerned that, you know, it's going to be someone that's going to hit them. Their insurance is going to go sky high because these people are doing this and I just think that we need to kind of get this under control. I've spoke to a few people already about it.

Um and you know, we we we just got to try to keep there's got to be a solution to this homeless thing.

You know, getting a building, putting them in or something but no matter where they are, they clean them out and it does cause public safety things like these, you know, cars going around the ramps almost hitting someone. So we can't really rely on, you know, people.

You know, cuz they're still doing it because we're letting them do that.

There's got to be a solution to this situation. Other communities are dealing with it. Um and it just seems to be like swept under the rug and I'm just really concerned with these off ramps. As cars are coming by, people drive fast as it is. You're on highway, you're getting off, you don't expect somebody to be walking there with a wagon or a bicycle.

So I really think something needs to be done and it's wetlands. There is actually the sea grass in there and there are tents in there. So thanks.

Appreciate you. I will touch upon that, Mr. Silvio. I did have a conversation Friday with a woman from DEP regarding that homeless encampment.

And I did send her some information today because I do want that rectified down there. I don't like the river use and um the way the camp is set up around that waterway. It causes an environmental hazard. So, I went and contacted DEP myself directly. So, if I hear anything, I will get in touch with you.

Thank you.

Next on the list, Sandy Dennis, 132 Highland Avenue, motorbikes.

Good afternoon. Thank you. Um my name's Sandy Dennis. I reside at 132 Highland Avenue, and I would also like to speak about the growing safety concerns involving people on motorized bikes and cycles who are not following the rules of the road. Uh the same type of incident just happened to me and my husband last week near Little Theater. A car was stopped at the stop sign. Dave and I were coming through slowly,

and a young man on a motorized bike went right around the gentleman at the stop sign, plowed right through the intersection. Um had we not stopped, we would have run right into him. No plates on it. Um these are not isolated events. They're becoming more and more frequently, and I'm asking the City and Public Safety Committee to consider starting a bike or cycle safety program starting at the middle school level.

Uh something that teaches rules of the road, safe riding practices, and the responsibilities that come with operating these motorized cycles. Um education, perhaps paired with enforcement, can help prevent injuries and you know, save people's lives. Uh thank you for your attention.

We did something like this years ago with Mass in Motion and the Full Road Bike Committee, which spurred off of the PAC Advocates, and there would be a lot of bike safety events and giving out helmets and trying to teach the kids, but I I think catching them at the middle school level, and even teaching them the enforcement and what can happen, like Mrs. Rego, I mean, it's he's going to court, she's going to court

all over an incident that could have been deadly. So, thank you and I appreciate you listening.

Thank you, Mrs. Dennis.

[snorts] I do have a written citizen's input.

It's from Joseph Cavallo, 301 Milliken Boulevard, apartment 405.

And it reads, "Committee Chairman Peckham and members Canuel and Caroso, [snorts] I'm unable to attend today's Public Safety Committee. I ask that the committee consider requesting the Fall River Traffic Department chronicle traffic violations and traffic accidents occurring on the Route 79 the Vault Street expanse along our waterfront.

Given the concerns that the citizens have, excuse [clears throat] me, already voiced on social media, local radio, and to me personally regarding the distracted driving and pedestrian safety and the negative impacts that the electronic digital billboard poses for drivers and pedestrians, I believe it to be the responsibility of the Public Safety Committee to address these concerns. Respectfully, Joseph Cavallo."

Item two on the agenda is minutes from April 29th of 2026.

Motion's been made and seconded. All those in favor?

Aye.

And no nays.

Motion to take item four out of order.

Motion so made.

Second.

The second to take item four out of order. All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye. No nays. The resolution to make lift item four from the table.

Motion's been made to lift item four from the table. Seconded.

Seconded. All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye. Resolution read it's to convene with cooperation council and police chief to establish a plan for motorized street bike safety measures. This was tabled on 4/29 of 2024.

How we doing, Chief?

Good, thank you.

J.T. Hoar, Chief of Police for the Fall River Police Department.

Thanks, Chief. I know this has been an ongoing issue for probably like 6 years now with the ATVs and our dirt bikes. I remember when I was on in 2020, I believe that was the original resolution was filed for this.

Um but I think over the last 6 years we've progressed from ATVs and dirt bikes into ATVs, dirt bikes, and e-bikes, these bicycles with motors. I'm starting to see more of those than anything else, so um I figured because we feel that we've had so many complaints, um not just tonight, but I know all of us councils have received complaints um lately, too, a lot of them, um in regards to these bicycles, so

figured I'd bring it to the table and see if we can come up with some type of fruitful plan to uh rectify some of this.

Of course. So, uh just historically speaking, so fourscore and back to 2004, an ordinance was made uh for the regulation around motorized scooters. Uh that is 70-14.

Uh with that said, the purpose of that ordinance uh was to enforce the pocket bikes that had erupted during that time, which were those little miniature motorcycles that uh were rather amusing to watch grown adults drive. Um kind of look like a circus act, but although uh funny dangerous.

Um with that said, the ordinance, in speaking with uh Corporation Counsel and the Assistant Corporation Counsel, as well as our Motor Vehicle Enforcement Unit, uh it was written very broadly, but it also allows for some enforcement action to happen. So, I think the the plan that I had had, we've had numerous complaints come in not only through the mayor's office, but directly to the

police department. Last Tuesday, I took the liberty to do my own walking beat down on the rail trail as well as the boardwalk.

The South Coast was having their gala out there. So, I was walking the boardwalk talking to some citizens and I did notice some e-bikes on the boardwalk. So, with that said, regardless of the ordinance, the law does not allow e-bikes to be on the sidewalk. So, I think there's some confusion in the public that because it is pedal assisted, it's not allowed on the sidewalk. So, I think my intention

with a plan is to come up with a public service announcement that we can put out through social media, potentially put something together with the traffic department to get some signage made.

But, I think the first thing to to Mrs.

Dennis's point is the education piece. I mean, school's out for summer soon, but I think educating the public in what the rules are and having signage so that they're aware of it. As far as what we're doing internally, we've rerouted some of our directed patrols to be towards this. Our motor vehicle unit has a plan in place to address some concerns that have come up at Maplewood Park with

a posse of these e-bikes that have been kind of torturing the neighborhood over there.

They already had a couple operations which were successful in grabbing a handful of them.

But, with that said, we have to do some training in our department cuz this problem is kind of loophole-ish in the law. And I think what we encountered, I actually stopped an e-bike actually, it would be considered an electric motorcycle based on how it falls into the classification. So, it looks like a motorcycle. It's smaller. It travels fast. It doesn't have pedals. So, it's not a bike because it's not being

assisted by human intervention. It's running on an electric motor.

In doing some research, these bikes are being bought overseas, coming in. They can be modified locally here. They're typically not shipped with a battery because of shipping uh restrictions.

They get higher voltage batteries and do certain modifications to create a boost factor in these engines. And the one that I stopped was doing over 40 mph on Pleasant Street. Um so, when that particular vehicle moves that fast, it classifies itself as a completely separate item. Uh it actually [snorts] exceeds the moped restrictions and puts itself actually in a motorcycle class.

So, when we stopped that, although it looks like a toy, kind of it looks, you know, miniature to a motorcycle, it still is governed by the laws of motorcycle. So, with our officers, uh there's there's definitely a knowledge base gap that I've identified that they're not sure what to call it sometimes because a lot of these people that are driving these uh think that they don't need a license

to drive them. Uh in certain aspects, they do. So, if it goes less than 20 mph and it's pedal assisted, it's an e-bike.

Mhm.

Uh which you see those and a lot of people use that, you know, in Boston they do that. So, I just had a mass major city chief speeding this afternoon in Lynnfield and I was talking about the urban struggle with these these particular things. We already have an ordinance in place that we can use to enforce it. Um there might be some slight adjustments that we might seek to

do, but a lot of them that are modified that go faster than they should fall under restrictions as far as your license is concerned. So, ultimately, what could happen with an individual that has one that's been modified that drives 40 mph, that's operating a vehicle outside of your restriction if you don't have a motorcycle license, then an unregistered vehicle, uninsured vehicle, and

obviously the speeding element. Um so, with that said, the risk is some of these the trend we're seeing in law enforcement is they're creating these groups that are trying to bait the police to chase them.

Um so, that's where we run the risk not only with creating the hazard and putting the city in liability, but how do we go about effectively uh stopping them without causing a risk to our own safety, the public, and then obviously the operator. So, we will follow them.

Uh obviously the within reason of speed, um but as far as going into crazy pursuits, I'm not willing to authorize that, but we're trying to do things a little bit more proactive as it relates to that. Um with that said, we have multiple avenues we can go for enforcement. It's just a matter of uh training and realignment of expectation in our agency.

Thank you, Chief. Councilor Peloquin.

So, [clears throat] are you are you prepared to sit and discuss and modify the ordinance at this point?

So, I think the the ordinance right now defines um motorized scooters as a two-wheel [clears throat] device that has hand handlebars and is designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator and is powered by an electric, gasoline, or alcohol-fueled motor that is capable of propelling the device with or without human propulsion. Then it carves out a motorcycle or motorized bicycle, which

is synonymous with moped, is defined in MGL 90 section 1 as not motorized scooter. So, as you can see, it's very wordy when you read that and the classifications become motorcycle, motorized bicycle, class 1 e-bike, class 2 e-bike. There's multiple levels. I think what the ordinance does is actually restricts the e-bikes not only in law, but the ordinance prevents them from being on any

uh it says no person shall operate a motorized scooter on any way or any sidewalk thereto or in any place to which the public has right of access.

So, basically it bans them everywhere.

What the enforcement action with that is and it goes on to talk about um or any place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees or on any public property, schools, playgrounds, or parks within the city.

So, finishing that part A of 70-14 in the city ordinance, that's super broad and we can enforce that to a level where we take custody of the e-bike or the motorized scooter or the moped, and then they're fined $100.

So, that's kind of where we're looking at going with this as far as it relates to enforcing it in public areas. So, the rail trail is an exception because it's considered a bike there's bike access there. So, e-bikes can operate on a bike trail, if you will, but they can't operate on a on a boardwalk where people are walking. So, I think the city needs to just define where we want to enforce that. I don't

think we need to change being broad and just narrowing it to sections is something we can have a discussion about, for sure.

Okay, cuz I guess [clears throat] I'm just I'm just wondering it only says motor motorized scooter. So, should we specify a little more closely? Is that helpful or no?

You could. I think the the fact is is that that's banning the e-bikes from being in those areas. Typically, when you're operating a vehicle that's going to go over 30 miles an hour, it's a motorcycle, so automatically going to be in violation if you're driving it on a sidewalk.

I think what I need to do is speak with our training division and just come up with something we can put out to the public as well as the council on defined what it is and then see what the enforcement looks like.

Mhm.

And then maybe adjust from there.

And what defines the $100 fine?

The city ordinance.

Okay.

As far as the the the lawful way to go is then some of these are criminal.

Yeah. So, they would be summons to court.

But there's a competing interest there.

$100 is revenue for the city, and then the the motorized scooter, moped, e-bike, whatever we're confiscating goes to the the person that's next up on the tow list. So, that's what the tow companies have as far as towing for the city is that they take custody of that, and eventually they'll they'll either forfeit custody of that or auction it off.

Yeah. No, I don't know if I can interject here.

Um, I know with the commercial vehicle issue, we up the fine to 250 to make sure that people weren't parking overnight taking a $25 hit and then doing it, you know, it was cheaper to do that than to pay for parking.

So we Well, the ordinance committee um up the fine to 250, I believe it was.

I don't know if there's an appetite to do that here, but I think if fines start going out and they're a little heavier than $100, there might be some thought into it the next time they go to go out on the road with their bike.

I think the law right now is as it relates to class one and class two e-bikes, electric bicycles are designed closer to be traditional like traditional bikes with assistance.

Um the bigger thing is is that in Massachusetts, they can only be ridden on roadways, bike lanes, bike paths, but they're not allowed on sidewalks. So, I think the biggest thing I see is they're on sidewalks, which creates a hazard because it's going faster than you can traditionally pedal a bike because of the assistance. The The The issue, too, is the The age situation.

So, riders under 16 have to wear a helmet. Um and then here's here's where it becomes scientific. Somebody could be doing 20 mph on an e-bike, but if the engine on it is 750 W or more, then it's out of any bike restrictions. It's It's the same thing with some of these mopeds that they were modifying to go faster.

So, typically when it's labor intensive when we we stop one, we have to go through and identify what kind of engine cuz sometimes we might let someone fall through the cracks if they've got like a 950 W engine in there, then it takes it out of the e-bike e-bike classification and potentially put it into a motorcycle class.

Okay. If there's a desire to to change the ordinance, let me know so we can put that to the ordinance committee.

Yes, of course.

Council Cannuel.

Thank you. You did answer the question around the fines. I think as far as up in the ordinance, I I really think that if someone is doing 40 mph on one of these, [clears throat] you know, that's a huge difference than someone doing, you know, 20 or 15 on a sidewalk. I think one of the things I'd look at um to you I think in your guidance and terms of the enforcement. Right now,

I'll just start with the actual 70-14 you cited. It says motorized scooters, period. I don't know if we need to add a section that, you know, updates that either specifies these different classes, right? The this modified So, I think the e-bikes get This is where it gets confusing cuz obviously you have ordinance and then you have law that comes in. So, the motorized scooters obviously different definition

than an electric bicycle. Electric bicycle gets governed by the law and it's restricted to be on not on sidewalks. So, Okay.

that's where it gets confusing. So, I'm working on it right now with our training division to kind of come out with like a a one-page handout so that we can put it out there in social media, but it's also for our officers, too, cuz sometimes they you run into the situation you don't know what you got.

You're like, "Hey, it looks like a bike.

It rides like a motorcycle. What are we supposed to do?" So, I think when we have more confidence in our enforcement action, then you'll see better results as it relates to quelling it. Um but we also intend on I know a lot of these have been getting gifts for kids that have graduated high school or graduated middle school.

Uh you know, not always is it to tow it and and charge them lawfully. We have to come up with some type of handout that we can give to the parents when we have to have them come get it and say, "Hey, this is where you can ride these things." Because a lot of them we had a we had a group of them come down towards uh Ponta Delgada Boulevard over the

feast that was down there, the Day of Portugal. Um they were actually electric dirt bikes.

So, some of these are sold as electric dirt bikes, and I know neighboring communities Westport's dealing with the issue, too, because they're riding in the farm areas, which is fine. That's off-road use, but when they're commuting to said area, that's when it's an off-road vehicle on a public way, which then puts it into the same thing we were dealing with with the ATVs and the dirt

bikes that were going through the city a couple summers ago.

Yeah, I mean just my my kids were playing, you know, the ball field at Kennedy Park and I know you mentioned Maplewood. You know, they're going up [snorts] and down the sidewalks at Kennedy as well and they're not just going up and down. They're doing verticals and and things like that and, you know, they got to hit somebody potentially.

Correct.

Uh just walking back and forth. So, I think in terms of our efforts to stop them, um you know, do we how we I know you said you did something in Maplewood, um but I these are they're all over and they seem to be in groups, too. I'm noticing, too.

At least as I I go there there's usually five or six sometimes all together in there.

Um you know, just going up or down a certain area.

say that our motor vehicle unit has been clever in doing it. I'm not going to release how we're doing it, but they're doing it. Um and I'll just say to the folks out there, we have our own e-bikes, too. So, we can we can chase them on our e-bikes if we have to. But, I think it's just a matter of uh anticipating where they might be and then obviously intercepting them that way.

I'm not one to have the police cars, you know, ripping through Kennedy Park trying to chase after them cuz that just makes they're baiting us to have that.

It's more so of a surprise tactic and potentially using uh you know, some unmarked vehicles and setting up kind of a sting operation is where we've had success.

And when you say you're you're taking these vehicles, they're not getting them back at all?

No, I mean at this point, the only way they would get them back is get them back from the tow company. So, it doesn't allow it's not like you've seen like in other communities where there's a big sweep and then we're having them, you know, compressed by uh you know, a crusher or something like that. This is a vehicle that gets towed, so it gets towed to a tow yard.

Many times based on what the tow cost is for that vehicle to be towed to the tow yard, it exceeds the value of the actual uh bike. So, some people won't even pay to get it back. Um but in most cases, they're the nicer ones, they will pay to get back. So, that's the stiffest penalty that we can do is tow tow them to the tow yard, charge them criminally,

and then it would be the same as if you were driving an unregistered motorcycle and it got towed. You could go buy it out of the yard and pay it out and then take it So, we don't have an option to do what I think I've seen other communities do, which is just crush them.

Potentially.

No, I mean, we don't have that written in the ordinance that it's an immediate an immediate that's where I'm going.

Yeah.

Um I think here's the other issue. I don't want them back in their hands. I I think I don't disagree with you. I think where are we going to keep them? And what are the where is the where is the proceedings going to look like when we hold them for a particular amount of time for forfeiture? So, we can come up with that process.

Um it's just a matter of setting it up.

Which is not built Now, do you guys track like I know if you pull me over, you would be able to say uh you know this is the history of this vehicle in terms of pull over. If you pull somebody over, do you know if this is their first offense, if there's their second offense, a third offense?

So, we'll know if their plate's been run if there's a license plate attached. The problem with these is none of them have license plates on them cuz some of the people don't even realize they need to be registered. So, it really links to the person getting put in the computer.

Um so, if you're given a warning or a citation, it automatically goes in. And the thing now is all of our cruisers are equipped with the e-citation format. So, the only time we're going to be giving you a handwritten citation is if the system's down or if you have somebody on like a walking patrol or somebody that doesn't have access to a laptop. Um but once it's put into the system, it's

immediately on your even if it's a warning, it's immediately on your driving history. What I've asked is we do better documentation even if we're doing discretionary stops. So, if we stop a bunch of 16 or less year olds and we want to do an informative thing, then it's a field encounter. It's more of an educational stop, and then there's their chance. The next time we're going to do

something. When I've got a 22-year-old person driving around on one and they're cutting through traffic and causing issues, I would say there's no discretion that we're going to allow on that.

Okay.

So, yeah, I think for me, I don't know that, you know, them even having a mechanism to get it back if they've been doing what you described, you know, being reckless or causing accidents, things like that. You know, if we if it's hard enough to stop these vehicles, I think. If we are able to do that, I think we take it and we don't give it back to them. That's where I I would

like to see the ordinance go.

Okay.

Thank you, counselor. I can say I've worked for a tow company and I've dealt with these uh a lot of scooters.

And tow companies fall under their own separate laws. It does a ton of them that I didn't even know existed. So, for them to take the bike, I guess it would be chain of command there and then they take it and that's as part of payment.

So, it'd be tough for us to have the tow us to cooling off period or uh they have to hold it for 60 90 days, I believe.

then they can They have to notify by certified mail and then they end up It's a forfeiture at that point. The same thing would happen if you abandon a vehicle that they towed.

You're essentially a forfeiting it to them.

Yeah, and then it becomes a small claims thing and it's a it's a process, but I have nothing else to add if nobody else does. Um I'll go ahead, counselor.

I was just [clears throat] going to say, let the chief Let the chief come up with his with his actions I think at this point. Um And [clears throat] to counselor Candles' point, there's a point that we need to amend the ordinance or specify, you know, I don't disagree with you. I think if there is a way we can put into ordinance to clarify, I think especially between licensed operators and

unlicensed operators, I think I would assume there's already a different It's treated differently right off the bat.

100% and then a lot of the people that are operating them are operating under license restriction. So, then you're essentially unlicensed. Just cuz you have a driver's license and then you have a e-bike or a an electric motorcycle if you were going over 30 mph, you put yourself in a different class.

Okay. So, I I would say, you know, the chief's got some actions he's going to take, but I think him and I are going to have a discussion about bringing the ordinance to the ordinance committee and see what we can strengthen on that. And then take it from there. I think that would be the best thing. So, I'll make the motion to table at this point.

I'll second that.

Motion to table so made and seconded.

All those in favor? I. No nays.

Motion to lift item three from the table.

Motion to lift item three from the table so made.

Second.

Second. All those in favor?

I.

I. Item number three, resolution Committee on Public Safety convene quarterly with Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Chief of EMS for updates. Table 319 of 26.

How you doing, Chief?

Good. How are you? Jeffrey Bacon, Fire Chief, City of Fall River Fire Department.

Sorry.

I'm Richard Aguiar, I'm the Director of Emergency Services.

Thank you, Chief.

Went out to take a phone call.

And I think Chief Furtado is with Scout.

Um we could stop and she'll come to the table.

I uh I want obviously the quarterly meeting. It's a quarterly meeting, so here we are. Um I just wanted to touch base with the departments where I know we're going through the budget discussions now, so a lot of the conversations we're going to have for, you know, requests or me to ask anything.

Um right now wouldn't be the time, but I to go around the table, see where all the departments are at, you know.

Um and then I did want to have just a very short brief discussion on the actual Emergency Operations Center. Um it was in our discussions the last time, so maybe 2 minutes of this. I just want to touch upon that. Um so, Chief Furtado, if you don't mind going first.

Yep. So, before I forget, the front burner item is the scuttlebutt going on about the billboard causing distractions and car accidents. So, I did some analysis. I did hear that gentleman today on WSAR. And my own for my own uh knowledge, we did some crime stats analysis down there. We've had one more accident than we did last year through this time. So, it's pretty much on par.

Um there were 30 accidents in 2025 from January till this day last year. There's 31. Um I'm going to dig a little bit deeper. I know that the talk was all distracted driving. It would be hard to prove unless someone would admit that they were staring at the billboard that caused a distraction.

The only other distraction driving that we would have is if somebody was manipulating a phone outside of using GPS but [clears throat] I don't know if I've ever had of somebody fully admit that they were distracted by looking at something on the side of the road. But just so you know, we're trending in the same direction over there. As far as the department's concerned staffing, we have 13 officers that are starting

at the police academy next Monday.

We are battling some attrition. We have some people leaving. That 13 is going to kind of be a net zero. So, we're working on getting another group into the academy in August and then another larger group in January. The MPTC, which is the training committee for the for the state for police, has went to a a standardized way they're doing the academy. So, they used to do pop-up ones

if you could express the need. They're really trying to get into a momentum of just consistent perpetual academy. So, we are looking at if we don't have once we get them in January, the next one would be in the early spring. So, there's kind of an offset there. There is a Cape Academy that they're using.

They're only going to be doing one academy a year through that down there.

So, there's some availability, but competing interests every department's hiring. But other than that, the department's moving forward. I did send an update to Council President to send out to the council as an update over the last few weeks what we've been able to work on. Working on a neighborhood presence project where we'll be out there with some officers being encouraged to get out of the cruisers

during their their tour of duty. I think you saw that on a couple of our Facebook posts where they've set up and had some impromptu basketball games at Griffin Park. Uh and we're also going to be doing some of our neighborhood oriented uh problem solving in the neighborhood.

So, we'll do our traditional roll calls at the station. We'll have the officers deployed to a local park or an area where we can be visible. We'll talk about community concerns and then deploy from there. Um so, we're kind of breaking down the sectors the way we're doing things and trying to look at more of uh intelligence-led policing and putting resources where we're having the

most problems rather than just stick to route-based. So, it's kind of the things we're doing right now.

Thank you. Council Cannon.

Thank you for the update. I love the idea of the roll calls in the parks. I think uh I think there's been some suggestion just with everything that's happening about, you know, revisiting uh police substations or things like that. And I think those type of things are not quite, you know, formality where you you know, we're having the expenditure from the infrastructure, but I think that's a great way to kind of uh um

bring up that police presence in the communities and the neighborhoods. Um I did speak with that gentleman uh with uh the billboard on Duval Street. Uh just as far as the statistics, I would say that the sign just went on recently.

Right.

I think in the last I think it's in the last three-ish weeks. So, uh something to watch Of course.

closely as we uh especially over the summer as we continue. And uh I think we'll need to continue to monitor uh once it's actually developed too uh more traffic's down there, but uh I agree with you. I I it'll be hard to prove, I think, outside of just potential increased numbers. Right. So.

Um I yield. Thank you.

Thank you. I I like the neighborhood presence. Um obviously the idea, too, because the optics of it. Just the present is a deterrent The presence is a deterrent.

So, um I I think that's great. I like the way that the department's been going. Um I I I have anything negative to say. Um I'm very comfortable with what I've seen from you, uh Chief, over the last few weeks, and I want to thank you for going out on the rail trail, um cuz I had called you for something and you were actually out there, so I wanted to thank

you for doing that. Uh Counselor Oppose, do you want anything?

No, sir.

Thank you.

Oh, there she is.

I'm behind the wall.

Chief, just introduce yourself, please.

Hi. Um Chief Fontes from Mercy Medical Services.

Um so, our department um is trending by the end of this fiscal year to look at between 10 and 12% increase in um 911 calls.

Um our busiest truck is doing trending to do um Rescue 4 is looking at doing 4,600 calls this year.

Um we are potentially going to look at um talking to the police department about maybe um one of our districts, Rescue 6, uh kind of falls between Rescue 4 and um Rescue 3, and maybe trying to increase them a little bit outward on both sides, so maybe they can help pick up some of the impact because they're only in the 3,000 to 3,200 call range.

Um but it's been going well.

We increased our um at Mobile Integrated Health Home Visit program. We're doing six home visits a day, and they're very well received. The public is um very fond of the program.

Ultimately, when the program gets into full bloom, and if it increases, that may decrease some of those 911 responses for the people that are um have a citizen.

So, but um right now it's moving in the right direction.

Uh that MIH program is also the one that does our community service. They go out into neighborhoods, they go to all the um launch parties for the school department and rec centers, so I feel like we're getting more and more visible in the community.

Our MIH division um has increased maybe between 500 and 750 calls this year, but that's totally driven by availability. Sometimes people again discharge from the hospital and they all get discharged at the same time, so it's almost impossible to try to predict how that's going to fall.

Um but we've been holding strong. Um we had the command center down at the Gates of Portugal this weekend. We had two cool coolers full of water, Gatorade, um brought some like fresh fruit and stuff and put it inside so that the guys could get out of the heat, the um public safety employees could get out of the heat, and it was very well received.

Nice.

And I think that um we're starting to get our department to try to with the help of the police department try to look at the way we visualize events.

We know who who his incident commanders are, he knows who our incident commanders are, trying to look at if we were at the Gates of Portugal and we had an event, we had an incident, like where would we go? Because I can tell you from the off ramp on 79 all the way down to Battleship, there's not really any area for that, so we just started to We're starting to visualize that and try to

come up with some consistent pre-plan because most of the events are all in the same area.

So um we transported I think four at the Gates heat and alcohol, mostly.

And that happens to anybody. Um but other than that, I think things are going relatively well.

Good. Thank you, Chief.

Any other?

Go ahead, Counselor.

Uh I just want to ask about the 10 12% increase in calls. Is there any nature of those calls or any area that's driving that? Just kind of that's a big increase.

I find that between 5:00 and 7:00 I'll say is our bewitching hour. It seems like um maybe there's more traffic at that time.

I don't know if we have more cars in the city. That seems to be our busiest time.

And then the elderly, if they're waiting to get a phone call back from their doctor and it turns to 5:00 and they haven't heard back from the doctor, then well, now it's time to go to the ER. So, that just seems to be like our I can equate that to early in the morning and that 5:00 hour are our busiest hours.

Um we haven't had to result to mutual aid. We've um we've seemed to manage it pretty well.

But it does kind of kick kick the employees in the butt a little bit, especially in this weather.

So, we try to um we have one of our officers kind of do roving like support vehicle and we have him with a cooler of water. We [clears throat] buy freeze pops like I just try to go out and just try to make sure that we try to keep them hydrated and make sure that they're you know, doing well.

All right. Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you, Chief.

Chief Aguiar.

So, as far as [clears throat] um EMA goes um we received a grant for $35,000 um this year on EMPG grant. Um I'm replacing all our radios. Um the radios are about $1,800 a piece with the chargers, the batteries, the antennas, everything is separate.

So, I'm updating our radios. For that, last year we received a grant for 12,500.

And I repeat, it was not working.

So, um MEMA granted me a grant so I can replace that so that we replace that at no cost to the city either.

That's at Columbian Terrace Towers.

Um so, the first phase was the repeater, the second phase was the radios.

So, now we're going to have a complete new set of radios and the repeater to go along with the radios. The radios are all high-tech like what the Chief has.

Um the capability now because there's certain criteria that you have to meet with MEMA for them to give you the money. You can't just go out and buy any radio.

They have to have the qualifications that they require.

As far as the command center goes, it worked out well, cuz we had our command tent set up as well.

Um all these large events um MEMA requires us to have an evacuation plan.

So, when I do the evacuation plan, um the facility or the people that putting on the event, they have a command they have the uh copy of the uh evacuation plan as well.

I go over with them. Do they use it? I don't know, but at least they have it.

Um Uh FIFO is um we um been very involved with MEMA regarding that. They want all kind of information.

Um I think the chief knows because the chief me and him have been talking about that as well. So, this is a big thing in Massachusetts, and they want all people, they want evacuation routes, they want to know what the vendors that are going to be there.

They want to know how many EMS and how many police officers, if we're going to have a fire detail.

So, all this stuff I sent to them describing them what we're doing.

Um when I speak, my contact is Nate Krawczyk, who the chief knows as well.

He's our Region 2 director or coordinator. Um So, he okayed everything through the plan. Everything's been all set, so we're ready to go tomorrow. Um I guess the event runs from 12:00 to 6:00.

They're anticipating about 1,000 people.

That's what I've been told. I don't know.

But I when I did the plan, sent it to me and I did 1,000 people. Um they'd rather have more than less.

Um in case something happens, we have to have the task force, state police, and I that's on the police side, of course.

EMS task force, that's Chief Flynn's.

So, they take care of all that stuff. I just have to communicate to MEMA regarding that stuff, and they'll send the resources as they need it.

That's all I have.

Thank you, Chief. Any questions?

Go ahead, Council Skelton.

Just want to thank you for all you that you're doing with grant money to to update your equipment and things like that. Really tremendous uh all the things you're able to do and acquire for us at no cost. Appreciate those efforts.

So, the grants are out there through MEMA. and we just have to apply for them.

Um since I've been the director here since 2003, um I think [clears throat] I received like $600,000 in grant money, no cost to the city.

Um all my equipment I purchased through the grant money, so um it it's a very good thing for us, EMA directors, that they offer us that money. Um as long as we spend it wisely. If we don't spend it wisely, then I'm going to question as why we didn't spend it wisely. Um we have to document everything we purchase.

And um um once we send them the invoices, everything um gets paid back to the city. The city eventually pays for everything, but they get reimbursed.

So it's a good it's a good thing.

Thank you.

All right.

Chief?

Excellent. Thank you, Chief. Chief Baken.

All right. So we have um our recruit training academy, the regional academy that we uh have been running with Westport and Tiverton at our facility, is graduating nine Fall River recruits on July 2nd. Um it's actually really good timing. Uh none of them will have vacation time, so we'll be able to uh that's a direct impact of two less overtimes per shift all summer. Um so that's going to help

us out a lot as we as we move forward and and plan for our overtimes in our busiest vacation times through the summer. Um we're hopeful the fiscal 27 budget will be approved soon so that we can start the hiring process cuz our goal is to get the recruits that are uh graduating in July into the EMT academy in October with five to nine, based on retirements, new recruits, if we can get that hiring

process done quickly, so that we can have 16 to 18 people in that academy for EMT, and then send them to the Mass Fire Academy, um so that we stay in this constant rotation of hiring um based on the five added positions in this in next year's budget, and the four anticipated retirements we have coming up in January.

Um I just want to give credit to Chief Banville and Captain Baldi of my training division for running a tremendous academy.

Um I will say we've had the discussion, I know we've had the discussion um in front of city council and in this committee about the benefits of running our own academy versus sending to the Mass Fire Academy. And while they did a great job, um the they're strapped with resources and it came at a cost of $17,500 in overtime to the city to run this academy. So, the Mass Fire Academy is

free. Um and I just I will I will say I I still think that that is the best route if we can navigate through the challenges of getting people into the Mass Fire Academy, that appears to be the best route for uh cuz there's certainly better places I could have spent the $17,500 if we could have gotten the training for free.

Um as you're aware, if you are on the Facebook page, the union's Facebook page, we've had our typical challenges with apparatus. Um a few weeks ago, we had a ladder truck overnight in a um backup heavy rescue.

Uh so, they were able to do everything except their actual ladder functions.

Just today, we had an engine company in our brush truck for 4 hours while um we had a spare apparatus that went down, but we got the front-line apparatus back up and running. So, our shops have been working really hard. Uh one of the things that we're doing to um to try to buy time until we get our new apparatus in is um the dealer just gave us a loaner. It's a 2002

um HME is the brand. It's got 30,000 mi on it. It's a a ridiculous upgrade from what we have in our 1997 and 1998 trucks. It's from a fire department in Maine.

We have it on site. We're just waiting for the shop in my training division to be able to equip it to get it into service. And then we're also sending us um a ladder truck. We're waiting to hear from them um what the options are to get a ladder truck because of the delay in delivering ladder four. So, we'll have another viable backup so we don't run into I'm not going to say we don't run

into this because the apparatus gremlins come come at you when you least expect [clears throat] it. Um they're big trucks and they're very complicated. So, we never know when one or two or three are going to break down. But, the more capable ready reserve spare apparatus that we have, the less likely we are to run into what we ran into today.

Now, if you don't mind me just uh interjecting there.

Sure.

What do we have for equipment down now?

Do you have a list of what we have for trucks down at the bay?

Uh engine five is down right now. It needs a new engine, but it's going to stay in service. It's got a little bit of a engine blow-by. So, we're going to price out for a new engine for it. But, in the meantime, the engine's running fine and it doesn't affect its capabilities. We'll monitor that in the meantime. We did the same thing with our platform one a year ago where we kept it

in service until the engine repair uh and the engine replacement. So, engine five is down right now.

Um and I think that's the only front line engine that we have down right now cuz engine four went back in, engine two went back in. Our spare engine 26 blew some air lines. So, that's being repaired right now so we can get it back in service. And our engine 24, we actually took out of service when we put engine 11, the Easton pump that we purchased, when we put that in service.

That truck is getting rave reviews from the crews that have worked on it. Um but, we do have the capability to put engine 24 back in service and it will be available as of tonight. The recruits were um were doing their their training on it today. They were actually being tested on firefighter one and two and they were utilizing that apparatus. So, we weren't able to to remove it to put it into service.

Um our ladder four is um getting springs done, I believe. Oh, no, I'm sorry. I had the springs done. We took out ladder four out of service for its annual major preventative maintenance run.

Um and that was the poor timing of ladder three then breaking down. It blew an airline overnight, and we had to get an airline custom-made, and had it back in service the next morning. So, right now, the trucks that are out of service are Ladder 4 and Engine 5.

And the backup truck, Engine 26.

All right, thank you.

Councilor Rofozo.

Thank [clears throat and cough] you. The only thing I got was the um we had a discussion during budget time about the PFAS-free equipment.

Oh, yeah.

And you and I had had a discussion about that. Um I I didn't get a response from the administration on modifying the the capital improvement plan, but you and I did have a conversation post the Memorial Day parade.

Yep.

So, if you [clears throat] want to Veterans Day, I should say. Uh so, if you can speak to that, that'd be great.

Yeah, no problem. So, uh due on Monday is the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant. We are [clears throat] putting in for um um I'm going to have the exact number of of sets of gear that we need tomorrow.

Our training division went through and checked the tags on every set of turnout gear, and anything that's 2017 or 2018 will be out of its usable service life over the performance period of this grant. So, we'll be able to utilize this grant to purchase those sets, if we are awarded. Uh I'm thinking it's in the ballpark of 70 to 80 sets of gear, and it's going to be about 5 to 6,000

dollars a set, because the AFG allows you to put in for a helmet, um two hoods, gloves, pants, suspenders, a gear bag, boots, it's the whole show, not just the pant and coat. Um so, any money that we save in doing that from the capital budget, I would I would like to use to buy some uh some some much-needed equipment.

Mhm.

Thermal imaging cameras and things like that. So, that could be an impact of potentially, you know, three to 400,000 dollars in this grant. And there'll be a match, it's a 10% match, but um but it's a significant savings for the city.

Good. Uh I just want to repeat what I said when I had that conversation with you is that I want to make sure that we're not in a situation where, you know, X amount of firefighters are getting equipment first and then the other group of them are waiting, you know, 6 months, 8 months to get the same equipment. I want to make sure that if we're going to do it as we discussed,

NFL swoop, but at the same time doing your due diligence to test the equipment to make sure it's truly PFA's free.

Yeah, I think it's about a year process and as much as I would like to get everybody into that gear right away. I I I think it's more prudent to to make sure that the gear is quality and uh just because this is year two or year three of fully PFA's free gear and um there's a lot of new products that are coming out on the market. Even right now as the gear that

our recruits have right now that is PFA's free in the academy, we're finding that they are overheating a little bit quicker, right? So now we got to look at that and say, all right, do we need to work the numbers cuz the way gear works there's three layers. There's a moisture barrier, there's a thermal barrier, and then there's the exterior shell, right?

And you can play with different fabrics, different thicknesses, and different protection levels. So you can say we're going to go a little less protection on the on from heat from exterior heat to give a little more breathability so they don't overheat. Or do we want to risk that? And so anything we or- order will be within the acceptable range, right? But what works in Fall River doesn't necessarily work

for a Swansea, Tiverton, right? Because we do a lot more interior structural firefighting. So we're trying to find that balance right now. So I don't I think if we would have mass ordered this gear that we have for these recruits, then maybe we would have more heat related injuries this summer. So we're we're trying to balance this out and figure it out.

That's understood. Um when do you expect the answer on the grant?

September. Uh actually end of August, beginning of September.

Okay.

So we know that there's there's gear that we can purchase, right? From the from the uh capital improvement plan.

So once we know what gear we it will be eligible to be purchased through through uh through the AFG, we could stop purchasing that other stuff.

Yeah.

The 100 other sets that we're going to look at, we can stop purchasing that through the uh capital improvement plan um as soon as, you know, next week.

Okay. So, if if you could possibly keep us updated on the grant and how that what that falls out to be. Um but I would still would like an answer from the administration on the capital improvement plan. So, I'm going to ask through the chairman to the clerk if we can send a letter to the administration to get an update on the original request of the modification of the capital improvement plan. I'll make that in the

form of a motion.

so made to send the letter to the mayor. Um reiterate for me so I can put it on record counselor.

Yeah, uh to send a make a motion to send a letter to the administration requesting again an update on our request to modify the capital improvement plan to ensure that funding is available to provide a full set of gear for all the four of firefighters um regarding PFAST-free equipment.

Thank you, counselor. You got that, clerk?

Thank you.

A second to that. All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

No nays. We will send that letter to the mayor. I um And I'll yield to thank you.

Thank you, counselor.

I do have questions in regards to the emergency operation center. Like I said in the beginning, um we're sitting here picking apart a budget and I've been very vocal about us not having a lot of money moving forward and we got to be um frugal with our spending. So, I'm not going to sit here and say I know the emergency operation center needs a lot, right? Updating it needs um it's been a few years since we've

updated it and no fault to anybody.

Um but to sit here and say that we're going to throw all kinds of money at it to make that happen right now, I don't see that happening. Um so, what I would recommend is and if it's okay with you guys, the next public safety meeting that I hold, I would like to address the emergency operation center um just that and I would like to actually hold the meeting at the emergency operations center. So we have

a visual of what's there, you know.

You're talking about the training classroom?

Yes, sir.

Yeah, okay. And I will note that there because we've discussed this, there are funds through FEMA for EOC upgrades, grant money.

Fantastic.

I will look at that and see when that next round opens. I know the next round of the BMPG opens in July. So if those align, then we could be submitting for that in July to to upgrade that.

Great. Yeah, so I think just having conversation keeping in mind that we are going to try to move forward with that room as well. The trailer was fantastic.

We got it done really quick.

The public seems to like it. I was down at the Battleship Cove the first time it was out for the Seafood Festival, but I wasn't able to make it down to the gates this weekend.

But I would like to get that, you know, keep the conversation going cuz we know what happens. If we stop the conversation, a million other things pop up and it goes by the wayside.

So I am going to schedule a public safety meeting in the near future just to address it and we'll do it at that location if everybody's okay with that.

I feel like we're the trailer we set up for the Seafood Festival was not really functional.

Mhm.

I feel like I want to go down there and talk to the guy the um I don't know his name. From the state so that way we can look at the 4th of July because 4th of July we cover a lot of area. We go all the way from Point Gloria to the Norton Pier to the boat boat house all the way down to carousel. And I feel like having it all the way down

at the carousel is kind of I I don't know. I think feel like it should it should be a discussion.

Yeah, definitely and I think with July 4th fest approaching that's a you know, conversation that has to be had. I don't and I don't know the logistics of this or how you would make that happen, but what about a halfway point there with that large grass area across from the We typically set up police resources in that center area right next to where the stage is, so we could put it there.

That's what I was thinking.

I just want to talk to the guy from the to talk [clears throat] to the gentleman from the stage. He's always very amenable. But I just want to make sure.

The other thing I we had talked about um is that after July 1st, after the budget, we'll try to meet with Jasmine to see if we can do some sort of a collaborative grant to try to get the mobile command center like we had talked about. And um I feel like I wouldn't be doing my due diligence if I didn't um mention that there's going to be a um memorial for I don't know if we're going

to have a public safety meeting before then. July 13th, they're going to do a memorial at the Gabriel House, outside of the Gabriel House for like 1 hour.

6 to 7.

Mhm. It's like about Father Rob's.

And Father Rob is going to be doing that where he'll have speakers and he's going to read off the names of the of the people. So, I think that it's worthy to mention that if anybody is interested that they should be there.

Okay. Thank you, Chief. Chief Aguiar.

So, down at the carousel, there's one area that we um sort of a command center at the EMA. And um a lot of action down here. A lot of foot traffic. Um the Chief can attest to this cuz he's been down here.

And a lot of medical emergencies, we refer them to EMS. Um I'd like to speak to Chief Watts about having an EMA EMS person stationed at our command center. Um people trip on the bridge. People just trip in the parking lot.

Band-Aids, small time type of things.

But um we always take care of that end uh of the um the park down at the the carousel.

A lot of foot traffic. A lot of lot of lot of people coming through there.

So, if we have a command center there, which is, you know, hours and somewhere else that to take care of both areas, that'll work. I think what we're lacking um is communications. Um we have to update our communication.

Now, we can update it because I have a police radio like the Chief does. They gave it to me. So, we can contact the police directly if something should happen down here. Uh even though they have police patrol down here, but sometimes they're somewhere else and something should happen and we have to call them to get there right away, even though they're walking around the area.

Uh cuz it's a large area that you have to cover.

Um also state police are down here as well, covered cuz it's a state park area.

So, we see them down here. But, I think the most important thing is um communication between the um command center uh will be an an important thing this year as well. And um having an EMS person with us down here just in case there is a medical emergency.

Thank you, Chief.

With you, um Counselor Reposa.

Yeah, the only thing I would say, [clears throat] excuse me, I would imagine our next public safety meeting will be after the 4th of July. So, in that conversation, I'd like to hear um cuz in our last time we just talked about upgrades that need to happen to the vehicle. So, now the Seafood Festival, the Day of Portugal, and now the 4th of July will be the three kind of tiered events that would

be the test of this of this uh EOC. So, if there's anything you can all bring to the table about upgrades or things that need to be added after those three events, I think that would be useful. Um you know, I think EMS has been great with supporting um the financial piece behind it, but if there's more to be had, I think we need to have that discussion. So, uh if we can come with

that information, that would be great.

I think uh the Chief or can probably elaborate on um Dino has been meeting with MTSI to try to get some of the computer stuff straight out.

And that And that was part of our discussion last time, but I think once we go through those three events, if there's anything you want to bring to all to us about that, I think that would be helpful.

I added the uh telescoping lights and the um telescoping cameras to my capital budget. So, if my budget gets approved, then we'll um we'll have that.

I did want to try to um get an invoice for some of the um computer equipment. They're going to try to work on that so I could encumber some of the money that I have left for this year to try to take care of in other words, just put it in the bank.

Mhm.

So, I think we're moving forward.

Um it's good.

I think the air conditioning was good this weekend anyway. It was nice.

It was really hot.

I yelled.

You yelled.

Yeah, I appreciate your efforts, um, Chief. I really do.

They've been fantastic with the trailer and the all you guys. It was great doing the trailer and watching everything move so, you know, quickly and fluidly. It It was just It was nice. So, I do appreciate you guys. Council candidate, do you have anything?

Nothing.

With that being said, I have nothing to to add. We have a motion to table, a second. All those in favor?

I.

I. No nays.

Motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn has been made and seconded. All those in favor?

I.

I. No nays. Have a good night, everybody.