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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, March 25, 2019 <br /> Page 15 <br /> Ms. Cederburg stated with the opioid epidemic, which was not mentioned, and el- <br /> derly housing popping up in the City, it is important to have the staffing for the <br /> increase in calls. She encouraged the City Council to take a ride along or go a day <br /> with the Fire Department to see what the fire fighters do. She stated she wanted <br /> to support this number of aid and the importance of it and as a resident, she was <br /> really excited about this news. <br /> Ms. Carol Rollins,Applewood Point of Roseville Facility <br /> Ms. Rollins stated her complex is so appreciative of what the Fire Department has <br /> been doing for them. In terms of preventative work, the Fire Department helped <br /> get an AED installed on the premise recently and have given the residents CPR <br /> training, fall prevention training, and things that which are very important in the <br /> elderly community. She stated she was at the meeting to support the Fire De- <br /> partment's request for the eight additional fire fighters. She noted she did a lot of <br /> research on this and thought the comments by Chief O'Neill and Assistant Chief <br /> Brosnahan were important for everyone to understand, specifically that the cur- <br /> rent staffing level is unsafe for both the fire fighters in Roseville as well as the <br /> residents and the City needed to fix that. She thought this Phase II plan will ac- <br /> complish the concerns. <br /> Mr. Dennis Lemay, 792 Rose Place <br /> Mr. Lemay stated he was on the Roseville Fire Department for a short time many <br /> years ago before his original job transferred him out of the area. He noted he was <br /> also with the Falcon Heights Fire Department for approximately fifteen years <br /> working as Assistant Chief there. He stated he finally got his dream job as a full- <br /> time fire fighter for Richfield and approximately five years ago, Richfield went <br /> through the exact same thing as Roseville is doing now. <br /> Mr. Lemay stated all of the things the Chief and Assistant Chief have brought up <br /> are all the same things Richfield has seen. For part-time staff the cost and turn <br /> over is not worth the hassle and ends up wasting the city's money. He stated it is <br /> true that the Fire Department cannot require someone to live in the city but in <br /> Richfield, the Fire Department did go to the State Legislature and got the State to <br /> approve a ten-minute response time so as long as a fire fighter lived with ten <br /> minutes, the City could have that restriction. It did help and got their Fire De- <br /> partment a lot of people back on call-backs. He thought that might be an option. <br /> He also thought eight full-time fire fighters, at a minimum, were needed to safely <br /> operate and do everything that needs to be done. <br /> Ms. Sara Barsel, 1276 Eldridge Avenue <br /> Ms. Barsel stated these people are at risk when responding to some of the calls. <br /> She thought it was unconscionable to withhold whatever it is the Fire Department <br /> defines as what is necessary to keep the fire fighters safe. <br />