Feb 08, 2022 Public Safety Committee

ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS TO DISCUSS AND RECOMMEND JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT.

THAT TAKES US STRAIGHT

[1. Approve the minutes of the November 22, 2021 meeting of the Public Safety Committee.]

TO ITEM.

NUMBER ONE.

THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 22ND, 2021 MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 22ND, 2021 MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.

IS THERE A SECOND COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

UM, SECOND SET MOTION.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION I'D LIKE TO PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS UNANIMOUS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, OUR CHAIR, HARPER MADISON OFF THE DEUS.

SO WITH THE THREE OF US VOTING IN FAVOR, ZERO VOTING IN NE ONE OFF THE DESK, THE MOTION PASSES.

THE NEXT

[2. Discuss and recommend judicial appointments to the City of Austin Municipal Court]

SPECIFICALLY, THIS WILL BE AN ACTION ITEM WITH A VOTE TO RECOMMEND JUDGE KELLY EVANS AS A SUBSTITUTE JUDGE.

UNFORTUNATELY, JUDGE EVANS WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT OFF THE LIST OF REAPPOINTED JUDGES IN DECEMBER, THEREFORE COLLEAGUES TODAY, WE'RE HERE TO VOTE TO RECOMMEND JUDGE EVANS AS A WAY OF CLERICAL CORRECTION FOR THIS COMMITTEE.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM, SEEING NO DISCUSSION I MOVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGE KELLY EVANS IS A SUBSTITUTE JUDGE OF THE AUSTIN MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL COURTS FOR THE JUDICIAL TERM BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2022.

IS THERE A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MAKES THE SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDING JUDGE KELLY EVANS AS A SUBSTITUTE JUDGE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS ON THE DEUS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER.

I'M SORRY.

CHAIR HARPER, MADISON OFF THE DEUS.

THE MOTION PASSES.

THE

[3. Discussion and possible action on process and timeline for the appointment of Austin Municipal Court Substitute Judges.]

NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS DISCUSSION ON THE PROCESS AND TIMELINE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT SUBSTITUTE JUDGES.

THIS WILL FEATURE A PRESENTATION BY REBECCA KENNEDY, FROM OUR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, OUTLINING THE PROCESS TO GET ADDITIONAL SUBSTITUTE JUDGES PRIMARILY FOR NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS.

I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS FOR MS. KENNEDY AND DISCUSSION AFTER THE PRESENTATION MS. KENNEDY, ARE YOU READY? YES.

ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S FINE.

I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT RECRUITMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SUBSTITUTE JUDGES FOR OUR OVERNIGHT AND WEEKENDS.

UM, THIS PRESENTATION WILL OUTLINE THOSE STEPS AND YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE JUST CONDUCTED IN, UH, JUNE, BETWEEN JUNE AND DECEMBER OF 2021.

LAST YEAR WAS THAT IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR SUBSTITUTE JUDGES, THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AND PRESENT A PROCESS THAT WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO WHAT WE WERE SEARCHING FOR.

SO AS A REMINDER, OUR JUDGES MUST LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS, HAVE TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE PRACTICING LAW, BE IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE STATE BAR AND BE A U S CITIZEN.

EXCELLENT.

SO OUR PROCESS THAT WE'RE, WE ARE PROPOSING TO USE WOULD, UM, INVOLVES THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH OUR PRESIDING JUDGE ON POSTING SUBSTITUTE JUDGES WITH SPECIFIC NEEDS FOR OVERNIGHTS AND WEEKENDS.

ONE, AN ITEM THAT WE HAD TALKED WITH THIS COMMITTEE ABOUT, UM, LATER

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AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.

UM, WE WILL WORK WITH, UM, ONCE THIS ITEM IS, UM, POSTED ONCE THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE POSITIONS ARE POSTED, WE WILL WORK WITH SMES MAINLY THROUGH OUR JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL, UM, TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT THAT THESE ARE AVAILABLE FOR, UM, APPLICANTS TO APPLY.

UM, WE WILL CONVENE THAT JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL, AND I HAVE THE MEMBERS OF THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, AFTER THAT THEY WILL, THE JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL WILL COME AND, AND MAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.

UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WILL THEN RECOMMEND THOSE JUDGES TO THE COUNCIL AND THAT WE HOPE TO APPOINT THOSE SUBSTITUTE JUDGES AND THEY WILL BE GOOD FOR A TERM THAT WILL END ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.

SO THESE ARE THE MEMBERS OF OUR JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL.

THESE ARE THE SAME MEMBERS THAT WE USED, UM, WITHIN THE LAST FEW MONTHS TO HELP US, UH, REAPPOINT ALL OF THE MUNICIPAL JUDGES THAT WE DID IN DECEMBER.

AND THEN OF COURSE, JUDGE EVANS TODAY.

UM, SO THESE ARE GOING TO BE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SEEK TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATION TO THIS PANEL.

SO OUR TIMELINE, UM, WE'RE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.

WE HOPE WITH, UM, YOUR DIRECTION AND, AND APPROVAL THAT WE WILL POST, UM, OUR JUDICIAL, OUR, UM, SUBSTITUTE JUDGE POSTING STARTING TOMORROW THROUGH MIDDLE OF MARCH WE'LL SCREEN APPLICATIONS AND MEET WITH THE JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL TO GO OVER THOSE APPLICATIONS AND ANY LETTERS OF INTENT.

UM, DURING MARCH, WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL TO HAVE THEM MEET WITH CANDIDATES AND TO RECOMMEND TOP CANDIDATES TO THIS COMMITTEE.

UM, WE ARE AIMING FOR YOUR MARCH 28TH MEETING TO COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL.

SO WE CAN GET THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMITTEE TO CITY COUNCIL.

AND THEN, UM, AT ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGS IN APRIL, WE HOPE TO APPROVE THOSE SUBSTITUTE JUDGES FOR THE TERM NEXT SLIDE.

SO, UM, HRD, UM, OUR RECRUITMENT STAFF WILL REVIEW CANDIDATES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY MEET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION.

WE'LL COMPILE THAT HIRING PACKET WE'LL WORK WITH JUDICIAL JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL TO INTERVIEW QUALIFIED CANDIDATES.

DURING THAT TIME, OUR PRESIDING JUDGES ALSO, UM, PROVIDES A CONSULTATION TO THAT JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL.

AND THEN, UH, WE WILL ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE RECEIVES APPLICATION COPIES OF THE APPLICATION AND ANY COMMENTS FROM THAT JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL.

UM, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE JUDICIAL REVIEW PANEL LOOKS AT LEGAL KNOWLEDGE, FAIRNESS, UH, PREPARATION, ATTENTIVENESS, AND POTENTIAL POTENTIAL JUDICIAL TEMPERAMENT, UM, AND THE PANEL WILL RANK CANDIDATES.

AND AGAIN, JUST PROVIDE THAT RECOMMENDATION BACK TO YOU TO MAKE THAT, THAT DECISION ON WHO TO MOVE FORWARD.

AND THEN THIS IS THE FINAL PIECE WHERE YOU MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.

SO I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND IF THIS PROCESS LOOKS OKAY, WE WILL LOOK TO POST THE POSITION TOMORROW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. KENNEDY COLLEAGUES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA, HAVE WE USED A PART-TIME JUDGES BEFORE? IS THIS A N A CHAIN? IT IS NOT A CHANGE.

WE, WE HAVE ASSOCIATE JUDGES, WHICH IS WHAT, UH, AND SUBSTITUTE JUDGES.

WE APPOINTED SEVERAL AT OUR LAST MEETING, BUT JUDGE STATMAN HAS INDICATED THAT SHE NEEDS ADDITIONAL SUBSTITUTE JUDGES PRIMARILY FOR NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, BECAUSE SHE'S HAVING A VERY HARD TIME STAFFING THOSE, UH, UNDERSTOOD.

AND, UM, THEN AS THIS MAY BE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT HOW DO THEY STAFF THE, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MAGISTRATE POSITION IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL, RIGHT.

UH, HOW DO THEY, WHAT IS, UH, THE KIND OF THE STAFFING ORDER WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO'S, UH, SENT DOWN THERE TO, TO HANDLE THE MAGISTRATION AND THE, AND THE, YOU KNOW, SEARCH WARRANTS, BONDS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

I WILL SAY THAT JUDGE STATMAN, UH, COORDINATES THAT PROCESS.

AND SO I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO HER FOR MORE SPECIFICS ON HOW SHE, SHE STAFFS THE OKAY, GREAT.

UM, UM, BEEN DOWN THERE MANY TIMES AND TALKED TO THE MAGISTRATE JUDGE WITH MANY TIMES, UH, AND THEY'RE GENERALLY SPEAKING, EXCELLENT JUDGES AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR ALWAYS BEING THERE, UH, AND THEIR ATTENTIVENESS AND THEIR AVAILABILITY, BOTH TO THE CRIMINAL DEFENSE BAR AND TO THE PROSECUTORS AND POLICE, UH, AND, UH, THAT'S A GREAT, UH, LINEUP OF ATTORNEYS TO, UH, REVIEW THE APPLICANTS AS WELL.

UH, JUST KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY ON THERE AND THAT'S, UH, A REAL SOLID GROUP OF ATTORNEYS YOU HAVE, RIGHT.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

[00:10:02]

I DO NOT.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

AND I KNOW IN, UM, IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME WORK AND TALK ABOUT THIS AS A FULL COUNCIL.

AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THESE NEXT STEPS AND I GET A NEWS POSITIONS FILLED.

AND THANK YOU TO MS. KENNEDY FOR COMING HERE TODAY AND GIVING US THAT PRESENTATION.

IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND YOUR UPDATES.

IS A BRIEFING ON THE AUSTIN CODES DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENTS, UNIFORM STAFF SURVEY RESULTS.

THANK YOU WITH THAT.

OUR NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA

[4. Briefing on Austin Code Department’s uniform staff survey results.]

IS MS. RENSHAW READY? WE'LL HAVE THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT PRESENTING, VIRTUALLY GETTING PULLED UP RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S PERFECT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YEAH, IT'S GOOD AT THE MOANA COUNCIL MEMBERS MAJOR.

HOW ARE YOU DOING A WHOLESALE ROLE HERE FOR THOSE SINGLE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR? UH, IS THAT THE KNOWN, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY THAT WE HAVE AS A FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION REGARDING THE UNIFORMS FROM THE AUSTIN CALL DEPARTMENT.

WE ME THIS AFTERNOON, I HAVE, UH, ELAINE GARRETT.

SHE IS A ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND SHE OVERSEES, UH, MOST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ENFORCEMENT, UH, GROUPS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS, UH, MR. KING GARCIA, WHICH IS OUR CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.

AND HE ADMINISTER AND MANAGE THE, UH, THE, UH, SURVEY THAT WE SHOULD FOR THE EMPLOYEES.

SO LET'S GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

UM, AS I SAID, THERE ARE REALLY TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES WE WERE LOOKING FOR WITH REGARD TO, UH, THEIR FEEDBACK.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

UH, MY NAME IS ELAINE GARRETT.

I'M AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE AUSTIN TROUT DEPARTMENT.

UH, AND AS SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL WHO WERE HERE IN JULY OF 2021, UH, TO PRESENT INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR, THE USE OF UNIFORMS BY THE AUSTIN CODINGS, BUT THERE'S, UH, DURING THAT TIME, UH, WE PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE UNIFORM.

AND, UH, WE ADVISED THAT OUR DEPARTMENT WAS, WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING AN EMPLOYEE SURVEY TO PROVIDE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE EMPLOYEES.

SO WITH THIS BEING SAID, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE YOU THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY, UH, AND ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS.

AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE WITH ME, UH, AS, UH, OUR DIRECTOR SEDATED IS KEN GARCIA, AND, UH, HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SURVEY.

SO I WILL BE TURNING THIS OVER TO MR. GARCIA.

THANK YOU, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, GARRETT, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE CHAIR, A CHAIR, A MAYOR, AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.

I AM KEN GARCIA.

I AM THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, OR, UH, YES, TEACHING ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AT AUSTIN COAT HELP YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.

UH, IT IS, UH, FIRST I WANT TO SAY IT'S AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO BE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY MY FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS COUNCIL MEMBERS.

SO I AM PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO BRING YOU, UH, THE, UH, SUMMER RESULTS FROM OUR, OUR UNIFORM SURVEY THAT WE CONDUCTED A FEW MONTHS AGO.

UH, IF YOU WANT TO, WE'VE JUMPED FORWARD TWO SLIDES.

ONE MORE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, SO, UH, WE, UH, CREATED THE SURVEY, UH, BASED ON THE, THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE'RE LOOKING, UH, FOR COMING OFF OF THE LAST, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING WITH REGARD TO, UH, THE PERCEPTION OF OUR UNIFORMS, UH, UH, AND STAFF, UH, AND THEIR MEASURE OF, UH, FEELING SAFE IN THE COMMUNITIES AND THE, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE, THAT THE UNIFORMS, UH, EITHER HELP OR HINDERED THEM IN PERFORMING THEIR, THEIR JOBS.

AND SO WE CREATED A PRETTY SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, INTERNAL SURVEY, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR UNIFORM STAFF.

UH, AND THIS WAS, UH, CREATED ONLINE AND OPENED AT THE END OF AUGUST, BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.

UH, AND WE HAD A 60 OF OUR STAFF, UH, OPEN AND FULLY COMPLETE THE SURVEY.

IF YOU CAN GO ONE SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT, UH, THEY WOULD SEE.

SO THEY WERE PRESENTED, UH, A SERIES OF STATEMENTS AND WERE ASKED TO RESPOND TO THE EXTENT THEY AGREED, OR WHETHER THEY AGREE OR DISAGREED WITH EACH STATEMENT.

UH, FIRST AS IT REGARDED WEARING THEIR FORMAL, UH, CLASS, A KHAKI UNIFORMS IN THE FIELD, UH, AND THEN THE SAME SET OF QUESTIONS WERE THEN PRESENTED TO THEM WITH REGARD TO THEIR INFORMAL, UM, BLUE POLO, UH, UNIFORMS. SO VERY SIMPLE, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, NEXT SLIDE.

SO,

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THE FIRST ONE WAS REALLY ABOUT THE STAFF'S PERCEPTION OF THE UNIFORM AND HOW IT AIDED THEM, OR, UH, INTERFERED WITH THEIR ABILITY TO PERFORM THEIR JOB.

AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER SET OF QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO, UH, THEIR INTERACTION IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO, SO THIS ONE IS SPECIFIC TO THE STAFF AND THEIR OWN, UM, PERSPECTIVE THAT THE UNIFORM, UH, FIRST QUESTION, UH, BEING KIND OF THE MAIN ONE THAT, UH, JUMPING OFF POINT, AND THAT IS, DO THEY GET CONFUSED WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY? UH, AND HAS HE READ THE RESULTS HERE? HOPEFULLY CAN SEE THAT IT'S KIND OF SMALL.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

AT LEAST IT IS ON MY SCREEN, UH, BUT THE GOLD, UH, RESULTS NOTICE ARE SPECIFIC TO THE FORMAL TAC UNIFORM.

THAT'S THE ONE YOU SEE THERE IN THE CENTER GRAPHIC.

UM, YOU CAN END THE BLUE ARE THE RESULTS WITH REGARD TO THE INFORMAL BLUE POLO.

THAT'S THE UNIFORM YOU SEE THERE ON THE FAR RIGHT END.

SO AGAIN, UH, DOES IT GET CONFUSED WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT? WELL, UH, IN THE FORMAL KHAKI UNIFORM? YES.

UH, UH, UH, 75% OF OUR STAFF SAID, YEAH, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONFUSED, UH, AND IN PARTICULARLY CONFUSED THE TRAVIS COUNTY WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, IN THAT UNIFORM, UH, BUT NOT SO MUCH IN THE, THE INFORMAL BLUE POLO, I ONLY 48% THAT THEY, UH, RESPONDED THAT THEY, UH, OFTEN GET CONFUSED FOR OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT.

SO THEN WE MOVED ON FROM THAT, WHEN WE ASKED, WELL, OKAY.

SO, UH, WHETHER THERE MAY BE CONFUSION, DOES, DOES THE UNIFORM IN ANY WAY INTERFERE WITH THEIR JOB? UH, AND BY WIDE MARGINS, 76% WITH THE FORMAL, UH, FULL 96, UH, WITH THE BLUE POLO SAID, NO, UH, THE, THE UNIFORMS DEALT, UH, INTERFERE WITH THEIR JOB.

AND IN FACT, UH, AGAIN BY WIDE MARGINS, THEY FELT THAT THE UNIFORMS, UH, MADE THEM FEEL PROFESSIONAL, UH, MADE THEM FEEL RESPECTED, UH, SAFE AND REALLY DISTINGUISHED THEM AS A CODE INSPECTOR.

UM, AND ALL THOUGHTS NOT REFLECTED IN THESE RESULTS, IN THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED.

IT ALSO, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL COMMENTS WITH REGARDS TO THE UNIFORMS ACTUALLY MADE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY WERE PART OF SOMETHING.

UH, SO VERY, UH, VERY TEAM-ORIENTED ALAMANCE.

SO THE NEXT SET OF RESULTS, YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THIS ONE IS REALLY ABOUT THE INTERACTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.

UH, AGAIN, THE, UH, EACH SET OR ASKED ABOUT THE KHAKI AND WITH REGARD TO THE INFORMAL POLO.

AND SO THE FIRST QUESTION IN THIS CASE IS IN A CROWD, WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH, UH, FESTIVALS, UH, OTHER EVENTS, UH, AND BOUGHT A FULL 80% FOR EITHER A UNIFORM.

UH, STAFF SAID, YEAH, IT MAKES THEM VERY EASY TO BE RECOGNIZED IN A CROWD, UH, BY THE ROUTE, THE SAME MARGIN.

WE LOOK FROM 72% TO AS MUCH AS 89%, UH, THE STYLE, AND THEY FEEL AT LEAST, UH, REASSURES PEOPLE TO TRUST THEM.

UH, IT DOES NOT ELICIT RUDE BEHAVIOR FROM CUSTOMERS.

UH, IT DOES NOT DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM APPROACHING THEM OR PARTICULARLY IN THE, THE BLUE POLO.

AND FINALLY, UH, I DO FEEL THAT THE UNIFORMS REALLY ENHANCED THAT YOUR CREDIBILITY IN FACT, WITH CUSTOMERS.

SO NOT ONLY DOES IT NOT, UH, ILLICIT RUDE BEHAVIOR OR DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM APPROACHING THEM, BUT ACTUALLY, UM, MAY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO APPROACH THEM, UH, BASED ON, UM, THE PROFESSIONAL LOOK THAT THEY PRESENT THERE IN THE PUBLIC.

SO REALLY, REALLY, UH, INTERESTING, UH, RESULTS.

AND WE ALSO GOT SOME GOOD COMMENTS TO KIND OF FEED OFF OF THIS, BUT WE'RE ALSO INTERESTED.

WIDE MARGINS THERE, THEIR PREFERENCE IS FOR THE BLUE POLO.

SO, SO THEY, THEY DON'T HINDER AND THEY DO IN FACT SEEM TO, TO HELP THEM AND AID THEM IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR JOBS.

WE WERE INTERESTED IN WHAT IS THEIR PREFERENCE WITH REGARD TO WHAT UNIFORM THEY, THEY PREFER TO WEAR AND COMMUNITY.

SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THAT'S THE QUESTION WE PUT TO THEM.

SO, OKAY.

SO WE'VE GOT THE FORMAL KHAKI, WE'VE GOT THE INFORMAL BLUE POLO, WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER TO WEAR? UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE OUTFIT OUR STAFF, THEY GENERALLY GET AN EQUAL NUMBER OF BOTH OF EACH OF THOSE.

UM, BUT BY

[00:20:01]

UH, NOT ONLY WHEN THEY'RE WORKING IN THE OFFICE, BUT REALLY WHEN THEY'RE WORKING IN THE FIELD AND JUST OVERALL, UH, THE BLUE PAULO IS, IS THE PREFERRED, UH, UNIFORM FOR OUR STAFF IS, IS THEIR FAVORITE.

UM, AND, UH, SO WITH THAT REALLY, UH, ALIGNS WELL WITH THE RESULTS FROM THE OTHER SURVEY QUESTIONS.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE TAKEAWAYS, IF YOU GO TO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UH, SOME OF THE KEY THEMES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESULTS, UM, THAT WE SEE REFLECTED IN THE RESPONSES, AND WITH RESPECT TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION OF WHY WE ADMINISTERED THIS SURVEY, THE FIRST PLACE, UH, IS ALTHOUGH IT, WE, IT DOES APPEAR LIKE PARTICULARLY IN THE FORMAL UNIFORM, THAT THEY CAN BE, UH, MISTAKEN FOR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS WHEN THEY'RE IN THE FIELD.

UH, IT DOESN'T HINDER THEM IN THEIR ABILITY TO PERFORM THEIR JOB.

AND IN FACT PROVIDES THEM WITH A SENSE OF CREDIBILITY AND REALLY A SENSE OF PROFESSIONALISM.

UH, AND MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY GIVES THEM THIS SENSE OF BELONGING, UH, TO THE MISSION, UH, TO THE TEAM.

UM, ONE, UH, UH, TAKE AWAY THAT DOES PROVIDE US WITH THE LITTLE OPPORTUNITY, UH, IS ABOUT THE COMFORT TO THE UNIFORMS. UH, WE HAD SEVERAL COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS WITH, AS YOU KNOW, SHORT SLEEVE, LONG SLEEVE, DIFFERENT STYLES, DIFFERENT MATERIALS, DIFFERENT COLORS, UH, WHICH CERTAINLY GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO, UH, LOOK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THOSE THINGS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DOING.

WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW WE OUTFIT OUR UNIFORM STAFF.

UH, WE HAVE SHARED THESE RESULTS WITH OUR FULL DEPARTMENT.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING OVER OUR CURRENT UNIFORM POLICIES.

WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THOSE POLICIES ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND OUR GOALS REGARDING, UH, STAFF SAFETY.

UH, AND, UH, WE ARE ENSURING THAT OUR LEADERSHIP, UH, UNDERSTANDS THE EXPECTATION, ALL OF THEM TO ENSURE THAT OUR POLICIES ARE BEING APPLIED CONSISTENTLY ACROSS ALL, UH, UH, BAR, UM, FIELD TEAMS. UM, SO ALL, ALL GOOD THINGS.

IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE, UH, EVENT.

UH, THE, THE STAFF WERE VERY ENGAGED IN THE SURVEYS AND HAD THE RESULTS, UH, VERY INTERESTED IN WHERE WERE WE ARE, WE TAKE THEM.

UM, AND SO, LIKE, WE, WE LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU THROW AT THAT, THE TEAM, WHETHER IT BE A PANDEMIC OR A WINTER STORM OR A MUSIC FESTIVAL, UH, THE AUSTIN GOATS STAFF, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES TO WORK, UH, SERVING OUR REPUBLIC AND, UH, INCREASING OUR VISIBILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WORKING TOWARDS OUR MISSION, UH, TO BUILD A SAFER AND GREATER AUSTIN.

UH, SO WITH THAT, I'LL PASS THIS BACK TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

GARRETT OFFERS SOME FINAL COMMENTS, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE WHATEVER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO BEING, UH, THAT WE RECEIVED ALL THE FEEDBACK FROM THE, UH, FROM OUR STAFF.

UH, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT MANY TIMES THE ENGAGEMENT WE HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY OUT THERE IS SOMETIMES SEEN NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE STILL CONTINUE TO MAKE GREAT STRIDES AND GAIN THE CONFIDENCE AND TRUST OF THE COMMUNITIES.

UH, EVEN THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, IN THIS YEAR ALONE, WE'VE MADE OVER 80, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, VIRTUALLY OR HYBRID, UH, WITH COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING IN SEVERAL PROACTIVE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, FOCUSING ON THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITIES.

UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO START ONE UP FOR FLOOD AWARENESS AS WELL.

UM, WE'VE RECENTLY COMPLETED, UM, RIGHT BEFORE THIS STORM, BUT WE COMPLETED AN OUTREACH FOR WINTER STORM REMINDERS, UH, DOING DOOR TO DOOR INFORMATION TO COMMUNITIES, UH, REACHING OVER 350 AREAS.

UM, AND WE BEGAN, UH, WE BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A REASON THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT TRUST IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE SEE THESE EFFORTS, UH, AS DEFINITELY NEEDED AND PART OF OUR MISSION.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND WOULD THAT, THAT'S THE CONCLUSION AND WE'RE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

AND THEN ALSO THE OVERALL ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR STAFF SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED OUT REALLY WELL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT BRIEFING.

UM, MY BIGGEST CONCERN OVERALL ABOUT THIS, I GUESS WE'LL GET THE DISCUSSION STARTED NOW.

UM, MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD GET MIXED UP WITH OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU DID A REALLY GREAT JOB OF ENSURING THAT THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN.

[00:25:01]

COLLEAGUES, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CODE DEPARTMENT COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS? I SAW YOUR HAND RAISED EARLIER.

GO AHEAD.

VICE CHAIR, KELLY.

UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND FIRST I APPRECIATE BEING BROUGHT UP TO SPEED WITH THIS, CAUSE I KNEW THIS CONVERSATION WAS HAPPENING.

UM, BUT NOW THAT I'M ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UM, IS THIS A DEPARTMENTAL DECISION TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THIS TRANSITION? OR IS THERE SOME OTHER APPROVAL PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FIRST WHEN, UH, THE ORIGINATION OF THE, UH, THE UNIFORM WAS A HISTORIC PROCESS, RIGHT.

UH, AND IT WAS BASED ON THE DECISION MADE BY THE DIRECTOR AT THE TIME.

SO YES, IT WASN'T AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL FACILITY.

THAT'S GREAT.

CAUSE I WAS THINKING IT PROBABLY DIDN'T NEED COUNCIL APPROVAL, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS CAUSE WE HAVEN'T NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT THE UNIFORM POLICIES OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

SO IT WAS NEW TO ME.

UM, AND THEN IF A TRANSITION WERE MADE, IS FUNDING ALREADY ALLOCATED IN, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? WOULD IT NEED TO BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ALLOCATED INTO ANOTHER YEAR'S BUDGET? LET ME ANSWER THAT A CUSTOMER DOESN'T VARY AT LEAST.

YEAH.

SO WE, WE, UH, WE ALLOCATE THE, UH, THE FUNDING FOR THE UNIFORMS. AND WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS SURVEY IS THAT YEAH, THERE IS A PREFERENCE OF USING ONE OR THE OTHER, SO WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST OUR POLICIES.

UH, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY, THE INSPECTORS HAVE THE PROFESSIONAL LOOK WHEN THEY GO TO A MUNICIPAL CORP WHEN THEY GO TO BSC, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO KEEP IN THERE AS A, AS AN OPTION WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT OPTIONS TO SEE MORE OR, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING THE TEXAS WEATHER NUMBER ONE, UH, THEY, THEY WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING MORE COMFORTABLE, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT IDENTIFIES THEM WITH, UH, WITH THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT ON BEING A CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE.

SO LOOKING AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WE'RE NOT AMBITION TO ACTUALLY INCREASE ANYTHING ON THE BOARD YET WE'LL HAVE TO CITE HIM, UH, BASICALLY USE WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ASSIGNED TO EVERY PERSON TO, UH, ADJUST AND GIVE THEM AN OPTION TO CHOOSE, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE, UH, AS A UNIFORM.

SO THAT'S, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE A BIG CHANGE JUST TO LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTUALLY ENHANCE IT.

TO HELP THE COMMUNITY AND WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

IT SEEMS LIKE AN INTERESTING STUDY TO UNDERTAKE, SO I'M GLAD TO GET TO SEE THE RESULTS OF IT.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

UM, MAYOR ADLER.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

I, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU.

I BROUGHT A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT HERE THE, UH, JUST TO, TO PARTICIPATE.

UM, AND I APPRECIATE THIS, THIS WORK DONE ARE THE UNIFORM.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHAT I, WHAT I CAME INTO COUNCIL EIGHT YEARS AGO.

UM, THERE WERE, UH, A MATERIAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TALKING ABOUT CODE AT THAT TIME AND IT PREDATES YOU A DIRECTOR, RIGHT? UH, THAT, UH, WERE, WERE CONCERNED THAT, UM, THERE WAS, UM, UH, CONFUSION WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, AS WE SEE IT IN THAT CONTEXT AND, AND, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.

UH, AND I, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THAT REGARD, UH, IT SEEMS ALMOST AS IF THE, THE CULTURAL ISSUE IS AS IMPORTANT AS ANYTHING ELSE.

IT'S PEOPLE THAT SEE THEIR JOB AS BEING ONE OF HELPING PEOPLE TO, TO COMPLY, UH, WITH WHAT THE CITY NEEDS, HELPING PEOPLE FIND THE PATH TO BE ABLE TO GET DONE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET DONE, AS OPPOSED TO SEEING THEIR JOB AS BEING KIND OF THE, THE ENFORCER THAT HAS THE POWER OR THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO STOP SOMEONE ON A PATH.

AND, AND I, AND I REALLY THINK THAT, THAT YOU'VE DONE DIRECTOR A REALLY GOOD JOB OF HELPING TO MOVE AND WITH YOUR, YOUR STAFF AND EXECUTIVE TEAM TO, TO BE REALLY CONSCIOUS OF THAT CULTURAL DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH DRIVES EVERYTHING.

UH, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY UNFORTUNATE, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT THAT CODE IS DOING GOOD WHEN I, WHEN I DON'T GET A LOT OF EMAILS ABOUT CODE, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAD NEW THE SYSTEMS ALL WORKING AND PEOPLE ARE BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH WHERE THEY NEED TO GET TO.

UH, AND, AND I'M THERE SO MUCH MORE THAN, THAN, THAN, THAN YEARS AGO.

UH, I REALLY LIKED THE, THE BOARD FORMAL LOOK BECAUSE I THINK IT FITS WITH THAT, WITH THAT VIEW OF KIND OF THE ROLE OR THE RESPONSIBILITY FITS WITH THAT CULTURE.

I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED A MORE FORMAL ATTIRE FOR, FOR A COURT APPEARANCE, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SURE THAT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU ANY GREATER CREDIBILITY, UH, BUT I JUST REALLY LIKED THE INFORMAL ATTIRE.

CAUSE I THINK IT FITS WITH THE CULTURE YOU'RE TRYING TO YOU AND YOUR EXECUTIVE TEAM TRYING TO SET UP.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, YOU, FOR THOSE WORDS, WE REALLY HERE

[00:30:01]

AND WE HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB IS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS WITH THE PANDEMIC, UH, IT HAS BEEN A TRIP FOR TWO TO REALLY CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED FROM US.

SO WE HAVE TO SHAVE, THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? HE HAS NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH CODE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.

AND FOR THAT BRIEFING TODAY, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WORK NEXT.

[5. Emergency Medical Services staffing process, including general staffing, recruitment/hiring process and solutions for longevity in staffing.]

WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION REGARDING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, STAFFING PROCESS, INCLUDING GENERAL STAFFING RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PROCESS AND SOLUTIONS FOR LONGEVITY AND STAFFING STAFF'S READY TO, FOR, TO PRESENT.

YES.

THOSE CADETS ARE ALREADY BEING OFFERED POSITIONS.

CHAIR KELLY, INTERIM CHIEF JASPER AROUND AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UM, SO, UH, AND WELCOME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OF ELLA AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ELECTIONS.

SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D JUST LIKE TO GO OVER, UM, OUR DEPARTMENT STAFFING, WE HAVE 664 AUTHORIZED STRENGTH.

THAT'S, WHAT'S AUTHORIZED BY THE COUNCIL TO BE HIRED INTO OR 540 FILLED, UH, UM, PERSONNEL.

AND THAT LEAVES US WITH VACANCIES OF 124.

UH, NOW OUT OF THAT, 124 WERE CALLED MEDIC OPENINGS.

THAT'S OUR LOWEST LEVEL, OUR ENTRY-LEVEL INTO THE DEPARTMENT.

UH, THERE'S 47 OF THOSE.

THOSE ARE WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HIRE INTO WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A PROMOTIONAL PROCESS.

SO 77 OF THE SWORN, UM, PERMISSION POSITIONS OPEN OUR PROMOTIONS, UH, ELIGIBLE 70 OF THOSE BEING OUR FIELD CLINICAL SPECIALIST RANK.

UM, SO THAT'S REALLY THE, KIND OF THE PINCH POINT FOR US.

UH, I ONLY HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER I CAN HIRE INTO AND THEN HAVE TO RELY ON PROMOTIONS TO THEN MOVE THE PERSONNEL UP SO WE CAN HIRE MORE INTO THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, WE JUST RECENTLY GRADUATED A CLASS OF, UH, ON, UH, THIS MONDAY, ACTUALLY THERE WAS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, BUT IT GOT CANCELED FOR THIS ICE.

UH, IT WAS, WE JUST GRADUATED THE CLASS ON MONDAY.

THERE WAS 11 CADETS THAT WILL TRANSITION FROM CIVILIAN TO SWORN.

UM, SO THAT'LL AFFECT THAT 47 RIGHT THERE.

SO IT'LL CHANGE TO ABOUT 36 AND THAT CLASS STARTED EARLIER THAN SCHEDULED.

WE WEREN'T REALLY GONNA START THAT CLASS UNTIL JANUARY.

UM, BUT WE MADE A DECISION BACK IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER DOES MOVE THAT UP IN OUR HIRING PROCESS.

SO WE SHORTENED THE PROCESS, MOVED UP THE DATE FROM JANUARY 24TH, START DATE TO DECEMBER ONE, WHICH CAUSED SOME PEOPLE TO DROP OUT OF THE PROCESS.

AND WE ACTUALLY HAD FOUR MEDICS DIFFER OR THIS NEXT ACADEMY BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T READY TO COME AT THAT TIME.

THEY EITHER HAD LEASES OR OTHER THINGS THEY HAD TO MOVE AND COULDN'T MOVE IN THAT SHORT OF TIME.

SO, UH, WE HAD LESS CADETS THAN NORMAL, BUT IT WAS, UH, WE MADE A DECISION TO GO, LET'S GO FASTER AND GET SOME PEOPLE IN INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL JANUARY AND THEN WAITING ANOTHER EIGHT WEEKS TILL THEY GRADUATED.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO JUST TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT TO 124 VACANCIES, UM, THE GREEN NUMBERS ARE OUR ATTRITION LEVELS.

UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, OR SORRY.

RED IS OUR ATTRITION LEVELS.

UH, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT ATTRITION LAST YEAR, UM, THAT WASN'T OUR HIGHEST ATTRITION OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS.

IF YOU'LL NOTICE IN 15 AND 16, WE ACTUALLY LOST, UH, HAD MORE PEOPLE SEPARATE THE DEPARTMENT THAN LAST YEAR.

UH, THE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE THREE YEARS IS IN 15 AND 16, WE HAD THREE PEOPLE IN EACH YEAR RETIRE LAST YEAR, WE HAD 24 OF THOSE 53 PEOPLE RETIRED.

UH, THAT MEANS THE 23 PLUS YEAR.

SEVERAL OF THEM WERE 28, 29, 30 YEARS WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN THE GREEN.

YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE ACTUALLY HIRED THROUGH THE CADET CLASSES COMING IN.

AND SO IT ACTUALLY LOOKS PRETTY GOOD AS FAR AS HIGHWAY HIRING VERSUS OUR ATTRITION OR SEPARATION RATE.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, THIS IS THE SAME, UM, UH, GRAPH, BUT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN CONTEXT, THE BLUE IS AGAIN THE ATTRITION LEVEL.

AND THEN THE ORANGE IS WHAT HAS BEEN ADDED BY COUNCIL THROUGH A REQUESTS EITHER WE MADE OR OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MADE TO ADD POSITIONS TO OUR DEPARTMENT.

UM, SO IT, LAST YEAR WE DID LOSE 53, BUT WE ADDED 67 POSITIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT.

SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF 120 VACANCIES TO FILL.

YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, NOW THAT OUR CHART DOESN'T LOOK SO GOOD, UH, WE ONLY, IT WAS ONLY ONE YEAR.

WE ACTUALLY HIRED MORE PEOPLE THAN WE COULD HAVE HIRED INTO THE DEPARTMENT.

SO THIS IS KIND OF A SIX YEAR, SEVEN YEAR ISSUE.

WE'VE GOTTEN TO WHERE IT'S.

NOW WE HAVE 124 VACANCIES.

UM, THIS YEAR WE ONLY HAVE 25, UM, ADDITIONAL POSITIONS TO FILL INTO, AND WE'RE ALREADY STARTING AT ACADEMY, UM, UH, IN MARCH.

SO I FEEL WE'RE GOING TO BE MUCH MORE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE THIS YEAR.

UH, SINCE THOSE POSITIONS, WE WON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL POSITIONS.

UM, THIS FISCAL YEAR THAT'S ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE 25.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN OUR RECRUITMENT HIRING PROCESS, OUR NEXT ACADEMY ALREADY STARTS ON MARCH 28TH.

[00:35:01]

THAT'S WHY I PUT 27 MORE OR LESS BECAUSE WE MIGHT HAVE A FEW THAT EITHER DEFER OR TURNED DOWN OUR OFFER.

UM, BUT WE'LL BE OFFERING 27 TOTAL CADETS THERE'S 23 CURRENT APPLICANTS AND FOUR CADETS THAT I SPOKE OF EARLIER THAT DEFERRED TO THE NEXT OR TO THIS ACADEMY.

WE HAVE A HIRING PROCESS OPEN CURRENTLY THAT STARTED ON, UH, JANUARY 31ST IT'LL END AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.

AND THAT ACADEMY SCHEDULES START IN JULY.

SO AGAIN, I ONLY HAVE ABOUT 40 ISH VACANCIES TO HIRE INTO, AND AS PROMOTIONS OCCUR, I'LL BE HAVE MORE, BUT WE ALREADY HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO FILL THOSE IN AS WE GO.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THE PROMOTION PROCESS I SPOKE OF IS, UH, FOR THE NEXT FIELD CUT, UH, CLINICAL SPECIALIST IS IN MAY.

UM, THERE'S 70 OF THOSE VACANCIES.

UH, WE HAVE TO POST FOR 90 DAYS THROUGH CIVIL SERVICE AND CONTRACT BY, UH, CIVIL SERVICE AND 1 43.

SO WE'VE, UM, POSTING MATERIALS.

NOW THE TEST IS SCHEDULED FOR EARLY MAY.

I BELIEVE THE DATES MAY FIT THAT THAT'S BEING LOCKED DOWN.

UM, AS WE SPEAK, UM, AFTER THE PROMOTIONAL PROCESS AND THE TESTING, UH, ANY CHALLENGES TO QUESTIONS, THEN WE'LL CREATE A LIST THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE PROMOTED INTO THE 70 VACANCIES.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, THERE'S A 14 WEEK ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CLASS REQUIRED FOR PROMOTION, UM, BY THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, WHICH GRIEVES THEM THEIR CREDENTIAL TO PRACTICE AT THE ALS ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT LEVEL.

SO FOR THOSE 70 VACANCIES, I HAVE 59 MEDICS WHO CURRENTLY HOLD A PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION.

THEY HAVE TO BE PARAMEDICS TO BE ABLE TO BE PROMOTED INTO CLINICAL SPECIALISTS OUT OF THOSE 59.

THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT 20 TO 25 THAT HAVE NOT SET FOR A TEST AT ALL.

SINCE THEY'VE COME INTO THE DEPARTMENT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY'VE CHOSEN NOT TO MOVE UP, UM, THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE THEY'RE AT OR THEIR, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS, EVERYTHING.

SO THERE'S NOT 59 PEOPLE SITTING FOR EACH TEST.

EVERY TIME WE GO, WE HAVE 20 INDIVIDUALS, MEDICS ENROLLED THROUGH OUR INTERNAL PARAMEDIC COURSE THAT WILL TAKE THEM FROM BEING EITHER AN EMT OR AN ADVANCED EMT TO BECOME A PARAMEDIC.

UM, BUT THAT PROCESS TAKES ABOUT 18 MONTHS AND THAT CLASS JUST STARTED HERE IN JANUARY.

SO WE WON'T SEE THE RESULTS OF THOSE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE STILL HIRING, WE'RE HIRE PARAMEDICS.

WE TRY TO GET PARAMEDICS IN AND AS WE GO THROUGH OUR HIRING PROCESS AND THERE'S ADVANTAGES FOR PARAMEDICS THAT MOVE THEM UP THE LIST HIGHER.

AND THERE ALSO IS A PARAMEDIC STIPEND FOR 'EM AS THEY COME INTO THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY UNDER OUR CONTRACT.

AND MY BOSS.

YEAH, WE'LL PAUSE FOR JUST A MOMENT.

COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAS A QUESTION, JUST A VERY QUICK QUESTION.

UH, PAUL, I'M NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO THAT AND BECAUSE I HAVE TO STEP AWAY, BUT CAN YOU HELP ME? CAN YOU REMIND ME WHETHER THE, WHETHER THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ARE INCLUDED IN THESE NUMBERS? THEY ARE.

DO YOU HAVE AN I'M? I'M SORRY, I DON'T, I DON'T EVEN KNOW.

IS THAT LIKE, ARE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, UH, LIKE A SEPARATE DESIGNATION? UM, AND IN OTHER WORDS, COULD, CAN YOU BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE IN TERMS OF VACANCIES AND THAT SORT OF THING TO, TO LET ME KNOW HOW THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ARE WORKING, OR DO YOU DO, DO YOU HAVE THE DATA THAT WAY? UM, I, I PRETTY MUCH KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT THE TWO PACKAGES THAT WERE PASSING IN THE LAST, UM, PROCESS THAT I THINK THERE WERE SEVEN, UH, CLINICAL SPECIALISTS EACH, UM, THERE WAS ONE BY, I THINK, YOURS AND ONE BY, UM, COUNSELING OR ALTERS, MAYBE THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC.

THEY'RE NOT SEPARATE, THEY'RE ALL IN, THEY'RE JUST CLINICAL SPECIALISTS.

THOSE 14 ARE PART OF THE 14 OR 70 VACANCIES.

UM, THE ONLY WAY FOR ME TO FILL THEM AND MOVE THEM OVER.

AND WE DO HAVE PEOPLE INTERESTED TO MOVE OVER IS I HAVE TO PULL FROM MY FIELD.

AND IF I PULL FROM THE FIELD, I CAN'T STAFF THE UNITS THAT ARE DESIGNATED FOR THE STREETS.

SO, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR YEARS BACK WHEN I THINK OF YOU HELPED US FIRST INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY, THOSE CHPS COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ARE FILLED.

UM, BUT IT'S THE ADDITIONAL, I THINK 14 WE HAVE NOT FILLED YET.

CONTRACT, UM, REQUEST WAS TO HIRE STRAIGHT INTO THAT PROMOTIONAL RANK.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.

I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND FOR ASKING THAT REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION.

GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE.

THANKS.

UM, I COULD GO BACK TO THE PRESENTATION, PLEASE MAKE SURE, UH, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO IN LONGEVITY, AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO, OBVIOUSLY, UM, FILLING VACANCIES AND REDUCING UNWANTED OVERTIME IS, IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING WE'RE CURRENTLY IN A NEGOTIATING, AN EMS CONTRACT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

SO THAT'S OUR CURRENT CONTRACT ENDS IN SEPTEMBER.

UM, UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TEAM AND DEVIN DECIDE FROM OUR LABOR RELATIONS OFFICE.

WE FEEL VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE CONTRACT.

UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I CAN ONLY PROBABLY DISCUSS WHAT, UH, IS ONLY AN OPEN FORUMS. UM, BUT I THINK THERE'LL BE GOOD THINGS THAT COME OUT OF IT THAT WILL BRING, UM, PEOPLE IN THAT WHO, UM, MAYBE HAVE HESITATED IN THE PAST TO COME WORK FOR US BECAUSE OF ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN PUBLIC AND WE DISCUSSED IT IN A PREVIOUS

[00:40:01]

UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'LL BE A LOT OF, UM, THINGS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT AS PART OF THAT.

AND WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THAT'LL BE A PART OF THE CONTRACT, UM, BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO BLOCK PROMOTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY.

UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MO BUT WITH 70 VACANCIES, WE DO NEED TO CLOSE THE GAP SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.

UM, AS FAR AS THE LONGEVITY, THE SCHEDULE THAT WAS ADOPTED EARLIER THAN WE ORIGINALLY INTENDED, IT WAS, UH, OUR 24 72 SCHEDULE WAS ONLY GOING TO GO INTO EXISTENCE.

THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, COUNSEL MADE AN INVESTMENT IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.

AND WE STARTED THE 24 BY 72 SCHEDULE, WHICH MEANS THE MEDICS WORK FOR THE MAJORITY OF THEM WORK ONE DAY ON AND HAVE THREE DAYS OFF.

UM, NOW WE DO HAVE A, WHAT WE CALL ON-CALL IN BETWEEN, UH, WHERE THEY'RE HAVING TO COME IN ON THOSE DAYS OFF, AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REDUCE THAT, UM, UNWANTED, UH, EXTRA OVERTIME THAT'S NECESSARY TO KEEP OUR TRUCKS UP AND RUNNING.

SO AS FAR AS THAT CONTEXT, REDUCING MANDATORY OVERTIME, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVE STARTED A, WHAT WE CALL A PILOT PROGRAM OF INCENTIVIZING VOLUNTEERISM.

UM, AND THAT HAS GONE REALLY WELL.

WE STARTED IT, UH, JANUARY 15TH AND WE'RE RUNNING IT CURRENTLY THROUGH APRIL 15TH.

UM, AND WE'LL EVALUATE AS WE GO ALONG TO SEE WHETHER IT STAYS OR CONTINUES.

BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE PAYING EXTRA FOR PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY VOLUNTEER, NOT COMING OFF OF ANY OTHER KIND OF LIST OR ANYTHING.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE THOSE WHO REALLY WANT TO WORK AND NOT THOSE WHO ARE, UH, EITHER SCHEDULED OR DON'T WANT TO WORK.

UM, SO FAR IT'S BEEN VERY POSITIVE.

WE REDUCED OUR AMOUNT OF, UH, PEOPLE WERE HAVING TO CALL IN ALL FOR ON CALL.

UM, AND WE, WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A POSITIVE STEP FORWARD.

UH, WE'LL SEE, UH, THE RESULTS OF IT AND IN THE PROGRAM.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO WORK ON AS WE CONTINUE GOING ALONG IS A FATIGUE MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND THAT'S BASICALLY, UH, BALANCING THE SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST UTILIZATION OF ALL OUR UNITS OUT ON THE STREET, SO THAT NOT ONE UNIT IS OVERWORKED OR, UM, UH, HAS MORE WORKLOAD THAN ANOTHER.

AND SO THAT'S SOME OF THAT'S THROUGH AMBULANCE, AMBULANCE RELOCATIONS.

WE HAVE SEVERAL STATIONS GOING UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

WE'RE HAVING TO EITHER RELOCATE THEM OR PUT THEM ON TRAILERS ONSITE.

UM, AND ONCE THOSE STATIONS ARE FINISHED, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADD ADDITIONAL UNITS TO THOSE STATIONS.

EXAMPLES ARE OUR EMS MEDIC ONE, WHICH IS ON SOUTH FIRST STREET, RIGHT AT BEN WHITE OR MEDIC FIVE STATION, WHICH IS ACROSS FROM THE DPS HEADQUARTERS NORTH LAMAR.

BOTH OF THOSE ARE GOING UNDER RENOVATIONS AND THERE'LL BE ABLE TO HOUSE ADDITIONAL UNITS ONCE THEY'RE COMPLETELY DONE.

UM, AND SO, UH, ONCE WE DO THAT, WE REALLY FEEL LIKE WE CAN BALANCE THE SYSTEM BETTER.

THE, THE UNITS THAT ARE ON WE'LL HAVE LESS WORKLOAD, AND THERE'LL BE ABLE TO GET MORE DOWNTIME, RELAXATION, AND BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THEIR, UM, NECESSARY REPORTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR OUR, OUR SYSTEMS. UM, AND OF COURSE, REDUCING CALL VOLUME.

UH, PART OF THAT IS RISK REDUCTION AND THAT'S, UH, WHAT WE SAW IN OUR DISPATCH EQUITY AND OPTIMIZATION STUDY.

THERE WAS, UM, THERE'S REALLY SEVERAL COMMENTS ABOUT COORDINATING BETTER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE OUR RISK REDUCTION PROGRAMS ARE COORDINATED AND TARGETED.

UM, BECAUSE IF WE CAN KEEP SOMEBODY FROM FALLING INTO HOME OR OTHER THINGS, UH, THROUGH, UM, BETTER MANAGING THEIR DIET BY DIABETES OR OTHER ISSUES, THEN WE CAN KEEP THEM FROM CALLING 9 1, 1 REDUCING RESPONSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AGAIN, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS SOME EXCELLENT PROGRAMS. WE DO AWESOME PUBLIC HEALTH.

WE NEED TO COORDINATE BETTER AND MANAGE THOSE.

SO WE HAVE REALLY FOCUSED, UH, TARGETED PROGRAMS, UH, LOW PRIORITY CALLS.

WE'VE ALREADY STARTED DOING THIS THROUGH TELE-HEALTH WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AND THE PUBLIC, UM, AND THE PAS AND ADDITIONAL PHYSICIANS.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF OUR LOW PRIORITY CALLS.

NOW UNITS, WHEN THEY GET ON SCENE ARE ABLE TO DO TELE-HEALTH TO THE DOC AND DISPOSITION THOSE CALLS AND NOT HAVE TO TAKE THEM TO A HOSPITAL.

WE WANT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT EVEN SENDING A UNIT AND THEN THOSE ARE HANDLED THROUGH TELE-HEALTH, WHICH WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF, UH, LOW PARTY CALLS.

UH, AND THEN, UH, WE'RE ALSO TRIAGING AND MANAGING THROUGH OUR PARAMEDIC CONSULT LINE, WHICH WE STARTED UP UNDER, UH, WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED.

AND IT WAS PRIMARILY TO HANDLE THE, UH, PANDEMIC CALLS OF COVID AND, AND HANDLING PATIENTS AND KEEPING THEM AT HOME.

UM, AND WE'VE, WE SAW SUCCESS IN THAT COUNCIL INVESTED IN THAT AND THROUGH OTHER LOW PRIORITY CALLS THAT CAN'T BE MANAGED THROUGH TELE-HEALTH THEY CAN ALSO BE MANAGED THROUGH OUR PARAMEDIC CONSULT LINE, WHICH WILL REDUCE THE CALL VOLUME FOR OUR UNITS.

SO WE REALLY FEEL LIKE SOME OF THOSE WILL BE KEY ISSUES IN, IN REDUCING CALL VOLUME FOR OUR UNITS, UM, AND REDUCING THE WORKLOAD FOR OUR STAFF.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

I THINK THAT'S THE LAST ONE.

THAT'S THE LAST ONE.

I'M SORRY.

UM, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE OR COMMENTS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR HAS JOINED US AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAS HAD TO TAKE OFF, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR?

[00:45:01]

SO I MISSED THE VERY BEGINNING, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEARLY UNDERSTANDING WE CURRENTLY HAVE 124 VACANCIES, WHICH TO SOME DEGREE IS BECAUSE OF RETIREMENTS AND THE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT WERE GIVEN THOSE POSITIONS ARE, UM, AT DIFFERENT RANKS.

AND SO YOU CAN'T FILL THEM.

YOU CAN'T FILL A CLINICAL SPECIALIST WITH A NEW RECRUIT.

THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UM, THE VARIOUS TRAININGS AND STEPS.

UM, TELL ME AGAIN, WHEN YOU WILL, BECAUSE AS SOON AS YOU FILL THE CLINICAL SPECIALIST, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE VACANCIES AT THE MEDICS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FILL OUT WITH THE ACADEMY.

AND I'M JUST NOT QUITE SEEING THE TIMING OF WHEN, WHEN WE GET MORE FULLY STAFFED.

UM, SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT AND WHAT THE ASSUMPTIONS ARE ABOUT, UM, RETENTION IN THE MEANTIME? YES MA'AM.

UM, SO YOU'RE CORRECT IN THE ASSESSMENT OF ACTUALLY WHERE WE GOT TO TODAY.

UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PROMOTION PROCESS, UM, SCHEDULED IT'LL OCCUR ON MAY 5TH.

WE CAN ONLY DO ONE PROCESS AT A TIME.

SO AS SOON AS THAT ONE OCCURS, UM, AND HOWEVER MANY SIT FOR THAT TEST AND WE WILL IMMEDIATELY PROMOTE THEM.

THE LIST IS WE EXHAUST THE LIST.

EVERY TIME WE HAVE ONE OF THESE, THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST THAT'S CREATED FROM THE PROMOTION PROCESS, AND THOSE WILL EAT INTO THE 70 VACANCIES.

THOSE WILL CREATE MEDIC POSITIONS.

THEN WE CAN HIRE MEDIC POSITIONS INTO THAT.

SO IT IS KIND OF A DOMINO EFFECT RIGHT NOW.

SO THIS NEXT CLASS WE'LL CLOSE THE GAP PROBABLY ALMOST IN HALF.

WE'LL PROBABLY ONLY HAVE LESS THAN 15 OPENINGS STOP FILL INTO, AND WE'RE STILL HIRING FOR THAT JULY CLASS.

SO IT'D BE CRITICAL FOR THE MAY PROMOTION PROCESS THAT WE CREATE MORE VACANCIES OUT OF THE MEDIC RANKS, AND THEY'RE ALREADY TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE INTO THE DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE REALLY LOOKING INTO, AND THE ASSOCIATION IS REALLY, UH, HAS DISCUSSED OPENLY AND IN SUPPORT OF IT, UM, IS HIRING DIRECTLY INTO THE CLINICAL ESPRESSO SPECIALIST.

IF WE CAN DO THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CLOSE THAT GAP QUICKER THAN WE CAN THROUGH THIS, UM, HIRING, UM, GOING THROUGH A PROMOTION PROCESS AND THEN HIRING AND THEN A PROMOTION PROCESS.

UM, SO WE REALLY WILL HOPEFULLY WE'LL, THAT WILL MAKE IT INTO THE CONTRACT AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT OPPORTUNITY.

SO THE PIECE THAT I'M MISSING HERE IS WHEN THE MEDICS PROMOTE TO CLINICAL SPECIALISTS, AND THERE ARE ADDITIONAL OPENINGS WHEN YOU SAY CUT THE, THE AMOUNT IN HALF, THAT IS THE OPENINGS AT THE MEDICAL LEVEL.

YES, THAT'S THE 47 I'M TALKING ABOUT IN THE 11 THAT JUST GRADUATED.

UM, THEY'LL MAKE THAT 36 NOW.

UM, AND WE HAVE 24 ENTERING INTO OUR NET FOR 27 INTO OUR NEXT ACADEMY.

UM, WE DON'T LOSE A LOT IN OUR ACADEMY, MAYBE ONE, SO 25 COME OUT OF THE ACADEMY, THAT'S GOING TO DROP US DOWN TO 11, UH, OPENINGS.

THAT'S ALL I CAN HIRE INTO.

AND SO IT'LL BE CRITICAL FOR THAT MAY TEST TO PROMOTE PEOPLE.

SO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO HIRE INTO FOR THE JULY ACADEMY.

BUT IN A PERFECT WORLD, IF ALL 59 OF YOUR CLINICAL SPECIALISTS PROMOTED OR YOUR MEDICS PROMOTED WHO WERE ELIGIBLE, YOU WOULD STILL NEED SOME REAL CLASSES TO CATCH UP.

YES MA'AM BUT I WOULD ONLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVENTIES POSITIONS THAT WOULD ONLY FEEL 59 OF THEM.

UM, AND ABOUT 25 OF THOSE 59, I'VE NEVER SET FOR A TEST IN THE PAST.

UM, WE'VE TALKED TO THEM OR ENCOURAGED THEM.

UM, MANY OF THEM WERE VERY HAPPY IN THE, IN THE LEVEL THEY'RE AT RIGHT NOW, OR I'VE CHOSEN NOT TO DO ADVANCE.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S OKAY.

PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE TO WORK AT THE LEVEL THEY WANT TO WORK.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THE, UM, THE GAPS AT THE CLINICAL SPECIALIST BY HIRING AND AT THAT LEVEL.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE ASSOCIATION AND OUR, AND EVERYONE KIND OF AGREES ON THAT PART, UM, FOR THE MEDICS THEN.

SO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, HOW MUCH THAT GAP IS, IS GOING TO BE WHAT YOU'RE.

SO RIGHT NOW YOU CAN REALLY ONLY GO A COUPLE OF CLASSES OUT.

TO, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE, WE REALLY NEED YOU AS THE PARAMEDICS TO WORK IN ALS ROLE.

UH, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, MS. SALTER.

SO YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOUR MEDICS ARE GOING TO PROMOTE TO THE CLINICAL SPECIALIST LEVEL.

YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE FULL TRAJECTORY FOR YOUR CLASSES AS CORRECT.

UM, AND WHEN, WHEN WE WOULD BE THAT'S CORRECT.

WE, WE HAD, UH, 25 SET FOR THE LAST TEST AND ONLY 15 PASSED THE TEST OR MULTIPLE THOSE 10 THAT DIDN'T PASS.

WE'LL SIT FOR THE NEXT ONE.

UM, SOME CHOOSE TO SOME DON'T WE, WE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TELLING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU NEED, DO YOU NEED HELP STUDYING, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT

[00:50:01]

SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIT FOR THE TEST.

UM, IT IS A STUDYING PROCESS THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF CIVIL SERVICE.

YOU HAVE TO SIT FOR THE TEST AND TAKE THE TEST.

AND THEN, UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER PIECE HERE I WANTED TO SAY TO CLARIFY, WHAT ARE YOU ASSUMING FOR RETENTION OR FOR ATTRITION, UM, DURING THAT PERIOD, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST THE NUMBERS OF WHERE WE ARE NOW WITHOUT LOSING ANYBODY ELSE.

SO WE'RE ASSUMING ABOUT, AND WE'RE EIGHT TO 10% ATTRITION THAT'S WHAT'S OCCURRED IN THE PAST.

UM, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE RIGHT ON TRACK OF WHERE WE'RE AT MONTH BY MONTH IS ABOUT EIGHT TO 10% ATTRITION OF CURRENT PEOPLE FILLED IN SEATS.

BUT IF I WAS TRYING TO GET MY 124 DOWN, THE ATTRITION WOULD BE ON TOP OF THAT, THAT WOULD BE ON TOP OF THAT THIS YEAR, WE TRIED TO FILL 124, WE'RE LIKELY TO LOSE ANOTHER 40 TO 50 THIS YEAR.

UM, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO FILL 170 TO GET THE FILL THIS YEAR.

IT COULD BE ALL SORTS OF RANKS.

AND THEN YOU HAVE TO EXACTLY, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RETIRING AT CAPTAIN COMMANDER LEVEL RANKS, CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN IN THE ORGANIZATION 23, 25, 27, 8 YEARS BECAUSE WE HAVE A BUBBLE THE SAME WAY WE HAD WITH POLICE AT THE SAME TIME ABOUT, OR IS IT JUST THAT'S WHEN THEY CAN RETIRE WITH FULL BENEFITS? UM, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE BUBBLE, SOME POLICE DEPARTMENT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, BUT THEY HAD A VERY LARGE CLASS.

AND SO THE NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS, RIGHT? SO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE HITTING THAT POINT WHEN THEY CAN RETIRE WAS HIGH.

I THINK THE DIFFERENCE, AND I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK OUT OF TURN FOR EITHER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR VACANCIES ARE ALWAYS AT THE ENTRY LEVEL BECAUSE THEY PROMOTE AND HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE TO PROMOTE.

AND, BUT WITH MINE, IT'S AT THAT PROMOTED LEVEL, WHICH MAKES IT MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE I HAVE TO WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO SIT THROUGH AND GET THE PROMOTION TO CREATE VACANCIES FOR ME TO HIRE IN.

UM, I, I WOULD IMAGINE THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, ALL THEIR OPENINGS ARE AT THE FIREFIGHTER LEVEL.

AND MOST OF ALL, THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE AT THEIR POLICE OFFICER ENTRY-LEVEL.

AND SO, UM, IF THEY GET LARGE CADET CLASSES, THEY FILL THAT LOWER RANK.

UM, I, EVEN IF I HAD A HUNDRED CADETS COME INTO MY CLASS, I DON'T HAVE POSITIONS THAT THEY COULD GO INTO.

I WAS, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE 12 GRADUATES YESTERDAY.

UM, AND IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE THEM AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HONOR OUR NEXT MUCH LARGER CLASS SEEN.

THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT WITH SALTER.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS.

COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

VICE CHAIR, KELLY.

UM, WHAT POSSIBILITIES ARE THERE FOR LARGER CADET CLASSES? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS BEING LOOKED AT AND IS IT A, UH, TRAINERS AVAILABILITY OR FACILITY SIZE ISSUE? UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT A TRAINER OR AVAILABILITY OF SIZE FOR US.

UH, THERE ARE SOME CONFLICTS WE OCCUR AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING ACADEMY BETWEEN WHEN ALL THREE ACADEMIES ARE GOING, ESPECIALLY IN THE USE OF SHOWERS AND BATHROOMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN ALL OF THEM ARE TRYING TO DO A PT IN THE MORNING.

UM, BUT WE HAVE TWO LARGE CLASSROOMS AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO RUN TWO DIFFERENT ACADEMIES, UM, BACK-TO-BACK OR OVERLAPPING WITHIN OUR EXISTING SPACE.

AND WHEN WE HAVE THE TRAINING STAFF THERE, UM, BUT OUR REAL PINCH POINT IS THIS.

I CAN ONLY HIRE SO MANY IN KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE, WHEN THEY TRANSITION FROM A CIVILIAN CADET, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SWORN MEDIC POSITIONS FOR THEM TO GO INTO.

UM, AND SO RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, I HAVE 47 POSTS.

THE CADETS HAD JUST GRADUATED.

SO I HAVE ABOUT 36 THAT I COULD ONLY HIRE INTO RIGHT NOW.

OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EITHER LOCALLY WORKING IN OTHER AREAS AROUND US AND WOULD LIKE TO COME AND WORK AT THEIR CURRENT LEVEL OF ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND THEN WHAT STRATEGIES ARE BEING UTILIZED TO TRY TO RECRUIT TRAINED CANDIDATES THAT MIGHT BE WORKING NEARBY, YOU KNOW, NOT FOR AUSTIN, BUT TRYING TO FILL SOME OF THOSE HIGHER POSITIONS WITH FOLKS THAT ARE TRAINED TO WORK AT THAT LEVEL.

UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, AND AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST NEGOTIATING PROCESS, AND WE'RE DISCUSSING NOW IS THAT HIRING STRAIGHT INTO THE, UH, CLINICAL SPECIALIST LEVEL, UH, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING CURRENTLY AS A PARAMEDIC OR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, UM, WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEDBACK.

THEY MAY NOT WANT TO COME TO AUSTIN AND WORK AT A BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.

UM, AND THEN WAIT THREE OR FOUR, SIX MONTHS TO MOVE UP.

THEY'D LIKE TO COME STRAIGHT IN FROM ONE THEY'RE WORKING AT AND COME STRAIGHT INTO THE DEPARTMENT AT THAT LEVEL.

CURRENTLY THAT'S NOT AN OPTION.

WE ARE HOPEFUL IN THE FUTURE.

THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO THEN TAKE SOME

[00:55:01]

MANY OF THEM WORKED FOR MANY YEARS AS A PARAMEDIC.

UM, AND FOR SOME, IT SEEM AS A DOWNGRADE TO COME AND WORK AT A LOWER LEVEL FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME, ALTHOUGH THAT'S VERY SHORT, UM, BECAUSE THROUGH OUR ACADEMY AND PROMOTION, OUR CLEARANCE PROCESS, YOU ONLY HAVE TO BE CLEAR TO THE FIELD FOR A FEW MONTHS BEFORE YOU CAN SIT FOR THE TEST.

UH, TRADITIONALLY UNDER CIVIL SERVICE, IT'S A, TWO-YEAR WAITING, BUT THROUGH CONTRACTS AND OTHER THINGS, IT'S REALLY, AS SOON AS YOU'RE OUT OF THE ACADEMY, YOU'RE CLEARED TO INDEPENDENT DUTY, WHICH COULD BE THREE TO FOUR MONTHS.

YOU CAN SIT FOR THE NEXT CIVIL SERVICE TEST.

SO WE'VE, WE'VE TAKEN THAT OFF THE TABLE AS FAR AS A WAITING, BUT AGAIN, SOME PEOPLE WANT TO COME STRAIGHT IN AND WORK AT THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT LEVEL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.

I APPRECIATE IT.

I KNOW WE HAD DISCUSSED IT, UM, IN THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE.

AND SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, REVISITING THAT WITH ME AND JOGGING MY MEMORY.

YEP.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.

COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, I'VE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER FELLA UP NEXT WITH QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL GET TO YOU MAYOR ADLER.

VERY BASIC QUESTION.

I'M TRYING TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH.

UH, SO THE STARTING RANK, UH, AT, UH, AT, AT EMS IS, IS WHAT A MEDIC, A MEDIC.

AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE? WHAT KIND OF CERTIFICATION DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO BE A MEDIC? SO YOU HAVE TO BE AT LEAST AN EMTB, WHICH IS AN EMT BASIC.

UM, THERE'S BASICALLY, THERE'S THREE LEVELS.

THERE'S A BASIC AND AN ADVANCED AND A PARAMEDIC.

UM, AND YOU CAN BE ANY ONE OF THOSE, BUT YOU AT LEAST HAVE TO BE A BASIC, UH, CERTIFIED BY THE STATE.

UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES WE SEE IN OUR, TO OUR THREE DEPARTMENTS BETWEEN AUSTIN FIRE AND POLICE.

WE ALREADY HAVE PEOPLE, WE, WE SEARCH FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY CHOSEN THIS FIELD ON THEY'RE ALREADY CERTIFIED IN AND WE REQUIRE A YEAR OF, OF EXPERIENCE.

SO, UM, IN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, I KNOW THEY HIRE, YOU KNOW, NO, NO CERTIFICATIONS OR QUALIFICATIONS.

THEN YOU GET YOUR T CLOSE THROUGH THE APD THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE TO BECOME BASIC CERTIFIED.

THEY PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM IN THEIR ACADEMY, UH, ALONG WITH THEIR FIRE, UM, CERTIFICATIONS.

SO WE'RE, WE ARE HIRING PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY SELF SELECTED THIS, THIS FIELD AS THEIR PASSION.

SO YOU'RE HIRING, UH, BASICALLY EMT BEES AND THEY RECEIVED THEIR EMTB WHERE THEY LIKE, WHERE DID THEY GET THEIR EDUCATION? WHERE DO THEY GET THE TRAINING? AND THEY CAN GET IT THROUGH ACC OFFERS IT.

UM, THEY'RE ALSO LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS ALL OVER THE, THE AREA THAT DO EMTB CERTIFICATION CLASSES IN HOUSE.

UH, THEY'RE ALL THERE.

SOME, UH, TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OR EMT F UP IN PFLUGERVILLE, OR, UM, SORRY, GEORGETOWN.

THERE'S SEVERAL PLACES THAT OFFER EMTB CLASSES.

UM, HOW LONG IS A, THE, THE TRAINING.

WHAT IS THE MTB TRAINING CONSISTENT? UM, WELL, THROUGH ACC IT'S ALL FULL SEMESTER, THEY PROVIDE OTHER COURSES TO MAKE IT A, UH, A FULL SEMESTER COURSE.

IT'S TRULY ONLY, UH, I THINK ABOUT 120 HOURS.

IT'S 80 HOURS OF DIDACTIC CLASSROOM, AND THEN ANOTHER 40 OR 60 HOURS WHERE YOU GO AMBULANCE ROTATIONS RIDES AND, AND ER VISITS TO GET YOUR WHAT'S CALLED CLINICAL.

UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO SAY, SIT FOR OUR STATE TEST.

SO IT CAN BE VERY SHORT AND FAST, OR IT CAN BE EXTENDED OUT DEPENDING ON THE, THE COURSE IN PLACE YOU CHOOSE.

AND WHEN YOU'RE HIRING, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE EMT BEES, THEN THEY GO INTO THE, UH, THE ACADEMY, THE YES, OUR IS NOT TO REALLY TEACH THEM EMT, EMS, OR EMTB, UH, SKILLS.

UM, IT'S REALLY, UH, WE DO ONBOARDING HR, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS IN THE FIRST FEW DAYS.

AND THEN WE REALLY TEACHING THEM OPERATIONAL ISSUES ON HOW WE OPERATE HERE INSIDE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. AND THAT'S WHY OUR ACADEMY IS ONLY EIGHT WEEKS LONG VERSUS MONTHS, UM, AS EITHER AUSTIN FIRED OR AUSTIN POLICE.

AND THE COMMUNICATIONS? UH, THE, THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS FUNCTIONS.

AND THEN THE PROMOTION THAT YOU WERE SPEAKING OF, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT HAD WHAT THE DIFFERENT CATEGORY, THE DIFFERENT LEVELS ARE? YEAH.

SO OUR ENTRY LEVEL RANK IS A MEDIC AND YOU COULD COME INTO EITHER MEDIC COMMUNICATIONS OR MEDIC FIELD.

IT'S TWO SEPARATE PATHS.

UH, THE NEXT RANK PROMOTIONAL IS CLINICAL SPECIALIST FOR EITHER FIELD OR COMM.

THEN WE HAVE CAPTAINS.

THEN WE HAVE COMMANDERS, DIVISION CHIEFS, ASSISTANT CHIEFS, AND CHIEFS.

AND WHAT, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A CLINICAL SPECIALIST YOU HAVE IN THE FIELD? YOU HAVE TO BE A PARAMEDIC.

SO IF YOU COME IN WITH YOUR EMTB, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT PROMOTIONAL TEST.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING AN INTERNAL CLASS ON OUR OWN TO TRY TO TRANSITION PEOPLE INTERNALLY, WHERE WE WORK WITH THE SCHEDULE.

SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN WORK AROUND OUR SCHEDULE.

WE WORK WITH THEIR SCHEDULE HERE AND PUT THEM THROUGH THE CLASS.

WE'VE DONE FOUR INTERNAL CLASSES ALREADY, AND WE'RE DOING ONE NOW.

SO THEY HAVE TO BE A PARAMEDIC ON THE COMMUNICATION SIDE, DO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE A PARAMEDIC? AND WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT PROMOTE, UM, AS SOON AS THEY ARE ELIGIBLE AND THEY PROMOTE TO THE CLINICAL SPECIALIST COMMUNICATIONS.

AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIELD

[01:00:01]

SO IN THE COMMUNICATIONS, UH, THERE, UM, THE MEDIC IS, UH, HANDLES ALL THE 9 1, 1 CALLS, TRIAGE AND PROVIDING NINE 11, UH, PRE-ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS AT THE CLINICAL SPECIALIST RANK.

THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND DO OUR RADIO SYSTEM.

UM, AND SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING THE DISPATCHING FOLLOWING UP ON UNITS, ENSURING STAGING HAS DONE PROVIDING INFORMATION, UH, FOLLOWING UP WITH STAR FLIGHT, IF STAR FLIGHTS NECESSARY ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE COUNTY.

UM, THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT JOB DUTIES IN THE FIELD YOU'RE HANDLING EITHER BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AS A MEDIC OR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AS A CLINICAL SPECIALIST.

UM, AND IN TERMS OF FILLING YOUR VACANCIES, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER RIGHT NOW? UM, I BELIEVE THE BIGGEST BARRIER IS OUR GAP AT, AT THE CLINICAL SPECIALIST RANK.

UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY'VE, THEY'VE COME TO US.

UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WE I'VE MENTIONED THE TWO UNITS OF CHPS THAT WE HAD.

WE ALSO HAD EIGHT CLINICAL SPECIALIST ADDED FOR OUR COMMUNITY, OUR CLINICAL CONSULT LINE.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO GOT PROMOTIONS AS COMMANDERS, WHICH ALL PULLED FROM THOSE MIDDLE RANKS.

SO THAT IS OUR, OUR BIGGEST ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS HOW WE FILL THOSE CLINICAL SPECIALISTS.

THAT'S WHY DOING THE INTERNAL CLASS WILL BE MAKING A MOVE COMPARE MEDICS.

SO THEY'RE ELIGIBLE SIT FOR THE NEXT TEST, OUR FUTURE TESTS, AND THEN POSSIBLY HOPEFULLY IF IT WORKS OUT IS, UM, IS, UM, HIRING DIRECTLY INTO CLINICAL SPECIALISTS, UM, FROM THE OUTSIDE.

AND SO IT'S A MIDDLE RANK AGAIN.

I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM THAT, THAT IS THE MAIN, UH, PROBLEMS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I, I WILL BE TALKING WITH, UH, UH, CHIEF LUCK GRIT SAYS WHEN HE COMES IN IS HOW WE CAN DO THAT.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY WELCOME HIS IDEAS ON HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FILL THOSE THINGS.

UM, A IF WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE STILL WAITING TO FILL THOSE GAPS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS WE MAY HAVE.

UM, AND IT, IT WOULD BE TO RECLASS THOSE POSITIONS DOWN AND THEN ALLOW US TO HIRE INTO THEM.

AND THEN AS THE ATTRITION HAPPENS, MOVE THEM BACK TO WHETHER IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, BUT THAT TAKES SEVERAL OPTIONS AND IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND IT TAKES A COUNCIL BECAUSE OF THE CLASSIFICATION ORDINANCE THAT'S PASSED, BUT I HAVE TO HAVE VACANCIES AT THE LOWER RANK TO MOVE PEOPLE IN AND THEN PROMOTE, UM, BECAUSE THE CURRENT PROCESS IS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME, UH, TO FILL THAT MIDDLE RANK.

EMS, UH, YOU AND, AND, AND YOUR FORCE, UH, JUST EXTREME.

AND THE FINAL QUESTION THAT THE PAY FOR A MEDIC VERSUS A CLINICAL SPECIALIST TO WHAT, WHAT, JUST, AGAIN, I KNOW THERE MAY BE RANGES OF ESTIMATES.

UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HERE.

UM, I BELIEVE OUR ENTRY LEVEL FOR, UH, UH, MEDIC IS I THINK 19, UM, I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD FOR CLINICAL SPECIALISTS ON THE RANK, BUT THERE IS A GAP.

THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN THE TWO, UM, FOR CLINICAL SPECIALIST.

NUMBER VILLA FOR ASKING THOSE INSIGHTFUL QUESTIONS, MAYOR ADLER, IT'S YOUR TURN? WELL, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD SO FAR CHIEF, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.

UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF IT SEE HOW THE NUMBERS ACTUALLY WORK OUT, THAT THE VACANCY LEVEL IS ACTUALLY HIGHER IN EMS RIGHT NOW THAT HAD A FIRE AND, AND POLICE, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY CENTERS ON APD.

SO OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON IT AT PHIL, WHAT HAS BEEN CHIEF, THE, THE, UH, THE ROADBLOCK THUS FAR IN, IN GETTING THE ABILITY TO BRING IN PEOPLE AT THE LEVEL THEY MIGHT ALREADY BE, UH, TRADING BEFORE.

IF, IF, IF THAT WOULD HELP US MOST QUICKLY DEAL WITH THE VACANCIES.

UH, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO ANSWER THAT IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED ALREADY.

AND THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AS THE HIRING INTO THAT PROMOTED RANK.

UM, AGAIN, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND, AND UTILIZE THEIR SKILLS THAT THEY'VE SPENT MANY YEARS TRAINING ON IN, IN PROVIDING IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AT THE ALS ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT LEVEL.

AND SO THEY WANT TO COME HERE AND DO THOSE SAME THINGS.

UM, AND I THINK WE'D BE ABLE TO ATTRACT SOME PEOPLE FROM SOME LOCALITIES AROUND US THAT MAY WANT TO COME OVER AT THAT LEVEL.

INSTEAD OF COMING IN AT OUR BASIC LEVEL, THE ISSUE THAT AS A CONTRACT ISSUE IN PERSPECTIVE, IT IS A CONTRACT ISSUE AND IT'S A CIVIL SERVICE BASIC ISSUE.

FIRST OF ALL, UM, AND THE CONTRACT WOULD HELP US GO AROUND THAT, UH, CIVIL SERVICE ISSUE.

YES, I UNDERSTAND THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHIEF.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, OVER THE LAST, UH, A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS OF, UH, I'LL BE AMBITIOUS, JUST HAD INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TIME, UH, WITH SO MANY THINGS TO THE CITY, BUT THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS,

[01:05:01]

AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THIS TIME.

MA'AM THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT VERY INFORMATIVE, UM, PRESENTATION FOR THE LAST TIME I REACHED OUT TO YOUR OFFICE, IT WAS REGARDING THE INABILITY TO STAFF UNITS DUE TO COVID.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES NOW? STAFFING MEDIC UNITS BECAUSE OF COVID WE DO NOT, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT AFFECTED BY COVID IT'S BECAUSE OF THE SPECIALTY PILOT PROGRAM WE'RE USING TO INCENTIVIZE VOLUNTEERISM.

UM, AND WHAT THAT IS IS WE'RE PAYING TWO TIMES THEIR SALARY.

IF THEY VOLUNTEERED TO COME IN, UM, TO WORK ON THEIR OWN, NOT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED OFF OF ANY KIND OF LIST.

AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP ALL OUR UNITS UP, KEEP OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ON THE STREET, BECAUSE WE WERE EVEN PULLING FROM THEM.

IF WE HAD TO, TO KEEP UNITS UP ON THE STREET, UH, IN OTHER AREAS IN OUR ADMIN, LIKE THIS CURRENT ACADEMY, WE SHUT IT DOWN FOR TWO WEEKS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO STOP IT.

SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP OUR ACADEMY WHERE THEY'RE GOING, ARE OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS IN, IN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING THEIR CARE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL OUR UNITS HAVE BEEN STAFFED.

WHERE DOES THE BUDGET COME FROM TO INCENTIVIZE THOSE EMPLOYEES TO COME IN TWO AND A HALF TIMES THEIR SALARY OR THEIR RATE TWO TIMES.

WHERE'S IT COME FROM? YEAH.

UM, IT IS COMING FROM OUR INTERNAL, OUR CURRENT BUDGET.

UM, AND WE'RE EVALUATING THAT AS WE GO ALONG TO MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE BUDGET FOR THAT.

UM, WE DO HAVE VACANCY SAVINGS BECAUSE OF THE, UH, OPENINGS THAT WE HAVE.

SO WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.

UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL DO IT.

LONG-TERM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE DONE ASSESSING EVERYTHING.

AND THEN, UH, WE'LL SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF ANY NEGOTIATIONS AND STUFF ON, UH, PAY AND STUFF.

DO YOU SEE ANY CHALLENGES YOU'RE FACING CURRENTLY WITH RETENTION AT YOUR DIVISION? UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE EFFECTS OF COVID IN TWO YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, A SEVERE ICE STORM LAST YEAR, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME ALMOST, YOU KNOW, TRAUMATIC ISSUES THIS YEAR, UM, PEOPLE ARE ALREADY STARTING TO GET A LITTLE, UM, PTSD JUST ABOUT THIS MOST RECENT ICE STORM.

UM, THEY'RE TIRED.

UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORN DOWN.

UM, AND SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT'S ACROSS THE INDUSTRY ACROSS THE NATION, IN EVERY KIND OF WORKPLACE YOU SEE, PEOPLE ARE RETIRING, FINDING OTHER WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN INCOME LIVE THEIR LIVES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO, UH, I EXPECT WE'RE STILL GONNA SEE SOME RETIREMENTS AND SOME PEOPLE LEAVING.

UM, THAT'S WHY I'M STILL GUESSING WE'RE GOING TO BE PROBABLY AT ABOUT 10%, DEPENDING ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT CONTRACT THAT COULD INCENTIVIZE SOME PEOPLE TO STAY LONGER IF THEY'RE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, UH, AT THE HIGHER RANKS, BECAUSE OUR CURT, UM, STEPS AND PAY SCALES ONLY GO TO ABOUT 20 YEARS.

SO THAT COULD BE A POSITIVE IMPACT FOR THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY HERE AND MAYBE THEY'LL STAY LONGER.

I WANT TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO YOU.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO MENTION OR SAY IN REGARDS TO THIS PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING AT EMS THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO BE AWARE OF, THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE MENTIONED ALREADY.

NO, NOTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE PRESENTATION? NO, NOT TO THE PRESENTATION.

I JUST THANK THE COUNCIL MAYOR, UM, COUNCIL AND MAYOR PRO TEM FOR A SPIN I'M HONORED TO SERVE AND CONTINUE TO SERVE THE DEPARTMENT.

AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DONE FOR US.

I WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT AND REALLY ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF THE MAYOR WHEN HE SAID THAT WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.

IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH TIME TO WORK IN EMS AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN GENERAL.

AND SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU FILLED THAT ROLE AND YOU DID SO WITH, WITH SUCH GREAT PRIDE.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAS LET ME KNOW.

HE HAS ANOTHER QUESTION.

SO HE'S GOING TO ASK THAT, DO YOU THINK THE $19 AN HOUR STARTING PAY IS ENOUGH? UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE COMPETITIVE, BUT WE NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE THAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING A CHOICE BETWEEN US AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY.

WE PAY ABOUT THE SAME.

UM, ON AVERAGE, THEY WORK A LITTLE DIFFERENT SCHEDULE.

THEY DO A 24 48, WHICH IS KIND OF A NORMAL SCHEDULE FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT.

UH, WE DO THE 24 72, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, THEY WORK LESS CALLS IN A DAY.

THEN OUR SYSTEM'S VERY BUSY.

AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A CHOICE WHAT'S BETTER FOR THEIR LIFESTYLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

AND SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY COMPETITIVE.

UM, AND I BELIEVE THERE'LL BE SOME POSITIVE THINGS COME OUT IN NEGOTIATIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER OF FELLA AND THANK YOU AGAIN, CHIEF BROWN.

OH, WAIT, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER HAS A QUESTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.

GO AHEAD.

UM, I JUST WANTED ALL, OH, NO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.

WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.

SERVICE LEADING EMS. UM, WE SPOKE YESTERDAY AT THE GRADUATION ABOUT HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR MEDICS AND EMS FOCUS ON PROBLEM SOLVING AND CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S VERY QUIET AGAIN, BUT IT WAS FINE EARLIER.

LIKE MY MAGIC HERE, WE KNOW YOU WERE VERY, VERY QUIET.

MA'AM OKAY.

I'LL BE SUPER QUICK.

AND I WILL SHOUT, I GUESS.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, THINK CHIEF BROWN FOR HIS

[01:10:01]

IF YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT AS A LEADER THROUGH SOME REALLY DIFFICULT TIMES.

SO THANK YOU.

COLLEAGUES WE'VE ARRIVED AT THE TIME IN OUR MEETING WHERE WE DISCUSSED POSSIBLE FUTURE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ITEMS. DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY FUTURE ITEMS TO CONSIDER? I SEE NO ONE'S HAND UP.

AND HOPEFULLY YOU HEARD THEM.

YES.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR.

AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

COULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT I'M ON THE LIST FOR WHEN THE GRADUATION HAPPENS NEXT TIME? I'D REALLY LIKE TO ATTEND TO SUPPORT YOUR DEPARTMENT.

THANK YOU,

[Future Items]

SO I WILL MENTION AN IDEA THAT I HAD, WHICH I SAW A REPORT IN THE NEWS ABOUT POSSIBLE REPORTING CHANGES AT OUR NINE 11 COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE TO START UTILIZING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO BRING TO OUR COMMITTEE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE CHANGING OF THE WAY THAT WE REPORT CRIMES OVER AT NINE 11.

YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR.

UM, I'M NOT SURE WHEN YOU'RE NEXT.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M NOT SURE WHEN YOUR NEXT MEETING IS, BUT, UM, WE SHOULD BE GETTING THE, UM, THE COMPENSATION STUDY BACK WITH RESPECT TO VICTIM SERVICES AND 9 1 1.

UM, I THINK YOU CO-SPONSORED THOSE, UM, AS CHAIR KELLY, UM, BUT THOSE MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD INCLUDE IN A FUTURE MEETING.

I MADE NOTE OF THAT.

THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US THAT IT WAS GOING TO COME BEFORE US SOON.

I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA SAYS HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT, UM, AS A NEW COMMITTEE MEMBER, I ALSO JUST KNOW SOMETIMES THE CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR HAVE AN ONGOING LIST SIMILAR TO THE WAY YOU AND I DO WITH MOBILITY.

SO I WILL THINK ABOUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT MAY NOT BE ON THAT LIST AND JUST BRING IT TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION OFFLINE.

THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL.

AND WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL CHECK IN WITH OUR CHAIR WHEN, WHEN SHE'S AVAILABLE SO THAT WE CAN GO OVER WHAT THAT ONGOING LIST MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

MAYOR, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO POSSIBLY ADD? NO.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.

IF, IF NOBODY HAS ANYTHING ELSE FOR FUTURE ITEMS, DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY FIREARMS? HARPER, MADISON HAD HER HAND UP, OH, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WANTS TO SPEAK.

I DON'T SEE HER.

IS SHE THERE? I HIT A GOOD, IS THAT A GOOD SITE? I PROBABLY SEE, UH, THAT TO SAY THOUGH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, UH, I 35 AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF I 35 OF PROJECT CONNECT, I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR US TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY, AROUND OUR MOBILITY ITEMS. OKAY.

I WILL MAKE A NOTE OF THAT.

AND WHEN WE MEET TO DISCUSS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE LIST AND GO THROUGH IT AS WELL.

UM, AND BY THE WAY, THANK YOU, KATZ TO KELLY FOR STEP IT UP AND CHERRY, THE BD, I KNOW IT WAS SORT OF SHORT NOTICE AND YOU STEPPED UP AND YOU'RE DOING THE LORD'S WORK RIGHT NOW.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE YOU STEPPING UP AND TAKING CARE OF POSITION.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I REALLY HOPE YOU GET TO FEELING BETTER.

DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY FINAL THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS TODAY? NO.