[00:00:01]
UH, WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED, WHICH MEANS I NEED ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ONLINE TO TURN THEIR CAMERAS ON FOR QUORUM PURPOSES.
UM, AND, AND ONCE I THINK WE DO WELL.
[CALL TO ORDER 4:00-4:05pm]
WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.UH, I THINK DO WE HAVE TO, OKAY.
UM, SO SINCE WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 4, 2022 4:20pm-4:25pm]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.THIS ONE COUNCIL MEMBER SIERRA AREVALO HERE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, AUSTIN COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER HALL, MARTIN HERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOUSE AND FLICK HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, KIRA COUGH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LANE HERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, LOUIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER WEBBER PRESENT.
UM, SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE QUORUM.
DID I HEAR COUNCIL MEMBER? I'M SORRY.
CA UM, COMMISSIONER AND COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ ON.
I APOLOGIZE FOR GIVING EVERYONE A PROMOTION.
UM, I MEAN, UNLESS THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.
UH, SO, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UM, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL VERY RECENTLY FROM MS. JACKSON, UH, WITH AN AMENDED VERSION OF THE MINUTES WITH, UM, UPDATED ATTENDANCE, UH, FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
UH, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY, UM, CORRECTIONS? UM, I HAD ONE CORRECTION AND I HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO MS. JACKSON ABOUT IT, JUST CORRECTING THAT IT WAS CHIEF WADE THAT WAS HERE, UM, LAST MEETING AS OPPOSED TO CHEAP FIGHTERS.
UM, SO, UH, DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE MINUTES OR DO WE DEEM THEM APPROVED AS CORRECTED? OKAY.
UH, SO WE'LL DEEM THE MINUTES APPROVED, UH, WITH VICE CHAIR, UH, RAMIREZ, HIS EDITS, UM, AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.
[2.a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin Police Department (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and Gonzales) 4:25pm-4:40pm]
BE HEARING FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, WITH THEIR, UH, QUARTERLY REPORT.EXCUSE ME, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS JASON, MY SON, WHILE THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'M LUCKY TODAY TO HAVE DR.
JONATHAN
CRINGY, YOU'RE ON MUTE IF YOU, IF YOU'RE TALKING DR.
CHRISTIAN, CAN YOU HEAR US? SURE.
WHILE WE'RE FIGURING THAT OUT, COULD I ASK THE CHIEF TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF AGAIN? I DIDN'T CATCH EVERYTHING.
UH, UH, JAMES MASON, UH, AND ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
CHRISTIAN HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY? HE JUST TEXTED ME.
HE SAYS HE'S NOT GETTING ANY SOUND.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME NOW? YES, SIR.
THANKS THE, UH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
WE WERE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE WEB CONNECTION TO WEBEX, SO I'VE GOT IT GOING OVER MY PHONE.
UM, APOLOGIZE FOR ANY DELAY, THE, UM, WHERE WE ABOUT TO GO.
I DIDN'T HAVE SOUND, UH, UNTIL JUST NOW.
SO ARE WE READY TO GO FORWARD THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION? UH, JUST SORT OF SUMMARY INFORMATION PLEASE AND YOU'LL HAVE.
I THINK I SAW THE, UM, PRESENTATION, UH, POSTED ON THE WEBEX SCREEN.
IS THAT STILL UP? IT IS UP THERE.
SO TODAY WE'RE JUST GOING TO KIND
[00:05:01]
OF GO THROUGH OUR STANDARD QUARTERLY REPORTING WITH Y'ALL TO GIVE YOU ALL A SENSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH CRIME.UH, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE CLEARANCE NUMBERS.
UH, I WILL PUT THAT IN CONTEXT FOR OUR LAST DISCUSSION, UM, ABOUT THE NEED FOR US TO MOVE THAT DIRECTION WITH SORT OF, SORT OF CLEARANCE RATES, ET CETERA.
AND THEN I'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRESS ON THAT.
WE'LL LOOK A LITTLE BIT AT RESPONSE TIMES, UH, CALL VOLUMES, UM, AS WELL AS THE, UH, OVERTIME EXPENSES AND OUR CURRENT, UH, STAFFING INFORMATION.
SO IF WE CAN JUST HOP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
UH, THESE ARE THE CRIME CATEGORIES IT'S CURRENTLY CALLED, UH, UNDER FBI REPORTING CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
UH, IT USED TO BE CALLED VIOLENT CRIME, UH, REMEMBERING THAT NOW THAT THIS HAS CHANGED OVER, WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE, UM, AS INDIVIDUALS, EACH INDIVIDUAL WHO IS EXPERIENCED AS A CRIME IS COUNTED AS A CRIME.
IT'S NOT COUNTING INCIDENTS UNDER THAT POINT.
JONATHAN KREEGAN CAN I GET, UH, CAN I ASK YOU TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON? IS THAT POSSIBLE? UH, I CAN TRY.
I'M DOING, LET ME SEE IF THIS WORKS.
THERE MAY BE A LAG WITH THE VIDEO AND THE SOUND, SINCE I'M RUNNING SOUND OVER THE PHONE, BUT LET ME KNOW IF THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM.
UM, SO THESE ARE THE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
THEY'RE FORMERLY WHAT WE CALL VIOLENT CRIMES UNDER UCR SUMMARY REPORTING.
UH, BUT THEY ARE COUNTED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY NOW.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME COMPATIBILITY THINGS AS WE LOOK BACK ACROSS TIME IN THIS, UM, THE, THE, UH, NUMBER THAT I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO HERE.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE SEE SOME MINOR VARIATION IN AND PERCENT CHANGE OF, UH, VARIOUS CRIMES.
BUT THE ONE THAT WE'RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT COLUMN.
I THINK I'VE TALKED TO YOU ON THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS ABOUT OUR BIGGEST CONCERN, BEING THE NUMBER OF INCREASES OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVING A FIREARM.
UM, AND WHAT WE SEE HERE IS A CONTINUATION OF THAT, RIGHT? UM, IT IS TYPICAL FOR US TO SEE AN UPTURN IN ALL TYPES OF CRIMES STARTING IN THE LATE SPRING, RIGHT.
THAT'S JUST NATURAL, UH, THAT JUST NATURAL SEASONALITY.
UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK IN THE, UH, TWO COLUMNS, THE LAST TWO COLUMNS TO THE RIGHT, PARTICULARLY IN THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, EVEN COMPARING, YOU KNOW, COMPARING YEAR TO YEAR, RIGHT.
UM, WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE ABOUT 150, UM, EVENTS HIGHER SO FAR THIS YEAR, RIGHT? AS WE COME TO, UH, THE NEXT SLIDES, WE'LL KIND OF PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, MOST EVERYTHING WE ALL SEE, AND WE ALL, UH, MOST EVERYTHING ELSE WE SEE IN HERE IS PREDOMINANTLY JUST MINOR VARIATION.
UM, AS WE'VE TALKED BEFORE, A LOT OF THESE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES, RIGHT? WE MIGHT NOTICE THERE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT CHANGE AND JUSTIFIED HOMICIDE, BUT THAT'S ONE WHERE WE'RE GOING FROM TWO TO ONE.
SO THOSE NUMBERS DON'T TELL US AS MUCH BECAUSE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT HAS SUCH A HIGH BASE RATE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT SIMPLE ASSAULT, WHICH IS THE LINE RIGHT BELOW IT, BUT YOU'LL SEE, AS OF ALL ASSAULTS, A HIGHER PERCENTAGE ARE BEGINNING TO FALL INTO THAT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT CATEGORY.
SO THAT ISSUE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN CONTINUING.
WE WANT TO JUMP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO CRIMES AGAINST, UH, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY HERE.
UM, THESE ARE PROPERTY CRIMES.
THESE ARE STILL COUNTED IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEY WERE COUNTED.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE FORMER UCR RULES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VERY FIRST ROW, WHICH IS ROBBERY UNDER FORMER RULES, THAT WAS COUNTED AS A VIOLENT CRIME.
UH, THIS IS NOW COUNTED AS A PROPERTY CRIME.
UH, WE DID SEE ROBBERY, UH, UP A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US IN THAT, UH, THE LINE THAT KIND OF DEMARCATES A ROBBERY TO AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT BEHAVIORLY, UH, CAN BE VERY, UH, VERY, UH, CONVOLUTED.
UM, BUT WE DO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT CHANGE THERE.
THE, UM, OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE KIND OF SEEING IS THAT YOU'LL NOTICE PICKPOCKETING HAS, HAS A REASONABLY LARGE INCREASE IN WHATNOT.
WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT WE CALL OPPORTUNITY-BASED CRIME, BUT THINGS THAT HAPPEN, UH, DIRECT CONTACT TYPE OF ELEMENTS, AND THOSE THINGS ARE LIKELY RELATED TO ONE, THE SEASONAL VARIATION.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE OF THAT MOVING FORWARD AS MORE PEOPLE ARE JUST OUT, BUT ALSO AS WE REDUCE COVID RESTRICTIONS, WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE MORE OF THOSE AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE THE KEY, UH, PIECES OF INFORMATION FROM THIS PARTICULAR, UH, SLIDES ONE LAST ONE, WE'LL LOOK AT THE, UH, LAST CATEGORY OF NEIGHBOR'S CRIMES THAT'S REPORTED, UH, THE FBI, RIGHT? AND SO THESE ARE THE CRIMES AGAINST THE SOCIETY OF BI AS TERMINOLOGY.
SO THESE DASHBOARDS THAT WE'RE PULLING THIS INFORMATION FROM ARE BUILT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES, PARTICULARLY FOR REPORTING ON NUMBERS AND WHATNOT.
SO WHAT WE SEE HERE IS WE SEE, UH, AN INCREASE
[00:10:01]
IN, IN, UH, A COUPLE OF VIOLATIONS IS THE ONE WE ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT.IT'S THE SECOND ROW FROM THE BOTTOM IS THE NUMBER OF INCREASE IN WEAPON LAW VIOLATIONS, RIGHT? WE'RE SEEING THAT SUBSTANTIAL OVERLAP BETWEEN THINGS INVOLVING WEAPONS AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
UM, THOSE ARE THE MOST CONCERNING FOR THE DEPARTMENT AT THIS POINT.
UH, AND THAT TREND SEEMS TO INDICATE CONTINUED GROWTH.
WE DO HAVE, UM, ENOUGH INFORMATION OR DATA POINTS IF YOU WILL.
UM, FOR THE PAST, UH, 30 MONTHS THAT WE CAN SAY, STATISTICALLY, THAT THIS IS REPRESENTING THIS INCREASE IN THAT THESE OFFENSES AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT FIREARM IN PARTICULAR NON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE PUBLIC, UH, KIND OF EVENTS RATHER THAN IN THE ELEMENTS.
SO THAT'S OUR, OUR CONCERN, UH, THERE ON HOT, THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL TALK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT CLEARANCES, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO SAY WE HAD A DISCUSSION, UH, IN A, IN A RECENT MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO CONVERT THIS, TO, UM, TO CONVERT THIS, UH, TO SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE MORE SAFE IN TERMS OF A PERCENTAGE OF CRIMES ARE BEING CLOSED.
AND WE NEED TO REALLY BREAK THAT DOWN BETWEEN THOSE THAT ARE BEING CLOSED BY WHAT WE CALL DIRECT FILE ARREST, MY PATROL OFFICER ON SCENE ACTUATES ARREST, AND THOSE THAT ARE BEING CLOSED BY INVESTIGATIVE FOLLOW UP.
SO, UH, SO THAT HAS NOT BEEN LOST.
UM, I SPOKE TO YOU ALL AT THAT POINT IN TIME ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WITH STAFFING AND WHATNOT.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, BEEN ABLE TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL PERSON FOR THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT.
SO WE CURRENTLY NOW HAVE THREE PEOPLE.
UH, SO WE'RE ABOUT 60% CAPACITY NOW, UH, IN THAT UNIT AND, UM, WHICH WAS SHUT DOWN FOR PREVIOUS MONTHS.
SO, UM, SO WE'RE BEGINNING TO REBUILD CAPACITY THERE.
UH, WE HAVE PUT, UH, ADDITIONAL POSITIONS FOR THAT UNIT IN THE UNMET NEEDS CYCLE.
UM, AND THOSE MADE IT THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ROUND OF THE BUDGET.
SO WE'LL SEE WHERE GOES, UH, WITH BUDGET MOVING FORWARD.
THOSE ARE THE POSITIONS THAT ARE MOST NECESSARY FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK, UM, TO CONVERT THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT GIVES YOU SOME BUT VERY LIMITED INSIGHT INTO WHAT'S GOING ON IN KIND OF INFORMATION TO GET TO, RIGHT.
SO WE HOP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE SEE THAT CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.
UM, WE WERE STILL CLEARING ROUGHLY SIMILAR NUMBERS, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT LIMITATION ABOUT EXPLAIN, I CAN'T, UH, AT THIS POINT, AND WITHOUT A SUBSTANTIAL INDIVIDUAL EFFORT, BE ABLE TO ADD SORT OF THE BREAKDOWN AS TO HOW THESE ARE ACTUALLY BEING CLOSED, RIGHT? SO WE CAN SHOW THE SLIDES TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS THEY'RE ASSESSED FOR CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY.
AND WE SEE ROUGHLY WHAT WE'RE CLOSING, UM, IN THAT WHAT I WILL ATTEMPT TO WORK ON.
UH, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO INTRODUCE Y'ALL TO JASON MATTSON.
HE'S ACTUALLY ON THE, IS ACTUALLY ON THE LINE.
UH, JASON IS ACTUALLY THE NEW MANAGER, HE'S THE PROGRAM MANAGER OVER THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT AND OVER THE CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT.
AND SO HE'LL ACTUALLY BE DOING A LOT OF THE HANDS-ON WORK ABOUT REBUILDING THESE DASHBOARDS AND WHATNOT.
UM, AND SO HE AND I, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, AND WE WILL ATTEMPT, ALTHOUGH I CANNOT GUARANTEE BASED UPON WORKFORCE, UH, BUT WE WILL ATTEMPT TO MODIFY THE WAY WE WERE PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION TO YOU WHEN WE GET TO THE QUARTER THREE.
SO IT SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT ONE-ON-ONE, BUT AT THAT POINT IT WILL NOT BE, UH, WHERE WE WANT TO GET TERM, WHICH HAS TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT CLOSURE RATES AND METHOD OF CLOSURE.
UM, BUT IT WILL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION THAN THESE PARTICULAR SLIDES AS WE HOP HOPPED THE NEXT TIME LET'S SLIDE AND WE'LL LOOK AT, UH, RESPONSE TIMES.
UM, SO THESE ARE OUR RESPONSE TIMES.
WE PRIMARILY REPORT BECAUSE IT'S TIED TO OUR PERFORMANCE METRIC WITH THE CITY, UM, THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME FOR URGENT AND EMERGENCY CALLS FOR SERVICE AGAIN, ER, EMERGENCY, WHICH HAS THAT P ZERO CALL.
THAT MEANS IT IS ONGOING IN PROGRESS, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE TYPES OF THINGS WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS A ROBBERY IS HAPPENING.
SO SOMEONE SEES A CONVENIENCE STORE BEING ROBBED FROM ACROSS THE STREET AND I CALL IT IS HAPPENING.
AN URGENT CALL IS AN INCIDENT WHERE IT HAS JUST ENDED EFFECTIVELY, RIGHT? SO IF THEY STORKS ARE CALLED THE MOMENT, SOME PLAN LEAVES AFTER HAVING ROBBED THE STORE, THAT'S AN URGENT CALL.
SO WE HAVE A, THOSE ARE ONES THAT WE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN GETTING TO QUICKLY BECAUSE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THOSE, UH, RE-ENGAGED IS QUITE HIGH RELATIVE TO OTHER EVENTS AND LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.
UM, BUT THE EMERGENCY ONES, WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN GETTING TO, AND THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
THOSE ARE THE CALLS IN WHICH WE WOULD HAVE THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF RECOVERING A FIREARM, MAKING AN ON-SCENE ARREST, OR PROBABLY NOT PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, AVERTING INJURY TO THE VICTIMS, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE ARE, ARE VERY FOCUSED ON HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET THERE.
OUR TARGET IS 8 24 FOR THE COMBINED AVERAGE FOR THOSE CALLS RECURRENTLY ABOUT 10 AND A HALF MINUTES.
SO WE'RE A SOLID TWO MINUTES BEHIND WHERE WE WOULD,
[00:15:01]
WHERE WE HAVE SITUATED THE CITYWIDE TARGET.UH, IF WE HOP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I CAN GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
THAT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE IMPORTANT.
UM, THESE THINGS DO VARY A LITTLE BIT, AND THIS IS MORE INFORMATIVE BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, YOU SEE EACH OF THE PRIORITIES, AGAIN, THE PRIORITY ZERO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSE TIME NUMBER THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THAT'S AN ONGOING EVENT, SOMETHING THAT'S CURRENTLY OCCURRING.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE, THEY HAVE THE BEST TIMES AT ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES, RIGHT.
UM, OTHER DISTRICTS ARE IN THE VICINITY OF NINE TO 11, RIGHT? SO WE'RE SUBSTANTIALLY, THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT THE, THE STUDY THAT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE CRIME COMMISSION SHOWED THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO HIT ABOUT SIX 30, RIGHT? THAT'S THE POINT AT WHICH WE BEGIN TO SEE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN THOSE OUTCOMES, LIKE, UH, INJURY, AVERSION AND WHATNOT.
SO THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE ON A COUNCIL DISTRICT BASIS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THAT AVERAGE WE REPORT, BUT RELATIVE TO THE CITY'S PERFORMANCE METRIC IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, DOES IT GIVE YOU THE BREAKDOWN? SO THIS ISN'T ABOUT IT.
BEST CASE SCENARIO, WE'RE ABOUT AN HOUR, ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF BLIND SCHEDULE.
UM, AND IN MANY CASES WE'RE PUSHING FOUR AND A HALF TO FIVE MINUTES.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE PERFORMING, UH, RELATED TO, UH, RESPONSE THEN HOP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF NOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THESE, BECAUSE THESE ARE IMMEDIATE DISPATCHES, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE URGENT OR EMERGENCY, UM, THE TOTAL VOLUME IS KIND OF WHAT MATTERS, RIGHT? AND, UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHERE WE'RE AT AGAIN, WE SEE THE KIND OF SEASONAL CHANGE THAT WE WOULD EXPECT, RIGHT, AS WE MOVE INTO BETTER WEATHER AND WHATNOT, MORE PEOPLE OUT, MORE THINGS HAPPEN, MORE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WE WANT TO NOTICE THAT ALTHOUGH THE PERCENTAGES ARE NOT REMARKABLY DIFFERENT, UM, THE ACTUAL VOLUME OF THOSE EMERGENCY P ZERO CALLS THAT FOR MARCH, THAT'S THE BAR ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, THE GRAY PART AT THE TOP, YOU JUST MIGHT NOTICE THAT THAT'S THE LARGEST NUMBER OF, UH, EMERGENCY P ZERO CALLS FOR SERVICE WE'VE EXPERIENCED THIS YEAR, RIGHT? SO THAT NUMBER IS GOING UP.
YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO BE INCREASED, UH, OVER THE COMING MONTHS, AS WE GET INTO SUMMER, SINCE CALLS FOR SERVICE TEND TO IN ALL JURISDICTIONS GO UP, UH, INTO THE SUMMER, THAT WILL LIKELY IMPACT RESPONSE SENSE.
RIGHT? I THINK WE HAVE ESTABLISHED VERY CLEARLY THAT THE RESPONSE TIMES THAT WE WERE POSTING THAT YOU JUST SAW ARE FUNDAMENTALLY DRIVEN AT THIS POINT BY STABBING, UM, AS THE CALL VOLUME GOES UP, THE STAFFING LEVEL STAYS CONSTANT.
THAT RESPONSE TIME IS GOING TO GO UP.
THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT ONE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO AS FAR AS WHERE WE'RE AT WITH OVERTIME EXPENDITURES, UH, WE'RE AT 11 MILLION, JUST OVER $11 MILLION.
THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR OVERTIME EXPENDITURES AT THIS POINT IS STAFFING.
UM, THE NUMBER OF THE NUMBER OF SHIFTS AND NUMBER OF VISITS THAT WE HAVE TO STAFF.
AND OUR ONLY MECHANISM AT THIS POINT WITH CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS IS VIA OVERTIME TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND JUST TO PUT THAT NUMBER IN A CONTEXT, UH, IT GIVES YOU A COMPARISON HERE.
AND SO THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF, UM, WHERE THAT RELATES OBVIOUSLY 2020 WAS THE YEAR THAT INVOLVEMENT'S SUBSTANTIALLY MORE OVERTIME THAN OTHER YEARS.
POSITIONS SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT SINCE THAT LEADS US INTO THE STAFFING QUESTION.
IF YOU WANT TO HOP TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE AT STAFFING WISE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE OFF THE AUTHORIZED 1,809, UM, SWORN STAFF.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE 1600 WORKING, UH, OFFICERS.
UM, THAT'S 209 VACANCIES UNDERSTANDING THAT ON TOP OF THAT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE OUR VACANCIES RELATED TO THINGS LIKE FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT, ET CETERA, THAT NUMBER VARY DAILY, RIGHT? UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR VARIOUS REASONS, PEOPLE WHO ARE ON MEDICAL LEAVE OR FAMILY LEAVE.
UM, SO THAT BRINGS US BELOW THAT 1600, UH, NUMBER THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE BELIEVE AT 64, UH, CURRENT OFFICERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED TRAINING.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR ACADEMY TRAINING, BUT THEY ARE IN STEELED TRAINING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY'RE IN FIELD TRAINING, THEY'RE WRITING WITH OTHER OFFICERS, THE FIELD TRAINERS.
SO THEY'RE NOT INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS.
SO WE DON'T HAVE 1600 INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS TO BACK OUT THOSE 64 AND BACK OUT ANY GIVEN DAY, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ON LEAVE TO GIVE US WHERE WE'RE AT, THAT MAKES SENSE.
HOP INTO A CIVILIAN STAFFING, RIGHT? SO THIS IS OUR CIVILIAN STAFFING.
UM, THE CIVILIAN STAFFING INCLUDES THE 82 CURRENT CADETS THAT HAS STARTED THE HUNDRED AND 45TH ACADEMY.
UM, IF YOU RECALL, AS CADETS ARE HIRED, THEY ARE HIRED IN
[00:20:01]
THE CIVILIANS.THEY ARE NOT CONVERTED TO SWORN UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY ARE COMMISSIONED AND AS OFFICERS.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUDES THE 75 TENTS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY USING FOR VARIOUS FUNCTIONS.
UH, THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 127 VACANCIES, RIGHT? SO THAT IS, THAT IS WHERE WE SIT.
THIS INCLUDES, UM, THE DIVISIONS LIKE COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATIONS IS WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THE HIGHEST, UH, THEY COULD BE.
UM, AND INCLUDES THE DIVISIONS THAT WORK FOR ME, THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, THE CRIME SCENE, PEOPLE WHO WORK, UH, IN THE, IN THE FORENSIC LAB.
UM, SO THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH, UM, WITH OUR, IT'S NOT 20% VACANCY RATE FOR THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO CURRENTLY WE'RE RUNNING THE 140 FIFTH CADET CLASS.
THAT MEANS WE'VE GONE OUT AND HIRED PEOPLE WHO DO NOT CURRENTLY HOLD LAW ENFORCEMENT LICENSING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, THAT CLASS BEGAN MARCH THE 28TH AND THERE ARE 81 CURRENT CADETS, UH, THAT CLASS IS SCHEDULED TO GRADUATE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, NEARING THE END OF THE YEAR, AGAIN, AT THAT POINT, THEY WILL BE COMMISSIONED IN, THEY WILL GO INTO OUR NUMBERS OFF OF, UH, ACTIVE, UH, BUT THEY'LL ACTUALLY NOT BE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS WHILE THEY'RE COMPLETING THEIR FIELD TRAINING.
WE'RE GOING TO RUN A TRANSITIONAL OFFICER PROGRAM.
IF YOU MIGHT HEAR THE TERMINOLOGY, EVERY DOG AND MODIFIED ACADEMY CLASS, THAT'S 146.
SO THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HIRING, WHO CURRENTLY HOLD A PEACE OFFICER LICENSE.
UM, WE'RE SCHEDULED TO START THAT, UM, JULY 18TH AND THAT WILL ACTUALLY GRADUATE AT THE SAME TIME AS THE 140 FIFTH CADET CLASS.
WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH TRAINING TO DO FOR PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY HOLD A LICENSE.
AND SO, SO THAT CLASS WILL BEGIN A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UH, THE NUMBER OF CADETS ISN'T CURRENTLY FINALIZED.
UH, SO WE'LL SEE HOW MANY WE'RE ABLE TO RECRUIT INTO THAT PARTICULAR TO ADD TO THAT 81 OF THE 140 FIFTH THAT SHOULD AT LEAST GO INTO FIELD TRAINING BY END OF THE YEAR.
UM, WE ARE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULING THE 147 CADET CLASS THAT WILL BE A REGULAR CLASS OF RECRUITS AND WE'RE SCHEDULING FOR FALL OF 2022.
UM, TRYING TO BEGIN AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AFTER COMPLETING THE 140 FIFTH AND HUNDRED VOICES ON HOP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
THIS IS THE AUTHORIZATION LEVELS.
UM, BASICALLY A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WE'LL RECALL THE CITY IN RESPONSE TO THE PERF, UH, REPORT THAT WAS DONE IN 2012 AND THE MATRIX REPORT THAT WAS DONE IN 2016 AUTHORIZED 150 MORE OFFICERS THAN THEY WERE GOING TO BE STAGGERED IN.
UH, SO FISCAL YEAR 2020, IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE 1959, THE 150 POSITIONS WERE NEVER FILLED.
UM, AND SO THEY WERE RESCINDED IN 2020.
SO OUR CURRENT AUTHORIZATION HOLDS AT 1,809.
I BELIEVE THAT THE LAST YEAR THAT AUTHOR'S, IT WOULDN'T BE A YEAR IN WHICH AUTHORIZATION WENT TO AGE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE FIT THERE, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S 2012.
AND SO OUR CURRENT AUTHORIZATION IN 2022 IS WHAT IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND WE'LL LOOK FINALLY, IT KIND OF SEPARATIONS WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT, WHAT WE SEE IN TERMS OF, UH, THE STAFFING NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE REASONS WHY WE HAVE, UH, UH, HAVING A CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME THOSE VACANCIES.
DEFINITELY SEEING THAT, UM, DEFINITELY SEEING THAT IN A FISCAL 20, 20 AND 2021, WE HAD A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF SEPARATIONS, UH, ON THE SWORN SIDE, UH, THIS YEAR MAY COME IN AT A LOWER RATE THAN THOSE YEARS.
UM, IT IS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN, OBVIOUSLY MOVING INTO THIS, MOVING INTO THE FUTURE, BUT WE CAN SAY 19 WOULD BE KIND OF COMPARATIVE TO A NORMAL ATTRITION NEAR THAT'S SUCH A LITTLE BIT HIVE WITH LIKE FIVE TO 10 YEAR AVERAGE.
UM, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE 20, 22 IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TRADITIONALLY EXPECTED, ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT, UH, HIT THOSE LEVELS THAT WE SAW IN 2020 AND 2021.
THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE.
SO I'M HAPPY TO OPEN UP AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE MAY HAVE.
UH, DO COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DR.
CRINGING? UM, IF YOU CAN SAY SOMETHING, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, OH, THERE WE GO.
SO WAYS BACK, UH, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, DR.
[00:25:01]
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONCERN ABOUT, UH, WEAPONS LAW VIOLATIONS.AND THEN PRIOR TO THAT, THERE WAS A SLIDE, I THINK, ABOUT CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS GOING UP.
I'M JUST WONDERING HOW, UM, WHERE IN YOUR METRICS, OR HOW ARE YOU, MY QUESTION, AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN INDICTED FOR AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU'RE THE YEAR TO DATE DATA YOU'RE GIVING US IS INDICATING CLOSURES, UH, BY ARREST SLASH PROSECUTION OF THOSE AG ASSAULTS.
AND THEN WHETHER YOU'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTING FOR THAT IN HOW YOU'RE DESCRIBING THIS PROBLEM OF AG ASSAULTS, WHEN A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THEM WERE COMMITTED BY AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS.
AND SO IF WE JUMPED BACK TO THE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, THAT SLIDE NUMBER TWO, UM, IF WE LOOK AT 20, 22 YEAR TO DAY, THOSE THAT ARE REPORTED ARE 908 AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.
NOW IT IS NOT THE POLICY AS AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOR ANYWHERE WE DO NOT GO BACK AND RECONCILE.
UM, WE DON'T GO BACK AND RECONCILE RECORDS.
UM, THIS IS BASED UPON THOSE CRIMES THAT WERE REPORTED TO THE POLICE THAT WE RESPONDED TO, THAT WE ENGAGED IN, AND ON-SCENE DETERMINED THAT WOULD BE AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.
UM, SO WE DON'T GO BACK AND ACTUALLY CHANGE THEM BASED UPON A PENDING INDICTMENT.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UM, UNCOMMON.
THE REASON BEING IS THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORTING IS TO FILE ARE A NUMBER OF CRIMES WITH THE DPS AND FBI.
UH, AND WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK AND CHANGE THOSE NUMBERS, RIGHT.
ONCE THOSE NUMBERS ARE REPORTED.
SO THEY'RE ALWAYS REPORTED AS SORT OF AN AS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UH, AS A, UH, AS KNOWN TO POLICE AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, RIGHT? SO AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 908 AS OF 2022.
UM, THOSE ARE THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AS OF MARCH 20, 22, UH, THAT WE WERE AWARE OF WHEN THEY CAME IN SPREAD.
AND SO, UM, THE AG ASSAULTS IN 2020 WERE NEVER REPORTED TO THE FBI BECAUSE OFFICERS ON THE GROUND AT THE TIME DIDN'T VIEW THEM AS AG ASSAULTS, RIGHT.
IT'S JUST NOT THE WAY THE F IT'S NOT THE WAY THE FBI REPORTS IT BECAUSE THE NATURE OF CRIME.
BECAUSE THE WAY THE CRIME REPORTING WORKS WITH FBI, UM, BASICALLY WHEN YOU CLOSE OUT A REPORTING CYCLE, YOU CAN'T UPDATE IT.
AND DEPARTMENTS TRYING TO COMPLY WITH FBI, DON'T ACTUALLY GO BACK AND RETROACTIVELY CHANGE.
THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE A MECHANISM IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF, OF, OF INVOLVEMENT AND A LEVEL OF AWARENESS, UM, THE DEPARTMENT WILL LIKELY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CASE OF THE, OF THE 19 INDICTMENTS.
THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OTHER 908 THAT WERE REPORTED, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T ACTUALLY LINK OUR DATA IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY, UM, TO THOSE DATA THAT ARE NOT OURS, THOSE THAT WOULD BE HELD BY THE COURTS.
AND SO WE DON'T GO BACK AND RETROACTIVELY CHANGE FOR ANY CASES BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT FOR ALL CASES.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF AN UNFORTUNATE, THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM IN SORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT IF WE HAD A BETTER WAY OF TRACKING WHAT HAPPENS VERY FAR DOWN THE STREET, IT'D BE IMPORTANT FOR SORT OF TRAINING PURPOSES.
IT'D BE IMPORTANT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, DECISION-MAKING PURPOSES AND WHATNOT.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE THOSE ARE NOT AWESOME PRESCRIPTIVE DATA, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T ALTER ANYTHING BASED ON, I MEAN, IT, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND YOUR EXPLANATION.
UM, I MEAN, YOU'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT TRENDS AND MAKE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT TRENDS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CLEARER ABOUT HOW IMPERFECT THIS DATA REALLY IS.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S SO IMPERFECT THAT YOU'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO GO BACK AND CORRECT WHAT ARE KNOWN INACCURACIES, RIGHT? LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE REPORTED IN THE PAST THAT ARE NOT ACCURATE, BUT THEY DON'T ALLOW YOU TO FIX THAT.
BUT FUNDAMENTALLY THAT'S A MEASUREMENT ERROR QUESTION.
AND SO FOR THAT TO BE MEANINGFUL, WHAT MATTERS IS, IS THAT, DO WE REPORT THINGS AS THAT ARE NOT AT A RATE THAT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN WE ARE DON'T REPORT WHEN IT IS RIGHT.
AND SO EVERYONE SORT OF UNDERSTANDS, UH, YOU KNOW, CRIMINOLOGISTS AND WHATNOT THAT ACTUALLY USE THESE DATA EXTENSIVELY.
WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH CRIME IS OCCURRING.
[00:30:02]
THERE IS NO METRIC THAT ALLOWS US TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH KIND OF IS.AND WE CAN'T KNOW FOR EVERY SINGLE CRIME WHAT THE VALIDITY OF ACCOUNT THAT COMES TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM.
I THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD WAY OF CHARACTERIZING AND SAYING IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND UNDERSTAND THAT I AGREE WITH THAT IS THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OF SUBSTANTIAL SOCIAL BENEFIT, NOT JUST IN AUSTIN, BUT THROUGHOUT THE U S THAT IS ACCOMPLISHED.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE JURISDICTIONAL NATURE OF THE DEPARTMENTAL NATURE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE U S MAKES IT REALLY CHALLENGING TO DO, UM, I'D LOVE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO IT.
AND I WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL FOLLOW-UP ON ALL OF THEM.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF POSSIBILITY RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THIS.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE BETTER DATA.
UM, JUST ONE, ONE FINAL COMMENT.
IF I MAY, WE, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE DIDN'T ASK TO BE GIVEN THE DATA IN THIS FORM.
YOU KNOW, WE ASK FOR CERTAIN UPDATES AND IT'S THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S DECISION TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION ABOUT WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR UPDATES ABOUT WITH THIS DATA, AS OPPOSED TO OTHER DATASETS WHICH EXIST.
AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ONE PERSON, UM, DR.
KUNJAN, BUT I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT, LIKE WE'RE NOT HERE ASKING FOR THIS IMPERFECT DATA WE ARE BEING GIVEN THIS DATA IN RESPONSE TO OUR INQUIRIES ABOUT CERTAIN METRICS.
AND I THINK THAT THE CHALLENGE OF IT IS THAT, UH, THE DATA THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU AND WHEN IT COMES FROM THIS, THESE ARE THE SAME DATA THAT WE USE IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PORTALS, BECAUSE IT IS, ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPERFECT AS ARE ALL DATA, IT IS THE BEST AVAILABLE DATA.
AND SO, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT THE LEVEL OF MEASUREMENT ERROR THAT'S RELEVANT IS DEFINED BY A QUESTION, RIGHT? THE NATURE OF THE QUESTIONS, THE NATURE OF THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE PREDOMINANTLY DISCUSSING HERE IS CHANGE AT A CRIME RATE OVER TIME.
AND SO IT IS LIKELY NOT THE CASE THAT EXACTLY 908 ASSAULTS OCCURRED.
IT IS PROBABLY MORE HOW MUCH MORE WE DON'T THAT.
UM, BUT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, OUR APPROXIMATION OF WHAT THESE DATA ARE AS THESE ARE THE OFFICIAL, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT, BUT THEN APPROXIMATION FOR WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING OUT IN THE WORLD IS PROBABLY ABOUT AS FAR OFF NOW AS IT WAS LAST MARCH.
SO, UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH Y'ALL IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO CHANGE THIS PRESENTATION OVER TIME.
SO TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION THAT THE CONDITION, SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TO THE BOTTOM.
CAN, CAN I JUMP IN WITH SOME QUESTIONS REAL QUICK? YES.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, UH, COMMISSIONER WEBER? NO, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, THE WAY THAT IT'S BEING PRESENTED IS ENTIRELY COMING FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS LIKE A POLICY DECISION ON THEIR PART.
NO, I FEEL THAT, UM, SO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT AGGRAVATED SEXUAL, UH, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A WEAPON.
YOU'D MENTIONED THOSE NUMBERS ARE ALARMING OR THEY'RE COMING UP.
CAN YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE DATA ON HOW MUCH OF THAT IS DOMESTIC, UM, VIOLENCE AND, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, A UNIQUE TYPE OF VIOLENCE THAT POLICING DOESN'T NECESSARILY DO THE BEST AT, BUT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT, UM, UH, UH, YEAH, JUST THAT CATEGORY OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND HOW MUCH ACCOUNTS FOR THAT.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE BREAKDOWN ON THIS, THIS PARTICULAR INFORMATION, SOMETHING I COULD DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THE TERMS ON THE CATEGORY THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT WE'RE SEEING A PRECIPITOUS INCREASE IS THE NON-STANDARD MODEL.
AND SO WE ARE NOT SEEING, UM, THE LEVEL OF INCREASE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A FIREARM THAT WE ARE HITTING NON-FAMILY MODELS.
UM, DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON, TEACH YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT WE HAD BEEN SEEING.
IT'S NOT THE TREND THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, W WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WHAT'S HAPPENED.
UM, AND THEN I DID HAVE, SO I'D LIKE TO SEE, LIKE HOW, UM, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, DO Y'ALL LOOK AT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SEPARATELY, OR IS THAT JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU'D HAVE TO LIKE, JUST KIND OF TEASE OUT LATER? THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
AND THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S THE KIND OF QUESTION THAT THAT'S GOOD.
IF Y'ALL WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET TO.
IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE BUILT A PROCESS TO UNDERSTAND, AND WE USE IT INTERNALLY.
UM, THAT IS A DIFFERENT SYSTEM THAN THIS THAT PRODUCES, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT IS NOT ACROSS ALL CRIME TYPES LIKE THIS.
THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW, BUT HAPPY TO START WORKING THAT IN, RIGHT.
[00:35:01]
THAT YOU'LL WANT TO UNDERSTAND BETTER.'CAUSE I, I BELIEVE ALADY IS HIGH WITH DV, SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND THEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT RESPONSE TIMES, I GUESS WE SAW THE NUMBERS FOR THIS YEAR BY MONTH.
UM, DO YOU, HAS, HAVE THEY DECREASED? I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A DOWNWARD TREND AS FAR AS LIKE THE RESPONSE TIMES, AT LEAST LIKE BY SECONDS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER.
YEAH, NO, IT'S NOT GETTING BETTER.
SO, UM, SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING, AND THIS IS OF, THIS IS KIND OF ANOTHER THING WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
UM, KIND OF THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT LIKE, YOU KNOW, JANUARY AT 11 MINUTES AND 19 SECONDS, FEBRUARY AT 10 MINUTES AND 49 AND MARCH AT 10 26, THAT LOOKS LIKE, HEY, IT'S GOTTEN A LOT BETTER SINCE JANUARY.
IT'S JUST THAT JANUARY WITH THE WORST THAT HAS BEEN IN A VERY LONG TIME.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE KIND OF MINOR VOLATILITY AROUND IT AND SAYING, IS IT GETTING BETTER? IS IT GETTING WORSE? THE REALITY IS THAT THE RESPONSE TIME TARGETED 8 24 THAT WAS SET FORTH FOR 2022 WAS THE THREE YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE FOR 20 21, 20 20 TO 2019.
SO OVER THREE YEARS, WE WERE AVERAGING FOR THOSE CALL TYPES ABOUT EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTES.
AND NOW WE'RE AVERAGING 10 AND A HALF MINUTES.
AND SO THE LITTLE VARIATION AROUND IT IS, IS LARGELY, UH, NOT REALLY DEMONSTRATING WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENED OVER TIME AS IT'S GONE UP.
I JUST LIKE WAS LIKE, OH, THAT'S A 8, 8 30 WORD ASPIRATIONAL.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS THEIR PREVIOUS AVERAGE.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A, THREE-YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE.
AND SO, UH, BUT I MEAN, WE DO IN TERMS, I MEAN, WE ARE HAPPY TO SEE THAT IT'S DOWN, YOU KNOW, 23 SECONDS, UM, IN CONTEXT THAT NEEDS TO BE DOWN, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MINUTES DR.
HINTON, VICE-CHAIR RAMIREZ HAS A QUESTION, AND THEN I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WRAP THIS UP.
YEAH, IT ACTUALLY, WASN'T A QUESTION.
IT WAS A QUICK COMMENT JUST TO ECHO COMMISSIONER WEBER A BIT, AND WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING OVER THESE MINOR PERCENTAGE CHANGES AND LIKE GOING THROUGH AND BY YOUR OWN ACCOUNT, THE VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION AND THE, THE AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO MAKE SENSE OF IMPROVEMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS GETTING WORSE IS REALLY HARD TO DISCERN.
AND LIKE MONTH TO MONTH, I REALLY WANT US TO SORT OF MAKE BETTER USE OF THIS TIME MOVING FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN START ADDRESSING THINGS LIKE DV AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE FEEL LIKE, LIKE THE CLEARANCE RATES.
THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING.
I KNOW FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE DO WANT TO BE LOOKING AT.
SO I JUST, IT'S JUST A CALL TO PLEASE, IF WE CAN PLEASE START ADDRESSING SOME OF THAT AND SHIFT AWAY FROM SOME OF THESE LIKE NUMBER CHARTS THAT ARE HONESTLY DIFFICULT FOR THE PUBLIC TO MAKE SENSE OF AS WELL.
[2.b. Introduction of new Chief, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Ramirez) 4:40pm-4:55pm]
ON TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW CHIEF FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS FOR INVITING ME HERE TONIGHT.
JUST WANTED TO START OFF BY INTRODUCING MYSELF, ROB BLUEPRINTS.
I'M THE NEW EMS CHIEF FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. AND JUST SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT MY EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN THUS FAR.
IT'S BEEN REALLY AN EXCITING JOURNEY FOR ME OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, AS I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE CITY AND ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, ABOUT OUR EMS SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS I WANT TO ALSO REASSURE YOU THAT WHAT I'VE SEEN HERE IS ENDEMIC OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THERE ARE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED BY OFFS, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. THERE ARE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED WITH THE CITY, PARTICULARLY IN OUR WORKFORCE, WHICH I'LL SHARE WITH YOU IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY CITY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IS FACING THOSE SAME CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORKFORCE.
MANY OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING IN TERMS OF COVID-19 AND THE EFFECTS OF THAT, AND OUR PROVIDER WELLNESS, OUR CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN MY OTHER ROLE, AND ANOTHER ROLE THAT I HOLD, I'M THE CHAIR OF THE EMS WORKFORCE FOR THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON NATIONAL STRATEGIES AROUND HOW IT IS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CONCERNS, BOTH ON RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND PROVIDER WELLBEING.
THE GREAT THING THAT'S GOING FOR THIS ORGANIZATION IS THAT I CAN TELL YOU FOR THE SAME REASON THAT I CAME HERE, THIS IS THE BEST EMS SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY, HANDS DOWN WHEN I HAVE THE CHANCE TO COMPARE THIS TO MY OTHER EXPERIENCES AND MANY WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS,
[00:40:01]
THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE CITY, OF ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS HERE WITH THIS EMS AGENCY IS UNMATCHED.IT TRULY IS A PHENOMENAL ORGANIZATION AND IS VERY, VERY WELL POISED TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS IN OUR INDUSTRY.
PROBABLY MUCH MORE SO THAN MANY OTHER AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STAFFING SHORTAGE THAT WE SEE HERE, AS I SAID, IT'S THE SAME THAT WE'RE SEEING ELSEWHERE, BUT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS HAS HAD A REPUTATION FOR DECADES AS BEING ONE OF THE BEST EMS SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY AND A PLACE THAT CAN TRULY DRAW PROVIDERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION AND FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, AS WE LOOK FORWARD IN WHAT THE NEXT FEW MONTHS LOOKS LIKE, I WANT TO WORK WITH THE TEAM.
I WANT TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO REALLY WORK ON OUR RECRUITING PROCESS AND TO REALLY GET OUT THERE AND TELL OUR STORY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS INTERESTING TO ME IS I CAME HERE AND I LEARNED, AND I TRIED TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT AREAS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, WHICH JUST HOW MANY GREAT THINGS WE'RE DOING, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND SO MANY OTHERS, AND ADDRESSING NOT JUST EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, BUT THE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND EMS IS SO WELL POISED TO BE A HUB IN THIS CITY THAT REALLY HELPS TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF ALL OF THESE OTHER AGENCIES AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE CITY AS TO HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
I'M CONFIDENT AS WE LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS OUR STAFFING SHORTAGES, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND JUST SHOW ALL OF THE EMS PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE A PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
STAFFING BE THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT WE FACE.
OBVIOUSLY, I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS BRIEFLY THE DISPATCH OPTIMIZATION AND EQUITY STUDY.
THERE WAS RECENTLY RELEASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BE IN REVENUE CYCLE AND ELSEWHERE.
AND SO AS WE LOOK AT HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SUSTAIN OUR EMS SYSTEM, HOW IT IS WE'RE GOING TO GROW.
I THINK THAT THERE'S MANY, MANY LOW HANGING FRUITS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE, DESPITE THE STRUGGLES THAT MAY WE MAY HAVE RIGHT NOW, AND WHETHER IT'S WITH STAFFING AND MORALE AND OTHER ISSUES, WE'RE TRULY ON THE CUSP OF GETTING BACK TO BEING THE NUMBER ONE PREMIER EMS AGENCY IN THE COUNTRY THAT I KNOW THAT, THAT IT IS AND IS CAPABLE OF BEING, AND THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS? I HAVE SOMETHING CHAIR, COMMISSIONER LINE.
HEY, CHIEF, IT'S VERY GOOD TO, VERY GOOD TO MEET YOU.
UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH TIME WE GET, SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS NOT ALLOWED, BUT, UM, I I'D LOVE TO LOOK AT THIS PERSON SPEAK A LITTLE MORE, CAUSE I DON'T THINK I HEAR THIS ENOUGH.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STARTING AND LEADING WITH THE EXCELLENCE OF EMS. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ENOUGH AND I LOVE TO KNOW ANY BIT OF YOUR PLANS ON EQUITY.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE WHERE YOU SEE SOME, SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN, UH, I, I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE FROM YOU IF WE, IF WE CAN GET SOME MORE OUT OF YOU, UM, ON WHERE, WHERE YOU SEE EMS, UH, LEADING SOME REWARD, THAT'D BE GREAT.
THAT'D BE GREAT TO HEAR IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I THINK AS WE LOOK AT, UM, WHAT THE FUTURE OF EMS IS IN THIS CITY, AS I SAID, I REALLY DO THINK OF IT AS A HUB AND SPOKE MODEL.
I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, AND YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS, BUT ONE OF THE GREATEST EXAMPLES OR ANALOGIES THAT WAS PRESENTED TO ME AT ONE POINT WAS THAT EMS HAS A TRIANGLE.
AND ON ONE SIDE OF THAT TRIANGLE, EMS HAS PUBLIC HEALTH.
ON ONE SIDE OF THAT TRIANGLE, EMS IS PUBLIC HEALTH AND ON ONE SIDE OF THAT TRIANGLE, EMS IS ACUTE HEALTHCARE.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, AND WE APPROACH EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND REALLY MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES AND OUT OF HOSPITAL CARE WITH THAT PERSPECTIVE, IT REALLY CHANGES THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO DEPLOY OUR THINGS.
HISTORICALLY, WE MANY AGENCIES.
AND I THINK IN A LOT OF WAYS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS APPROACHED EMS AS A PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITY WITH A FOCUS ON RESPONSE TIMES AND A FOCUS ON THAT 9 1, 1 APPROACH.
I HAPPEN TO WORK IN AN EMS SYSTEM AT ONE POINT IN MY LIFE, WHICH WAS BASED OUT OF A HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN WHICH WAS VERY HEALTHCARE FOCUSED AND LESS FOCUSED ON THOSE EMERGENCIES.
AS WE LOOK AT WHAT THE FUTURE OF WHAT WE CAN DO, WE HAVE HIGHLY, HIGHLY TRAINED CLINICIANS PRACTITIONERS IN THE FIELD WITH AN ASTOUNDING AMOUNT OF NOT JUST CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE, BUT ACTUAL CLINICAL EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT AND THE ABILITIES THAT THEY HAVE GO SO FAR BEYOND ANSWERING A NINE 11 CALL.
AND FROM AN EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT, HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THAT IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO BECOME PART OF THAT HEALTH CARE CONTINUUM, THAT PUBLIC HEALTH PIECE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS ISSUES AROUND A PERSON'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY COMING OUT OF COVID-19.
[00:45:01]
NEEDS TO TAKE A CENTRAL ROLE IN THOSE INITIATIVES AND IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.WHAT I'M SO PLEASED TO SEE IS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
UM, THE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 THE PARTNERSHIP, AGAIN, BETWEEN ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES BETWEEN EMS AND THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER IS REALLY TRANSFORMING HOW WE THINK ABOUT THINGS.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE ABOUT WHERE WE PUT OUR AMBULANCES AND WHAT OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHERE DO WE PUT OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, WHERE DO WE NEED TO PUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH RESPONDERS? HOW CAN WE GET THESE PEOPLE OUT THERE? THE FIRE SERVICE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS OF TRANSITIONING FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT FIGHTS FIRES TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT PREVENTS FIRES AND EMS NEEDS TO FOLLOW SUIT AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE GET THOSE RIGHT RESOURCES OUT IN MANY WAYS, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PRACTITIONERS ARE OUR VERSION OF THE FIRE.
WE'RE GETTING OUT THERE AHEAD OF TIME TO TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS BEFORE SOMEONE ACTUALLY NEEDS US TO DRIVE LIGHTS AND SIRENS, TO TAKE THEM TO THE HOSPITAL AND EMERGENCY, CAN WE SHARE YOUR WEBER? YES, THEY HAVE BUILD ON THAT.
AND JUST SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS COMMISSION REALLY SUPPORTED THE PARAMEDIC HOTLINE, THE PARAMEDIC HOTLINE DURING COVID, AND WE'RE JUST THRILLED THAT IT SEEMS TO BE GROWING AND BECOMING, UM, SOMETHING THAT CAN SERVE ALL OF AUSTIN.
WILL YOU JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR THAT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT THE, THE, THAT HOTLINE PIECE AND, AND THE GROWTH OF IT, AGAIN, THAT'S KEY FOR US AS WE WANT TO LOOK AT HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS HEALTHCARE CRISIS.
I THINK THAT HOTLINE PAIRS SO WELL INTO MANY OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO IN EMS, WHEN I COME IN AND I LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH MODEL IN EMS, SOME CITIES LOOK AT IT AS A WAY TO SAY DEAL WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PRACTITIONER AGREEMENT, THE HEALTH PROGRAM, SOME COMMUNITIES ARE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE USE THIS TO ADDRESS PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND FINDING THEM THE RIGHT PLACE.
WE'RE DOING THAT WITH OUR HOST PROGRAM, OUR C4 LINER, OUR COMMUNITY PARAMEDIC HOTLINE IS THE ABSOLUTE NEXT STEP.
AND ONE MORE PIECE OF WHAT BEST PRACTICES ARE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IF WE CAN DIVERT FOLKS AND NOT CLOG UP OUR ERS AND FIND ALTERNATIVE PLACES FOR THEM TO GO, IT DOESN'T JUST HELP EMS. IT HELPS THE WHOLE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, AND IT HELPS THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE CAN GET OUT AHEAD OF IT.
AND, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF I WANT TO MAYBE SECURITY US, NOT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, BUT I WANT TO SEE IT GROW.
AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO GROW BECAUSE MUCH LIKE THE FIRE SERVICE, IF WE STOP RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES, BECAUSE WE CAN GET PEOPLE ELSEWHERE.
THAT'S A GOOD STEP FOR US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND USING ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF GETTING PEOPLE THERE IS THE FUTURE OF EMS. THANK YOU.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
UM, WELL, UH, THANK YOU CHIEF, AND I GUESS WE'LL MOVE ON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, SO, UH, NOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK
[2.c. Labor Negotiations Update and EMS Public Safety Pay Equity Recommendation (sponsors: Commissioner Webber and Bernhardt) 4:55pm-5:20pm]
ABOUT, UH, LABOR NEGOTIATIONS, UH, AND, UH, ALSO, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, UH, EMS PAY PROPOSALS.UM, SO I'M NOT SURE WHO OF OUR SPEAKERS WE HAVE IN THE ROOM.
UM, IS MR. CRAWFORD HERE? I, I THINK THE FOLKS MAY BE FROM NEGOTIATIONS HAVEN'T MADE THEIR WAY OVER HERE.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT CHRIS HARRIS, UM, VIRTUALLY, UM, SO LET'S START WITH MS. UM, T THERE YOU GO.
UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE SOME OF Y'ALL IN PERSON AND EVERYBODY ELSE VIRTUALLY.
UM, SO WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS AND WE ARE NEGOTIATING TOMORROW AS WELL.
UM, THE CITY ACTUALLY RECENTLY SENT OUT A LETTER TO THE MEDIA AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT WHY THEY FELT LIKE THEIR OFFER WAS APPROPRIATE.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S BECOMING CLEAR THAT, UM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES AS WELL.
UM, AND I FEEL THE NEED TO DEFEND OUR INITIAL PROPOSAL TO THE CITY.
UM, OUR PROPOSAL WAS A DRAMATIC INCREASE.
CURRENTLY OUR MEDICS MAKE $19 AND 56 CENTS WHEN THEY START OUT.
UM, AND THAT'S SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, EVEN AS OF TODAY, I HAD A MEDIC REACH OUT TO ME TELLING ME THAT, UM, THEIR RENT IS GOING UP $300 AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY WOULD MOVE TO, AND THEY ALSO DON'T WANT TO RELOCATE THEIR KIDS.
[00:50:01]
IS POTENTIALLY TO MOVE TO ANOTHER CITY AND DO EMS THERE.UM, AND THAT IS HEARTBREAKING FOR US, ESPECIALLY WHEN, UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HIS RENT IS GOING UP $300 A MONTH.
AND THE CITY'S FIRST OFFERED TO US WAS ABOUT $300 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.
UM, AND SO IT JUST ISN'T EVEN HELPING US KEEP UP WITH THE COST OF LIVING IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND IT IS CERTAINLY NOT HELPING US KEEP UP WITH THE MARKET RATE, UM, FOR EMT AND PARAMEDICS.
UM, THIS IS OBVIOUS, AND THIS IS AN ACTUAL CRISIS, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THE CITY MANAGER IS TREATING THIS LIKE A GAME.
OUR EMS DEPARTMENT IS 25% SHORT, UM, A QUARTER OF OUR STAFF.
WE CAN'T FILL AND WE HEARD THE POLICE, UM, JUST TALK ABOUT HOW THEY'RE 11% SHORT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE DOUBLE THAT, AND WE'RE HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT THAT I'M AWARE OF RIGHT NOW AS WELL.
UM, THE CITY'S, UM, ULTIMATE SOLUTION THEY SAID IS TO BRING IN PEOPLE AT OUR CLINICAL SPECIALIST LEVEL OR PARAMEDIC LEVEL THAT WILL HELP A LOT.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T EVEN FILL A CLASS OF 30 WITH EMT BASICS AT THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE PAYING THEM.
SO IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP BRING IN MORE PEOPLE, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE EMT BASICS THAT ARE WANTING TO COME HERE FOR THE AMOUNT THAT WE CAN PAY THEM.
UM, I THINK CHIEF LOU CRITS TALKED A LOT ABOUT, UM, HOW WE'RE EXPERIENCING A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO MANY OTHER PLACES, AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
UM, THE PANDEMIC REALLY DROVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF HEALTHCARE.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF OUR MEDICS, THEY RETIRED EARLY.
UM, THEY HAVE LEFT JUST BECAUSE THE BURNOUT WAS REALLY HIGH AND HARD ON PEOPLE.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO HAVING A HARD TIME RECRUITING, I THINK BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE LEFT HEALTHCARE.
AND SO THERE ARE A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN HEALTHCARE FOR EMT, BASICS AND PARAMEDICS.
SO THE COMPETITION FOR PARAMEDICS IS DRESSED MUCH HIGHER THAN IT USED TO BE.
UM, THE RESPONSE FROM MANY OTHER AGENCIES HAS BEEN TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE WAGES.
UM, WE SEE WAKE COUNTY JUST INCREASE THEIR WAGES BY 10 TO 20%.
UM, WE'VE SEEN OTHER PLACES, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, UM, CY-FAIR, UM, THEY ALL HAVE REALLY DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THEIR WAGES AND THEY'VE SURPASSED US AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND SO FOR THE CITY TO SAY THAT THEIR FIRST OFFER IS A 14 CENT RAISE, UM, IT, IT'S JUST PLAYING A GAME THAT IS ACTUALLY DANGEROUS, UM, TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF THE CITY HISTORICALLY, UM, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT EMS DOESN'T DESERVE THE SAME PAY AS THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, BECAUSE WE DON'T FACE THE SAME DANGERS THAT THEY FACE.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW THE ROLE HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE KNOW THAT, UM, THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF DEATH AND PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS FROM POLICE TO FIRE TO EMS HAS BEEN COVID-19.
UM, AND OUR MEDICS ARE GOING TO COVID CALLS.
UM, AND WE'RE ASKING, WE'RE TELLING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY CAN WAIT OUTSIDE WHILE WE TRIAGE THOSE CALLS.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY FACING THAT DANGER MORE SO AND RESPONDING TO ALL OF THE PANDEMIC CALLS.
UM, FURTHERMORE, WE DO SEE AS THE PREVIOUS, UM, AS THE POLICE SHOWED US THAT WE DO SEE A LOT MORE ROAD OTHER INCIDENTS, AND WE ARE EXPERIENCING A HIGHER LEVEL OF DANGER IN THE FIELD AS WELL.
I HAD A MEDIC TELL ME YESTERDAY THAT THEY WERE DRIVING THEIR AMBULANCE TO A CALL AND A CAR ROLLED UP NEXT TO THEM AND POINTED A GUN AT THEM.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT OUR MEDICS ARE ACTUALLY FACING THE SAME DANGERS THAT POLICE AND FIRE FACE A WEEK AGO, A MEDIC REACHED OUT TO LET ME KNOW THAT SHE HAD BEEN CHOKED IN THE BACK OF THE AMBULANCE.
AND NOW SHE'LL BE OFF THE TRUCK FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND IS DEALING WITH CONSEQUENCES OF PTSD.
AND SHE HAS ONE PERSON BY HERSELF IN THE BACK OF THE AMBULANCE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE FIREFIGHTERS.
THEY HAVE FOUR PEOPLE ON AN ENGINE AND POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY HAVE ALL SORTS OF DEFENSIVE MECHANISMS. THEY HAVE BARRIERS, THEY HAVE HANDCUFFS, AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT WHEN WE'RE TREATING PATIENTS.
AND SO, IN FACT, IN A LOT OF WAYS, IT'S MORE DANGEROUS WHEN WE'RE BY OURSELVES TREATING SOME PEOPLE.
SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY FACING.
I THINK THE LAST THING TO REALLY CONSIDER IS HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY WE'VE REALLY TAKEN ON IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE C4 LINE AND THAT'S DOING AMAZING JOB IN ACTUALLY INCREASING EFFICIENCY FOR THIS CITY.
IT'S HELPING TRIAGE SOME CALLS THAT DON'T NEED A VERY EXPENSIVE AMBULANCE RESPONSE.
WE ARE ALSO REALLY ADVANCING OUR PRACTICE.
I CAN NOW DO A FINGER THOR, A COST TO ME.
I CAN ACTUALLY, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A REALLY HIGH LEVEL BURN, I CAN ACTUALLY CUT YOUR SKIN TO ALLOW YOU TO BREATHE.
[00:55:01]
I CAN DO A FIELD AMPUTATION.AND SO WE'RE REALLY INCREASING OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND ALSO REALLY TAKING ON A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT COUNCIL REALLY CARES ABOUT, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH, FIRST RESPONSE, RESPONDING TO THE OPIOID CRISIS, RESPONDING TO A LOT OF ISSUES THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE FACING, AND EMS IS ON THE FOREFRONT OF ALL OF THESE THINGS.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF THESE BECAUSE WE'RE SO SHORT-STAFFED, UM, OUR CHIP PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN FULLY STAFFED.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I JUST REALLY THINK THAT IF COUNCIL IS SERIOUS ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND IF THE CITY MANAGER IS SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING THE STAFFING ISSUES, THEN WE HAVE TO REALLY PUSH HIM TO RETHINK THEIR OFFER TO THE ASSOCIATION.
UM, I THINK BEFORE WE HAVE QUESTIONS, WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. HARRIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, FOR HAVING ME, UM, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU ALL TODAY.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT DAWSON JUSTICE COALITION AND A FORMER, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, COMMITTEE COMMISSION MEMBER.
UM, YEAH, SO, UM, TODAY WAS THE LAST SCHEDULED, UH, NEGOTIATION SESSION BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION, UH, MORE ARE, ARE, ARE DEFINITELY BECOME, UH, BUT THERE ARE NO MORE CURRENTLY ON THE SCHEDULE.
UM, WE TODAY, UM, SAW THE CITY MAKE PROPOSALS, UH, RELATED TO, UH, UH, DRUG TESTING, UH, AS WELL AS PROMOTIONS.
UM, AND WE ANTICIPATED, UH, THIS MEETING WAS TEED UP AS A DAY WHEN WE WOULD HEAR, UH, THE AUSTIN FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION, SPECIFICALLY THEIR RESPONSE TO A COUPLE OF STRONG CITY PROPOSALS THAT WOULD, UM, THAT WOULD GREATLY ENHANCE BOTH THE OVERSIGHT OF AUSTIN POLICE AND THE TRANSPARENCY OF AUSTIN POLICE.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE APA DID NOT RESPOND.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WHENEVER THEY SET THE NEXT MEETING TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT, UH, I GUESS FOR, FOR MY PART, I, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, THE CITY GOES FAR, UH, AT, IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS PARTICULAR NEGOTIATION, UH, AND THE ISSUES THAT THAT ORGANIZATION CARES MOST ABOUT, WHICH IS, UM, IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, OVERSIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY SPECIFICALLY, UH, IN ORDER TO, UH, DETER, UH, POLICE VIOLENCE.
UM, THEY'VE MADE STRONG PROPOSALS, UM, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE CITY HAS PROPOSED, UH, TO, UH, TO PULL THE OVERSIGHT ENTITIES, UH, INCLUDING THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, OUT OF THE CONTRACT.
UH, THESE ARE STRONG PROPOSALS BECAUSE, UH, THEIR EXISTENCE WITHIN THE CONTRACT, UH, MEANS THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS SUBJECT TO, UH, THE NEGOTIATION TABLE, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION HAS TO AGREE TO WHATEVER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, RULES AROUND THEIR, THEIR OPERATIONS.
UM, AND THERE IS A REALLY GOOD ARGUMENT VALID UNDER STATE LAW IN PARTICULAR, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, UH, DOES NOT NEED TO EXIST WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE CONTRACT DOES NOT NEED TO BE NEGOTIATED AND THEREFORE IT COULD EXIST INDEPENDENTLY AND POTENTIALLY BE STRENGTHENED INDEPENDENTLY, UH, WITHOUT, AGAIN, HAVING TO, UH, GO TO THE BARGAINING TABLE, WHICH WOULD MEAN ONE THAT ANY IMPROVEMENTS WOULD, WOULD LIKELY BE MINIMIZED AND THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO BUY THEM.
THEY'D HAVE TO ACTUALLY INCREASE ANY SORT OF FINANCIAL COMPENSATION OFFERED TO THE POLICE ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS HOW THESE, THESE NEGOTIATION SYSTEMS GO.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, AND SO PULLING THEM OUT OF THE CONTRACT, UH, VERY MUCH RELIES ON ANOTHER STRONG PROPOSAL THAT THE CITY HAS MADE, UH, WHICH IS TO, UM, IS TO END, UH, THE, UH, THE USE OF WHAT'S CALLED A G FILE.
UH, SO, UH, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 1 43 SECTION OH 89 G SAYS FOR THAT, A CITY MAY, UH, KEEP A G FILE, UH, WHICH IS PERSONNEL RECORDS, UH, FOR OFFICERS, UH, RELATED TO ANYTHING, UH, THAT IS NOT, UH, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THEM BEING FOUND, UM, UM, UM, UH, GUILTY OF, OR, OR HAVING CAPITA COMMITTED SOME SUSTAINED FORM OF MISCONDUCT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT EVERYTHING, ALL THE INVESTIGATION FILES, ALL THE COMPLAINTS, EVERYTHING GO INTO THIS AND UNLESS THE INVESTIGATION,
[01:00:01]
UH, COMES OUT THAT SAYS THAT THEY WERE, THEY COMMITTED SOME SORT OF SUSTAINED MISCONDUCT, THAT INFORMATION IS HIDDEN FOREVER.UM, AND EVEN THEN IT'S JUST MADE AVAILABLE VIA PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TO ASK FOR IT, UH, EVEN IF THERE IS SUSTAINED MISCONDUCT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF SECRECY THAT PERVADES THIS PROCESS, BUT IF THIS G FILE IS NO LONGER MAINTAINED, THEN THE COMMUNITY REVIEW POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, COULD HAVE ACCESS TO THESE ONGOING INVESTIGATION FILES, UH, IN A WAY THAT ALLOWED THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR WORK.
UM, AND SO COUPLED TOGETHER, UM, THESE WOULD, THESE WOULD GO A LONG WAY, UM, IN, IN ENSURING THAT, UM, THAT COMPLAINTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED WOULD ACTUALLY BE INVESTIGATED, WHICH IS AN ISSUE THAT THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT HAS, HAS RAISED, UH, THAT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
UH, AND THAT'S EVEN HAPPENING LESS NOW THAT THE POLICE ASSOCIATION, UH, GRIEVANCES LED TO, UH, AN ARBITRATION RULING THAT PREVENTS THE OPO FROM DOING A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF COMPLAINTS.
UM, AND THEN IT WOULD HELP ENSURE, UH, THAT THE OPO COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY, UH, PARTICULARLY TO ENSURE THAT INVESTIGATIONS OCCUR, UH, WHEN THEY DEEMED THAT THEIR COMPLAINT IS VALID.
UM, AND, AND HOPEFULLY THE APPEAL COULD BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED, AND THIS WOULD NOT BE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT A GOOD INVESTIGATION HAPPENS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE UNFORTUNATELY SEE TOO OFTEN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, SOMETHING COMES TO THE OPO, UH, DATA THAT THEY FORWARDED ALONG.
IT'S EITHER NOT INVESTIGATED AT ALL OR THE INVESTIGATION AS IT HAPPENED WELL, OR IT'S DRAGGED OUT SO THAT THE SIX MONTH STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ENDS, SO NO DISCIPLINE CAN OCCUR.
UH, AND THEN THAT MEANS THOSE FILES ARE NOW HIDDEN FOREVER BECAUSE THEY GO INTO THE G FILE BECAUSE THERE'S NO DISCIPLINE THAT OCCURS.
AND SO, UM, IF WE'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY HAVE A PROCESS THAT ENSURES COMPLAINTS GET INVESTIGATED, INVESTIGATIONS ARE THOROUGH AND TIMELY, UM, THEN, THEN WE COULD ACTUALLY POTENTIALLY SEE A, THAT HOLDS POLICE ACCOUNTABLE WHEN IT'S WARRANTED, UH, FOR WRONGDOING.
UM, AND, UM, AND THEN THOSE FILES BECOME PUBLIC, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY, THERE'S, THERE'S DISCIPLINARY.
SO, UM, AND THE LAST THING I'LL JUST SAY, UM, AND THERE'S DEFINITELY MORE GOING ON AT THE TABLE.
FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN JUST IS NOT AN ACADEMIC, UH, THING, YOU KNOW, TODAY WE HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS AND ANTICIPATION OF THE APA RESPONDING TO SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS.
UH, WE HEARD FROM A FEW FOLKS WHO, UH, WERE HARMED DURING THE PROTEST.
UH, NOT A SINGLE POLICE OFFICER HAS BEEN DISCIPLINED BY THE CITY OUT OF ANY BEHAVIOR AT THE PROTEST, EVEN THOUGH THE CITY HAS GIVEN OUT OVER $13 MILLION IN SETTLEMENTS OVER THOSE OVER JUST A HANDFUL OF THOSE CASES.
UM, AND 19 OFFICERS HAVE BEEN INDICTED VIA TRAVIS COUNTY, GRAND JURY, AGAIN, OVER A HANDFUL OF THOSE CASES.
UM, WE ALSO HAD A B-ROLL REPORT COME OUT.
UH, THE SECOND ONE THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR, DOCUMENTED DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CASES WHERE OFFICERS ARRESTED SOMEONE, UH, FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AFTER HAVING USED FORCE AGAINST THEM.
AND THEY ARRESTED THEM FOR RESISTING ARREST WITH NO UNDERLYING CHARGE.
SO WHY DID THEY APPROACH THEM? WHY WAS THE FORCE USED? WHY DID THEY GET ARRESTED? UH, ALL QUESTIONS THAT CROW ASKED AND DIDN'T FIND A GOOD ANSWER TO THOSE, UH, THOSE INCIDENTS HAPPENED IN 2019, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE OFFICERS WAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
UH, SO WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM THAT PERSISTS WITH, WITH POLICE BRUTALITY AND MISCONDUCT, AND WE DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM CURRENTLY THAT SET UP TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THESE LABOR NEGOTIATIONS ON THE POLICE SIDE, AS IT RELATES TO THESE ISSUES IS OF DIRE IMPORTANCE TO TOO MANY FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE TIME, AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, HAPPY TO EVERYTHING IS, UH, THANK YOU.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS OR COMMENTS OR COMMISSIONER WEBER? ARE WE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE CITY? UM, I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE NOT YET ARRIVED FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, IS THAT CORRECT? MS. JACKSON? THEY, THEY UNFORTUNATELY ADVISED US VERY LATE IN THE DAY THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, UH, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THEY'VE BEEN ON THE AGENDA FOR OVER A WEEK.
DOES NEGOTIATIONS END TODAY, CHRIS? DO YOU KNOW, WERE YOU THERE
[01:05:04]
FOR THEM? OH, SO, UM, I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY DO OFTEN DO, YOU KNOW, SOME WORK ON THEIR OWN, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THAT, BUT I'M SURE THEY'RE WORKING, BUT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE ADDRESSING THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.UM, THEY DIDN'T SEND, THEY JUST SAID THEY WEREN'T COMING.
THEY DIDN'T SEND ANYONE OR ANYTHING TO BE CLEAR.
AND MAYBE MS. JACKSON CAN CLARIFY THIS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY SAID ANYTHING WE'VE HEARD FROM MR. CASSIDY FROM THE POLICE UNION THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BECAUSE THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE GOING TO GO ALONG.
SO I DON'T THINK THE CITY HAS COMMUNICATED WITH US AT ALL.
WELL, THE NEGOTIATIONS ENDED AT NOON TODAY, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT NEGOTIATIONS ARE GOING ON THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THAT'S JUST REALLY UNFORTUNATE.
SO, UM, SHERIFF, I COULD KIND OF, I WANT TO ASK THEM ABOUT EMS. IS THAT OKAY? OH, DEFINITELY.
I THINK I SHOULD'VE PROBABLY SEPARATED THE TOPICS, BUT BOTH TOPICS ARE ON THE TABLE.
SO, UM, SELENA, WHEN YOU WERE GIVING YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH CY-FAIR AND MONTGOMERY, AND I JUST WAS HOPING YOU COULD REMIND PEOPLE WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT THEN IN THE PAST, THE CITY HAS, UM, SAID THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO GIVE MORE MONEY BECAUSE OF WHAT'S BEING PAID IN THOSE COMMUNITIES TO THIRD-PARTY AMBULANCE SERVICE.
AND NOW THEY SAY WHAT I THINK A LOT OF THESE CHANGES ARE HAPPENING EVEN EVERY DAY.
AND SO WAKE FOREST CAME OUT, I THINK JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, CY-FAIR AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY I'VE BEEN RECENTLY COMPLETING THESE PAY STUDIES.
SO SOME OF THAT MIGHT NOT BE NEW INFORMATION FOR THEM.
UM, I THINK WE, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS DOES HAVE A STEP PROGRAM THAT MOST OTHER PLACES DON'T HAVE.
AND SO IN THE CITY'S REMARKS, YOU'LL NOTE, THEY SAY THAT PARAMEDICS AT THE END OF THEIR CAREER DO VERY WELL.
THE BARGAINING TEAM HAS NEVER DISAGREED WITH THAT.
OUR CONCERN IS THAT PEOPLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PAY SCALE DO NOT DO WELL AND RELY ON THE ASSOCIATION FOR ASSISTANCE PAYING THEIR HEATING BILLS.
I HAVE HELPED CUT MANY RENT CHECKS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T MAKE RENT.
AND, UM, THE FACT IS IS THAT WHEN A MEDIC COMES TO WORK FOR ATC EMS, THEY DON'T COME TO WORK AT THE END OF THE PAY SCALE.
THEY COME TO WORK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PAY SCALE, WHICH IS EXTREMELY INADEQUATE, VICE COMMISSIONER RUMORS.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, I WAS ACTUALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE ATTRITION, LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU GUYS ARE LOSING, LIKE WHERE IN THAT PAY SCALE, WHERE IN THAT SORT OF SCALE, ARE THEY, ARE WE LOSING THEM TOWARDS THE BEGINNING? OR LIKE, ARE WE LOSING THEM LIKE CLOSER TO, SO YEAH, IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT.
I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY PROBABLY A BETTER QUESTION FOR CHIEF GARDNER.
THEY HAVE THE MOST UP-TO-DATE, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHERE PEOPLE LEAVE SEPARATE.
DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION, CHIEF GARDENER OR A SENSE OF IT? I CAN GIVE YOU MY SENSE WITHOUT HAVING JUST THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF IT, BUT WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE LEAVE ON REALLY, BOTH ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM.
UM, SO, UH, RIGHT NOW IN THIS 20 TO 23 YEAR RANGE OF, TOWARDS THE END OF THE CAREER, UM, ABOUT THAT TIMEFRAME 20 TO 23 YEARS AGO, WE WENT THROUGH A VERY LARGE HIRING PHASE WITHIN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE RE ARE REACHING THE RETIREMENT, UM, QUALIFICATIONS.
SO WE DO SEE A LARGER NUMBER THAN BEFORE ARE RETIRING.
UM, ON THE OPPOSITE END, WE HAVE HAD SOME THAT ARE EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS THAT, UM, HAVE LEFT FOR, UM, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GO BACK TO, UH, WHERE THEIR FAMILIES ARE FROM.
SO IT'S REALLY A MIX OF BOTH ON, ON BOTH ENDS.
AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS, UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF LIKE, WHEN THEY ENROLL AS CADETS, THAT IT WORKS LIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THEY'RE ON AS, AS CIVILIAN, AS A STAFF, RIGHT? LIKE THEY'RE GETTING A SALARY AT THAT POINT.
AND SO WE'RE INVESTING MONEY IN TRAINING CADETS, AND THEN LOSING THEM.
AND I'M, I'M TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF HOW ON THE BEGINNING, END OF THE SCALE, HOW MUCH TIME WE'RE INVESTING IN TRAINING AND THEN IMMEDIATELY LOSING THEM, LIKE, ARE WE LOSING THEM SIX MONTHS AFTER THEY'RE DONE? ARE WE LOSING THEM A YEAR AFTER THEY'RE DONE? AND LIKE, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY LOST ALL THAT INVESTMENT FROM THE FRONT END? AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF THAT.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DUE FOR OUR REPORT NEXT MONTH.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY INCLUDE SO WE CAN GET REALLY INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT IT IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
UM, OUR ACADEMY IS SHORTER IN TIMEFRAME
[01:10:01]
FOR, UH, THE CLASSROOM PART THAT IT'S ACTUALLY LONGER WITH THE FIELD TRAINING AND JUST THE ONGOING TRAINING AND INVESTMENT THAT WE HAVE AND THE CONTINUING EDUCATION, UM, EQUIPMENT AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT GO INTO IT, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GET INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHERE THAT ATTRITION IS HAPPENING.I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE INFORMATION ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S WASTEFUL, IT'S WASTEFUL AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOSING, WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE AFTER INVESTING ALL THIS MONEY IN TRAINING THEM AND WE'RE LOSING THEM.
AND SO JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT NEXT MONTH.
AND ONE THING I'LL NOTE ALSO IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL HIRE ON WITH ATC EMS WHILE WAITING FOR OFFERS FROM POLICE AND FIRE.
UM, AND SO WE SEE PEOPLE SEPARATE, YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS IN ONCE THEY GET AN OFFER.
AND SO THEN THAT REALLY IS WASTED A LOT OF TRAINING, ESPECIALLY IF THEY JUST KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SALARY IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR THEM LONG-TERM, BUT IT'S REAL EASY TO GET IN.
AND SO, UM, THEY CAN JUST EASILY MOVE AND IMMEDIATELY MAKE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR MEDICS START AT 1956 POLICE OFFICERS, THEY START AT $30 AN HOUR.
UM, AND THE FIREFIGHTERS, THEY WILL HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WORK WEEK.
AND SO THEY ULTIMATELY MAKE, UM, 8,000 MORE AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR.
AND THEN THAT, UH, DIFFERENCE REALLY GROWS.
UM, SO I AM REALLY FRUSTRATED THAT NO ONE FROM THE CITY IS HERE BECAUSE I'D REALLY LIKE TO ASK THEM WHAT'S GOING ON IN PARTICULAR.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IF YOU ARE ONE EMPLOYER, YOU WOULD CREATE A SYSTEM THAT PEOPLE CAN GAIN BY TAKING A TEMPORARY JOB WITH EMS WHILE THEY'RE WAITING TO GET A JOB WITH THEIR PREFERRED AGENCY.
IT SEEMS THAT IF YOU'RE THE EMPLOYER WHO RUNS THAT SYSTEM, IT WOULD BE ENTIRELY NOT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO SET UP A SYSTEM TO WORK THAT WAY.
I'M ALSO, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS CONFUSES ME, BUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CLAIMS TO BE IN SUPPORT OF A LIVING WAGE.
AND CONSIDERING WE ALL KNOW WELL, OKAY, THE NEW YORK TIMES KNOWS THAT THE COST OF RENTING OR OWNING A HOME IN AUSTIN HAS GONE UP 46% IN THE LAST YEAR.
A LIVING WAGE IN AUSTIN IS NO LONGER $15.
AND, AND SO I JUST CAN'T FATHOM FOR THE LIFE OF ME, WHAT THE NEGOTIATION STRATEGY FOR THE CITY IS.
IF THEY CLAIM TO SUPPORT PEOPLE, BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE IN THEIR CITY AT THE SAME TIME AS BEING EMPLOYED BY THEIR CITY, WHICH SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT'S PRETTY BASIC.
YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY VERY EFFECTIVELY WORK SOMEPLACE THAT YOU DON'T LIVE.
IF YOU'RE DOING A JOB LIKE BEING A PARAMEDIC, IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO FROM HOME.
CERTAINLY IT'S NOT GOING TO GET ANYBODY TO THE HOSPITAL IF YOU TRY TO DO IT FROM HOME.
AND I THINK MOST OF THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN ACTUALLY RATHER CARE IF WHEN THEY'RE IN AN EMERGENCY, THEY CAN GET TO THE HOSPITAL.
SO I GUESS I'M JUST URGING CITY COUNCIL TO, YOU KNOW, TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WHO APPARENTLY THEY EMPLOY AND TELL HIM TO DO A BETTER JOB AT THIS BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S RIDICULOUS FROM A MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE HYPOTHETICALLY TRYING TO RUN A GOVERNMENT, IT'S NOT HOW YOU WOULD DO IT.
UM, I, I WOULD ALSO ECHO, UH, YOUR FRUSTRATION.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK THIS COMMISSION WOULD BE WELL WITHIN ITS RIGHT TO REALLY PUSH THIS ISSUE.
AND FROM A HISTORICAL CONTEXT, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT BOTH ISSUES ON THE TABLE HAVE A HUGE ACCOUNTABILITY PROBLEM THAT WE ARE NOT GETTING DIRECT ANSWERS FROM.
AND I DO CONSIDER THEM NOT COMING TO THIS DISCUSSION TODAY, A SLAP IN THE FACE FOR THE WORK THAT SPECIFICALLY EMS HAS DONE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THIS PANDEMIC.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT 14 CENTS IS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO THAT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THEM TO STILL COME BEFORE US AND THIS COMMUNITY AND EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE MISTREATING ONE OF OUR LARGEST UNTAPPED RESOURCES IN THIS NOT YET OVER CRISIS.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION TO KNOW THAT I WAS PLACED ON THIS COMMISSION TO GIVE YOU THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT THAT SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I LEFT THE CITY AFTER ONE OF THESE SPECIFIC CONSULTATIONS.
THESE ARE THESE, THESE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT EMS PAY THAT TURNED INTO THEM, TELLING EMS ABOUT THE, OUR TRAUMA, NOT BEING ENOUGH FOR THEM TO GIVE US A REASONABLE WAGE.
THIS IS WHY WE DON'T SEE THE DIVERSITY IN THESE COMMUNITIES THAT WE NEED, THAT WE ARE LOSING
[01:15:01]
PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE ABLE TO FIND OTHER PLACES TO BE, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.AND EITHER WAY EMS SHOWS UP AND TAKES CARE OF PEOPLE.
SO NOTICE HOW THEIR TIMES HAVE NOT NECESSARILY SUFFERED.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT NOTICE HOW SOME PEOPLE TAKE THIS COMMUNITY FOR GRANTED AND FORCE US TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR THINGS THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN DO.
AND EMS IS SHOWING UP EVERY DAY AND THEY GAVE ME THE SAME REASONING BEFORE THAT THEY'RE GIVING NOW, AND NOW THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE COURTESY TO SHOW THEIR FACES IN THIS CONVERSATION.
AND I WOULD HONESTLY SAY THAT THAT IS THE IT, THAT IS ENOUGH.
CITIES DO NOT SURVIVE IF THEY CANNOT GET EMS TO A POSITION.
AND BECAUSE I AM ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION, WHO KNOWS THAT MY JOB LOOKS THE SAME AS EMS AS FIRE.
WHEN SOMEONE CALLS 9 1, 1 EMS SHOWS UP AND THEY HAVE LESS EVERY YEAR.
AND I WANT US TO PUSH FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO FIND A DIFFERENT REASON TO GIVE US OTHER THAN THEY DON'T WANT TO SHOW OTHER CITY PEOPLE THAT THEY, THAT THEY ARE GIVING PREFERENCE.
THIS IS NOT A PREFERENCE ISSUE.
WE WILL LOSE EVERYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT CARES ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY TO SHOW UP WHEN NOT WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS 9 1, 1, I AM TELLING YOU ALL, THIS IS THE FINAL STRAW, THE PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT WORK IN THESE COMMUNITIES, THEY STILL HAVE TO BE PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT CANNOT PAY THEIR BILLS.
WE HAVE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE BETTER US SUPPORT.
AND I'M SO SORRY THAT PEOPLE DON'T GET THIS CONTEXT, BUT IT SHOULDN'T TAKE DECADES TO GET US WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I WAS PLACED ON THIS CONDITION THAT LETTING YOU KNOW, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE.
AND I WOULD ASK ALL OF MY COMMISSIONER, UH, COLLEAGUES TO PLEASE SUPPORT ME AND PUSHING BACK IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND ON THAT NOTE, I ALMOST FORGOT THAT I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER, UM, REGARDING, UH, PAY EQUITY FOR EMS. AND THE BASIC RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE CITY SHOULD RAISE ITS OFFER BASED ON COMPARABLE SALARIES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED BY AGENCIES THAT HAVE COMPARABLE WORKLOADS, EMS AGENCIES IN TEXAS WITH COMPARABLE WORKLOADS, THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES OF THE CITY THAT IS THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WHAT IS BEING OFFERED ON THE PRIVATE MARKET FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE COMPARABLE SKILLS BASICALLY TO JUST RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE IN A MARKET AND THAT WE CAN'T OPERATE A FUNCTIONING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEM, UNLESS WE PAY OUR PEOPLE.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SECOND THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK THIS OF THE NEW CHIEF, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS MAYBE A LITTLE UNFAIR.
IT IS BEWILDERING TO ME WHY AUSTIN EMS IS THE LEAST DIVERSE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY.
AND IT NOW MAKES A LOT OF SENSE BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST PLAIN MORE WHITE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPOUSES AND PARTNERS WHO CAN SUBSIDIZE THEM.
AND, UM, AND THAT IS JUST NO WAY TO RUN A PUBLIC SAFETY ORGANIZATION ON THE BACKS OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD TO GIVE THE CITY CHARITY TO GET PEOPLE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
UM, SECOND YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, YES.
IS THERE DISCUSSION? I THINK A POINT OF ORDER MIGHT BE ON THAT, UH, THAT WE MAY NOT WANT TO COMPARE IT AND PLEASE, UH, SELENA JUMP IN AND COMPARE IT TO ONLY TEXAS BASED EMS BECAUSE, UH, THE SIZE MIGHT BE MORE COMPARABLE IN OTHER CITIES OR AROUND THE NATION.
SO MAYBE WE MIGHT WANT TO AMEND THE TEXAS BASED SIZE EMS. I'M NOT SURE, HONESTLY, I'M EVEN COMPARING IT TO TEXAS BASED EMS AGENCIES WE'RE FALLING BEHIND.
UM, THERE ARE MANY OTHER AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I MEAN, BOSTON, UM, THE CITY DID DO A PAY STUDY, BUT, UM, THEY ACTUALLY SAID THAT, UM, THEY, THEY BELIEVE THAT OUR, ANYWAY, I WON'T GO INTO IT, BUT, UM, THE WAY THAT THEY CALCULATE THE WAGE PARITY IS, UM, INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST.
AND SO, UM, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE STRAIGHT SALARIES BETWEEN US AND OTHER TEXAS AGENCIES, UM, IT W WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE COMMISSION, WE CAN AMEND THE LANGUAGE TO TALK ABOUT COMPARABLE AGENCIES NATIONWIDE.
I THINK CONSIDERING THE COST OF LIVING WITH AT LEAST THE COST OF HOUSING IN AUSTIN IS NOW
[01:20:01]
MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA.THERE IS NO REASON THAT WE CAN'T BE COMPARED TO BOSTON AND SEATTLE, UM, AND, UH, CITIES THAT WE CONSIDER OURSELVES COMPARABLE TO, BUT OBVIOUSLY DON'T STAND UP AGAINST, IS THERE MORE DISCUSSION? UM, ALL RIGHT.
WELL, UM, WITH THAT AMENDMENT, I, I'M AFRAID THAT I'M ABOUT TO TAKE OUR, MY FIRST VOTE IS CHAIR, WHICH MAKES ME VERY NERVOUS.
UM, MS. JACKSON, IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL ABOUT HOW I DO THIS? OKAY.
SO DO I CALL MY OWN NAME? ALL RIGHT.
UM, CHAIRPERSON BERNHARDT IS HERE.
UM, VICE-CHAIR RAMIREZ R A SAYS, YES.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER SIERRA
UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, HALLMARK ONE.
HAVE WE LOST COMMISSIONER LEWIS? MAY YEAH.
AND SO IS THERE ANOTHER STEP WE NEED TO TAKE TO TRANSFER THE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL IN A TIMELY MANNER THAT WOULD BE EDITED OR UPDATED? I MEAN, YES.
SO THERE'S NO NOTHING ELSE WE NEED TO DO.
AND WE'RE ALMOST EVEN ON TIME.
UM, SO OUR LAST, UM, SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ITEM IS, UH, THE AUSTIN
[2.d. Discussion of Hazard Mitigation Plan in Public Safety Departments (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Bernhardt) 5:20pm-5:50pm]
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, UH, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.UM, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, MS. SCOTT AND MR. BRIMMER FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
I'VE BEEN HAVING SOME, UH, AB ISSUE.
SO, UM, HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO GET, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, I AM, I DIDN'T REALIZE I'M, I'M ACTUALLY, IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO TELL EVERYONE APART BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL WEARING IDENTICAL SUITS AND IT IS VERY CONFUSING.
UM, SO YES, UM, CHIEF KENNEDY, IF YOU COULD JOIN US, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
AND I'LL, I'LL TRY TO START REMEMBERING PEOPLE'S NAMES.
UM, UH, CHAIRMAN CHAIRWOMAN, UH, UH, BURKART FOR INVITING ME TODAY.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND WE'VE BEEN, UM, WE'VE, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, BRIMMER.
AND I HAVE, UH, UH, STARTED, UH, UH, WORKING GROUP, UH, TO BASICALLY LOOK AT THE, UM, THE HAZARDS THAT ARE MOST CONCERNED, UH, TO PEOPLE LIVING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I STARTED BY LOOKING AT THE, UH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, ASSESSMENT, UH, UH, HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT, UH, AS, AS, UH, UH, DETERMINED BY FEMA, WHICH HAS BEEN ONLINE IN ED.
YOU CAN REFERENCE IT, UM, UH, BY GOING ONLINE TO, UM, UH, HAZARDS, UM, DOT FEMA.GOV, AND, AND, UH, THERE'S AN INTERACTIVE WEBSITE THERE WHERE YOU CAN FIND TRAVIS COUNTY AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE, UH, WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
AND, UM, WE REALLY WANTED TO PICK WHAT WAS THE MOST, UH, SIGNIFICANT ISSUE AND TO FOCUS ON THAT AND TO MY SURPRISE, THAT TURNED OUT TO BE TORNADOES.
[01:25:01]
AND I WAS AS SURPRISED AS I THINK, AS ANYBODY.CAUSE I, I, I THOUGHT HANDS DOWN, IT'S GOING TO BE FLOODING, BUT NO, UH, I THINK THE CITY HAS DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB OF DEALING WITH SO MANY OF THE FLOODING ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD, THAT IT STILL, WELL, IT IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN.
UH, ACTUALLY NOW, IF WE LOOK ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS WITHOUT SAYING, OKAY, THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE THIS MUCH, BUT IF YOU LOOK OVER TIME, IT'S GOING TO BE THAT THE HIGHEST RISK TO BOTH, UH, LIFE AND TO, UM, UH, TO PROPERTY IS GOING TO BE, UH, UH, FROM TORNADOES.
AND I KNOW THIS GOES AGAINST WHAT MOST PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN THINK MOST PEOPLE IN AUSTIN THINK MATH, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY HAVE, THERE ARE A LOT OF MYTHS OUT THERE.
UH, AND, AND, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEAR A TORNADO WARNING, A TORNADO WATCH, OR EVEN A TORNADO WARNING, THEY'RE OUTSIDE LOOKING AT THE SKY AND SAY, WOW, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THOSE CLOUDS? WELL, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE CLOUDS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT ON MARCH 21ST, THEY WERE LOOKING AT SUPER, SUPER CELL SYSTEM, A HUGE SUPER CELL SYSTEM.
AND IT'S, IT'S THAT VERY ROTATING SUPER CELL SYSTEM.
THAT WAS THE REASON THAT THE WATCH WAS CALLED BECAUSE THAT SYSTEM COULD COME DOWN AT ANY MOMENT AND BOOM, THERE YOU ARE.
AND IT PASSED RIGHT OVER, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE MY SISTER LIVES IN, I LIVE AND IT KIND OF KEPT ON GOING TO THE NORTHEAST AND IT, IT, IT CAME DOWN IN, IN ROUND ROCK AND SOME OF YOU WERE THERE AND KNOW THAT AND, AND SAW WHAT IT WAS LIKE.
AND THERE'S NO WAY TO TELL AN ADVANCES.
UH, THESE ARE THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE.
UM, I HAVE SOME SLIDES THAT, UH, DEMONSTRATE THESE POINTS, SO, YEAH.
UM, WELL, THE, UM, THE, UH, IF YOU HAVE
THOSE ARE SIMILAR TO HURRICANE WINDS AND WHEN SOMEBODY LIVES ON THE COAST AND THEY KNOW A HURRICANE IS COMING, YOU KNOW, THEY BATTEN UP BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S SERIOUS RIGHT THERE.
AND, UH, I HAVE A MAP WHICH UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT ABLE TO GET, UM, UP ONLINE THAT SHOWS, UM, UH, AREAS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, WHERE FROM THE PERIOD OF, UH, 1953 TO, UH, 2019, UH, TORNADOES FROM EFC ZERO TO F FOUR HAVE HIT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, UH, THE EFR WAS THE GERALD TORNADO, UH, WHICH, UM, THIS MAY WILL, WELL, UH, MARK THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT.
AND THAT PARTICULAR TORNADO HIT FORTUNATELY FOR AUSTIN ON THE OUTSKIRTS.
UM, IT KILLED THE 25 YEAR OLD MAN WHO, UH, WAS LIVING IN A TRAILER, UH, DESTROYED AUSTRALIA AND HIS TRUCK, UH, UH, ANOTHER, UH, WOMAN, UH, DROWN FROM, FROM, UH, OF, UH, FLOODING IN, IN, UH, ONE OF THE CREEKS SHOAL CREEK.
SO, UH, THAT WAS OUR, THAT WAS OUR LAST EAR FOR, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY EFR THAT WE'VE SEEN A A HUNDRED YEARS AGO ON MAY 4TH.
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, YOU'RE THINKING WELL, SO WHAT THAT'S A LONG TIME AGO? WELL, THE POINT OF MENTIONING IT IS THAT I HAVE HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE PRETTY WELL-SCHOOLED THAT, UH, TORNADOES DON'T HIT AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THE HILLS WERE SOMEHOW PROTECTED BECAUSE OF THE HILLS TORNADOES HAVE HIT, UH, AREAS THAT ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN THE HILLS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
UM, 1200 FEET IS, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU STUDY THE, UH, THE PAST THAT A TORNADO TAKES, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE TOPOGRAPHY LOOKS LIKE ON THE GROUND, THE WIND SPEED AND THE SYSTEM OVERHEAD IS SO MUCH STRONGER THAT IT PAYS ABSOLUTELY NO ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE GROUND.
IT JUST GOES IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
IF IT'S GOING TO GO IN A STRAIGHT LINE AS, UH, ONE DID WHEN I WAS A 10 YEAR OLD, UH, IN KANSAS CITY, AND IT JUST WENT 71 MILES IN A STRAIGHT LINE UNTIL IT HIT, UH, UH, RUSKIN HEIGHTS, WHICH WAS STICK-BUILT, UH, ON A PLATFORM JUST LIKE WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN.
[01:30:01]
TOOK US OUT THERE SO WE COULD SEE IT.AND THERE WERE BLOCKS IN WHICH NOTHING WAS LEFT, EXCEPT THE CONCRETE PLATFORM, NOTHING WAS LEFT.
THERE WERE 50 PEOPLE WHO MANAGED TO FIND, UH, UH, BASEMENT AND LITERALLY PILED INTO IT, LITERALLY PILED INTO IT BECAUSE MOST BASEMENTS AREN'T THAT BIG AND THEY SURVIVED, BUT PEOPLE WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND SHELTER INSIDE IS, AS THEY'RE TOLD TO DO, WHOLE FAMILIES WERE, WERE GONE JUST LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, I WAS 10 YEARS OLD, BUT I I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT SIGHT.
AND I WAS SO HAPPY THAT I HAD A BASEMENT AT HOME, AND THAT WHEN THE TORNADO SIREN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WENT OFF, THAT WAS A TORNADO WARNING.
AND MY ENTIRE FAMILY, WE WENT TO THE BASEMENT AND WE STAYED THERE UNTIL WE GOT THE ALL CLEAR.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW IS, UH, IS VERY WORRISOME BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T DOING THAT, THEY'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, HA LOOK AT THAT.
WELL, ONE OF THESE DAYS, AND, AND THEN NONE OF US CAN TELL THE WEATHERMAN, CAN'T TELL US, UM, UH, WE DON'T KNOW, UH, A ONE OF THESE DAYS I'LL MORE, UH, POWERFUL TORNADO COULD COME DOWN THROUGH, UH, POPULATED SECTION OF TOWN.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A CITY TO, UH, PROVIDE, UM, SAFE HAVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT IT.
AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IS THAT, IS THAT, UM, WELL, WE, WE HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR, UH, INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS TO, TO GET, UM, TO APPLY FOR A FEMA GRANT NOW, UM, UH, A PRIVATE SCHOOL MAY APPLY FOR A PRIVATE FOR, FOR A FEMA GRANT, BUT APPARENTLY A PUBLIC SCHOOL CANNOT.
WE HAVE, UM, UH, I DUNNO ABOUT 150, UH, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN AUSTIN.
UM, IF ANY OF YOU HAPPEN TO, UH, WATCH WHAT HAPPENED, UH, ON MARCH 21ST IN JACKSBORO, THERE WAS A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WAS, WAS HIT.
AND WHEN THE POLICE CHIEF SHOWED UP, HE WAS IN TEARS, UH, IN GRATITUDE BECAUSE THEY HAD A TORNADO SHELTER AT THAT SCHOOL, ALL THE CHILDREN, THEIR TEACHERS AND PARENTS WHO HAD COME TO PICK UP THEIR KIDS, CAUSE IT WAS ALMOST TIME TO LET OUT SCHOOL.
THEY HAD ALL GOTTEN INTO THE, THE, UH, SAFE ROOM OF, OF THAT SCHOOL AND NOT ONE OF THEM WAS INJURED.
AND THE AUDITORIUM, UH, WAS THE CEILING, YOU KNOW, BIG, EXPENSIVE, UH, BILL STRUCTURES OF THEIR MOST DANGEROUS ONES.
AND ANOTHER, ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A CAR.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE A SHELTER WITHIN FIVE MINUTES THAT YOU CAN GET INTO, OKAY.
THAT THEY SAY, YOU JUST CAN'T CALL IT A SHELTER.
IT HAS TO BE CALLED A SAFE ROOM, BUT REGARDLESS, UH, FEMA HAS BEEN STUDYING THIS FOR THE, UH, ALONG WITH THE, UH, UH, IN LUBBOCK, THE, UH, THE NATIONAL WIND SCIENCE INSTITUTE, UM, UH, AT TEXAS TECH HAS PEOPLE, STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, UH, METEOROLOGISTS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN STUDYING WHAT WILL HOLD UP AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE DEVISED STANDARDS SO THAT YOU CAN CONSTRUCT A SAFE SHELTER OR A SAFE HOUSE THAT WILL, THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO, TO, UH, STAND UP TO THE MOST VIOLENT STORMS THAT WE'VE HAD.
THEY HAVEN'T LOST A SINGLE PERSON.
THAT'S BEEN ABLE TO GET INTO A FEMA SHELTER.
SO ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A NEXT STEP, BUT THE CODES, THE BUILDING CODES THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN ARE NOT AS STRONG AS THE ONES THAT, THAT HOUSTON HAS.
HOUSTON HAS A GREAT ONE, UH, BECAUSE OF HURRICANES.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE HURRICANE TYPE WINDS ALL THE TIME, AN E F THREE TORNADO AT 160 MILES AN HOUR.
IF, UH, IF YOU SHOOT A TWO BY FOUR AT A HOUSE LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT BEEN STRUCTURALLY FORTIFIED WITH STEEL STRAPS, IT'S GONNA FALL DOWN.
NOW, IF YOU HAD, DO HAVE IT STRUCTURALLY WITH THOSE STEEL STRAPS, IT'S GOING TO STAND UP.
[01:35:01]
YOU'LL HAVE A TWO BY FOUR THROUGH YOUR, THROUGH YOUR LIVING ROOM OR YOUR BEDROOM OR WHEREVER, BUT WE CAN SAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES AS WELL AS A LOT OF PROPERTY.IF THE CITY CODES ARE CHANGED AND BROUGHT UP TO DATE.
SO I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP THE REST OF YOUR DAY.
I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO END WITH THAT.
AND THEY'RE QUITE, UH, QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO DO AND NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE IN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
WE HAVE, UH, UH, 5,700 MOBILE OR MANUFACTURED HOMES.
WE HAVE 142,000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT WERE BUILT BEFORE 1980.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HOLD UP.
WE HAVE, UH, THOSE PLACES ARE OF GREAT CONCERN AND OF EQUITY CONCERN.
WE ALSO SHOULD FORTIFY OUR, OUR FIRE STATIONS ARE OUR FOUR POLICE STATIONS, 18 HOSPITALS AT 46 EMS STATIONS.
AND IT'S A, IT'S 178 SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE'LL LOOK WHAT WE DID WITH OUR RIVERS.
WE HAVE HUNDREDS, WE HAVE SO MANY HUNDREDS OF MILES OF RIVER RIVERS THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO COUNT THEM.
IF WE CAN DO THAT, SURELY WE CAN PROTECT THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE AT RISK FOR A FUTURE TORNADO WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN, NOBODY CAN SAY, BUT WILL IT HAPPEN? YES.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN WE CAN'T SAY WHERE WE CAN'T SAY WHEN.
AND THAT'S THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT I'D BE GLAD TO.
SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SUCH A STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AUSTIN POLICE OR EMS DEPARTMENT, THAT A LOT OF, AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TORNADOES, UM, I WAS, UM, THE INCIDENT THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IN ROUND ROCK, I WAS ACTUALLY AT HOME AND I TURNED ON THE RADIO AND WAS LISTENING TO ROUND ROCK PD.
AND IT WAS AMAZING HOW, HOW MUCH THEY HAVEN'T TO RESPOND TO, AND JUST THE PURE OVERLOAD OF, YOU KNOW, DOWNLINES.
AND A LOT OF THE TIMES FOR US, FOR THOSE TYPES OF INCIDENTS WHERE THEREFORE SECURITY AND IMMEDIATELY WE, WE, WE TEAM UP AND PUT SOMEONE IN A COMMAND COMBINED POST COMMAND POST, UH, WITH EMS AND FIRE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE SERVICES.
SO AN INSTANT LIKE THAT, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD, WOULD TAKE LEAD ON THAT.
AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHICH HAZARD THAT WOULD BE PROPOSED OR WHAT OCCURS ON WHO WOULD BE LEAD.
SO IN THE CASE OF A TORNADO, THAT WAS A FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE LEAD ON THAT AND WE'D BE THERE SUPPORTIVE.
UH, WE'D WE'D HOPEFULLY, UH, IF THERE'S ANY TYPE OF CROWD CONTROL, UH, SEARCHING OF, UH, KEEPING PEOPLE AWAY FROM HAZARDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND GIVING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMS RESOURCES THAT WHATEVER WE CAN PROVIDE TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM, TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE AND HELP PEOPLE.
UM, BY FAR WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF SYSTEM, UM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
AND THEN I'LL LET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, CONTINUE MORE INTO THAT.
ANYWAY, IF YOU ALLOW ME TO STEP HERE AND I'M GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE GENERICALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CONVERSATION ABOUT TORNADOES, BUT, UM, WITHOUT HOUSTON BEING HERE, JUST KIND OF A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THINGS.
I KNOW CHIEF FLOOD GRITS EARLIER TALKED ABOUT PREVENTION, RIGHT? SO A LOT OF EFFORTS ARE DONE, UH, IN THE PREPAREDNESS AND PREVENTION ASPECT OF THINGS.
YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER THAT COMES INTO PLAY AND SCALES UP.
WHENEVER THERE'S A MAJOR EVENT HERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WEATHER EVENTS AND IT STARTS WITH AN EARLY ASSESSMENT OF, OF WHAT WE BELIEVE IS GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A WINTER STORM THAT COMES THROUGH ANY POTENTIAL ICING, IF THEY BELIEVE THAT THE WEATHER IS GOING TO CREATE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAINFALL AND POTENTIAL FLOODING THAT MAY COME WITH THAT, AND THERE'S EVEN PREDICTIVE THINGS, A FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM THAT CAN TELL US WHERE THEY BELIEVE THOSE, THOSE WATERS ARE GOING TO COLLECT WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO INTO WHAT LEVEL THAT MAY RISE OVER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WE CAN BE PROACTIVE IN EVACUATION WITH LIFE SAFETY, BEING A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF ALL OF OUR AGENCIES, WORKING TOGETHER TO GET PEOPLE IDEALLY OUT OF HARMS WAY.
THE CITY HAS BEEN A LOT BETTER HERE OF LATE.
WHENEVER THEY HAVE THE AWARENESS FOR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WAS COMING IN TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS, TO INCLUDE SENDING PEOPLE HOME EARLIER, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT FOLKS ON THE ROADS WHERE IT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE, BUT TO SOMEPLACE SAFE, WHETHER IT'S AT THEIR HOME OR ANOTHER STRUCTURE SUITABLE FOR WHATEVER THE EVENT IS PREDICTED TO POSSIBLY BE.
UM, THE, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S TRAINING DONE THE, THE VARIETY OF DEPARTMENTS THAT, UH, COULD BE CALLED TO WORK AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, GO
[01:40:01]
THROUGH TRAINING BEFOREHAND.YOU DON'T WANT TO LEARN WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE MIDST OF AN EMERGENCY.
SO THERE'S TRAINING DONE BEFOREHAND TO MAKE THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AWARE THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY FAMILIAR WITH BEING AN INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THEIR ROLE WOULD BE AT THE, IN THE, AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, RIGHT, HOW THEY TIE IN FIT, HOW THEY CAN MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO HELP US MITIGATE THE ISSUE, UH, THE VARIOUS, UH, AGENCIES, WHETHER THEY'RE PUBLIC SAFETY OR OTHERWISE WE'LL DO ADDITIONAL STAFFING, WHETHER IT'S TO, UH, PUT TREATMENTS DOWN ON THE ROAD TO PREVENT ICING, OR IF IT'S TO STAFF UP BRUSH TRUCKS IN CASE OF A HIGH WILDFIRE RISK DANGER DAY, OR IF A STORM THAT'S GOING TO COME THROUGH STAFFING UP VEHICLES THAT HAVE FOLKS THAT CAN GO DEAL WITH DOWNED WIRES AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, OR FALLEN LIMBS, TO BE ABLE TO CLEAR THOSE, TO GET THE ROADWAYS OPEN AGAIN.
SO THAT SUPPORT CREWS CAN GET TO PEOPLE IN A MORE TIMELY FASHION FOR MEDICAL ISSUES OR OTHERWISE.
UH, I GOT CHIEF KENNEDY IN CHIEF, A BRIDGE HERE.
HE GOES SPECIFICS ABOUT SOME OF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE THINGS WE DO, OR THE SHORING THAT, THAT GOES ON.
UM, THE USE OF THE MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO, TO SEND MESSAGES OUT, NOT ONLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS COMING, SO PLEASE GET TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SOONER, BUT ALSO REMINDING PEOPLE TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN, UH, EVACUATION STEPS, IF AN EVACUATION OF A CERTAIN COMMUNITY IS NECESSARY WHERE TO GO, UH, THE USE OF A REVERSE NINE 11 AS A PARTICULAR PRODUCT, AS WELL TO, TO GEO-FENCE AND CALL BACK A CERTAIN AREA, TO GIVE THEM SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ALONG WITH A HOST OF OTHER ITEMS TO, TO HELP US DEAL WITH, UH, A, AN EMERGENCY.
AND A LOT OF IT GOES WITH THE PREVENTION SIDE, UH, AS ANOTHER ASPECT WITH ALL THE FLOODING ALONG INDIAN CREEK, THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOW BEEN BOUGHT OUT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE, THOSE PEOPLE BE IN HARMS WAY, AGAIN, AN AREA FOR THE WILDFIRE DIVISION THAT WE HAVE IN THE MITIGATION EFFORTS DOWN IN REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITIES.
WE DO IT TOGETHER, NOT, NOT SOLELY ONE DEPARTMENT, BUT BY EDUCATING THE COMMUNITIES TO GET THEM TO ENGAGE IN CLEANING THEIR PROPERTY AND MAKING IT MORE DEFENSIBLE THE PAST.
BUT WE, WE CODE SO THAT FUTURE, UH, STRUCTURES THAT ARE, THAT ARE BUILT, UH, IN THE WOOEY AREA, WILD LAND, URBAN INTERFACE FOR, FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE TERMINOLOGY, UH, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE STRUCTURALLY RESISTANT TO FIRE.
UM, THE, HAVING THE, THE ROADWAYS BUILT UP PARTNERING WITH EIGHT AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ON MAKING SURE THERE WAS SUFFICIENT, SUFFICIENT WAYS IN AND OUT OF A COMMUNITY.
SO PEOPLE CAN ESCAPE IN A TIMELY FASHION, BUT STILL ALLOW FOR EMERGENCY CREWS TO GET IN, TO MITIGATE WHATEVER THAT ISSUE MAY BE.
UH, FOR, AS I GO THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION STUDY, YOU'VE GOT TERRORISTIC ITEMS THERE, WE'VE GOT A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF ALL YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES THAT STAFF UP, UH, RESCUE TASK FORCES, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF ALL THREE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, FOR MAJOR EVENTS THAT, THAT OCCUR IN AUSTIN, UH, THE, UH, CELEBRATORY PARTY EVENTS, ET CETERA, WHERE YOU'VE GOT LARGE CROWDS AND THERE'S A GREATER RISK FOR LIFE SAFETY.
SO WE'RE THERE FOR AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE TO BE ABLE TO STEP IN, TO GET ANYONE WHO'S INJURED AND OUT TO A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE TREATED AND ULTIMATELY GOT TO A HOSPITAL TO MINIMIZE THE CHANCE OF A, OF A NEGATIVE END RESULT.
UM, CAN I INTERRUPT YOU FOR A SECOND? SURE.
UM, WE DIDN'T COMMUNICATE VERY EFFECTIVELY ON OUR AGENDA.
UM, BUT REALLY THE, THE MOTIVATING FACTOR BEHIND THIS AGENDA ITEM WAS THE CONCERN THAT WE JUST RECENTLY HAD A TORNADO AND THAT NOBODY IN THE CITY ACTS LIKE HAVING A TORNADO IS A THING THAT COULD HAPPEN HERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'RE, WE'RE AWARE OF AWARE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OTHER STUFF WE'RE ACTUALLY PREPARED FOR WHAT I THINK THE REAL QUESTION ON THE TABLE IS, IS WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE AN AREA THAT HAS TORNADOES TO, TO, TO ADDRESS THAT IN PARTICULAR? WELL, I'D OFFERED THE THINGS THAT GAVE AS EXAMPLES TRANSLATE TO TORNADOES AS WELL, RIGHT? WITH THESE, THE MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA PREPAREDNESS, ET CETERA, GETTING PEOPLE IN A POSITION TO SAFETY, UH, FOR RESPONSE, WE STAFF UP.
AND IN PARTICULAR FOR TORNADOES SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL FOLKS WITH OUR SPECIAL OPERATIONS PREPARED TO GO IN AND DO AFTER, AFTER THE, THE, THE AREA'S SAFE, THE WEATHER IS MOVED ON AND IT'S SAFE TO ENTER A CERTAIN AREA TO DO SEARCH AND RESCUE HOW TO, TO STABILIZE STRUCTURES, TO, UH, DEAL WITH THE LIFE SAFETY ASPECT.
AND AGAIN, PARTNERING WITH ALL OF OUR AGENCIES TO, TO SECURE THE AREA, TO MINIMIZE FOLKS GOING IN THAT WOULD BE CURIOUS OR WELL-WISHES TO HELP WITH EMS FOR THE CHANCE TO GET PEOPLE OUT, TO TRUST WITH THEIR ISSUES MEDICALLY, AND ALSO, UH, TO GET THEM OUT OF THAT AREA.
I MEAN, I GUESS TO, TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT MORE, I THINK THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE WRESTLING WITH IS HOW MUCH DOES THE CITY NEED TO BUILD SHELTERS?
[01:45:03]
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE ARE NOT A PLACE THAT HAS ANY, UM, AND, AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? AND, OR IS THAT NOT WITHIN Y'ALL'S EXPERTISE? AND I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WITHIN OUR EXPERTISE.I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY AN ASSESSMENT THROUGH HUGHSON.
WE USE SHELTERING FOR HURRICANES, RIGHT? HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE ACTUALLY HARDENED STRUCTURES THAT WOULD HELP SPILLOVER TORNADOES? THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION TO GO THROUGH AND SEE IF THAT'S BEEN BETTER.
NOT, I CAN SPEAK FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I'M IMAGINE FOR BOTH OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES.
THAT'S NOT ONE THAT WOULD BE SUITED TO ANSWER THAT I WOULD AGREE THAT HE'S IN IS PROBABLY THE BEST PLACE, BOTH FOR THE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR THE, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER SHELTERING OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE THAT HE, SOME DEPARTMENT THAT HOMELAND SECURITY IMMERSIVE, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE THE DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT.
YEAH, WE HIT, WE HAD REACHED OUT AND THEY JUST, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO, THEY'RE BUSY, SO THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET BACK TO US ABOUT JOINING US TODAY.
UM, SO, UH, W WE DO TAKE THEIR LEAD, THEY LEAD, AND THEN WE, WHATEVER WE NEED TO SUPPORT BETWEEN AMONGST THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, THEN WE GIVE THAT SUPPORT TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN.
BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY THE LEAD PARTNER IN THAT, FOR SURE.
PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, NOT ABOUT TORNADOES WOULD STILL APPLY.
IT'S AN ALL HAZARDS APPROACH, RISK ADDRESSING.
UM, YEAH, NO, I JUST WANTED TO INTERVENE BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
I, I JUST WANT TO FIND OUT IF THERE ARE COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANT TO DIRECT THIS CONVERSATION IN A PARTICULAR WAY.
I, I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT AS A NO, I THINK EVERYBODY'S TIRED.
UM, SO, UM, JUST TO CIRCLE BACK, UH, TO, UH, COMMISSIONER SCOTT, UM, DO YOU HAVE A, SORT OF A SHORT TO-DO LIST ABOUT THINGS THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER? UH, YES.
UM, THE, THERE IS A CITY PLAN NOW, WHICH, UH, UH, I BELIEVE THAT HAS BEEN EMAILED TO ALL OF YOU, AT LEAST ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S ALSO ON THE CITY WEBSITE SO THAT EVERYONE CAN ACCESS IT.
UH, UH, LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT ACTION ITEMS, 2, 3, 4 39, 41 50 62 65, 66 AND 67, SEVERAL OF THESE RELATE TO CREATING OR STRENGTHENING GROUP SHELTERS.
SO PLEASE CONSIDER HOW EACH OF YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENTS CAN SUPPORT AND MAKE THESE HAPPEN RIGHT NOW.
I PERSONALLY DO NOT KNOW ANY PLACE WHERE I CAN SAFELY SHELTER.
I GO IN MY LAUNDRY, I WENT IN MY LAUNDRY ROOM AND FELT LIKE A BIT OF AN IDIOT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT IF, UH, IF AN A STRONG TORNADO HITS MY HOUSE, I'M GONE.
WE DON'T ALL FIT IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM.
SO I, AND I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CULICHI SOIL HERE.
WE HAVE AN ENTIRE CITY OF MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A SAFE SHELTER TO GO TO.
UM, I'M THINKING OF BUILDING A DITCH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY SAY, IF YOU'RE IN THE CAR, JUST GET INTO A DITCH AND, UH, YOU'LL BE SAFER THAN IN YOUR CAR.
I DON'T KNOW, UNTIL WE GET, START TO GET PEOPLE AND GET SOME OF THE CITY WORKING.
I DIDN'T, IT TOOK ME FOUR MONTHS TO EVEN FIND THIS, THAT THERE WAS A PLAN.
UM, THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THAT TELLS YOU THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR A FEW MICHELLE ALTAR IT'S THE CITY HAS NOT MADE IT A PRIORITY, AND IT NEEDS TO BE BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, AND WE KNOW IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND YOU ASK PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GERALD, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN GERALD NOW HAVE A TORNADO SHELTER, PROBABLY JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THEM.
AND WILL THEY BE HIT AGAIN? YES, NO, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS A KID AND I KNEW THAT I COULD GO TO THE BASEMENT, I FELT SAFE.
NOW, I, WHEN I HEAR A TORNADO WARNING, I DON'T FEEL SAFE.
ANYBODY WHO KNOWS THAT TORNADO WARNING, WHAT A TORNADO WARNING MEANS IS FEELING TERRIFIED, OR THEY SHOULD BE.
AND THAT'S NOT A WAY I WANT TO LIVE.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY I WANT THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO LIVE.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE JUST HAPPY-GO-LUCKY AND THINKS THERE'S NO RISK ON THE ONE HAND, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I DON'T WANT THEM
[01:50:01]
TO, UM, TO NOT HAVE A PLACE TO GO.THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST, REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO COME UP WITH A PATH TO TAKE THINGS FORWARD.
SO, UH, WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME.
[3. Future Agenda Items 5:50-6:00pm]
FOR ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONERS MIGHT WANT TO BRING UP.UM, I HAVE ONE REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, I'VE, UM, I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND HOW THEY'RE SCALING, UM, SORT OF TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SCALING UP CIVILIAN ENFORCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO I'D LIKE TO TALK TO THEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH APD AND HOW THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO KIND OF GROW THAT.
CAN WE SHOW YOUR HOUSE AND BOOK? I JUST TO ADD ONTO WHAT NELLIE SAID, IF WE COULD ADD SOMETHING, UH, RELATED TO, UM, CHOCOLATE FATALITIES, UM, BOTH IN CAR AND PEDESTRIAN.
WE'VE LOOKED AT THOSE STATS LATELY.
I'M TYPING WITH ONE HAND, SO IT'S GOING VERY SLOWLY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? SURE THING.
UM, SO FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT TURNED IN THEIR FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT YEAH.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE OR YES.
UH, THE THING YOU'VE BEEN BEING EMAILED ABOUT BY THE CITY, UM, IT'S TIME TO DO THAT TODAY BECAUSE IT'S THE DEADLINE SUPER FUN.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? SO IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, OH, COMMISSIONER RUMORS BUDGETS.
UM, I THINK, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES ARE TURNING IN BUDGETS TO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY AND I RE UH, UM, TURNING THEM INTO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IN LIKE A WEEK BY THE END OF THE WEEK, IS THE DEADLINE LIKE, MAY SOMETHING LIKE, SO IF WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE NEXT MONTH.
UM, WE'RE MEETING WITH, UH, ACM ARIANO, UM, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THAT PUSHED THROUGH, BUT IF WE CAN GET BUDGETS NEXT MONTH TO LOOK AT THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND MAY, UM, SO WOULD WE NEED TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING IN MAY TO HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, BUT I THINK IT'S OKAY.
UH, THEN I'M, I'M GOING TO GO WITH, WE PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UM, UNLESS ANYONE FEELS STRONGLY IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
UM, SO I THINK THAT WRAPS THINGS UP FOR US.
UH, SO WE NEED TO, UH, DO WE HAVE, DO WE NEED, I, I JUST, WE NEED SOMEONE TO MAKE A MOTION, IS THAT YES.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? ALL MOTION TO ADJOURN? UH, SO WE HAVE A MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL RIGHT.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
OH, WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS TOO.
UM, SO, UH, WE ARE VOTING ON ADJOURNMENT, UM, UH, ALL IN FAVOR.
SO, UH, COMING STIR OR YES, CHAIR BERNHARDT SAYS AYE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSE AND FLIP.
UM, AND I THINK WE'VE LOST COMMISSIONER WEBBER.