[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
UH, THIS IS OUR REGULAR CALLED MEETING ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2022.I'M GONNA CALL THE RULE, UM, COMMISSIONER SIE A, UH, HERE, UH, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ, HERE BY, UH, COMMISSIONER WEBER HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN HERE.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UH, WE HAVE, UH, ONE PERSON ON, UH, THE PHONE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.GOOD AFTERNOON, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, POLICE, FIRE AND EMS OFFICIALS AND REPRESENTATIVES.
I'M WENDY PRICE TODD, PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND ON BEHALF OF THE BLUNT CREEK PARTNERSHIP OF 40 ACRE NATURE PRESERVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND SHERWOOD OAKS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDS ST.
UM, AND IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT DROUGHT BURN BANDS AND FIRE NEAR BRIGHTLY, I'M REQUESTING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN A REVIEW OF THE FIREWORKS PERMITTING PROCESS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF VETERANS PET OWNERS, AND DIFFERENTLY ABLED CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY THE HEARING IMPAIRED WHO WOULD LIKE GREATER INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR PRIVATE FIREWORKS.
WE'RE NOT OBJECTING TO FIREWORKS.
WE'RE NOT OBJECTING TO THE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS OR OTHER CELEBRATIONS, BUT AS OF LATE, UM, ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, ST.
EDWARDS UNIVERSITY, HAS BEEN REQUESTING FIREWORKS THAT HAVE BEEN QUITE DISTURBING, AND IT'S BEEN ABOUT A DECADE OF THESE FIREWORK DISPLAYS.
AND, UM, WE DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT FIRE DEPARTMENT SPEND ABOUT TWO WEEKS, FIVE PERSONNEL CLEARING A FIRE LANE, UM, NEARBY TOLAND CREEK NATURE PRESERVE.
AND WE, WE JUST WANT SORT OF THE SIMILAR ATTENTION TO, UM, GRASS FIRE WILDFIRE CONCERNS, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
[1. Approve the minutes of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING on October 3, 2022.]
SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO, UM, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, UM, FROM OUR REGULAR CALLED MEETING ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2022.ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS? UM, THEN I WILL DEEM THE MEETING, OR, OH, WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THEM.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES.
UM, SAY I SAY I, UH, VICE RAMIREZ.
[2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Fire Department]
UM, SO LET'S HEAR FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, CHIEF BEERS.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SHARING OUR QUARTERLY REPORT IF WE CAN GET THE PRESENTATION PULLED UP.
AND CAN WE MOVE TO THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? ALL RIGHT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WAS ASKED FOR, THIS IS GONNA BE OUR QUARTER THREE REPORT, BUT SOME OF IT'LL BE, UH, INFORMATION THAT GOES BEYOND THAT.
SO THE, THE RESPONSE DATA THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT WILL BE FOR QUARTER THREE.
OTHER THINGS WILL, WILL SPEAK, UH, MORE HOLISTICALLY.
SO Y'ALL HAD ASKED FOR SOME INFORMATION ABOUT VEHICLE COLLISIONS.
SO THIS IS A FIVE YEAR REPORT, GOES BACK TO 2018.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE COLLISION TYPES DOWN BELOW.
SO THOSE ARE A CUMULATIVE, BUT YOU CAN SEE A, A TRENDING DOWN.
UH, I THINK COVID HELPED US IN FISCAL YEARS 20 AND 21 AS FAR AS THE REDUCTION IN TRAFFIC.
UH, OUR FIREFIGHTERS ALSO VERY MINDFUL ABOUT HOW, HOW THEY'RE DRIVING.
WE KNOW WE HAVE BIG APPARATUS AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE CAREFUL AS WE MOVE ABOUT THE ROADS, UH, WHETHER IT'S REGULAR DRIVING OR CODE THREE LIGHTS AND SIRENS DRIVING.
SO THERE'S INFORMATION THERE ABOUT THAT.
UH, FISCAL YEAR 22, WE HAD 71 ACCIDENTS.
I'LL PAUSE HERE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS ON THIS SLIDE.
[00:05:01]
ANY SENSE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE GOING ON IN THE DECREASE OTHER THAN THE PANDEMIC? UH, WE DO A LOT OF FOCUS ON THE, ON THE DRIVING.SO I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO, UH, A REASON WHY IN 1819 YOU'D HAVE THOSE NUMBERS OF 1 76, A 180 2, AND 22 ONLY HAVE 71.
WE, WE DO FOCUS ON THE DRIVING, UH, THE, UH, AS FAR AS DRIVING SAFELY ON THE ROADS, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE ANOMALY DIFFERENCE IN THOSE NUMBERS.
SO THIS IS THE COMMON INFORMATION THAT Y'ALL NORMALLY GET.
WE HAVE, UH, THE REQUEST FOR SERVICE, UH, IN, UH, QUARTER THREE FROM FISCAL YEAR 21 TO FISCAL YEAR 22.
YOU DO SEE A SLIGHT UPTICK IN THE, UH, CALL ACTIVITY.
UH, I THINK THINGS RETURNING BACK TO NORMAL POST COVID IS THE EXPLANATION FOR THAT.
UM, OTHERWISE, THIS IS KIND OF THE GENERAL INFORMATION WE'D NORMALLY PROVIDE.
NEXT SLIDE, AGAIN, ANOTHER BREAKOUT.
UH, AS FAR AS THE CALL TYPES, AGAIN, A GOOD PORTION OF OUR CALLS ARE OUR MEDICAL ONES IN NATURE.
SO THIS IS ROUTINE COMPARED TO THE, THE PREVIOUS QUARTERS PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE PROVIDED YOU.
UH, IF YOU WANT FURTHER EXPLANATION, HAPPY TO DO IT.
IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, CAN YOU GIVE, GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT AN OTHER WOULD BE? OTHER THINGS LIKE, UH, ALARM ACTIVATIONS, STUFF LIKE THAT.
CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
THIS IS, AGAIN, THE, A SIMILAR AS THE, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE BEFORE WITH THE SAME BARS ON IT.
THESE ARE YOUR ACTUAL EMERGENCY RESPONSES.
THIS WOULD INCLUDE YOUR OTHERS WHERE YOU'RE GOING CODE ONE FOR LIKE AN ALARM ACTIVATION OR, UH, A, UM, SOMEONE SMELLS SMOKE IN THE AREA, BUT THERE'S NO SPECIFICS TO IT.
WE'LL GO CHECK THOSE THINGS OUT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY CODE THREE, UH, WHERE THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY AT A SPECIFIC LOCATION THAT WE WERE GOING TO.
AND AGAIN, YOU SEE THE INCREASES THAT'S IN LINE WITH THE INCREASED ACTIVITY THAT YOU SEE, UH, FROM THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND AGAIN, FOR, WHEREAS THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS WAS ALL INCIDENTS.
THIS IS, UH, EMERGENCY SPECIFICALLY.
SO THESE ARE GONNA BE THINGS WHERE, UH, THE, UH, THE RESPONSE WAS ENOUGH TO GO LIGHTS AND SIRENS OR CODE THREE.
I'LL PAUSE HERE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
THE, THE NUMBERS HERE, AGAIN, TRADITIONAL AND NORMAL FOR WHAT WE'VE SHOWN YOU IN THE PAST.
SO THESE WILL BE OUR RESPONSE TIMES BROKE OUT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOR Y'ALL TO REVIEW.
UH, AGAIN, THEY'LL BE ANOMALIES.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO THE SAME PLACES EACH TIME.
THE, THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, THE TIME OF DAY ARE ALL VARIABLES.
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME NUANCE DIFFERENCES IN THE RESPONSE TIMES AND IN THE CALL VOLUME BASED ON, ON WHAT HAPPENS IN A PARTICULAR DISTRICT OR AREA.
SO THERE'S NO ANOMALIES HERE TO POINT OUT, BUT FOR Y'ALL TO REVIEW.
AND I'LL PAUSE HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, AGAIN, ANOTHER VERSION OF OUR, UH, STANDARD OF COVERAGE.
OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO INCIDENCES THAT ARE, WE'RE RESPONDING TO IN EIGHT MINUTES OR LESS 90% OF THE TIME.
AND YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE DARK PURPLES ARE.
THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE'RE REALLY STRUGGLING IN.
UH, AND THEN DOWN BELOW, YOU'LL SEE THE COUNCIL DISTRICT TIMES, UH, BY AVERAGE ALL PUT IN THERE FOR YOU AS WELL.
FOR REFERENCE, UH, THIS ONE AND THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE WE'LL GET TO IN A SECOND.
UH, HELP US WITH OUR DATA ANALYTICS.
WHEN WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS BACK IN 2017 TO IDENTIFY WE NEED FIVE STATIONS IN THE NEXT SIX YEARS, THIS SORT OF DATA HELPED US IN IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE STATIONS NEEDED TO BE.
UH, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS NOW, AGAIN, THAT WE'RE ABOUT A LITTLE OVER HALFWAY THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH THE STATIONS THAT ARE BEING BUILT.
WE'RE NOW LOOKING AHEAD TO, UH, WHERE IS THE FUTURE GROWTH OF THE CITY GONNA BE? WHERE IS THE THE DENSITY GONNA INCREASE? AND HOW CAN WE HANDLE OR FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR RESPONSE TIME THROUGH THE CITY AS A WHOLE? SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT EXERCISE NOW, AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR SO, WE CAN HAVE SOME, UH, INFORMATION REGARDING TO THAT NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS WILL SHOW YOU THE PRE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS GOING BACK TO 2019, UH, 2021, UH, AS REFERENCES FOR, UH, THE STANDARD OF COVERAGE.
AGAIN, EIGHT MINUTES, UH, OR LESS.
AND YOU'LL SEE OVER TIME THE THE COLOR CHANGES.
[00:10:01]
BECAUSE OF AN ADDITION OF A STATION IN A CERTAIN AREA.SOMETIMES IT, IT, IT GETS WORSE JUST BECAUSE OF, OF DENSITY OR, OR, UH, TRAFFIC CHANGES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, WE'VE HAD AUTO A IN TRAVIS COUNTY FOR OVER A DECADE.
UH, THAT WAS EXPANDED ABOUT A YEAR AGO INTO WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
IT DOES REQUIRE, UH, TECHNOLOGY TO HELP US SO THAT OUR DISPATCHING CENTER HAS THE, UH, ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE ELECTRONICALLY WITH THE OTHER DISPATCHING CENTERS.
THAT'S THE TELLUS HUB SOFTWARE THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE SECOND BULLET POINT.
AND WE DO HAVE FULL AUTO A WITH THE MAJORITY OF OUR, UH, NEIGHBORING ESDS AND A NUMBER OF, UH, DEPARTMENTS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAS MORE THAN ONE DISPATCHING CENTER.
SO THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH WITH THAT.
AND WITH ANYTHING, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE SOME BUGS ALONG THE WAY THAT, THAT WORKING THROUGH RESOLVING THOSE TECHNICAL ISSUES AS WELL.
THE HIGHLIGHT THIS TIME AROUND IS THE, THE ONE OUTLIER WAS ESD 12 OR MAYER FOR REFERENCE.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN AUTO WEIGHT AGREEMENT WITH THEM AT ALL IN THIS NEW PROCESS.
UH, WE'VE NOW INCREASED THAT TO INCLUDE ALL MEDICAL CALLS, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UH, THAT IS THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS, UH, AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, FOR THOSE MEDICAL INCIDENCES, THAT THE CLOSEST UNIT POSSIBLE, REGARDLESS OF THE, UH, JURISDICTION, IS GETTING THERE IN A TIMELY FASHION TO HELP OUR FOLKS OUT.
SO WE LOOK AT THAT AS PROGRESS.
IDEALLY, WE LIKE TO HAVE OTTAWA WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS FULLY, SO THAT WHETHER IT'S A MEDICAL OR FIRE THAT THE CLOSEST UNIT GOES.
BUT WITH ANYTHING, THERE'S, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, AND THAT'S THE CURRENT STATUS FOR THAT.
I'LL PAUSE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THE, UH, WE HAD A PROCESS TO RUN THROUGH TO GET THE MEDICATION, THE, UH, TO WHERE WE COULD HAVE IT, THE NARCAN STORED ON OUR APPARATUS.
AND ON OUR APPARATUS, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO STORE THAT.
SO WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING A PRODUCT, WHICH WAS THE PELICAN CASES WITH A THERMOMETER AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD HELP US TO, UH, MAINTAIN AND MANAGE THE, THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IN A RESPONSIBLE FASHION.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT AND GET OUR FOLKS TRAINED.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN, UH, A WELL NEEDED SERVICE FOR US TO PROVIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THERE IN THE, THE THIRD BULLET POINT, THE NUMBER OF CALLS WE'VE GONE ONTO, HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE ADMINISTERED AND THE, AND THE POSITIVE RESULT THEREOF.
SO, UH, THAT WAS A GOOD ADDITION TO THE DEPARTMENT.
IT TOOK US A LONG TIME TO GET HERE, BUT IT'S A GOOD THING FOR US TO HELP TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY.
I'LL PAUSE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO NOT ALL FIRES ARE PURPOSELY CAUSED.
UH, MOST OF 'EM ARE ACCIDENTAL, BUT THOSE WHERE, UH, SOMEONE HAS PURPOSELY SET A FIRE, UH, WE'VE GOT A, A GREAT GROUP OF INVESTIGATORS THAT DO REALLY GOOD DILIGENCE ON DETERMINING WHETHER IT WAS, UH, A, UH, UH, A FIRE CAUSED BY SOMEONE DOING SOMETHING THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
AND FOR ACTUALLY FINDING THE PERSON AND, AND HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NATIONAL CLEARANCE RATE, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE, UH, SOMEONE SET A FIRE, HOW OFTEN THE PERSON IS ACTUALLY CAUGHT AND HELD RESPONSIBLE, IT'S ABOUT 22%.
WE'RE EASILY DOUBLE THAT IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, HANDS OFF TO OUR, OUR HANDS, UH, GRATITUDE TO OUR ARSON INVESTIGATORS, THE PHENOMENAL JOB THEY DO.
AND YOU SEE THE DATA THAT GOES WITH THAT THERE.
I'LL PAUSE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, OUR WILDFIRE DIVISION, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ADDED THIS YEAR, UH, WITH THE, UH, WILDFIRE RISK THAT WE HAD THROUGH THE SUMMERTIME WAS, UH, SOME EXTRA STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A GOOD FOOT FORWARD IN BEING PROACTIVE AT HAVING THE RIGHT RESOURCES IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH WILDFIRES IN OUR, IN OUR DRY, UH, CONDITIONS.
AND SO THEY, THEY SEND OUT A REPORT, AND NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE THE SIGNS AROUND THE STATIONS AND OTHER, UH, CITY, UH, BUILDINGS THAT WILL SHOW YOU WHAT THE WILDFIRE RISK IS, BUT THEY ALSO SEND OUT REPORTS TO THE DEPARTMENT SHARING THE SAME, UH, WITH THAT, AND ALSO THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE THE WEATHER, LIKE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE AS WINDS INCREASE AND HUMIDITIES DROP, THE LEVEL OF RISK DEFINITELY INCREASES.
AND WE ALSO, UH, UH, PARTNER THAT WITH THE THIRD BULLET ON THERE WHERE YOU SEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
UH, BT STANDS FOR BRUSH TRUCKS.
UH, AND WHEN THEY SAY BT SHADOWS ENGINES, WHAT THAT MEANS IS A BRUSH TRUCK WILL SHOUT AN ENGINE.
THE BRUSH TRUCKS AREN'T NORMALLY STAFFED.
SOMETIMES IF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WARRANTED, WE WILL UPST STAFF AND PUT ADDITIONAL STAFFING IN THOSE SO THAT THOSE UNITS ARE STAFFED SEPARATELY.
[00:15:01]
OR IF THE RISK IS SLIGHTLY ELEVATED, BUT NOT TO THE DEGREE OF NEEDING FULL STAFFING, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL HAVE THE CREW OF FOUR PEOPLE DIVIDE IN HALF, TWO WILL RIDE IN THE ENGINE TO A RIDE IN THE BRUSH TRUCK.AND NO MATTER WHERE THEY GO, BOTH UNITS GO TOGETHER SO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS EMERGENCY IN A TIMELY FASHION.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO ALONG WITH REGIONAL AWARENESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, OUR PARTNERS ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE UPSTAFFING, WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE UPSTAFFING, SO THAT WE HAVE THE BEST CHANCE POSSIBLE OF TAKING CARE OF A WILDFIRE IN ITS INCIPIENT STAGES VERSUS IT GETTING OUT OF CONTROL.
I'LL PAUSE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THE NEXT FEW SLIDES WILL BE ABOUT, UH, ARE WHAT WE CALL FIRE PREVENTION, ARE A FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
AND THEY DEFINITELY WEAR A MULTITUDE OF HATS, UH, NOW THAT, UH, THE, UH, COVID CONCERNS HAVE DIMINISHED, NOT NECESSARILY GONE AWAY, BUT THAT THEY'VE DIMINISHED, YOU SEE A WHOLE LOT MORE SPECIAL EVENTS AND ADDITIONS TO THE, THERE WAS SOME INITIAL REPORTS, AND I DON'T KNOW A FINAL NUMBER ON THIS, BUT AS A REFERENCE F1, THAT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS THIS YEAR.
THE LARGEST ONE SO FAR MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN THE LARGEST SPORTING EVENT IN THE UNITED STATES THIS YEAR, WITH A, A, A TOTAL ATTENDANCE ALL THREE DAYS AROUND 440,000 PEOPLE.
UH, WE'VE ALSO GOT THE SOCCER STADIUM AND THE GREAT SUCCESS THEY HAD THIS YEAR, UH, ALONG WITH THE, THE WATERLOO PARK AND MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE RAMPING UP.
SO THE, THE, THE SPECIAL EVENTS ARE VERY VIBRANT IN THE AUSTIN AREA, AND PART OF THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THOSE EVENTS ARE DONE IN A SAFE FASHION, AND A PORTION OF OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE TENDS TO THAT.
SO, AND THOSE ARE INFORMATION THERE ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT EVENTS THEY WENT TO, AND JUST THE RISE IN THAT AREA.
I'LL PAUSE HERE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
SO HERE, THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE SPEAKING TO NEW CONSTRUCTION WHERE PEOPLE HAVE A NEW BUILDING THEY WANT TO BUILD, OR IT'S A, A, A SUBSTANTIAL REMODEL THAT THEY'LL HAVE TO SUBMIT PLANS FOR REVIEW.
AND PART OF THAT IS THE, THE FIRE PROTECTIVE, UH, FEATURES THAT GO WITH THAT, THAT WE REVIEW.
AND SO WE NEED TO DO THOSE IN A TIMELY FASHION.
YOU'LL SEE THE REPORTS OUT THERE, AND YOU SEE THE, THE INCREASE MOST CERTAINLY, UH, AS YOU SEE ALL THE CRANES AROUND THE CITY AND, AND THE, THE VIBRANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN OUR AREA.
ALL RIGHT, AND THE THIRD LEG, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE THIRD LEG OF OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE SPECIAL EVENTS, YOU'VE GOT NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND THEN ONCE A, A BUILDING IS COMPLETED, THEY GET, THERE'S A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
THERE'S NOT AUSTIN, UH, WHERE THOSE BUILDINGS ARE INSPECTED THEREAFTER, AND THEY MIGHT HAVE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS OR, UH, FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS, ET CETERA.
AND THIS COMPLIANCE ENGINE HAS HELPED US TO, UH, MAKE SURE THOSE THINGS ARE BEING MAINTAINED AND THEY'RE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.
YOU CAN SEE BACK IN 2014, UH, WITH OUR OWN EFFORTS WITH A VERY SMALL CREW OF PEOPLE, WE WERE ONLY GET ABOUT 5.6%, UH, COMPLIANCE, UH, IN, IN A VERY BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS THIRD PARTY ENTITY, WE'RE NOW ABOUT 80% AND EXPECT THAT TO GROW FURTHER.
SO SOME OF IT'S TRUING UP THE DATA, AND THE OTHER PART IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE KEEPING THAT STUFF MAINTAINED, AND THAT'S BEEN PHENOMENAL TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE IN OUR EXISTING BUILDINGS AS WELL.
I'LL PAUSE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, IT MATTERS TO US NOT ONLY ON THE COMMERCIAL LEVEL WITH THE BUILDINGS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, BUT ON THE RESIDENTIAL LEVEL AS WELL.
WE DO INSPECTIONS OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND THOSE SORT OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE WORKING, UH, SMOKE ALARMS AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES AS APPROPRIATE FOR WHEN THE BUILDING WAS BUILT TO KEEP THE RESIDENTS SAFE.
WE ALSO DO THIS FOR, FOR PRIVATE RESIDENTS AS WELL.
WE WILL GO INSTALL A FREE SMOKE ALARM.
UH, OUR GOAL IS THE NUMBERS WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU SEE THERE, BUT WITH C THERE WAS THE CONCERN ABOUT KNOCKING ON DOORS AND, AND THE SAFETY, BOTH DIRECTIONS OF POKES, MAYBE NOT WANTING US IN THEIR HOUSE OR VICE VERSA.
BUT WE DID COMMIT EVEN THROUGH COVID, THAT IF SOMEONE CALLED US AND THEY WANTED TO HAVE A SMOKE ALARM INSTALLED, WE WOULD DO IT.
AND SO YOU SEE THE NUMBERS REDUCED OVER TO THE SEVERAL THOUSAND THAT WE, OUR GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE, BUT AS, AS COVID NOW IS DIMINISHING, WE SEE THAT, EXPECT THAT TO RAMP UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE'VE ALSO GOT OUR RED ANGELS PROGRAM THAT PARTNERS WITH THIS AS WE GO DO, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD CANVASSING TO OFFER TO PUT IN SMOKE ALARMS. WE ALSO OFFER TO DO WELLNESS CHECKS FOR FOLKS TO SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING VITAL SIGNS, ET CETERA.
AND IF THE, SOME THINGS SHOW ANOMALIES, IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY BEING TREATED, WE TRY TO GET THEM, UH, ATTACHED TO THE RIGHT RESOURCES SO THAT TO PREVENT A FUTURE MEDICAL PROBLEM FOR THEM.
UM, PAUSE HERE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THIS WAS ANOTHER REQUESTED ITEM FROM THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT,
[00:20:01]
UH, COVID.I, I CAN SAY, UH, VERY HAPPILY THAT RIGHT NOW OUR, OUR CURRENT COVID ISSUE RUNS ABOUT ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO 10 PEOPLE A GIVEN DAY OR WEEK, WHICH IS FAR BETTER THAN WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
UH, THROUGH THE, THE, THIS WHOLE COVID PANDEMIC.
WE'VE HAD OCCASIONS WHERE WE'VE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO ARE POSITIVE WITH COVID AT THE SAME TIME, UH, IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT DEFINITELY CREATED SOME ISSUES ONLY FOR THE WELLNESS OF OUR MEMBERS, WHICH ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET, BUT ALSO FOR MAKING SURE WE HAD APPROPRIATE STAFFING TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITIZENS THAT WE'RE CHARGED TO, TO RESPOND TO.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT TRACKING OVER TIME.
I'LL PAUSE HERE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, UH, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH MANY OTHER, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT PEOPLE WERE TESTED, UH, ON THE, IN THE BEGINNING OF THE, THE PANDEMIC, AND THEN ALSO VACCINES PROVIDED THROUGH OUR WELLNESS CENTER.
AND WE STILL DO THAT TODAY FOR OUR MEMBERS.
UH, THE, THEY STILL LOOKING TO, TO CONTEMPLATE HAVING, UH, A, UH, VACCINE OR, UH, A BOOSTER SHOT.
THEY MOST CERTAINLY CAN GET THAT, UH, THROUGH OUR WELLNESS CENTER OR GET AN EDUCATION ON IT.
THEY'RE STILL NOT SURE WHAT ROUTE THEY WANT TO GO, AND SOME DETAILS ABOUT THAT.
I'LL PAUSE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS HERE.
AGAIN, ANOTHER REQUEST FROM THE, THE COMMISSION WAS, UH, ABOUT SEPARATIONS.
UH, SO FOR THE PAST, GOING BACK ABOUT THREE YEARS, UH, AMTS HAD 93 RETIREMENTS AND 19 RESIGNATIONS.
UH, YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE RETIREMENT YEARS OF SERVICE ON THERE, 28.5 RESIGNATIONS 5.4.
AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM, FROM THE GROUP THAT LEFT EARLY, THE RESIGNATIONS, UH, THEY, THEY WERE LEAVING FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, NOT OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, BUT EITHER GOING TO THE IT, UH, WORLD BECAUSE THEY HAD THAT SORT OF SKILL SET, REAL ESTATE BECAUSE IT WAS FINANCIALLY LUCRATIVE, UH, OR FOR FAMILY REASONS.
THEY, THEY CAME FROM OUTTA STATE AND THEY NEEDED TO GO BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE FROM FOR A VARIETY OF FAMILY REASONS.
AND THAT'S THE, THE GENERAL INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH THOSE EXIT INTERVIEWS.
PAUSE HERE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, WE JUST GRADUATED TO CADET CLASSES, UH, HERE RECENTLY, AND JUST STARTED, UH, A NEW ONE HERE IN OCTOBER.
WE GOT ANOTHER ONE PLANNED IN JANUARY.
YOU SEE THE, THE DEMOGRAPHICS THERE, UH, THAT'S HELPED US WITH OUR, UH, DAILY STAFFING ISSUES.
OUR CURRENT VACANCIES ARE RIGHT ABOUT 69 70 ISH OUT OF 1,266 SWORN.
UH, WE STILL HAVE, UH, TO MEET THE MANDATE OF THE FOUR PERSON STAFFING.
SO WE DO PAY OVERTIME NEARLY EVERY DAY.
UH, BUT THIS HAS HELPED TO RELIEVE THAT BURDEN ON OUR FOLKS WHERE MANDATORY ADDED TIME IS, IS COMING TO PLAY THE PAST YEAR MORE SO THAN ANY TIME BEFORE.
UH, THE NEXT CLASS THAT WE'LL HAVE STARTING IS GONNA BE IN JANUARY.
THAT WILL EXHAUST THIS CURRENT HIRING, UH, LIST.
AND WE'LL START A NEW ONE WITH, UH, APPLICATIONS, UH, BEING ACCEPTED SOMETIME IN THE SPRING.
THAT HASN'T BEEN, UH, FULLY DETERMINED YET, BUT WE'LL START A NEW TWO YEAR PROCESS THERE IN THE SPRING, UH, COMBINED WITH THIS ONE.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, AS A PART OF RECRUITING EFFORTS, WE HAVE PASS THE TORCH THAT'S MEANT FOR YOUR YOUNG ADULTS, 18 TO 35, MAYBE OUT IN THE SCHOOL, UH, UH, OR PROFESSIONAL WORLD THAT MAY BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT.
THAT'LL BE A, A WEEKEND SORT OF COURSE OVER SEVERAL WEEKENDS TO, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT POWERPOINT.
SO IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM TO, TO SPARK OR, OR, UH, INCREASE THE INTEREST OF FOLKS WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN FOR THE YOUNGER FOLKS, WE HAVE THE FIRE EXPLORERS.
SO IF YOU THINK OF THE, THE CURRENT SCOUTS PROGRAMS OR THE VARIATIONS THEREOF, IT'S, IT'S AKIN TO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THEY ALSO GO THROUGH THAT LEARNING FIRE SKILLS AS WELL.
THOSE CERTIFICATIONS COME WITH EITHER OF THOSE, BUT THEY ARE, UH, TRYING TO DEVELOP A, A FUTURE GENERATION OF FOLKS INTERESTED IN JOINING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, AS WE GO TO THE LAST SLIDE HERE, WE'LL NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO'S LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, MAYBE THEY CONSIDER US.
SO JOIN AFD.COM IS THE PLACE TO GO TO CHECK THAT OUT.
UH, WE'LL AGAIN, BE HIRING AGAIN, UH, STARTING THE APPLICATION PROCESS IN THE SPRING FOR THAT ONE.
THE FIRST CADET CLASS FROM THAT WILL START MAYBE OCTOBER.
UH, THAT'LL BE A LITTLE, UH, AGGRESSIVE AND OPTIMISTIC, UH, MOST CERTAINLY BY JANUARY, CUZ THE HIRING PROCESS, THE INITIAL THINGS, THOSE STEPS TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTERESTED, LOVE TO HAVE 'EM.
THAT COMPLETES MY PRESENTATION.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE, HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE NOW.
[00:25:02]
UH, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? THANK YOU, CHIEF.[3. Discussion and possible action on the gun violence prevention efforts by Travis County and the City of Austin]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS BY TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH ASSISTANT CHIEF GREENWALT, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH EVERYBODY.
OH, DID I, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
I DO HAVE A POWERPOINT IS SUBMITTED.
I'LL WAIT TO SEE THAT ON THE SCREEN BEFORE I GET STARTED.
YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK I JUST CONFUSED THINGS, SO IT MIGHT TAKE A MINUTE.
WELL, IN THE INTERIM, I CAN JUST SAY, WHILE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A FANTASTIC JOB, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO HIRING.
SO IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE A JOB, APD RECRUITING.ORG IS WHERE THEY CAN COME AND, AND APPLY TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO DON'T FORGET ABOUT US AS WELL.
CHIEF GREENWALT CHAIR, I SEE THAT DA'S PRESENTATION, NOT APDS.
YOU CAN, UH, HEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THAT'S, THAT'S OUR, OUR PRESENTATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO OVER THREE, UH, BULLET POINTS AND, UM, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY, YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY STOP ME OR WE CAN TALK AT THE END.
BUT WANNA TALK ABOUT THE STATISTICS AND TRENDS THAT WE'VE SEEN WITH FIREARMS FROM, UH, A ROLLING FIVE YEAR PERIOD FROM 2017 TO CURRENT.
I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM, OR V I P PROGRAM THAT WE LAUNCHED IN 2021 AND, UH, RECENT GUN SURRENDER OPERATION THAT WE CONDUCTED.
WE USED TO DO THESE, UH, PRETTY REGULARLY, UH, QUARTERLY, AND THEN COVID HIT, AND WE WERE JUST ABLE TO DO THE FIRST ONE SINCE COVID IN OCTOBER.
SO WE HAVE SOME NUMBERS TO REPORT FROM THAT AS WELL.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH OFFENSES INVOLVING FIREARMS, WE SEE AN UPWARD TREND, UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY SPIKED IN 2020, ALONG WITH OTHER VIOLENT CRIME PROS.
THE NATION, I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT I THINK AS YOU GO FROM YEAR TO YEAR, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT IT WAS SLOWLY MOVING UPWARD ALONG WITH POPULATION GROWTH.
AND THEN, UH, IN 2020 WHEN COVID HAPPENED AND THE VIOLENT CRIME AROUND THE COUNTRY TENDED TO SPIKE, WE SAW A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SPIKE IN 2020 AND 21.
2022 IS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THOSE YEARS, BUT IT DOES NOT LOOK TO BE QUITE AS BAD AS IT WAS LAST YEAR.
YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IN AUSTIN, UM, IS WHERE GUNS ARE LOST OR STOLEN AND WHERE THEY'RE RECOVERED AND HOW THEY'RE RECOVERED.
WE HAD A REALLY DEEP DIVE ANALYTICAL REPORT THAT WAS DONE BY OUR CRIME ANALYST THAT LOOKED AT A FIVE YEAR, UM, PERIOD OF GUN CRIME IN AUSTIN.
AND WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PRETTY MUCH DRAW A DISTINCT CORRELATION BETWEEN IS THAT, UH, THE GUNS THAT ARE STOLEN IN VEHICLE THEFTS AND BURGLARIES OF VEHICLES AND BURGLARIES OF RESIDENCES ARE OFTENTIMES USED IN VIOLENT CRIMES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY AND RECOVERED IN THOSE, UH, CRIMES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IS THE LOST AND STOLEN FIREARMS AND THE REPORTING THAT COMES WITH THAT.
AND IT MORE OR LESS MIRRORS THE REST OF THE VIOLENT CRIME ACTIVITY THAT YOU'LL SEE.
WE HAD A, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN 2019, WHICH CONTINUED IN 2020 AND IS SLOWLY DECREASING, UH, SINCE THAT TIME.
WE DO SEE MORE, UH, FIREARMS THAT ARE STOLEN OUT OF VEHICLES, A LOT OF CONCEALED HANDGUN LICENSE CARRIERS, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE CONCEALED HANDGUN LICENSES STORED THEIR GUNS IN THEIR GLOVE BOX OR THEIR CENTER CONSOLE, UM, UNFORTUNATELY LEAVE IT OUT AND THEIR DRIVEWAY OR THEIR GARAGE OR WHEREVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE CONDUCTING BUSINESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
AND WHEN VEHICLES ARE BURGLARIZED, A LOT OF THESE GUNS ARE STOLEN DIRECTLY FROM THE, THE CARS AND THE VEHICLES.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE SOME THAT ARE STOLEN FROM RESIDENCES AS WELL.
WE SEE AN UPWARD TREND IN, UM, IN THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY THAT, THAT VERY CLOSELY MIRRORS THE GUN VIOLENCE.
UM, IT GOES UP IN 2020, PLATEAUS A LITTLE BIT AND IS SLIGHTLY DOWN IN 2022.
[00:30:01]
SLIDE.UM, FOR STATISTICAL, UH, DEFINITION PURPOSES, DON'T PAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE NUMBERS AT THE TOP OF THE BLUE, UH, BARS THAT YOU SEE.
UM, THE NUMBERS OF GUNS THAT ARE RECOVERED ARE GONNA BE HIGHER THAN THAT.
THOSE NUMBERS ACTUALLY REPRESENT SPECIFIC CASES WHERE A FIREARM IS RECOVERED AFTER A THEFT.
UH, DOES NOT INVOLVE CASES THAT INVOLVE ANY SORT OF, UM, VIOLENT CRIME ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
BUT THE, THE TREND IS WHAT WE WANT YOU GUYS TO BE ABLE TO SEE.
UM, WE DO SEE THAT IN 2019 WE HIT A SOMEWHAT OF A LOW SPOT, AND THEN IT TRENDS UP AGAIN AS TO ALL THE OTHERS.
UH, 2022 IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER.
I DON'T HAVE A REASON FOR THAT, BUT WE'RE WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE CLOSEOUT NUMBERS ARE FOR 2022, UH, BEFORE WE LOOK BACK AND, AND SEE WHY THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE.
BUT THIS IS GONNA CLOSELY MIRROR WHAT WE SEE IN REGARDS TO THE NUMBER OF GUNS THAT ARE STOLEN.
IT JUST DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T INCORPORATE THE NUMBER OF GUNS THAT ARE RECOVERED WHEN THERE'S A VIOLENT CRIME ATTACHED TO IT.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE ARE ABLE TO FIND A GUN ON SOMEBODY'S PERSON THAT'S NOT ATTACHED TO A VIOLENT CRIME, AND THAT GUN IS RECOVERED AS BEING STOLEN, IDENTIFIED AS BEING STOLEN IN ANOTHER OFFENSE, THAT'S WHERE THESE NUMBERS COME FROM.
SO IN 2021, WE PUT TOGETHER A VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM OR A VIP PROGRAM WHERE OUR DETECTIVES AND OUR ORGANIZED CRIME OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES IDENTIFIED THE PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY WHO WERE COMMITTING MORE CRIME OR MORE VIOLENT CRIME THAN THE REST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WE COME INTO CONTACT WITH.
WE TRIED TO IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE WHO WERE CONSIDERED TO BE MORE VIOLENT OR IDENTIFIED WITH VIOLENT GANG ACTIVITY OR COMMITTING, UH, RECIDIVISM AT A HIGHER RATE THAN OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THE IDEA WAS TO USE THE ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION TO FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS ON THE PEOPLE WHO WERE USING GUNS AND CRIMES TO TRY TO INTERDICT THEM, UH, WITH THAT GUN BEFORE THEY COMMIT A VIOLENT CRIME, OR IF THE VIOLENT CRIME HAS BEEN, UH, COMMITTED TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE PROSECUTION, WHETHER IT BE FEDERAL OR STATE, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE, UH, SOME OF THE MORE EGREGIOUS CRIMINALS IN THE COUNTY, AND THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LET ANYTHING SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND WE, WE WORK TOGETHER AND COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE PROSECUTORS TO PRESENT A SOLID CASE FOR THEM.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY SUCCESS THAT HAPPENED WITH V I P IN 2021.
WE HAD 112 PEOPLE WHO WERE IDENTIFIED AS, UH, SOMEBODY THAT WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT 70 OF THEM OR, UH, PREVIOUS CONVICTED FELONS.
WE HAD A HUNDRED OF THEM WITH PREVIOUS VIOLENT CRIME INVOLVEMENT IN 47 WHO WERE GANG MEMBERS.
WE HAD 86 ARRESTS, A NUMBER OF CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND WE HAD 27 CASES THAT WERE ACCEPTED FOR FEDERAL PROSECUTION BECAUSE OF THE EGREGIOUS NATURE OF THE CRIMES AND THE CRIMINAL HISTORY THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
UM, AND IT BREAKS IT DOWN BY OFFENSE AS WELL WITH VIOLENT CRIMES AND FIREARMS AND DRUGS.
BUT I THINK THE, THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THIS IS THAT THE PROJECT, UM, ABOUT NINE TO 10 MONTHS LONG WAS SUCCESSFUL.
AND IT GIVES US A BUILDING BLOCK TO, TO BUILD OUT SOMETHING MORE SUCCESSFUL.
WE'RE CURRENTLY TAKING THIS AS A FRAMEWORK AND TRYING TO BUILD OUT A MORE ROBUST SYSTEM WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTING THESE TYPES OF CRIME AND TRY TO IDENTIFY ANY TYPE OF ROOT CAUSE TO THE PROBLEM AND SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN INTERDICT IN THEIR LIFE AHEAD OF TIME, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH SOCIAL SERVICES OR, UH, JAIL DIVERSION PROGRAMS, OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE DIFFERENT DECISIONS AND NOT COMMIT MORE VIOLENT CRIME WITH GUN SO THAT WE CAN, UM, OFFER THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UM, IF THE PERSON CHOOSES NOT TO AND COMMIT AND CONTINUES TO COMMIT MORE VIOLENT CRIMES WITH GUNS, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UM, A CONTINUED FOCUS OF OUR PROSECUTION COLLABORATIVELY WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD A SOLID CASE FOR THEM.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO IDENTIFY NOT ONLY THE ROOT CAUSE, BUT TO FOLLOW SOMEBODY THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS AND TAKE A HOLISTIC KIND OF APPROACH TO SEE WHY PEOPLE ARE COMMITTING.
UM, REPEAT VIOLENT CRIMES IS THERE'S A FAILURE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ARRESTS OR REPORTING SYSTEM.
IF THERE'S A FAILURE AT SOME OTHER POINT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT WITH EVIDENCE AND TACKLE THOSE PROBLEMS TOGETHER AS A SYSTEM INSTEAD OF JUST, UH, BEING UNAWARE OF IT OR LETTING IT GO.
YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE ARE, UM, HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE STARTED THE GUN SURRENDER PROGRAM AGAIN.
UH, WE, UH, HAD 11 FIREARMS THAT WERE SURRENDERED.
IT'S NOT AS HIGH AS THE NUMBERS WE USED TO HAVE, UM, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT BECAUSE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL.
A LOT OF GUNS CAME IN, SOME OF THEM ENDED UP BEING ACTUALLY BB GUNS AND PELLET GUNS, BUT WE GOT A LOT OF GUNS OFF THE STREET.
WE HAVE A NO QUESTIONS ASKED, VOLUNTARY KIND OF, UM, APPROACH.
WE FOUND THAT WHEN WE USE THAT APPROACH, WE GET, UH, A BETTER RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF PEOPLE
[00:35:01]
WHO REALLY, TRULY WANNA JUST GET THE GUNS OFF THE STREET AS OPPOSED TO A BUYBACK PROGRAM, UH, WHERE PEOPLE COME IN AND TRY TO GET MONEY FOR THE GUNS.SO WE ARE PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP.
WE'RE OFFER, OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A GUN.
MAYBE IT WAS PASSED ON TO THEM FROM RELATIVE OR THEY FELT THEY NEEDED IT AT ONE TIME, BUT HAVE SINCE CHANGED THEIR MIND AND BASICALLY OFFER THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SURRENDER THAT GUN IN A NO QUESTIONS ASKED ENVIRONMENT.
AND IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR THEM TO VOLUNTARILY DO THAT.
IN ADDITION TO THE GUNS, WE GOT 3000 ROUNDS OF AM OF VARIOUS TYPES OF AMMUNITION AS WELL.
WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY? UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF GREENWALT? UH, I DID.
UH, ARE WE, ARE WE HOLDING QUESTIONS NOW CURRENTLY FOR JUST THE GUN PROGRAM OR FOR ANY OF, UH, CHIEF WALT'S PRESENTATION? THE WHOLE PRESENTATION? WHOLE PRESENTATION.
I CHIEF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, I APPRECIATE THE NUMBERS THAT YOU PUT SOME OF THOSE REALLY IMPORTANT TRENDS IN THE CITY.
UM, I'LL START KIND OF WITH SOME SPECIFICS AND THEN MOVE KIND OF TO A HIGH LEVEL QUESTION, PARTICULARLY WITH THE V I P PROGRAM.
UH, I WAS CURIOUS TO, TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE APD IS DOING IN TERMS OF TRACING THOSE FIREARMS. ARE WE USING THE ATF SYSTEM TO UNDERSTAND, UM, ORIGINAL POINT OF PURCHASE FOR THOSE WEAPONS? DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY OF THOSE RECOVERED GUNS ARE BEING TRACED? YES.
EVERY SINGLE GUN THAT WE RECOVER, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S INVOLVED IN A VIOLENT CRIME, IS GONNA BE RUN THROUGH THE NIVAN PROGRAM.
UH, WE PARTNER TOGETHER WITH THE, UH, ATF AND WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TASK FORCE OFFICERS THAT ARE TASKED WITH TAKING THOSE GUNS AND TEST FIRING THEM TO SEE IF THEY'RE INVOLVED IN ANY OTHER TYPE OF CRIME IN ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY OR ANY OTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION WAS THE, THE, THE TOTAL RECOVERIES, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THOSE WEAPONS BEING SEIZED AT THE SCENES OF CRIMES.
I'M CURIOUS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF RECOVERED WEAPONS ARE FROM INVESTIGATORY STOPS VERSUS RECOVERED AT THE SCENE OR IN THE COURSE OF AN INVESTIGATION OF A CRIME THAT IS REPORTED TO POLICE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, UH, SINCE 2020, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC STOPS ARE DOWN, STAFFING'S DOWN.
A LOT OF THE GUNS THAT WE GET SOMETIMES ARE JUST, UM, OUT OF, UM, THE COURSE OF OUR NORMAL OPERATIONS AND, AND OTHER TYPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS THAT WE TAKE WHERE WE END UP FINDING A GUN.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE GUNS END UP BEING LINKED TO VIOLENT CRIMES OR RECOVERED AS BEING STOLEN.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE, ARE DECREASED, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC PERCENTAGES FOR YOU.
CHIEF, I THINK THAT WOULD SOMETHING USEFUL TO, TO CONSIDER IN FUTURE PRESENTATION, SORT OF THE SOURCE OF THOSE RECOVERED FIREARMS, JUST SORT OF OUR ADDED CONTEXT.
UM, AND MY FINAL QUESTION IS, IS WITH REGARD TO THE, TO THE V I P AT THE END OF, OF YOUR PRESENTATION ON THAT PARTICULAR FACET, YOU MENTIONED THE SORT OF AMBITION OF USING SOCIAL SERVICES TO IDENTIFY POINTS FOR INTERVENTION.
UM, I'M, I'M CURIOUS, IS THIS CURRENT, IS THE V I PS CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED A STRICTLY ENFORCEMENT ENDEAVOR BETWEEN LOCAL POLICE PROSECUTORS, UH, AND THE COURTS? UM, OR IS IT FULFILLING THE MISSION OF WHAT'S BROADLY KNOWN AS GROUP VIOLENCE INTERVENTION OR FOCUS DETERRENTS? WHERE ARE WE IN THE PROCESS TOWARDS A MOVEMENT WHERE IT'S NOT 100% ENFORCEMENT ON INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT? GOOD QUESTION.
SO THE V I P PROGRAM STARTED AND ENDED IN 2021, AND IT WAS CLEARLY, UH, JUST AN INVESTIGATIVE TYPE OF EFFORT.
WE, WE HAD, UH, LIMITED RESOURCES AT THE TIME.
WE WANTED TO DO A PROJECT, BUT WE DIDN'T, UH, HAVE A LOT OF PREPARATION THAT WAS PUT INTO IT.
SO WE WANTED TO FOCUS OUR, UM, ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION ON THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE COMMITTING THOSE TYPES OF CRIMES.
AND SO IT WAS KIND OF LIMITED IN SCOPE.
WE'RE USING THAT AS A BUILDING BLOCK TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT WILL START IN 2023, UH, IN EARLY 2023, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE THE BROAD SCOPE OF FOCUS DETERRENTS AND LOOKING AT THE ROOT CAUSE AND IDENTIFYING OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES, OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO, TO OFFER A WAY OUT FOR ANYBODY WHO'S IN THAT LIFESTYLE.
I HAD ONE LAST QUICK QUESTION ON THE GUN.
UH, THE GUN SUBMISSION PROGRAM OR THE GUN, UH, SURRENDER PROGRAM, 11 FIREARMS, NOT A HUGE NUMBER.
UM, IT'S GOOD THAT THOSE THINGS WERE TURNED IN.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT EXPENDITURE OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM ON THE PART OF APD TO RECOVER 11 FIREARMS? YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER THAT, UM, THAT FIGURE FOR YOU.
I CAN FIND OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
MOST OF THE EFFORTS THAT WERE UTILIZED BY APD, IF NOT ALL, WERE ON DUTY RESOURCES.
WHILE IT DOES TAKE TIME AND ENERGY, WE DIDN'T PAY OVERTIME FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND TAKE PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
IT WAS DURING OUR NORMAL WORK DAYS AND WEEKS.
UH, WE UTILIZE OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES.
WE, WE UTILIZE OUR, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LIEUTENANT AND WE UTILIZE OUR FORENSICS PERSONNEL TO GO OUT AND SEIZE THOSE IN A SAFE MANNER.
AND THEY DID SO WHILE THEY WERE ON DUTY.
[00:40:02]
VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.YEAH, I ACTUALLY JUST WILL CONTINUE ON THE GUN SURRENDER PROGRAM.
UM, JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT SORT OF OUTREACH WAS DONE IN ADVANCE, UM, I REMEMBER SEEING SOMETHING ABOUT THE GUN SURRENDER PROGRAM ON THE DAY THAT IT WAS HAPPENING, AND I DIDN'T SEE MUCH, UM, IN ADVANCE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH YOU GUYS DID, UM, FOR THE GUN SURRENDER PROGRAM AND ALSO JUST KIND OF AS A FOLLOW UP, UM, YOU MENTIONED, I'LL LET YOU DO THAT FIRST.
WE USE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRESS RELEASE OUTLETS, I THINK, UM, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW? YOU KNOW, I AGREE, UM, 11 IS A STARTING POINT.
IT'S GOOD THAT THOSE ARE OFF THE STREET.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE, I THINK AS WE START TO DEVELOP A PIPELINE AND A RECURRENCE OF A QUARTERLY EFFORT, WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE THAN 11 GUNS EACH TIME.
UH, PEOPLE ARE GONNA KNOW ABOUT IT, THEY'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT IT, THEY'RE GONNA REMEMBER IT.
IF THEY MISS ONE, THEY KNOW THEY CAN MAKE THE NEXT ONE.
THEY'RE GONNA START TO HAVE THAT KIND OF DIALOGUE WITH EACH OTHER.
SO THOSE NUMBERS, I TRULY BELIEVE WE'LL GO UP.
UM, WE'RE OPEN TO ANY SORT OF AVENUES YOU GUYS THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT WE UTILIZE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS AND WE UTILIZE OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE TO DO PRESS RELEASES TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHEN AND WHERE AND HOW TO BRING THOSE GUNS.
AND THEN JUST, UM, A SLIGHTLY SIMILAR QUESTION, NOT SIMILAR, BUT JUST ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT OUTREACH WITH REGARDS TO WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE GUNS THAT WERE STOLEN, RIGHT? AND ONE OF THE WEARS THAT YOU MENTIONED IN TERMS OF STOLEN GUNS, YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS A DECENT AMOUNT OF VE OF, UM, WEAPONS THAT WERE STOLEN FROM VEHICLES.
ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO SORT OF PROACTIVELY DO OUTREACH IN COMMUNITIES TO LIKE DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM KEEPING GUNS IN THEIR CARS? DOESN'T SEEM TERRIBLY SAFE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT LIKE THE, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DOING PROACTIVELY TO SORT OF REACH OUT? SO WE HAVE DONE, UH, PROGRAMS IN THE PAST THROUGH OUR AUTO THEFT DIVISION THAT TALK ABOUT, UM, WAYS TO SAFEGUARD THEIR CARS FROM BEING STOLEN OR BURGLARIZED.
THERE ARE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, BEFORE COVID, I DON'T KNOW, UM, TO BE QUITE CLEAR WITH YOU WHAT'S BEING DONE RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN DEFINITELY FIND THAT INFORMATION OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
NOT JUST NECESSARILY WITH REGARDS TO LIKE PREVENTING THEFT, BUT JUST ACTUALLY PROACTIVELY LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, WORKING ON SAFER GUN STORAGE SORT OF EDUCATION FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE DOING MORE OF THAT AND WHAT KINDS OF PLANS ARE IN PLACE FOR THAT.
WE DO HAVE AN OUTREACH PROGRAM THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, DIVISION.
I CAN'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO, BUT I KNOW THEY HAVE A, A PROGRAM THAT INSTILLS GUN SAFE GUN STORAGE, UH, SAFE GUN LOCKS.
WE GIVE OUT FREE GUN LOCKS FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS ONE.
AND WE TALK ABOUT THE SAFEST WAY TO STORM, BUT, UM, EXACTLY HOW THEY GO ABOUT THAT.
I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
AND IF I MAY, VICE CHAIR, UM, RAMIREZ, THIS IS JOSE, THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
UM, I WANTED JUST TO CHIME IN BRIEFLY TO NOTE THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND OTHER, UM, AGENCIES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN ARE PARTNERED ON A SAFE STORAGE CAMPAIGN, UM, THAT INCLUDED OUTREACH AND MEDIA, UM, TO FIREARM OWNERS ABOUT WAYS TO RESPONSIBLY STORE AND SECURE THEIR FIREARMS. AND I KNOW, UM, IN OUR WORK WITH APD, THAT SAFE STORAGE IN VEHICLES HAS BEEN A PARTICULAR POINT OF EMPHASIS.
SO, UH, I IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT MADE BY APD, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND OTHERS, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THAT CAMPAIGN.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WEBER.
THANKS, CHIEF, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WAS HOPING YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW APD IS WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CITY'S OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION WITH REGARDS TO YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE JUST NOW IN THE INFANCY OF PUTTING THAT TOGETHER, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO DETAILS, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT GRANT THAT THEY CAN USE.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AN APD LED EFFORT WHEN WE GO OUT AND REACH OUT TO PEOPLE TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU'VE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE SOCIAL SERVICES.
WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE APD WHO LEADS THAT.
CAUSE WE WANT IT TO BE A GROUP EFFORT, A TEAM EFFORT, WHERE SOMETIMES APD MAY NOT BE INVOLVED AT ALL.
SO AS WE BUILD THAT PROGRAM OUT, WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH O V P, WE'RE GONNA WORK TOGETHER WITH EVERY SOCIAL SERVICE DIVISION OR AGENCY THAT, THAT BRINGS SOMETHING TO THE TABLE.
AND I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO DISCLOSE HOW THAT'S GONNA LOOK PROBABLY IN THE DECEMBER AND JANUARY TIMEFRAME, BUT I DON'T WANT TO TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE DETAILS YET BECAUSE IT'S STILL BEING BUILT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF, UM, DISTRICT ATTORNEY GARZA AND FIRST ASSISTANT TRUS STRASSBERGER.
[00:45:02]
GOOD AFTERNOON.UH, SINCE WE WERE, WE'RE GOING WITH FORMAL TITLES HERE, UH, CHAIR BERNHARDT AND VICE CHAIR S AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
I'M THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND AS YOU NOTED, I'M, UH, GRATEFUL TO BE JOINED BY OUR FIRST ASSISTANT TRUDY STRASSBERGER.
UH, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE.
I THINK I'VE GOT CONTROL OF THE POWERPOINT FROM HERE.
UM, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT IS CENTRAL TO A PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE TIME AND HOURS THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS WORK.
UH, I'M, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO HEAR, UM, THE PRESENTATION FROM ASSISTANT CHIEF GREENWALD.
UM, AND I'M, UH, EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR COLLABORATION WITH APD AND ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, UM, TO REDUCE ACTS OF GUN VIOLENCE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IT IS IN THAT SPIRIT, UM, OF STRENGTHENING OUR COLLABORATION THAT I'M, UH, EXCITED TO BE VISITING WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR DURING YOUR LAST PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION A DISCUSSION ABOUT FIREARM POSSESSION OFFENSES REJECTED BY PROSECUTORS.
UM, DURING THAT PRESENTATION, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM FROM APD SUGGESTED THAT IT, IT HIGHLIGHT, HIGHLIGHTED THAT STATISTIC AS A, AND I QUOTE, POTENTIAL DRIVER OF CRIME.
UM, I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE, UM, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD NOT REACHED OUT TO MY OFFICE TO DISCUSS OR LEARN WHY THOSE CASES WERE REJECTED AND STILL HAS NOT.
AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT, UM, IT IS INACCURATE AND IRRESPONSIBLE TO SUGGEST THAT THOSE REJECTION REJECTIONS ARE A DRIVER OF CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THOSE REJECTIONS SPECIFICALLY IN, IN DETAIL.
UM, AND I WANNA JUST REITERATE, UM, I, I'VE MADE THIS OFFER TO CHIEF CHUCK ON, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, AND I'M, UH, HAPPY TO MAKE THE OFFER HERE AGAIN.
UM, IF THERE ARE EVER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OUTCOME ON ANY CASE IN OUR OFFICE, WE ARE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AT ANY POINT, UM, TO GO OVER THAT CASE WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, WHETHER THEY BE APD, DPS, UM, WHO, WHOEVER IT MAY BE ATF.
UM, BUT HAPPY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH YOU HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE BROADLY ABOUT OUR WORK, UM, TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, JUST TO START, WE HAVE BEEN CLEAR THAT IF A PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY PICKS UP A GUN, POINTS IT AT ANOTHER PERSON AND PULLS THE TRIGGER, THEY WILL BE ARRESTED AND THEY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING.
SINCE TAKING OFFICE, UM, OUR OFFICE HAS SECURED OVER 4,000 INDICTMENTS FOR ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND SECURED OVER 2,500 CONVICTIONS FOR ACTS OF VIOLENCE.
WE HAVE A 94% PROSECUTION RATE FOR ALL FIREARM RELATED OFFENSES, BUT THE TRUTH IS, UM, WE ARE NEVER GOING TO ARREST AND PROSECUTE OUR WAY OUT OF THE GUN VIOLENCE INFLICTING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WAS, UM, GRATEFUL AND EXCITED TO HEAR CHIEF GREENWALD TALK ABOUT, UM, THEIR PREVENTION WORK.
AND, AND AS I SAID, I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH APD AND OTHERS ON THAT WORK.
THAT'S WHY IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, MY OFFICE RELEASED A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE STARTED BY ENSURING THAT PEOPLE WHO COMMIT ACTS OF GUN VIOLENCE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
WE CREATED A MAJOR CRIMES DIVISION, ADDED TEMPORARY HOMICIDE PROSECUTORS, AND INCREASED OUR COLLABORATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS.
UM, WE ARE PART OF, OF TWO FEDERAL TASK FORCES.
ONE, UH, RELATED TO FIREARM OFFENSES AND ONE RELATED TO VIOLENT OFFENSES GENERALLY.
AND BOTH OF THOSE HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
UM, WE WORKED TO INCREASE OUR COORDINATION WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN OUR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ECOSYSTEM IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND NATIONAL PARTNERS TO BEGIN AN ANALYSIS OF BOTH FATAL AND NON-FATAL SHOOTINGS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THE DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THAT ANALYSIS WILL BE CRITICAL TO OUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY BASED SOLUTIONS DE DECREASE GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND FINALLY, AS WE AWAIT THAT DATA, WE ALREADY KNOW, UM, THAT IN
[00:50:01]
TRAVIS COUNTY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, A PLURALITY OF HOMICIDES, UM, HAVE ARISEN IN THE CONTEXT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ALSO HAD A SHARP FOCUS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, WE HAVE SECURED OVER 1800 INDICTMENTS AND OVER 900 CONVICTIONS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED OFFENSES.
IN ADDITION, MY OFFICE HAS IMPLEMENTED ITS FIRST EVER FIREARM SURRENDER PROTOCOL, UM, AND IS WORKING WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY TO IMPLEMENT A SIMILAR PROGRAM COUNTYWIDE, UM, IN ORDER TO FURTHER OUR UNDERSTANDING, INCREASE COLLABORATION AND TO EXPLORE STRATEGIES THE DA'S OFFICE CO-HOSTED ALONG WITH MAYOR ADLER, THE MAYOR OF PRO TEM, THE COUNTY JUDGE, AND, UM, COMMISSIONER PAVILION, A GUN VIOLENCE SUMMIT THIS PAST JUNE.
THAT CONVENING ALLOWED FOR FRANK DISCUSSION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND POLICY MAKERS, AND ALLOWED US TO FURTHER EXPLORE WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ECOSYSTEM.
COMING OUT OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WORKED CLOSELY, UM, OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS WITH JUDGE ANDY BROWN COMMISSIONER PAVILION TO STRENGTHEN TRAVIS COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THAT GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ECOSYSTEM.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF, OUR OFFICE HAS PARTICIPATED IN A SERIES OF BRIEFINGS TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT FOCUSED ON ACCOUNTABILITY, PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION.
UM, WE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL THAT LAST WEEK COMMISSIONER'S COURT PASSED THE SAFER TRAVIS COUNTY RESOLUTION, AND I SPEND A FEW MINUTES TELLING YOU WHAT THAT RESOLUTION DOES.
UM, FIRST IT DIRECTS COUNTY OFFICIALS, UM, TO STAND UP AN ATF, UM, NIBIN PROGRAM THAT IS REGIONAL, THAT IS FOR ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, JOINING THE COUNTY, UM, IT DIRECTS OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE TO STAND UP A HOSPITAL BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SERVICES AND MEETING THE NEEDS VIOLENCE.
AND FINALLY, IT INVESTS IN COMMUNITY BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE AT RISK OF COMMITTING ACTS OF GUN VIOLENCE.
SO I, I WANTED TO TAKE, UM, OBVIOUSLY A SECOND TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE AND ALSO TO TAKE A SECOND, UM, TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE.
I THINK, UM, CHIEF GREEN WALL LAID OUT, UH, A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF VIOLENT CRIME DATA OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, IN THAT CONTEXT THIS YEAR IN 2022, UM, HOMICIDES ARE DOWN BOTH IN RAW NUMBERS AND PER CAPITA.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IS, UM, DUE TO THE FANTASTIC WORK OF APD AND ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, UM, AND OUR INCREASED RESOURCES AND FOCUS ON PREVENTION, WE HAVE, UM, SIGNIFICANT WORK TO DO.
BUT I THINK WE'RE, UM, MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, DIRECTION.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THOSE 21 CASES THAT WERE REFERENCED DURING THE LAST, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING.
AND I WANNA START BY GIVING JUST A BROAD OUTLINE OF WHY OUR OFFICE WOULD REJECT A FIREARM CASE OR ANY CASE REALLY.
UM, AND LET ME START WITH THIS.
THERE IS NO POLICY IN OUR OFFICE THAT WOULD CAUSE US TO REJECT FIREARM CASES.
AS I SAID, WE HAVE A 94% PROSECUTION RATE FOR ALL FIREARM RELATED OFFENSES.
UM, WE EVALUATE FIREARM CASES.
THE WAY WE EVALUATE EVERY CASE THAT COMES TO OUR OFFICE.
AND SOME OF THE REASONS THAT WE MAY REJECT A CASE IS BECAUSE THERE'S NO PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE ARREST, UM, NO PROBABLE CAUSE FOR ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENSE.
UM, SOMETIMES, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE SIMPLY CAN'T PROVE BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, UM, THE ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENSE.
UM, AND I, AND I, THE LAST POINT IS JUST TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THERE ARE SOME POLICIES WE HAVE IN OUR OFFICE WITH RESPECT TO REJECTING CASES, BUT THOSE ARE LIMITED TO LOW LEVEL DRUG OFFENSES.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHER FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDER IS WHETHER OR NOT THE FEDS ARE TAKING A CASE, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THE DEFENDANT IS PLEAD GUILTY TO OTHER OFFENSES.
SOMETIMES WE DISMISS CASES AS, AS PART OF A, I SHOULD SAY, WE DISMISS CHARGES AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT.
UM, TYPICALLY WHEN WE ENTER THAT KIND OF PLEA AGREEMENT, THE DEFENDANT PLEADS TO THE HIGHEST CHARGE,
[00:55:01]
UM, THAT HAS BEEN CHARGED.AND THEN WE ARE WILLING TO DISMISS, UM, LOWER CHARGES AS PART OF THAT AGREEMENT.
AND THEN SOMETIMES, UM, WE DISMISS OR REJECT CASES IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS DEPENDS ON EVERY SITUATION.
BUT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF ONE IN JUST A MINUTE.
UM, LET ME JUST SCROLL OVER TO TALK ABOUT THOSE 21 CASES AND WE CAN GO THROUGH, UM, THOSE 21 TOGETHER RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, OF THE 21 CASES THAT WERE REPORTED TO YOU DURING YOUR LAST MEETING AS REJECTED, UM, FOUR WERE REJECTED BECAUSE THE PERSON DID NOT HAVE A PRIOR FELONY CONVICTION, WHICH IS A NECESSARY ELEMENT OF THE OFFENSE FOR IT TO BE A FELONY IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, ANOTHER FOUR WERE REJECTED BECAUSE, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS MOVING FORWARD ON FEDERAL CHARGES, ESSENTIALLY FOR THE SAME OFFENSE IN ANOTHER FOUR.
UM, WE REJECTED THE, THE POSSESSION CASE AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT WHERE THE PERSON PLED GUILTY TO ANOTHER FELONY.
IN TWO OF THOSE CASES, THERE WAS A LACK OF PROBABLE CAUSE, UM, FOR THE STOP IN ONE AND FOR, UM, POSSESSION OF THE FIREARM IN ANOTHER.
UM, IN ANOTHER, UM, INSTANCE, THE PERSON WHO WAS ARRESTED DIED AFTER THEY WERE ARRESTED.
UM, IN TWO INSTANCES, THE PERSON, UM, ARRESTED SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ONE OF THOSE, UM, INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, UH, THAT CHIEF GREENWALL WAS REFERENCING, AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE WEAPON WAS USED IN A VIOLENT ACT NOR ANY HISTORY OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.
AND THEN WE REJECTED ONE OF THOSE CASES IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE.
AND IN THAT CASE, UM, THE ACCUSED WAS SUICIDAL AND CALLED 9 1 1 ON THEMSELVES.
UM, THEY WERE ADMITTED INTO A LONG TERM TREATMENT FACILITY, AND THE PRIOR FELONY CONVICTION THAT MADE THEM ELIGIBLE FOR A FELONY OFFENSE WAS 30 YEARS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE 30 YEARS OLD I SHOULD SAY.
SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE, UM, FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDERED IN THAT CASE.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT, UM, YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF, OF DATA THAT IS HELPFUL IN ANALYZING HOW WE ARE DOING AT RESPONDING TO GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, OTHER PIECES OF, OF DATA THAT MAY BE HELPFUL FOR, UM, FOR THIS BODY TO CONSIDER IS, UH, THE CLEARANCE RATE OR ARREST RATE FOR FATAL SHOOTINGS.
MY SENSE IS THAT THAT'S, THAT, UH, DATA POINT IS PRETTY GOOD.
UM, I THINK WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB AS A, UM, COLLECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE ON FATAL SHOOTINGS.
UM, ARREST RATE FOR NON-FATAL SHOOTINGS I THINK IS ALSO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN I WAS, UH, GLAD TO HEAR, UH, QUESTION FROM THE COMMISSIONER ABOUT THE NABE PROGRAM.
WE THINK PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SPEED WITH WHICH SHELL CASINGS ARE ENTERED INTO, UM, INTO EVIDENCE AND ANALYZED BY THE NABE PROGRAM IS A REALLY IMPORTANT METRIC THAT THIS BODY SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, CHIEF GREENWALD TOLD US THAT APD IS NOT WORKING WITH THE CITY'S OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
I WAS HOPING Y'ALL COULD TELL US, UM, ABOUT YOUR COLLABORATION WITH THEM.
YEAH, AND I, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, I THINK TO BE FAIR, MY SENSE IS THAT THAT APD IS WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
AS, UM, CHIEF GREENWALT SAID, I THINK THAT COLLABORATION, UM, IS, IS RELATIVELY YOUNG, AS IS THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
UM, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR COLLABORATION, THEN I CAN TALK ABOUT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE COLLABORATION ACROSS THE FIELD.
UM, IN, UH, I GUESS JUNE OF LAST YEAR, UM, MY OFFICE APPOINTED A, A SPECIFIC LIAISON TO THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
AND THAT LIAISON, UM, IS A PROSECUTOR IN MY OFFICE WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERT IN GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
SHE MEETS WITH THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS ONCE A WEEK.
UM, BUT IN ANY EVENT, VERY REGULARLY.
UM, AND WE HAVE COLLABORATED CLOSELY WITH THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION AS THEY THINK THROUGH, UM, THE PIECES OF THE ECOSYSTEM THAT WILL BE, UM, HELPFUL TO REDUCING ACTS OF GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:00:01]
AND WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH THEM ON SEVERAL SPECIFIC PROJECTS.WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM SPECIFICALLY ON A CITY COUNTY COLLABORATION TO ESTABLISH A COUNTYWIDE FIREARM SURRENDER PROTOCOL.
UM, AND BOTH OUR OFFICE AND APD, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UM, ON A ANALYSIS OF FATAL AND NON-FATAL SHOOTINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN TRAVIS COUNTY OVER THE LAST, UH, TWO YEARS, SO THAT WE CAN ROOT OUR, UM, POLICY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSES IN THE REALITY OF THE DATA IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, JUST PUT INTO PLACE LAST WEEK.
UM, WE ALSO TALKED THROUGH AND WORKED WITH THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WOULD FIT WELL INTO THE OVERALL ECOSYSTEM THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, HAS BEGUN TO BUILD.
UH, JUST TO ONE MORE POINT I WANNA MAKE COMMISSIONER WEBER, JUST SO THAT ALL OF YOU ARE AWARE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION IS ALSO ON THE VERGE OF STANDING UP A COMMUNITY BASED VIOLENCE REDUCTION OR VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WAS A, UM, A GRANT AWARD THAT WAS PUBLIC AND THAT MAY HAVE CLOSED.
UM, AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE CITY HAS SELECTED, UM, AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY BASED PARTNER AND IS MARCHING TOWARDS ROLLING THAT PROGRAM OUT SOON.
UM, BOTH THE HOSPITAL BASED PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY HAS PASSED AND THE COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY HAS FUNDED, I THINK WE'RE GONNA COMPLIMENT THAT EFFORT REALLY WELL.
NO MORE QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
[4. Discussion and possible action Opioid Use Disorder Support Program and/or the Buprenorphine Bridge Program]
UM, SO WE ARE MOVING ON TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS OUR, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON OPIOID USE DISORDER SUPPORT ON THE OPIOID USE DISORDER SUPPORT PROGRAM, UM, AND OR THE, UM, BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM, UH, COMMANDER HARDY WHILE THEY'RE JOINING US.UM, TERESA GARDNER, CHIEF OF STAFF WITH THE EMS DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, JOINING US TODAY, OUR MEMBERS ARE OF OUR INTEGRATED SERVICES, UM, DIVISION, AND THAT'S COMMANDER BLAKE HARDY AND CAPTAIN MIKE SASSER, WHO HAVE DEVOTED A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO THESE TWO PROGRAMS. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, THEY JUST RETURNED FROM A CONFERENCE DOWN IN GALVESTON WHERE THEY PRESENTED ON THIS INFORMATION TO MEMBERS ACROSS THE STATE AND I THINK BECAME A LITTLE BIT OF CELEBRITIES IN THE PROCESS.
SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE PROGRAM THAT THEY'VE DONE.
UM, I HOPE, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL LEARN A BIT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY'VE HAD AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY, SO I'LL LET THEM TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT.
AGAIN, MY NAME'S, UH, BLAKE HARD.
I'M COMMANDER OVER THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM, AND WITH ME IS CAPTAIN MIKE SASSER.
UM, MIKE HAS SERVED AS THE PRIMARY CASE MANAGER FOR THESE PROGRAMS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, WITHIN THE TEAM.
UM, ADVANCE SLIDE PLEASE, OR WILL THIS DO IT? UH, YEAH, YOU CAN USE THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO THE OPIOID USE DISORDER SUPPORT PROGRAM AND THE, UH, BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM ARE BOTH PROGRAMS THAT WERE DEVELOPED AND RUN UNDER THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM WITHIN EMS. UM, BOTH STARTED WITH A MISSION, UH, INTENT ON REDUCING THE MORBIDITY MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER, UM, AND TO BRING SUPPORT AND RECOVERY RESOURCES.
SO THEY WEREN'T INITIALLY DESIGNED DUE TO A SURGE NECESSARILY IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, BUT WE STARTED BOTH PROGRAMS WITH A FEW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABOUT OPIOID USE DISORDER.
AND, AND THE FIRST IS THAT IT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DRUG USE OR DISORDERS, UH, BOTH AT HOW PEOPLE WIND UP WITH THE DISORDER, UM, AND HOW IT AFFECTS THEM AND THEIR ABILITY TO, UH, CHANGE THEIR LIFE FROM IT.
UM, WE ALSO START WITH THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WITHDRAWAL FROM OPIOIDS, WHILE IT'S NOT LIFE THREATENING, LIKE ALCOHOL IS TYPICALLY SUCH A MISERABLE CONDITION, THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL EVER, UM, TOLERATE FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME.
IT TRULY DOES BECOME A TRAP FOR PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UNLIKE A LOT OF SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE, THERE ARE SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER, BUT A LOT OF PATIENTS ARE COMPLETELY MISINFORMED OR COMPLETELY UNINFORMED, UH, AND DO NOT HAVE AN EASY TIME NAVIGATING THROUGH THOSE FACTS.
SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE BASIC TENANTS THAT WE STARTED THE PROGRAMS WITH.
[01:05:01]
FROM AN EMS STANDPOINT, UM, BECAUSE OF ACTUALLY NATIONAL DATA AS WELL AS WHAT WE HAD BEEN SEEING ON THE STREETS HERE, BUT ROUGHLY 30% OF PEOPLE WHO DIE FROM AN OPIOID OVERDOSE HAVE SEEN EMS WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.UM, AND OUT OF THOSE, MOST OF THEM DIE WITHIN 48 HOURS OF SEEING, UH, AN AMBULANCE, UH, OR BEING IN THE ER.
SO WE KNEW WE WERE IN A GOOD SPOT TO DIRECTLY CONNECT WITH THOSE FOLKS.
UM, AS I'VE MENTIONED, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MAJOR OPIATE PROBLEM IN THE COUNTY WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, BUT NATIONWIDE WE COULD ALREADY SEE IT COMING.
UM, AND YOU SEE SOME OF THE STATISTICS THERE.
SO IN 2018, WE ACTUALLY STARTED OFF THE OPIOID USE DISORDER PROGRAM.
IT STARTED AS THE OPIOID EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM, UM, BASICALLY LOOKING TO UTILIZE STATE FUNDING AND FEDERAL FUNDING TO SUPPLY US WITH NARCAN TO GO OUT AND, UM, CONNECT WITH FOLKS.
THERE HAD BEEN A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN THE AVAILABILITY OF EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, WHICH IS MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT.
IT COMBINES MEDICATIONS AS WELL AS SUPPORT, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, AND SO FORTH.
AND NATIONALLY IS RECOGNIZED AS THE ONLY REALLY EFFECTIVE MEANS OF TREATING OPIOID USE DISORDER.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE HADN'T HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF, UH, FENTANYL LEVELS IN TRAVIS COUNTY YET IN 2018 WHEN WE STARTED IT.
UM, BUT WE KNEW THAT WAS PROBABLY ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.
UM, SO THE GOAL OF THE OPIOID USE, UH, SUPPORT PROGRAM WAS TO SIT IN A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC OUT TO SEE ANY PERSON WHO OVERDOSES FROM AN OPIOID IN TRAVIS COUNTY WITHIN 24 HOURS.
UM, SO WE'RE CUTTING THAT CRITICAL 48 HOURS KIND OF IN HALF.
SO WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THEIR OVERDOSE, THEY'RE GONNA GET A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC MEMBER OUT TO SEE THEM AND TO EDUCATE THEM ON THE TREATMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THE AVAILABILITY OF M A T SERVICES, A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S TRULY RE-EDUCATING WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY KNEW, UH, RECOVERY COULD BE LIKE TO PROVIDE OTHER WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES THAT THE KIDNEY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM ALREADY DOES.
THINGS THAT OFTEN HELP MAKE THEM MORE SUCCESSFUL, UM, FUNDING AND, AND SUPPORT, UH, NETWORKS AND SO FORTH.
AND THEN IF NOTHING ELSE, TO PROVIDE THEM OPIOID RESCUE KITS.
UM, WE KNEW WITH OUR ACCESS TO 9 1 1 WE WOULD BE SUCCESSFULLY OR WELL POSITIONED TO DELIVER THIS, BUT WE ALSO DO THAT AS MEDICAL PROVIDERS.
UH, OUR FOLKS COULD UNDERSTAND THE MEDICAL SCIENCE BEHIND WHAT REALLY DRIVES OPIOID ADDICTION AND AVOID SOME OF THE STIGMA THAT OFTEN OCCURS WITHIN OPIOID PROGRAMS. UM, WE KNEW THAT CHP WAS THE RIGHT TEAM TO DO IT.
UM, WE'VE ENJOYED SUCCESS IN ALMOST EVERYTHING WE'VE TAKEN ON BECAUSE WE BRING CARE TO THE PATIENT, UH, BOTH PHYSICALLY WHERE THE PATIENT'S AT, BUT ALSO, UH, METAPHORICALLY WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THEIR FRAME OF MIND, WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THEIR SITUATION.
WE TAILOR, UH, APPROACHES TO WHAT IS MOST SUCCESSFUL TO THEM, RATHER THAN JUST A STATIC MENU OF, OF OPTIONS.
UM, THESE ARE THE RESCUE KITS THAT WE HAND OUT.
UM, WE WE'RE PRETTY LIBERAL HONESTLY, WITH HANDING THEM OUT.
ANYBODY WHO TELLS US THAT THEY MIGHT, UH, BE AROUND SOMEONE WHO MIGHT OVERDOSE ON AN OPIATE, UH, WE'RE GONNA ASK THEM TO CARRY A KIT, UH, OR GIVE THEM A KIT.
UM, AND WE FOUND, UM, A FAIR AMOUNT OF USE IN THE EARLY MONTHS.
WE WOULD SEE MAYBE FOUR KITS USED BEFORE FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED.
NOWADAYS WE'RE UP TO AS MANY AS 20 KITS IN A MONTH BEING USED, UM, BEFORE FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED.
UM, SO WE RUN THAT PROGRAM INITIALLY WITH 2018.
WE'RE PROVIDING DIRECT CONNECTION TO M A T SERVICES.
THAT'S A KEY PIECE OF OUR PROGRAMS. WE DON'T DO REFERRALS.
IT'S ALL WARM HANDOFFS, AND IT'S ALL WARM FOLLOW-UPS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET INTO THE PROGRAM, STAY WITH THE PROGRAM, AND THEN WORK THROUGH FINDING WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM STAY IN IT OR, UH, TO NAVIGATE BACK TO IT IF IF NECESSARY.
UM, FOR SOME OF THOSE FOLKS, IT'S TRULY ABOUT THE EDUCATION.
UM, PEOPLE HAVE A TENDENCY TO THINK THAT ONE PROGRAM IS THE SAME AS ALL THE PROGRAMS OUT THERE, SO THEY MAY TRY ONE AND IT DOESN'T WORK OUT FOR THEM, AND THEY THINK THAT'S THE ONLY WAY PROGRAMS ARE, OR THEY MAY HAVE TRIED SOMETHING ON THEIR OWN.
IT WAS REALLY EFFECTIVE FOR OPIATES, LIKE A, A 12 DAY DETOX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHICH IS KNOWN TO BE COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE FOR OPIATES.
UM, WE EVEN FIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRIED TO SELF-MEDICATE ON THE STREETS, UH, AND THAT DID NOT WORK OUT WELL FOR THEM.
SO IN THEIR MIND, THAT IS WHAT TREATMENT IS LIKE.
UM, SO WE DO A LOT OF EDUCATING AND A LOT OF CONNECTING PEOPLE DIRECTLY INTO PROGRAMS. UM, THAT PROGRAM STARTED OFF VERY WELL.
YOU CAN SEE DATA ON THIS SLIDE.
THOSE ARE THE FIRST 12 MONTHS.
UH, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED IT, WE WERE SEEING, UM, AN OPIATE OVERDOSE OR TWO EVERY DAY IN THE COUNTY.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT SINCE 2020 WE'VE STARTED SPIKING QUITE A BIT, OR ABOUT THREE TIMES WHERE WE WERE BACK THEN.
UM, AT THE TIME WE DISTRIBUTED ABOUT 30 RESCUE KITS A MONTH.
[01:10:01]
TO 80, UH, ON SOME MONTHS.UM, IT REALLY DIDN'T START TO BUMP UP UNTIL, UM, EARLY 2020 WHEN WE STARTED TO SEE THE SIGNIFICANT RISE.
AND THERE'S BEEN SOME UPS AND DOWNS, UM, AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPIATES HAVE DRIVEN SOME OF THOSE PEAKS AND VALLEYS AS WE'VE SEEN IT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'LL PAUSE SINCE THERE'S A GRAPHIC HERE FOR JUST A SECOND, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AND THEN I'LL MOVE ON.
UM, IS, HAS THERE, IS THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE LARGELY DRIVEN BY FENTANYL? I WOULD SAY SO FROM WHAT I'D SAY.
MIKE, WOULD YOU AGREE? YES, DEFINITELY.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE WITH PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE GROWING MORE AND MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING HAS FENTANYL IN IT AND THEY'RE JUST USING FENTANYL AT THIS POINT.
IN THE EARLY DAYS, IT WAS TRULY THE QUESTION OF COULD THERE BE FENTANYL ON THE DRUGS? AND NOW WE SEE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWINGLY USING FENTANYL, PURELY
SO WE HAD A NUMBER OF EARLY LESSONS, UH, THAT WE LEARNED.
HONESTLY, COMMISSIONERS, I PROVIDED THIS INFO, UH, JUST FOR YOUR REFERENCE.
I WASN'T GONNA GO THROUGH EVERY ONE OF THE EARLY LESSONS.
UM, BUT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE FOUND.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, THOUGH, THAT WE FOUND EARLY ON WAS A MAJOR GAP IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT WOULD STOP TOO UNIQUE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE FOUND SOMEBODY WHO WAS INTERESTED IN GETTING HELP, AND THAT WAS ABOUT 20% OF OUR PATIENTS IN THE FIRST YEAR, UM, WE HAD NO PROBLEM GETTING 'EM INTO A PROGRAM.
THERE ARE PROGRAMS ACROSS THIS COUNTY FOR ANY LEVEL OF FUNDING, FROM NO FUNDING ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH PRIVATE INSURANCE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
WE CAN GET YOU IN A AN A T PROGRAM.
THE PROBLEM WE HAD WAS HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE AND ON, WE WOULD SEE PEOPLE WAIT AS MUCH AS A WEEK OR LONGER TO GET INTO A PROGRAM.
NOW, FOR THE OPIATE USER WHO'S BEEN USING TWO GRAMS OF HEROIN A DAY JUST TO STAY SANE, NOT NOT, AND WE SEE, WE HEAR IT FROM PATIENTS TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
THEY, THEY USE BECAUSE THEY, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN PHYSICALLY FUNCTION AND NOT BE ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE.
AND I'LL SPARE YOU THE DESCRIPTIONS.
UM, BUT THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD DO IS TO USE SOMETIMES TWICE A DAY.
SO, TO WAIT SEVEN DAYS TO GET INTO A PROGRAM IS 14 MORE TIMES TO USE AND POTENTIALLY OVERDOSE AND DIE.
UM, AND AS THE CASE MANAGER WORKING ON IT, MIKE WAS SEEING IT IN THE PEOPLE HE TALKED TO, UH, AS THE PERSON WHO GETS THE REPORT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK EVERY MORNING TO ASSIGN OUT.
I WAS SEEING IT ON PAPER, PEOPLE WHO WERE OVERDOSING AND IN SOME CASES DYING WHILE THEY WERE ALREADY REGISTERED TO START A PROGRAM.
SO WE LOOKED AROUND TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THAT, SOMETHING THAT WE COULD BRING TO THEM, UM, THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY DO TO FIX IT.
AND BORDERING ON THAT, OR JOINING THAT WAS WHEN WE'RE GOING TO 9 1 1 CALLS TO HELP OUR PARAMEDIC CREWS OUT FOR A PATIENT WHO'S IN WITHDRAWAL.
AND THEY'RE IN WITHDRAWAL BECAUSE THEY'VE DECIDED I'VE DONE, I WANT OFF THIS, UH, DRUG, I DON'T WANNA DO WITH THIS ANYMORE.
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING WE COULD OFFER THEM.
I CAN CONNECT YOU WITH A PROGRAM, BUT IT'S GONNA BE SEVEN DAYS.
AND THE EMERGENCY ROOMS DON'T TYPICALLY TREAT AGGRESSIVELY FOR OPIATE WITHDRAWAL BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT PATIENT.
AND THE, THE MEDICATIONS THAT ARE USED TO DO IT REQUIRE FOLLOW UP.
SO THE, THE ERS WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING FOR YOUR NAUSEA AND THEY'LL GIVE YOU TYLENOL FOR PAIN.
AND NEITHER OF THOSE GO VERY FAR AT ALL IN, IN WITHDRAWAL.
SO WHAT WE FOUND WAS BUPRENORPHINE AND THOSE, THE, UH, UM, DRUG NAME IS SUBOXONE.
UM, IT'S AN M A T MEDICATION, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN METHADONE.
AND MOST PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH METHADONE.
YOU TRULY ARE TRADING MORE OR LESS ONE ADDICTION FOR ANOTHER.
YOU'RE JUST DOING IT WITH A PHARMACEUTICAL ADDICTION THAT YOU THEN TAPER OFF OVER YEARS.
BUT WITH METHADONE, PEOPLE STILL CAN GET HIGH, THEY CAN STILL GET OVER MEDICATED, THEY CAN STILL OVERDOSE AND DIE.
AND BUPRENORPHINE IS NOT LIKE THAT.
UM, BUPRENORPHINE, WHEN IT ENTERS THE SYSTEM, IT STOPS THE EFFECTS OF ANY OPIATES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE SYSTEM.
AND IT TIES UP THE RECEPTORS SO THAT THEY CAN'T GET ANY MORE STIMULATION FROM OTHER OPIATES.
SO WHEN SOMEBODY IS ON BUPRENORPHINE, THEY ACTUALLY CAN'T EASILY OVERDOSE ON OTHER OPIATES, INCLUDING HEROIN OR FENTANYL.
UM, IT GOES A STEP FURTHER IN PROVIDING JUST ENOUGH STIMULATION TO KEEP THEM OUT OF WITHDRAWAL, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO GET HIGH.
YOU CANNOT GET HIGH ON BUPRENORPHINE.
UM, AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH HARM PREVENTION, IT ACTUALLY DISCOURAGES PEOPLE FROM OVERDOSING ON IT BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH BUPRENORPHINE, IT ACTUALLY PUSHES YOU INTO WITHDRAWAL.
SO IT'S A VERY, VERY SAFE AND VERY EFFECTIVE DRUG FOR TREATING OPIATE WITHDRAWAL.
IT ACTUALLY TAKES, EH, 20 TO 30 MINUTES FOR PEOPLE TO START TO HAVE RELIEF OF SYMPTOMS. SO WITH BUPRENORPHINE AND IN COOPERATION WITH, WITH OUR, UH, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, WE STARTED UP THE BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM.
UM, IT'S DESIGNED TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE SOMEONE'S WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AND THEN CARRY THEM SYMPTOM FREE
[01:15:01]
UNTIL THEY ENTER A TREATMENT PROGRAM.UH, WE'RE VERY SPECIFIC WITH IT.
IT'S A SHORT TERM BRIDGE TO GET PEOPLE UP AND INTO A PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY.
UM, WE HAVE ONLY THREE REQUIREMENTS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE NICE THINGS FOR THE PROGRAM IS WE CAN KEEP IT VERY LOW BARRIER.
UM, THE PATIENT HAS TO STAY ACTIVE IN GETTING INTO AN M A T PROGRAM BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE JUST A SHORT TERM BRIDGE.
THEY ARE GONNA HAVE TO MEET WITH A CHIP MEDIC EVERY SINGLE DAY TO RECEIVE THEIR DOSE.
THEY NEED A DOSE ONCE A DAY, THEY'RE GONNA RECEIVE IT FROM US.
WE DON'T DO A LONGER TERM CARE THAT KEEPS THEM HONEST AND COMPLIANT.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS IT ACTUALLY HELPS US COACH THEM INTO SUCCESS.
UM, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE IN WITHDRAWAL BEFORE WE CAN START THEM IN TREATMENT.
UM, AND THAT IS SO THAT WE CAN SAFELY ADJUST THE CORRECT DOSE TO THEIR NEEDS.
UM, SO THAT'S THE LIMITED REQUIREMENTS.
AND FROM THERE WE CAN CONNECT THEM WARM HAND OFF INTO A PROGRAM AND, AND FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AFTERWARDS.
WE STARTED THE BUPRENORPHINE PROGRAM AT THE END OF NOVEMBER IN 2020.
IT WAS ACTUALLY PLANNED TO START IN THE SPRING, BUT LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, COVID SORT OF PUT A, A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY IN THAT.
UM, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SUCCESS.
WHEN WE STARTED, WE EXPECTED JUST THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS THAT WE KNEW FROM OUR OPIOID USE DISORDER PROGRAM, UH, WOULD BE THE NUMBER.
AND WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH WHAT WE ANTICIPATED TO BE A SIX MONTH SUPPLY OF BUPRENORPHINE IN SIX WEEKS.
UH, AND MOST OF THAT WAS NOT FROM OPIATE ALERTS THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING UP ON.
IT WAS SELF CONTACT FRIEND OF A FRIEND OF A FRIEND, I NEED WHAT YOU DID FOR MY FRIEND, I NEED WHAT YOU DID FOR MY FRIEND.
UM, AND IT SPREAD VERY, VERY QUICKLY THAT WAY.
UM, SINCE THEN, UM, WE'VE TREATED OVER 236 PATIENTS, UM, WHICH MAKES IT, THERE'S ONLY A FEW PROGRAMS LIKE THIS IN THE COUNTRY AND THAT DEFINITELY MAKES IT ONE OF THE, UM, HIGHEST ACTIVE PROGRAMS. UM, WE'VE ADMINISTERED ALMOST 1300 DOSES OF BUPRENORPHINE.
WE FIND THAT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WHERE NARCAN WILL REVERSE AN OVERDOSE, EVERY ONE OF THOSE DOSES OF BUPRENORPHINE WILL PREVENT AN OVERDOSE THAT DAY.
THEY, THEY'RE NOT, NOT GOING TO OVERDOSE THAT DAY.
UM, AND THEN PROBABLY THE BIGGEST FACTOR FOR US, WE HAVE A 92% SUCCESS RATE AT GETTING THOSE PATIENTS INTO AN M A T PROGRAM.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS, WHEN HOSPITALS REFER PEOPLE TO M A T PROGRAMS, THEY HAVE ABOUT A 30% SUCCESS RATE AT GETTING PEOPLE INTO A PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN HOSPITALS COMBINE REFERRALS WITH, UH, DOSING WITH MEDICATIONS, THEY RAISE THAT TO A SIX OR 70% SUCCESS RATE.
BUT WE'RE ENJOYING A 92% SUCCESS RATE GETTING 'EM IN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A 92% SUCCESS RATE OF THOSE FOLKS STAYING FOR THE CRUCIAL SEVEN DAYS.
AND THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS IS WHEN THEY GET IN WITH THEIR DOCTOR, FIND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION, THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM, THEY GET THEIR PRESCRIPTION, AND THEY TAKE, UH, THEY GO AND GET THAT PRESCRIPTION FILLED.
SO THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS IS REALLY OUR CRUCIAL TIME FOR THAT.
UM, SO WE KNOW WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH THIS, THAT THOSE PERCENTAGES, CUZ THEY'RE ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT ANY OTHER PROGRAMS HAVE SEEN.
WE'VE ALSO ENJOYED SOME UNEXPECTED BENEFITS FROM IT.
UM, NUMBER ONE, THE M A T PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN REPORTING TO US THAT OUR PATIENTS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN PATIENTS WHO COME FROM OUTSIDE OUR PROGRAM.
IT MAKES SENSE TO US BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN COACHING THEM FOR UP TO A WEEK.
UM, AND WE'VE CARRIED SOME, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT FOUR DAYS OH, THAT WE HAVE TO CARRY SOMEONE.
UM, BUT WE'VE CARRIED 'EM AS LONG AS 17 DAYS, UH, WHEN THERE WERE REAL CHALLENGES GETTING 'EM IN.
UH, THE M A T PROGRAMS IN OUR AREA HAVE ALSO STREAMLINED AND DECREASED THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO GET PEOPLE IN UNDER PRESSURE FROM OUR PROGRAM.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S DOWN TO FOUR DAYS ON AVERAGE INSTEAD OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING WHEN WE STARTED THE PROGRAM.
THOSE PROGRAMS ACTUALLY ARE ONE OF OUR PRIMARY REFERRAL SOURCES.
UM, I TOOK TWO TODAY WHERE THEY SCHEDULED SOMEONE.
IT'S GONNA BE SEVERAL DAYS TILL THEY CAN TREAT THAT PERSON.
SO THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND REFER THAT PATIENT TO US SO THAT INSTEAD OF USING HEROIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS, WE CAN TREAT THEM UNTIL THEY GET INTO THE PROGRAM.
UM, ON TOP OF THAT, TWO OF THE BUSIEST ERS IN THE CITY HAVE NOW STARTED TREATING PATIENTS WITH BUPRENORPHINE.
INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING 'EM TYLENOL, SENDING 'EM HOME, AND THEN REFERRING THEM TO US TO CARE.
NOW THAT THEY HAVE A, A RELIABLE PLACE TO, TO CONNECT THEM TO AND FOR THEM, A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES ACTUALLY COME WITH NAVIGATING AND GETTING THE PATIENT TO THE RIGHT PROGRAM.
SO NOW THAT THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY, THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN THEIR DOCTORS THE CERTIFICATION REQUIRED TO ADMINISTER BUPRENORPHINE AND THEY'VE STARTED TREATING THEM AND THEN HANDING 'EM OFF TO US.
UM, AND THEN OUR PARTNERS, UH, IN THE STREET MED TEAM WITH COMMUNITY CARE CLINICS HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED PARTNERING WITH US EVEN MORE IN TAKING BUPRENORPHINE TO THE STREETS.
UM, THEY DELIVER PRIMARY CARE ON THE STREETS, UH, DAILY WITH, WITH, UH, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM MEMBERS AND HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS NOW.
[01:20:01]
UM, BUT INCREASING AND ADDING M A T SERVICES TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS MAKES IT ONE OF THE ONLY, ONLY AREAS IN THE COUNTRY WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY EFFECTIVELY TREAT OPIOID USE DISORDER FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN'T MAKE IT INTO A BRICK AND MORTAR CLINIC BECAUSE IT'S A DAY'S BICYCLE RIDE THERE AND BACK TO DO SO.UM, SO IT, IT'S BEEN IN A, UH, AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM SINCE IT STARTED.
UM, I'LL TRY NOT TO, CUZ WE CAN GO ON AND ON ABOUT IT AND MIKE WILL SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE AMAZING, UM, STORIES THAT, THAT WE HAVE FROM FOLKS.
UM, BUT I WILL PAUSE HERE, UH, FOR QUESTIONS ON THE PROGRAM.
COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, I HAVE ONE.
UM, SO HOW, HOW IS IT FUNDED INTERNALLY? ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY.
THE NARCAN COMES TO US ON A FEDERAL GRANT RIGHT NOW, ALTHOUGH THERE'S NO BACKUP SHOULD THAT EVER CHANGE.
UM, IT, IT'S A FEDERAL GRANT MANAGES THE STATE LEVEL.
UH, SO WE DON'T HOLD THE GRANT.
WE'RE JUST A RECIPIENT OF THE DONATED SUPPLIES.
THE BUPRENORPHINE, UH, IS INTERNALLY FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT AS OURS ARE THE POSITIONS.
SO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, MIKE HAS BEEN THE SOLE CASE MANAGER ON IT WITH THE, THE WHOLE TEAM SHARES RESPONDING AND, AND WORK IT CUZ IT'S MORE THAN ONE PERSON CAN HANDLE.
BUT WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS THEY WANT INTO TREATMENT, THEN MIKE DOES THE PRIMARY NAVIGATION WITH THE, UM, GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF THE OPIOID IN THE COUNTY.
UM, WE HAVE PLANS TO EXPAND THAT TO TWO POSITIONS THAT WILL BASICALLY SERVE, UH, UNDER MIKE OR WITH MIKE'S GUIDANCE.
UM, SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDING DOESN'T GO AWAY OR LIKE SUPPORT THE FUNDING, KEEP FUNDING US AND COMMUNITY HEALTH IS THE BIGGEST ONE.
THE, THE, THE ONE WORRY THAT WE HAVE IS IF THAT NARCAN GRANT EVER DRIES UP FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, AND THAT IS A PROBLEM I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ABOUT, UM, ESTABLISHING SOME SORT OF BACKUP.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S SOME FUNDING THAT THEY'VE, UM, THAT THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT AS WELL.
THAT'S OUR, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS IDEA.
UM, BUT, UH, IS THERE ANY VALUE, ASSUMING IN A HYPOTHETICAL UNIVERSE WHERE YOU CAN USE THEM, UM, TO FENTANYL STRIPS? FENTANYL TEST STRIPS? YES.
I WOULD ABSOLUTELY, IF WE COULD FIND A WAY TO START TO GET THAT INTO THE HANDS OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE IT IS CONSIDERED PARAPHERNALIA, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
BUT WE WOULD GLADLY PUT IT IN THE, IN THE KIT AND WE WOULD GLADLY PASS IT OUT ON OVERDOSES.
JUST BE, HAVE PEOPLE BE PREPARED.
UH, THE NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN DOES AND SOME OF THE HARM REDUCTION AGENCIES DO DISPENSE THE, THE STRIPS.
AND THEY DO GET USED, I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT CUZ I HEAR ABOUT IT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO THE LIMITATION WITH, UM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY PURCHASING THEM IS IT'S CONSIDERED DRUG PARAPHERNALIA IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
BUT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY COULD DECIDE NOT TO PROSECUTE THAT.
OBVIOUSLY I, NOT MY AREA, BUT SURE.
AND SO THEN IT'S JUST MAKING SURE YOU HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PROHIBITION.
THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PROHIBITION, I WOULD SAY SO, UM, AND THERE ARE, DOES TEACH TOUR GRANT COVER? NO.
A TEACH CAN'T BECAUSE THE STATE PROHIBITION.
SO YES, IT WOULD BE, WE HAVE A CHANNEL TO PURCHASE THEM.
SO IF YOU WERE USING GENERAL REVENUE AND YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY HAD A POLICY THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO PROSECUTE, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE HYPOTHETICAL AND WHY NOT? YES.
I KNOW I COULD PUT IT IN PEOPLE'S HANDS, I PROMISE YOU.
THERE'S, THERE'S STUDIES SHOWING THAT NARCAN DISTRIBUTION IN THE COMMUNITY DOES AN INCREASE OVERDOSE AND DOES INCREASE LEVELS OF ABUSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S DATA TO SHOW, UM, THAT FENTANYL TEST STRIPS ARE HELPFUL, BUT ANECDOTALLY ABSOLUTELY.
WE'VE, AS STRANGE AS IT SOUNDS, THERE'S ENOUGH CONCERN ABOUT FENTANYL BEING AND THINGS.
WE'VE HAD OUR OWN PATIENTS WANT TO TEST THE BUPRENORPHINE, WE'RE GIVING THEM
JUST TO MAKE SURE, I MEAN, THERE WAS A 13 YEAR OLD AT MY DAUGHTER'S MIDDLE SCHOOL WHO HAD A FENTANYL OVERDOSE FROM ONE FAKE PERCOCET PILL.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRENDS, UM, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THIS YEAR.
IT STARTED, UH, IN DECEMBER AND SPIKED VERY HIGH UP THROUGH MARCH AND APRIL.
THE, THE PERCOCETS OR, UH, FENTANYL'S BEEN IN THE PERCOCETS FOR, WELL, SINCE WE STARTED THIS REALLY GROWING AND INCRE IN AMOUNT.
AND OF COURSE I HAD, THAT'S ANECDOTAL CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LAB THAT TESTS IT.
UM, TWO YEARS OR THREE YEARS AGO, WE WOULD HAVE THE OCCASIONAL PERSON WHO WOULD TAKE TWO AND NOT BE NOT BREATHING WITHIN A MINUTE.
NOW IT'S MORE AND MORE OFTEN WHERE IT'S ONE PILL.
BUT STARTING IN JANUARY, DECEMBER AND JANUARY, WE STARTED TO SEE IT IN PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 17.
AND WE PUSH VERY HARD WITH THE NEWS AGENCIES TO GET THAT DISCUSSION
[01:25:01]
OUT BECAUSE NO 14 YEAR OLD LOOKS AT A PILL THAT THEY KNOW IS THE SAME AS DAD TAKES AND THINKS THIS WILL KILL ME.UH, AND IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT THING.
WE THANKFULLY HAVE NOT SEEN ANY MORE OF THAT SINCE APRIL.
UH, BUT I KNOW SURROUNDING COUNTIES SAW THE SAME THING.
SORRY, Y'ALL, UM, COMMISSIONERS ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
[5. Discussion and possible action on a comparison of first responder salaries and benefits between Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services]
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR LAST DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM.A COMPARISON OF FIRST RESPONDER SALARIES AND BENEFITS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.
UM, LIKE EVERYBODY GETS TO TALK CHAIR.
COULD I, COULD I INTRO THIS REAL QUICK? YES.
SO THIS WAS MY AGENT ITEM AND I BELIEVE YOU JOINED ME.
AND IT, AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS, Y'ALL GAVE US THE CHART SEPARATELY.
I GUESS THERE'S NO WAY TO GET THE THREE DEPARTMENTS TO FILL OUT ONE CHART.
UM, BUT YOU'LL SEE IF YOU OPEN ALL THREE OF THEM AND COMPARE THEM, THAT PAY QUALITY IS AN ISSUE.
AND SO I INTEND TO OFFER A RECOMMENDATION.
UH, I INTEND TO MOVE THAT WE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT THEY DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO INSTITUTE MORE QUALITY AND THE PAY AND BENEFITS OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL.
IS IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WANNA WRITE UP BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT OR SHOULD WE VOTE ON IT TODAY? I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER IT AFTER WE HEAR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, SHALL WE START WITH, UM, ASSISTANT CHIEF STANSKI? DID I DO THAT? ANY DANOWSKI DANOWSKI? SORRY ABOUT THAT.
ASSISTANT CHIEF JASON STANSKI, UH, THERE WAS A LAST MINUTE CHANGE ON, CAN I SEE IF THAT'S THE CORRECT ONE? OKAY.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THE SALARIES, UH, FOR A ONE YEAR OFFICER, THIS WOULD BE A ONE YEAR FROM HIRE DATE.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE FIVE AND 10 YEAR LISTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE SALARIES ALL DETERMINED BY CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH WE'RE, EVERYBODY KNOWS WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
UH, TO BE ABLE TO HIRE, BE HIRE FOR THE DEPARTMENT, YOU, WE NEED AT LEAST TO BE AT 20 AND A HALF AT THE START OF THE ACADEMY.
UM, SINCE TCO REQUIRES YOU TO BE 21, UM, BEFORE GRADUATING THE ACADEMY, YOU CAN'T BE OLDER IN 45 YEARS AND HAVE A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE.
UM, THE AVERAGE AGE OF OUR LAST CADET CLASS WAS 29 YEARS OLD.
UH, THE QUESTION WAS IN ORDER TO FULFILL REQUIREMENTS FOR PROMOTIONS OR GETTING THOSE REQUIREMENTS PAID TIME, IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, EACH INDIVIDUAL IS RESPONSIBLE, UH, FOR THEIR, THEIR PREP PREPARATION FOR THE TEST ON THEIR OWN TIME.
AND IT'S, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE GENERAL ORDERS THAT PROHIBITS STUDYING FOR A TEST ON DUTY.
UH, THE YEARS OF SERVICE REQUIRED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PENSION.
UH, CURRENTLY, IF YOU WERE HIRED BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY 1ST, IT'S 23 YEARS OF SERVICE.
AFTER THAT, IT BECAME 25 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH A MINIMUM AGE OF 50 YEARS OLD.
UM, THE MULTIPLIER ALSO CHANGED FROM 3.2 TO 2.5 AFTER THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR.
AND OUR NORMAL HOURS OF WORKERS 40, WE DO HAVE, UH, SEVERAL SOFT PAY OR, UH, YEAH, SOFT PAY CATEGORIES.
UH, I THINK THEY'RE ALSO IN LINE WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS.
UH, THE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT FROM FIELD TRAINING, EDUCATION, UH, CLOTHING ALLOWANCE, SHIFT DIFFERENTIALS, MENTAL HEALTH PAY, AND BILINGUAL PAY.
AND I CAN GO AND DO THOSE SPECIFICS IF, IF WE NEED TO.
UM, DO Y'ALL WANNA HOLD QUESTIONS TILL THE END OR ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS?
[01:30:01]
NOPE.UM, UH, I THINK I CHANGED THE WAY I PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME EVERY TIME I DO IT.
IS IT CHIEF WEYERS OR CHIEF VEERS? IT'S CHIEF WEYERS.
I'M GONNA DO IT THAT WAY THEN.
IF Y'ALL WANNA PULL UP OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT'S REPORT TO THE REVIEWING.
YOU SEE IT BASED ON FISCAL YEAR 21, 22, OUR SALARY ONE, FIVE AND 10 YEAR NUMBERS.
YOU ALSO SEE THE YEARS OF SERVICE BELOW THAT FOR RETIREMENT.
UH, INSTEAD OF READING THIS THROUGH, IF YOU ALL GOT IT FROM THE FIRST PRESENTATION TO SAVE A LITTLE TIME, UM, LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT OTHER, WHERE I'M GOING.
AND YOU SEE OUR YEARS OF RETIREMENT, UH, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE AT AGE 50, UH, WITH AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF SERVICE, UH, CREDIT AND THE, AND THE FUND, WHICH ARE PENSION OR HAVE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE PENSION, REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE.
UH, PENSION MULTIPLIER FOR US IS 3.3, AND THAT'S ALL BASED ON A 40 HOUR WORK WEEK.
UH, WE DO HAVE FOLKS THAT WORK SHIFT WORK, THE ANNUAL SALARY REMAINS THE SAME.
THERE IS A, UH, MATH EQUATION TO DETERMINE THE HOURLY RATE AS IT VARIES FROM 40 HOURS TO 53 HOUR WORK WEEKS.
AND MUCH LIKE OUR, OUR, UH, COUNTERPARTS, WE ALSO HAVE A VARIETY OF SOFT PAYS AS WELL.
AND THOSE ARE LISTED ON THE, THE DATA SHEET THAT WAS TURNED IN PAUSE HERE.
IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT I CAN HELP WITH.
CHIEF FIRES, DID YOU TAKE OUT THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER, I'M LOOKING AT ALL THREE OF THEM ON MY SCREEN RIGHT NOW, AND I NOTICED YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME, DID YOU JUST TAKE THEM OUT BECAUSE THERE'S NO REQUIREMENTS? IS THAT WHAT YOU DID WITH THE, THE REQUIREMENTS? SO, SO IF I'M LOOKING AT, UH, EMS AND AFTER SALARY FOR 10 YEARS, YOU GO STRAIGHT TO YEARS OF SERVICE MM-HMM.
BUT THE, THE ONE I'M LOOKING AT FOR EMS, IT SAYS, BESIDES HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION OR EQUIVALENT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR HIRING? SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT JUST A, THE WRONG SHEET OR IF THAT WASN'T, IF THAT WASN'T, UH, APPLICABLE TO YOU THOUGH.
SO I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE'S SOME INFORMATION ON YOUR SHEET AND YOU, YOU WERE MISSING SOME OF THE INFORMATION FROM THE OTHER SHEETS.
I USED THE ONE THAT WAS SENT AND, AND HAD OUR FOLKS FILL IT OUT.
AS FAR AS TO BE ELIGIBLE, YOU'VE GOTTA BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION, NOT OLDER THAN 36 YEARS OF AGE, THE TIME OF THE WRITTEN TEST.
YOU'VE ALSO GOTTA HAVE A, A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR INJURY REQUIREMENTS.
OTHER THAN A HIGH SCHOOL, UH, UH, EDUCATION THAT COULD EITHER BE BY DIPLOMA OR G E D, THE, YOU DO GET SOME BONUS, UH, FOR COLLEGE HOURS, BUT COLLEGE HOURS ARE, ARE CURRENTLY NOT A REQUIREMENT TO JOIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE AGE OF YOUR CADET CLASS WAS, BY THE WAY? OH, MID, I'M GONNA TAKE A SWAG HERE, BUT BALLPARK, ABOUT 26, 27 YEARS OF AGE IS AVERAGE AGE FOR CADETS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE MUCH LIKE THE OTHERS IN THE, IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH OUR CONTRACT, WE DID NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH THE SUMMER, UH, A LITTLE OVER 60 DAYS.
UH, THOSE DO NOT RESULT IN A, UH, AGREED UPON CONTRACT WHERE IN MEDIATION NOW, UH, MAKING SOME PROGRESS.
HOPEFULLY THAT'LL RESOLVE IT IF, IF NOT AFTER MEDIATION FOR US IS A ARBITRATION.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE, UNLESS THERE'S ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR ME.
UM, OUR ANNUALIZED FOR EMS ENTRY PAY AT, UM, YEAR ONE IS 51 FOR 80.
YEAR FIVE IS 56 2 YEAR 10 64 3.
UM, OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE CLASS C DRIVER'S LICENSE.
YOU HAVE TO BE 18 YEARS OF AGE.
UM, WE REQUIRE THAT YOU HAVE AT LEAST AN EMT BASIC CERTIFICATION, OR AT LEAST RECIPROCITY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT CERTIFICATION, UM, BY THE TIME YOU FINISH THE ACADEMY, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE TO COMPLETED AN EMT CLASS AT SOME POINT.
[01:35:01]
YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE THE CREDENTIALING PROCESS, UH, WITHIN YOUR PROBATIONARY TIME, WHICH IS ADDITIONAL TRAINING DURING THAT TIME.THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE LAST CADET CLASS, UH, THAT STARTED IN JULY WAS 30 YEARS OF AGE.
AND THEN, UM, THAT QUESTION ABOUT IN ORDER TO FULFILL REQUIREMENTS PROMOTION ARE, ARE, ARE THEY GETTING PAID TO, UM, FULFILL THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
AND IT SPECIFICALLY ASKS FOR US, UM, ABOUT A PARAMEDIC CLASS.
SO FOR A CLINICAL SPECIALIST IN OUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS THE NEXT RANK TO PROMOTE TO, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS THE NEXT CERTIFICATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, FOR AN EMT.
UM, WE OFFER THAT CLASS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THAT IS A CLASS THAT'S A COLLEGE LEVEL COURSE, UM, AT ACC OR SOME OTHER, UH, JUNIOR COLLEGES IN THE AREA.
WE OFFER THAT INTERNALLY AND CURRENTLY WITHIN OUR CONTRACT, IT IS NOT A PAID, UM, PAID TIME THAT IS, UH, NOT COMPENSATED.
UM, THE YEARS OF SERVICE REQUIRED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PENSION, WE FALL UNDER THE REST OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PENSION.
SO WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS.
WE HAVE A GROUP A, IF YOU WERE HIRED BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2012, WHICH IS 23 YEARS OF SERVICE, UH, REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE OR THE AGE 55 WITH 20 OR AGE 62 WITH SOME PROVISIONS WITHIN THAT AFTER JANUARY 1ST, 2012 WITH GROUP B.
UM, IT IS 30 YEARS AGE, 30 YEARS PLUS AGE 62, AGE 55 WITH 10 YEARS, UM, AT A REDUCED RATE AND AGE 65 WITH FIVE YEARS, OF COURSE WITH A REDUCED RATE.
THE PENSION MILL SUPPLIER FOR GROUP A IS 3%, GROUP B IS 2.5%.
AND I BELIEVE FOR GROUP B, IT'S REDUCED BASED ON, UH, THE NUMBER OF YEARS, IF YOU RETIRE EARLIER THAN, UM, THAT 62.
UH, OUR HOURS IN THE WORK WEEK ARE 42.
UM, OUR SOFT PAY, WE HAVE SOME EDUCATION INCENTIVE PAY FOR, UH, BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE.
WE HAVE SPECIAL OPERATIONS, QUALIFIED PAY.
UM, OUR COMMUNICATIONS MEDICS GET ADDITIONAL PAY FOR OUR AIR MEDICAL FLIGHT FOLLOWING.
WE ALSO HAVE BILINGUAL TRANSLATION PAY, UM, SERVICE INCENTIVE PAY THAT'S THE SAME AS CIVILIANS IS BASED ON YEARS OF SERVICE.
UM, A SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL FOR THOSE WHO ARE WORKING NIGHT SHIFT OR 12 HOUR SHIFTS AND HIRE CLASS PAY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY WORK, UM, IN A SUPERVISORY POSITION OUTSIDE OF THEIR NORMAL WORK.
AND THEN CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO, UM, ARE NOT CURRENTLY WORKING AS CLINICAL SPECIALISTS, BUT THEY DO HAVE A PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION.
UM, MISS C OH, OKAY, MR. MALONE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS JORDAN MALONE.
I'VE BEEN A MEDIC FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
I STARTED AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 20, WHICH MEANS I WILL HAVE TO WORK ON AN AMBULANCE A TOTAL OF 42 YEARS BEFORE I EVER SEE A RETIREMENT CHECK.
UM, SO THAT'S 42 YEARS ON AN AMBULANCE DEALING WITH VIOLENT COMBATIVE PATIENTS, UH, ON DANGEROUS ROADWAYS FOR 42 YEARS BEFORE EVER SEEING A CHECK.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS KILLING OUR RETENTION, RECRUITING AND RETENTION, ESPECIALLY IN OUR, UH, YOUNGER POTENTIAL APPLICANTS.
UM, I REGULARLY INTERFACE WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, AS PART OF MY DUTIES WITH RECRUITING AND WITH OUR EXPLORER POST.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY I'M SEEING THESE FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN OUR DEPARTMENT WANT TO HAVE A CAREER IN MEDICINE, REALIZING THAT IF THEY COME STRAIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AT 18 YEARS OLD, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK FOR 44 YEARS BEFORE THEY CAN, UH, COLLECT RETIREMENT.
AND THEY'RE SEEING THEY CAN GO TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN SOME CASES RETIRE IN HALF THE TIME.
UM, AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY OBLATING US IN RECRUITING AND, UH, RETENTION WITH THESE FOLKS.
UM, SO AS PART OF THAT, UM, I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE WE CAN WORK TO GET A RETIREMENT THAT ATTRACTS THESE YOUNGER PEOPLE AND, UM, LETS THEM SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, SEE AN EQUITABLE, UM, RETIREMENT AS COMPARED TO OUR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS.
IN ADDITION, I'M IN THE DEPARTMENT'S INTERNAL PARAMEDIC PROGRAM, WHICH CHIEF GARDNER WAS SPEAKING ABOUT.
UM, SO THAT'S ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OF TRAINING, UM, TO GET OUT OF THE BASE RANK OF MEDIC.
SO IN A DEPARTMENT, YOU WILL BE STUCK AT THE BASE RANK OF MEDIC UNLESS YOU GET PARAMEDIC EDUCATION.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S COMPLETELY UNPAID.
[01:40:01]
UM, FOR SOME OF MY CLASSMATES IN PARAMEDIC SCHOOL, THEY'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO QUIT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO, UM, NOT WORK OVERTIME BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING FULL TIME AND THEY'RE GOING TO SCHOOL UNPAID.UM, THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE BILLS, TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILY.
UM, AND SO THEY'VE, I'VE HAD TWO CLASSMATES HAD TO DROP FOR THAT REASON.
UM, THIS, UH, YEAR AND A HALF OF TRAINING INVOLVES OVER 700 HOURS JUST OF CLINICALS IN THE HOSPITAL AND ON THE AMBULANCE, UM, WHICH IS OVER $20,000.
WHAT IT WOULD BE FOR ME, UM, OF, UH, UNPAID TRAINING THAT I'M HAVING TO DO IN ORDER TO PROMOTE OUT OF MY BASE RANK, UM, BY COMPARISON, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, IN AFD OR APD, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY UNPAID TRAINING, TRAINING OR VERY LITTLE IN ORDER TO, UH, PROMOTE OUT OF THAT BASE RANK.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, I'M GONNA DO KIND OF JUST A COMPARISON OF THE THREE, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ON ONE ONE CHART.
UM, AND ATC EMS, UH, WE DID COME UP WITH A CONTRACT FOR ONE YEAR.
SO THIS SALARY DOES INCLUDE THAT 4% RAISE.
UH, WE KNOW THAT RECENTLY THE CITY OFFERED APD A 4% RAISE AS WELL, WHICH IS NOT REFLECTED IN THIS PAY SCALE, NOR IS THE PAY SCALE REFLECTED FOR AFD WITH WHAT THEY WILL END UP WITH.
UM, SO OURS SHOWS THE 4%, THE OTHERS DON'T, AND STILL WE'RE AT 10% LESS THAN AFD.
AND UM, WE WILL BE 15% OR $15,000 LESS THAN APD.
UM, AND AS YOU GO THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THAT DISPARITY GROWS EVEN GREATER, UM, AT THE 10 YEAR MARK AND APD OFFICER MAKES $20,000 MORE THAN WHAT, UM, A MEDIC WILL MAKE.
UM, AND THAT'S ALMOST A 30, ALMOST ABOUT 70% OF WHAT APD MAKES.
UM, AND A LITTLE BIT LESS FOR AFD.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT IT BASICALLY JUST BECAUSE OF THOSE SALARY REQUIREMENTS, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE THAT WE'RE 23% SHORT STAFFED WHILE AFD IS ABOUT 8% RIGHT NOW AND APD IS ABOUT 10% LAST TIME I CHECKED.
UM, AND THE OTHER THINGS IS THAT WHEN YOU GO WORK FOR AFD, UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PAID TO GET THEIR EMT.
IS THAT TRUE? AND FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, WE'RE THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT ACTUALLY REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE ANY OTHER EDUCATION OUTSIDE OF YOUR, UM, UH, OUTSIDE OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
YOU HAVE TO COME IN WITH YOUR EMT, WHICH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PAYS YOU TO GET.
AND WE REQUIRE THAT TO WORK HERE.
UM, AND THEN IN ORDER TO PROMOTE TO PARAMEDIC, OUR MEDICS CURRENTLY HAVE TO WORK TWO YEARS, UM, WITHOUT WORKING OVERTIME AND VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME TO GO TO THESE CLASSES WHERE EVEN FOR APD, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE EVEN PAID TO TAKE THE PROMOTIONAL TEST, WHICH WE ALSO DO NOT DO.
UM, AND YES, IT IS TRUE THAT IT IS IN OUR CONTRACT THAT WE'RE NOT PAID, BUT THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT SOMETHING THAT THE UNION WANTED.
BUT THE CITY WOULDN'T PUT THAT PROGRAM INTO THE CONTRACT UNLESS WE STATED THAT IT WAS UNPAID.
OBVIOUSLY IF THE DEPARTMENT DECIDED TO PAY MEDICS TO GO TO THESE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROMOTION, WE WOULD NOT GRIEVE IT.
SO THEY CERTAINLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
I THINK THE OTHER MAJOR COMPONENT IS LOOKING AT THE RETIREMENT.
JORDAN IS GONNA HAVE TO WORK 42 YEARS ON THE AMBULANCE FOR POLICE AND FIRE AT THE GREATEST, IT'S 25 YEARS.
SO THERE'S JUST ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY PEOPLE WOULD JOIN EMS IF THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILY, UM, AND TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES WHEN THEY GET OLDER AS WELL.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THESE REALLY, REALLY LARGE DISPARITIES, WHICH BETWEEN THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.
UM, SO A LOT COULD BE SAID ABOUT THIS, BUT I DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT ALL OF THESE JOBS ARE DANGEROUS.
AND I THINK THAT HISTORICALLY MAYBE IT MADE SENSE TO POLICY MAKERS TO PAY POLICE AND FIRE, UM, THIS MUCH MORE GIVEN THAT BEING ON AN AMBULANCE MAYBE WASN'T AS DANGEROUS.
BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY BELIED BY, UM, THE SITUATION TODAY.
AND SO I'M MOVING, UM, IT, IS IT OKAY CHAIR IF I MAKE A MOTION RIGHT NOW? IS THAT TIMELY? YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO PROVIDE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS MEDICS WITH PAY QUALITY COMPARED TO THE OTHER SWORN PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.
I'M ALSO ASKING THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO COMPENSATE, UM, SO THAT PENSIONS ARE MORE FAIR.
AND FINALLY, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
[01:45:01]
THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE PAY FOR PARAMEDIC SCHOOLS SINCE IT'S A REQUIREMENT TO PROMOTE WITHIN THE AGENCY.SO I'M ASKING US TO RECOMMEND THOSE THREE THINGS TO COUNCIL, WHICH WOULD THEN DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT THEM.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? AND CAN I ALSO JUST NOTE REAL FAST THAT I, I TOTALLY AGREE THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE COMPENSATED MORE.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE REALLY CHANGED FOR EMS. YOU LOOK AT THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE RUNNING WITH BUPRENORPHINE, YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AND UH, I REALLY DO THINK THAT EMS HAS REALLY STEPPED UP WITH THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS APD AND AFD.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY IN MY ROLE, I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT EMS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE FELT VERY EX EXISTENTIAL, UM, AS PRESIDENT.
AND MY DEEP, DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT OUR STAFFING, UM, HAVE REALLY BROUGHT US TO THIS LEVEL WHERE WE RECOGNIZE WE REALLY NEED TO RADICALLY SHIFT, UM, OUR COMPENSATION COMMISSIONER WEBER, IF, IF I CAN ADD, I, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THESE SIDE BY SIDE, SO I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU OFF, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE AS WE PUT THE RESOLUTION TOGETHER.
CUZ I'D LIKE US ALSO TO LOOK AT PARITY, ANDY AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT COUNCIL WORKS WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT THESE THINGS STAY ON THAT THEIR TRACK.
BECAUSE ALL OF THESE THINGS THERE, WE'VE GOT CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, WE'VE GOT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT, THAT FEED INTO THE PROCESS.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT, IT HOLISTICALLY AND SAY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOME BEST PRACTICES THAT WE CAN FEED IN AS WELL THAT WE CAN GUIDE THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UH, ON OUR RESOLUTION.
SO, UM, NOT SURE HOW TO DO THAT.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE BRING IT BACK IN DECEMBER? I MEAN, I I IT'S TOO IMPORTANT TO KEEP I THINK OFF, OFF THE, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA STOP IT CUZ I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT INITIAL CONVERSATION.
CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, THERE'S HUGE DISPARITIES IN THESE, UM, THREE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MS. UM, BUT I THINK MAYBE WE CAN FOLLOW UP IN DECEMBER WITH, WITH AN ADDITIONAL KIND OF PAY EQUITY LENS.
BUT I, I DON'T WANNA STOP, I DO NOT WANNA PUT A STOP TO WHAT YOU HAVE IN A SHORT, IN THE SHORT TERM.
I THINK IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT, UM, Y'ALL COULD DRAFT A NICE, A BUNCH OF NICE WHEREAS LANGUAGE AND THAT WE HAVE AGREED TO THEREFORE LANGUAGE.
SO, UM, UH, SO COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ AND I WILL WORK TOGETHER TO ADD SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE GOT TODAY IN THE THREE DIFFERENT CHARTS AS WHEREAS IS.
AND, UM, BUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, AS I SAID BEFORE, UH, FOR PAY QUALITY FOR, UM, BRINGING PENSIONS MORE INTO ALIGNMENT AND THEN, UH, PAYING PARAMEDICS TO DO THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR PROMOTION INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM DO IT ON THEIR OWN TIME.
UM, IF Y'ALL ARE OKAY WITH THAT, WE CAN, UH, TAKE A VOTE.
UM, COMMISSIONER SIERRA ALO? YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ? YES.
WE HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES LEFT.
SO THE VOTE, IS THAT THE ITEM BACK? NO, I, THE VOTE WAS, UM, TO RECOMMEND, UM, THAT THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER, UM, TO HAVE PAY EQUITY BETWEEN THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, UM, MAKE THE PENSIONS MORE FAIR AND PAY FOR PARAMEDICS, SCHOOL FOR THE MEDICS.
UM, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER WEBER IS GOING TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION THAT, UH, REFLECTS THAT SHE'LL BE DRAFTED.
[6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
SO ARE THERE ANY, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO RAISE? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD[01:50:01]
TO OUR LIST, UM, THE CONCERNS OF THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTER ABOUT, UM, THE PROCESS THAT, UH, SIT, NOT PETITIONS, BUT UH, PERMISSION TO HAVE PRIVATE FIREWORKS ARE HANDLED BY THE CITY PERMISSION COMMISSION.THE PERMIT PROCESS, UH, BERNHARDT, THAT IS IN MY, UM, MY DISTRICT IN D THREE.
SO I'M HAPPY TO, UH, SUPPORT YOU ON THAT ONE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER TOPICS? WE HAVE PLENTY TO DO,
UM, NOW IS THIS THE ONE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON? WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE TO ADJOURN.
NOW THERE AIN'T NO OUT THERE THAT'S GONNA MAKE SENSE OF THIS THING, BUT IF YOU CAN STAND A LITTLE CITY AIR, WELL YOU MIGHT GET A COUPLE DOLLARS TO SING.