[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
CALLED MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, NEW COMMISSIONERS, UH, TIMOTHY RU RUTAN RUTAN AND DAVID HOLMES.
UM, AND I GUESS I PROBABLY NEED TO CALL THE ROLL.
UM, I AM HERE, UH, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER SIERRA AVALO HERE.
UM, AND WE ARE READY FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
I DUNNO IF WE HAVE NO COMMUNICATION SIGNED UP.
TIME, UM, IN THE US UH, SO NO, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
[1. Approve the minutes of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING on November 7, 2022, December 5, 2022 and January 9, 2023. ]
APPROVING THE MINUTES.UM, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF MINUTES TO APPROVE THIS MONTH.
WE HAVE, UH, THE NOVEMBER MINUTES TO START WITH.
UM, AND DO, DO ANY, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UH, CORRECTIONS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NOVEMBER MINUTES? I JUST HAVE A PROCEDURAL QUESTION ON HOW, IF, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I CAN'T VOTE ON THE NOVEMBER MEETING CAUSE I WASN'T THERE.
HOW WE'RE GONNA MEET A QUORUM WITH ALL THIS? I THINK WE RAN INTO THAT PROBLEM LAST TIME.
OH, YOU BE NOTED AS IT STAYING IN KITCHEN ONE.
AND I THINK WE CAN DEEM THE MINUTES TO BE APPROVED.
I'LL ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD, UH, IF YOU CAN.
AND ACCORDING TO ROBERT'S RULES, I THINK IT'S FINE.
IT'S JUST I DO NOTE THE EXS VOTE.
UM, YEAH, SO THAT'S DOWN TO THREE OF US.
I THINK WE'RE TECHNICALLY STILL OKAY.
I THINK BARRING ANY CHANGES, WE CAN JUST RIGHT.
MOVE, MOVE TO APPROVE THEM, I THINK.
UM, SO, UH, WE WILL DEEM THE NOVEMBER 7TH MINUTES APPROVED.
UM, AND MOVE ON TO THE DECEMBER 5TH MINUTES.
UM, UM, ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES? NOPE.
COMMISSIONER KOFF ON PAGE TWO.
UH, NOTICE JUST SOME SPELLING.
UH, I THINK ABOUT THE THIRD PARAGRAPH DOWN, A NEW PROGRAM THAT ENGAGES SHOULD BE PROGRAMS AT A GROW
AND DOWN IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH, UH, THE VIDEO REVIEW STILL NEEDS INSTEAD OF NEEDS.
AND I THINK THAT IN THE NEXT LINE SHOULD BE DECADES OF TRAINING.
AND THEN ON THE PAGE THREE, UH, IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, UH, COMMANDER LYONS RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD MEET INSTEAD OF MEETING WITH HIS ASSISTANT CHIEF.
AND THAT WAS THE ONLY THING I NOTED.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER KOFF.
UM, SHOULD WE RECONSIDER THOSE MINUTES NEXT MONTH? WE CAN APPROVED WITH EDITS.
WE WILL DEEM THOSE APPROVED WITH EDITS.
UM, SO, UM, THIS IS A VOTE ON APPROVING THE DECEMBER 5TH MINUTES WITH EDITS.
UH, COMMISSIONER CIERA ALO? YES.
UM, AND THEN THE JANUARY 9TH MINUTES, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
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SO WE CAN DEEM THOSE APPROVED, THEN WE NEED TO VOTE NOW.SO WE SHOULD VOTE ON BOTH THE NOVEMBER AND THE JANUARY MINUTES.
I'LL GO BACK TO THE NOVEMBER 7TH MINUTES.
UM, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ? YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSEN LOOK ABSTAIN.
UH, COMMISSIONER KOFF ABSTAIN.
UH, COMMISSIONER RUTAN ABSTAIN.
AND COMMISSIONER HOLMES ABSTAIN.
AND THEN ONE LAST VOTE ON THE JANUARY 9TH MINUTES.
UM, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ OR VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ? UH, YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSE INFL? YES.
[2. Public Safety Quarterly Report – Austin Fire Department AND Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services]
MOVE ON TO, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY QUARTERLY REPORT.AND WE ARE, UH, GETTING TO THIS MONTH, SUPER EXCITING,
UM, WE'LL START WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW, MY NAME IS ROB BYERS.
I'M THE CHIEF OF STAFF WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
GLAD TO HAVE YOU AS A PART OF THE, THE, THE COMMISSION.
UM, GIVEN THAT WE'RE DOING TWO IN A BIT OF COMPRESSED TIMEFRAME, I'LL, I'LL PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION, UH, AND FIELD SOME QUESTIONS AT THE END TO TRY TO MAKE THIS FLOW IN A, IN A FASHION THAT'S APPROPRIATE, GIVEN THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOUBLED UP SINCE WE MISSED THE, UH, MEETING LAST MONTH DUE TO THE WEATHER.
AND WE DO REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL, UH, GIVING US SOME LEEWAYS.
WE WERE, UH, WRAPPED UP IN A NUMBER OF THINGS IN THE MIDST TO THAT STORM AND, AND SHORTLY THE AFTERMATH.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, THE, THE GRACE IN, IN, UH, GIVING US THE, THAT TIME BACK TO WORK ON THOSE THINGS.
WE DO APPRECIATE IT, UH, WITH OURS.
THE FIRST, UH, TWO TO SEVEN SLIDES ARE GONNA HAVE RESPONSE DATA ON 'EM.
I'LL GO OVER THEM BRIEFLY AS WE GO.
THERE'S NOT TYPICALLY A LOT OF QUESTIONS THERE, BUT SINCE WE HAVE NEW PEOPLE WANNA MAKE YOU AWARE OF THIS, THE, IT'S DIVIDED IN SOME AREAS BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO FOR THE, THE, THE DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT, IT'LL PROVIDE YOU SOME, UH, INFORMATION THERE FOR, FOR YOUR AWARENESS.
SO IF WE GO ON TO SLIDE NUMBER TWO, AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS A COMPARISON OF LAST YEAR'S SAME QUARTER.
SO, UH, QUARTER FOUR OF 2021 VERSUS QUARTER FOUR OF 2022.
SO YOU SEE THE REFERENCES THERE, SIDE BY SIDE COLOR CODED.
UH, WHEN, UH, COVID OCCURRED, THERE WAS A A DOWN DROP IN, IN, IN THE CALL VOLUME.
WE'VE RETURNED BACK TO, UH, UH, POST OR PRE COVID SORT OF RESPONSE NUMBERS IS, UH, WITH THE, ALL THE ACTIVITIES YOU SEE AROUND THE CITY.
COULD YOU GO TO SLIDE NUMBER THREE? WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS A BREAKOUT WITH THE CALL TYPES, UH, FOR, UH, WHAT WE RESPOND TO.
AND YOU'LL SEE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS.
ONE IS ALL CALL TYPES, NO MATTER WHETHER IT'S A PRIORITY, THREE LIGHTS AND SIRENS OR, OR PRIORITY ONE WHERE YOU DRIVE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, RIGHT? THIS IS ALL ENCOMPASSING FOR THAT.
AND YOU'LL SEE A PREDOMINANT NUMBER OF CALLS.
UH, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THE FIRE IS WHERE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, WE'RE ALL HAZARDS.
UH, AND, AND WE'RE THE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR MEDICAL CALLS IN, IN, IN, UH, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR, UH, PARTNERS WITH EMS. THE FIRE CALLS WHERE AN EM, WHERE A MEDICAL CALL WILL HAVE MAYBE A ONE UNIT RESPONSE, UH, FOR WHATEVER THAT MEDICAL CALL TYPE IS.
SOMETIMES TWO, THE FIRE CALLS ARE LABOR INTENSIVE.
YOU'LL HAVE UPWARDS OF 10 OR MORE FOR AN ACTIVE FIRE.
UH, AND THEY'RE ON SCENE FOR A CONSIDERABLE TIMEFRAME.
SO WHERE YOU SEE THE, THE BREAKOUT THERE WITH A LOT OF BLUE AND NOT A LOT OF RED, THAT'S NOT A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF THE, THE PERSONNEL HOURS ON SCENE, UH, UH, OF, OF WHAT'S TRANSPIRING.
JUST WANNA MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, NEXT SLIDE IF YOU WOULD PLEASE.
SO, EMERGENCY INCIDENTS, AGAIN, LIKE THE, THE PREVIOUS ONE, THIS IS NOW JUST THE, THE EMERGENCY ONE, SO PRIORITY THREE, SO IT BREAKS IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, WITH THIS WE'RE, UH, UH, TRENDING UPWARDS AS FAR AS OUR, OUR CALL VOLUME GOES AS WE'RE TURNING BACK TO MORE OF A NORMAL LIFE.
NEXT ONE, AGAIN, THIS IS SIMILAR TO THAT LAST ONE WITH THE PIE CHARTS ON IT.
AND THESE ARE GONNA BE THE PRIORITY THREE CALLS, LIGHTS, AND SIRENS, WHERE IT REALLY IS A, A TRUE EMERGENCY AT HAND, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE SOMEONE'S SIGNIFICANTLY HURT OR IT'S THE, THE REPORTS OF FIRE ARE, ARE CLEAR AND SIGNIFICANT AND ALL THOSE UNITS ARE RESPONDING TO, TO HANDLE THAT SITUATION.
AND PLEASE STOP ME IF AT ANY POINT YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE TO, TO BALANCE TIME WITH, UH, THIS AS WELL.
SO THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE, WE'LL SHOW YOU BY YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS OUR RESPONSE TIME, UH, LAST YEAR'S QUARTER FOUR VERSUS THIS YEAR'S
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QUARTER FOUR IN COMPARISON.OUR GOAL, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD, NO MATTER WHICH COUNCIL DISTRICT YOU'RE IN, IS TO ARRIVE ON SCENE IN FOR A FIRE CALL IN EIGHT MINUTES OR LESS 90% OF THE TIME.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE AS THE CITY HAS GROWN, I HAVE ANOTHER, UH, MAP THING HERE IN THE FUTURE TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A, A GOOD PICTURE OF, OF HOW THE CITY HAS GROWN.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE A, A DIFFERENCE IN THERE FOR THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT THESE TIMES RELATE TO, RIGHT? FOR YOUR DISTRICT.
NEXT ONE IS A MAP THAT'LL SHOW YOU OUR RESPONSE TIMES, UH, AROUND THE CITY.
UH, GREEN, DARKER GREEN IS, IS MORE IN LINE WITH MEETING THAT RESPONSE GOAL AS, UH, THE COLORS CHANGE TO PURPLE BEING THE WORST IS, IS OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT MEETING THE GOAL.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED AND VERY GRATEFUL THAT THE, THE CITY HAS SUPPORTED US IN ADDING SOME STATIONS.
WE JUST BROKE GROUND ON ONE IN GOODNIGHT RANCH AND, AND, UH, LOOKED TO BREAK GROUND ON ANOTHER ONE HERE IN THE, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE FOR THE YEARS OUT, UP IN CANYON CREEK, WHICH WILL BE FIVE STATIONS ADDED IN OVER A SIX YEAR TIMEFRAME.
WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT, ALONG WITH SOME RENOVATIONS.
UM, BUT THAT BREAKS THE MAPS OUT FOR YOU THERE.
AND AGAIN, YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT INFORMATION IS ON THAT AS WELL.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS ONE'S VERY TELLING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT VERY WELL ON THE PICTURE THERE, BUT IT'S TWO DIFFERENT MAPS, THE SAME EXACT, UH, DEAL, BUT, UH, TWO DIFFERENT TIME SHOTS.
ONE IS 2014, YOU NOTICE HOW SIGNIFICANTLY GREEN, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE CORE, UH, AND, AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THEN YOU MOVE FAST FORWARD TO 2022 AND YOU SEE THAT IT'S NOT SO GREEN, UH, AS A CITY HAS GROWN, GOT DENSER, UH, VERTICAL GROWTH, ET CETERA, A A GREAT NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, HAS CREATED CHALLENGES FOR US TO, TO MEET THAT RESPONSE TIME.
AND THAT'S JUST A GOOD DEPICTION OF THAT OVER TIME.
SO WHAT AUTO EIGHT IS, UH, IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN US AND OUR E S D PARTNERS.
E S D STANDS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS.
AND WHERE WE'RE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WESTLAKE HAS THEIR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, PFLUGERVILLE HAS THEIR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, CEDAR PARK, ET CETERA, RIGHT? UH, IT USED TO BE THAT IN TRAVIS COUNTY WE HAD AN AUTO AUTOMATED AGREEMENT WITH ALL OF OUR TRAVIS COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS OR THE ESDS.
WE EXPANDED THAT, UH, A COUPLE YEARS BACK TO BE TRAVIS COUNTY AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY TO DO THAT.
THE DISPATCHING SYSTEM, UH, UH, THE CAD, UH, COMPUTER RATED DISPATCH HAD TO CONNECT, UH, CUZ THE, TO BE A TRUE AUTO AID, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE UNITS ARE.
THE, THE, TO BE ABLE TO SAY THIS IS THE CLOSEST UNIT IN RESPOND, WHICH IS EASY TO SAY, NOT SO EASY TO IMPLEMENT.
TECHNOLOGY IS NECESSARY TO TRANSLATE THE CAD LANGUAGE FROM WILLIAMSON COUNTY TO THE CAD LANGUAGE OF, UH, OF TRAVIS COUNTY, RIGHT? WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND, UH, TELUS IS THE TRANSLATOR, UH, SOFTWARE, IF YOU WILL.
UH, THAT HAS NOW BEEN UP AND RUNNING FOR THE BETTER PART OF SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS-ISH.
A AND STILL WORKING OUT SOME BUGS, RIGHT? TECHNOLOGY, UH, HAS ITS CHALLENGES.
IT, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR, OUR TWO COUNTIES TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING THE CLOSEST UNIT POSSIBLE TO A CALL, NO MATTER WHOSE, UH, EMBLEM IS ON THE SIDE.
IS, IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UH, THERE'S A, A FEW DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVEN'T FULLY CONNECTED IN YET, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON AND ARE ENGAGED IN THE CONVERSATIONS AND EVEN IN SOME OF THE TRAINING AS WELL, SO THAT ONCE THE TECHNOLOGY PART IS TO THEIR SATISFACTION, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ABLE TO JOIN IN, IN A TIMELY FASHION.
AS WE'VE SHARED IN THE PAST, UH, WITH THE CONCERNS WITH OVERDOSES AROUND THE CITY, WE'VE ADDED, UH, THE CAPACITY TO CARRY, UH, NARCAN, IF YOU WILL, ON OUR UNITS, UH, NALOXONE.
AND IT REQUIRED, UH, COOLINGS, WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE RIGHT CONTAINERS TO HOLD ONTO IT.
SO IT'S TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE AND IT, IT HAS BEEN, UH, A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO USE.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, LAST YEAR IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, 201 CALLS MADE AND IT WAS USED 144 TIMES.
SO, UH, IT'S ONE OF THOSE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX THAT IS HELPING US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN A TIMELY FASHION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR HOPEFULLY IN THEIR SITUATION, TO IMPROVE THEIR OUTCOME.
THESE ARE OUR ARSON INVESTIGATORS.
THEY ARE FIREFIGHTERS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO TRAINED PEACE OFFICERS.
AND, AND, AND THEY'RE ALSO GIVEN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRAINING TO GO THROUGH LOOKING FOR, UH, CAUSE DETERMINATION FOR FIRES.
AND WHAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF AND THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO IS A NATIONAL CLEARANCE RATE TO ACTUALLY DETERMINE WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS, AND MAYBE EVEN ARREST SOMEONE IF IT WAS AN ARSON.
YOU KNOW, LOOK AT OUR NUMBERS.
UH, THEY'RE PHENOMENAL IN COMPARISON.
SO WE HAVE A, A GREAT GROUP THERE THAT DO A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO TRULY DETERMINE WHAT THE CAUSE IS, UH, WITH A COUPLE OF, UH, UH, UH, DOGS TO
[00:15:01]
HELP 'EM WITH SNIFFING OUT FOR, FOR CHEMICALS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.DO AN ABSOLUTE PHENOMENAL JOB.
UH, WE HAVE A WILDFIRE DIVISION.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN AROUND, UH, KIND OF AS A, A STARTUP AFTER THE BASTROP COMPLEX FIRE, STEINER RANCH AND ALL THAT A LITTLE OVER A DECADE AGO.
AND, AND THEIR JOB IS TO DO A MULTITUDE THINGS, EDUCATE, UH, THE, THE, OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES GET THE, THE DIFFERENT SUBDIVISIONS TO BECOME FIREWISE COMMUNITIES, TO MAKE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE FOR FIRE PROTECTION, AND ALSO WORK ON EDUCATION, UH, TO HELP MITIGATE, UH, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE FORESTRY AROUND US TO, TO MINIMIZE A WILDFIRE, UH, GROWTH IF YOU WERE TO CURRENT, TO, TO, TO, TO SLOW IT DOWN, TO HAVE IT, KEEP IT A SMALLER ONE, BETTER CHANCE TO EXTINGUISH IT.
UH, WITH THAT, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTING IN OUR DEPARTMENT, A RESPONDING TO THE INTERFACE THAT'S TRAINING, UH, OUR WHOLE DEPARTMENT'S GOING THROUGH AND WHERE YOUR HOMES ARE NESTLED UP IN THE GREEN BELTS, IF YOU WILL.
THE, THE CONCERN IS THEY'RE AT A GREATER RISK FOR WILDFIRE.
AND, AND AS FAR AS OUR COMMUNITY GOES OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST ONES FOR, UH, PROPERTY VALUE LOSS, RIGHT? AS FAR AS WILDFIRE RISK GOES.
AND SO THIS TRAINING WILL HELP OUR FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND IN A MORE TIMELY FASHION, IN, IN A WAY TO, TO DEAL WITH THOSE, UH, VERY COMPLEX FIRES THAT ARE IN THAT, UH, WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON, UH, ESTABLISHING AND, AND, AND GETTING UP AND RUNNING A WILDFIRE BATTALION.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, FOLKS THAT, IN ADDITION TO THAT RTI TRAINING, ARE WILDFIRE TRAINED AND ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE VERY UNIQUE WILDFIRE ISSUES WE HAVE ON OUR EAST SIDE AND OUR WEST SIDE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT, THAT'S SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE WORKING THERE.
NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE.
UH, THIS IS OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
YOU THINK OF, UH, THAT IN, IN THE TERMS OF A NUMBER OF THINGS.
ONE IS, UH, ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION.
EVERY PLACE YOU SEE A CRANE AROUND TOWN WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING SOMETHING, UH, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WE ARE A SUBPART OF THAT TO MAKE SURE ALL THE THINGS LIKE THEY'RE SPRINKLERS AND EXITING ARE ALL APPROPRIATE AMONGST GREAT A MULTITUDE OF OTHER THINGS FOR THEIR, THEIR BASIC PLANS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE SOME, SOME STATISTICS AROUND THE MOMENT.
THEY ALSO TAKE CARE OF SPECIAL EVENTS, AND AS, UH, THINGS HAVE TURNED BACK AND THE WEATHER'S NICE, UH, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, UH, UH, EVENT, UH, STATUS HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.
UH, YOU'VE GOT THE RODEO GOING ON SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST NASCAR.
FOLLOWING THAT, THE PGA TOURNAMENT AND, AND ON AND ON AND ON THROUGHOUT THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR LAST YEAR, THEY, THEY HAD RECORD NUMBERS AT KODA WITH OVER 440,000 FOLKS IN ATTENDANCE OVER THE, THE THREE DAYS OF THE F1 RACE.
UH, YOU'VE GOT NOW THE, THE, THE SOCCER, UH, STADIUM BRINGING IN, AND THOSE GAMES ARE NOW GOING ON RIGHT NOW AS WELL.
AND OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IS WELL EMBEDDED IN ALL OF THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS OCCUR IN A SAFE FASHION.
WHEN YOU TURN A CITY PARK OR A RESTAURANT INTO A CONCERT VENUE, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST MOVING THE TABLES AND HAVING A PARTY.
THERE'S COMPLEXITIES THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS DONE IN A SAFE FASHION.
AND OUR FIRE MARSHALS FOLKS DO A PHENOMENAL JOB THERE.
NEXT SLIDE, RIGHT HERE, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE, THE PLAN REVIEWS, ET CETERA AND INSPECTIONS PERFORMED, THOSE GIVE YOU SOME, SOME, UH, DETAILS OF THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS THAT WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THINGS ARE BUILT IN A, IN A LIFE SAFETY, UH, FASHION, AND ARE SAFE FOR FOLKS TO OCCUPY NOW.
OUR NEXT SLIDE, WHEN I HIGHLIGHT THIS, THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE, YOU'LL SEE A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE IN THOSE BLUE, BLUE LINES.
SO US IN-HOUSE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE A BUILDING IS BUILT, THAT THINGS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE MAINTAINED LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO, SPRINKLERS ARE CHECKED EVERY YEAR, AND THAT THEY'RE KEPT UP TO DATE.
THE ALARM SYSTEMS ARE, ARE, ARE MAINTAINED AND INSPECTED IN APPROPRIATE FASHION BY THIRD PARTY FOLKS.
UH, WAS, WAS HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF, ESPECIALLY YOUR APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHERE MAYBE YOUR MANAGEMENT MIGHT CHANGE OVER REGULARLY TO KEEP THOSE CONNECTIONS WAS PROBLEMATIC.
SO ENTER THIS THIRD PARTY SYSTEM CALLED THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE AND THE, THE SYSTEM THAT THEY HAVE.
YOU CAN SEE NOW THAT OUR, WHERE WE HAVE A ROBUST PROCESS TO GET, UH, A CERTIFICATE OCCUPANCY TO, TO GET INTO A NEW BUILDING, THERE WAS NOT REALLY MUCH TO FOLLOW THERE AFTERWARDS TO MAKE SURE THE BUILDING WAS, WAS ALL THE SYSTEMS WERE KEPT UP SAFE.
NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT, THAT FOLLOWS THROUGH ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S DONE.
AND, AND IT'S PHENOMENAL JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT AS BUILDINGS AGE, THAT THEIR SYSTEMS ARE STILL PROPERLY MAINTAINED ALONG THE WAY FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE WHO OCCUPY.
I APOLOGIZE, I'M RUNNING LONGER THAN I ANTICIPATED.
OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UH, DOES A MULTITUDE OF THINGS.
UH, WE VISIT SCHOOLS, UH, TO, TO TALK ABOUT FIRE PREVENTION, FIRE SAFETY, GET LOW AND GO THOSE SORT OF
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THINGS.SO PEOPLE AREN'T, UH, YOUNG ONES AREN'T PLAYING WITH LIGHTERS.
THEY ALSO DO THINGS LIKE, UH, SMOKE ALARMS. OUR GOAL IS, UH, UH, ZERO FIRE DEATHS, RIGHT? AND SO IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS NOT ABLE TO, DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO, TO INSTALL A SMOKE ALARM, GIVE US A CALL ON THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE.
WE'RE HAPPY TO COME DO THAT FOR 'EM.
BUT OUR, OUR GOAL IS THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE ALERTED IN, IN THE CASE OF A, OF A FIRE AND ARE ABLE TO GET TO A POINT OF SAFETY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY IN THAT THE NUMBER OF WAYS.
THIS, UH, HERE WE GOT COVID, UH, HAS BEEN A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR US, UH, DURING THE ONSET OF IT TO KEEP OUR FIREFIGHTERS SAFE AND HEALTHY SO THEY CAN TEND TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE THAT FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVING COVID IS, IS SMALL.
FIVE TO 10 IS KIND OF THE RANGE.
WE WERE AT A POINT AT, AT ONE TIME IN THE, IN THE MIDST OF COVID ON NOT ONE, BUT TWO OCCASIONS WHERE WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE OUT SICK WITH COVID.
AND THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR WORKFORCE.
AND BE ABLE TO STILL MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY WAS A CHALLENGE.
SO WE DID A GOOD JOB OF KEEPING TRACK OF THAT AND OUR WELLNESS CENTER, WHICH TAKES US TO THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, UH, THAT A PHENOMENAL JOB OF OF KEEPING US TAKING CARE OF OUR WELLNESS CENTER IS, IS USED FOR A MULTITUDE OF THINGS.
USUALLY IT'S ONBOARDING OF APPLICANTS WHO'VE APPLIED FOR THE DEPARTMENT, RUN 'EM THROUGH THEIR MEDICAL BACK, BACKGROUND, HEALTH CHECKS, ET CETERA.
UH, WELL, DURING COVID, WE, WE REPURPOSED THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR INCUMBENT FORCE, KEEPING 'EM HEALTHY AND SAFE TESTING, FOLLOW UP TO GET 'EM, MAKE SURE THEY WERE HEALTHY ENOUGH TO RETURN BACK TO WORK, EVEN PROVIDING, UH, VACCINATION SHOTS, WHAT THEY STILL DO TODAY, UH, ON A, UH, APPOINTMENT BASIS.
UH, SO I WAS VERY FORTUNATE FOR US TO HAVE THAT AND, AND PHENOMENAL JOB THEY DID.
CUZ THERE WASN'T NO INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR HOW TO DEAL WITH COVID.
THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB OF TAKING CARE OF OUR WORKFORCE.
NEXT SLIDE IS GONNA TAKE YOU TO OUR SEPARATIONS.
UH, BY AND LARGE, MOST PEOPLE WHO JOIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, ENJOY A FULL HEALTHY CAREER AND GO ON TO RETIREMENT.
WE DID HAVE A, AN ANOMALY LAST YEAR WHERE THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP OF FOLK OR, UH, ABOUT 12 THAT LEFT WITH, UH, A HANDFUL OF YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THEM, MOST OF THEM WERE PURSUING THINGS LIKE, UH, REAL ESTATE.
IT, UH, THERE WAS FAMILY ITEMS THERE WHERE THEY, THEY NEEDED TO GO, UH, ELSEWHERE TO TAKE CARE OF FAMILY ITEMS. SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT BY AND LARGE, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT JOIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STICK WITH THAT FOR A FULL CAREER.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST AT THE END OF OUR CURRENT HIRING PROCESS.
OUR HIRING PROCESS GOES FOR TWO YEARS, AND WE HAVE TWO CADET CLASSES IN PLACE.
THERE IS A TYPO ON THERE IN THE, THE TABLE.
UH, CLASS 1 35 STARTED IN OCTOBER OF 22, NOT GRADUATED, STARTED.
AND CLASS 1 36 ACTUALLY STARTED IN, UH, JANUARY.
CLASS 1 35 WILL GRADUATE AROUND MAY.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF A TYPO THERE.
RIGHT NOW THERE'S STILL ABOUT 85 PEOPLE TOTAL, TWO CLASSES COMBINED, ABOUT 85 PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE LOSE MAYBE ABOUT FIVE TO 10 PEOPLE PER CADET CLASS GOING THROUGH FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
ONCE THEY GET THROUGH THE CADET CLASS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF 'EM MAKE IT THROUGH THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD AND AT THE ONE YEAR MARK.
SO CADET CLASS FOR SIX MONTHS, PROBATION FOR SIX MONTHS AT THE ONE YEAR MARK, THEY BECOME CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTED.
AND USUALLY ONCE PEOPLE GET THROUGH THE CADET CLASS, UH, THAT'S VERY RARE THAT WE LOSE THEM DURING PROBATION.
IT HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT NOT VERY COMMON FOR THAT.
SO AS WE'RE FINISHING ONE RECRUITING PROCESS OR, OR, OR HIRING PROCESS, WE'RE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON ANOTHER ONE.
AND WITHOUT SOME OF THE RECRUITING TOOLS WE HAVE ARE PAST THE TORCH AND THE FIRE EXPLORER POST, UH, FOR DIFFERENT AGE GRAINS.
AND THE IDEA IS TO GET THEM INLET EXPERIENCE.
WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S LIKE THE, THE, THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE A PART OF BOTH OF THOSE, THOSE PROGRAMS. SO THEY GET TO ASK QUESTIONS, THEY GET TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON THINGS AND SEE WHAT THE JOB IS LIKE.
SO THEY MAKE FOR REALLY GOOD RECRUITING TOOLS FOR US, TRYING TO LOOK AT FOLKS THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AS THEY'RE GROWING UP, NOT SURE WHAT THEY WANNA DO, DIDN'T THINK THE FIRE SERVICE WAS A POSSIBILITY OR THING FOR THEM, THEY NOT GET THE CHANCE TO BE EXPOSED TO IT, TO CONSIDER THAT AMONGST WHAT THEIR FUTURE OPTIONS MIGHT BE.
WE'RE REAL PROUD OF THOSE PROGRAMS. AND LAST SLIDE WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY WE'RE HIRING, UH, MARCH 15TH THROUGH THE 29TH.
IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO'S LOOKING FOR OR CURIOUS ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY CAN GO TO JOIN AFD.COM AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH THEM ABOUT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
LOVE TO HAVE 'EM ON OUR TEAM WITH THAT.
IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS FOR ME, I WILL PASS ON TO EMS. UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF FIRES? UH, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.
YEAH, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION AS TO WHY THE COMPARE WHEN YOU HAD THE MAP COMPARISONS OF 2014 VERSUS 2022.
[00:25:01]
WHAT WAS, IS IT JUST IN, JUST SO IF I'M GONNA BE TRANSPARENT IN MY, IN MY OFFICE, I'VE GOT ALL THOSE MAPS IN 2014, JUST HAVING THE OLDEST ONE IN HAND.AND YOU THINK OF FAIR ENOUGH DAYS WHERE BROUGHT THOSE STICK FIGURES ON THE COURT AND BROUGHT UP THROUGH AND YOU'D SEE THE CHANGE IN MOVEMENT? THAT'S WHAT I HAD AS, AS, AS REFERENCE THERE.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS EASY TO HOLD ONTO TO, IN THE, THE YEARS WEREN'T AS IMPORTANT AS JUST SHOWING THE, THE, THE, THE CHANGE OVER TIME.
THE EARS THEMSELVES WEREN'T SPECIFIC TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT'S WHAT I HAD ON MY WALLS OF REFERENCE.
AND WERE, WERE THE RESPONSE TIMES IN TWEN, LIKE THE, THE TARGET RESPONSE TIMES THE SAME BACK THEN AS WELL? YEP.
EIGHT MINUTES 90% OF THE TIME.
UH, SINCE YOU SHOWED US THAT, I MEAN, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SOLUTION TO IMPROVING THAT? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY SOME THINGS LIKE TRAFFIC AND DOWNTOWN ARE MORE DIFFICULT THAN ADDING MORE FIRES STATION
THERE'S SOME COMPLEXITIES TO THAT.
I DON'T, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON SOME DIFFERENT ANSWERS.
I'M NOT PREPARED TO TO, TO SHARE AT THIS POINT, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME, UH, AT SOME POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS THAT MIGHT HELP US ADDRESS THAT.
MOST CERTAINLY, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PERIPHERY, THERE WAS SOME AREAS THAT WERE DARKER BEFORE BY THE ADDING THE FIVE STATIONS IN SIX YEARS.
THOSE WERE VERY HELPFUL TO THOSE COMMUNITIES.
UH, AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW AND BECOME MORE DENSE, IT CREATES, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO ALTER OUR SERVICE DELIVERY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, UH, AS WE SPEAK TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT, THAT, THAT ARE RESPONSIVE, UH, TO THE NEEDS OF THE CITY.
COMMISSIONER RUTA, I SAID THAT'S FANTASTIC, YOU KNOW, A ROOT CAUSE IN TERMS OF WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE RESPONSE TIMES.
I, I'D BE CURIOUS ABOUT A COUPLE OTHER THINGS.
WHEN YOU DEFINE FIRST ON SCENE, HOW IS THAT DEFINED? FIRST UNIT ON SCENE? FIRST UNIT ON SCENE.
SO WHEN THAT'S, UH, LIKE A FIRE, YOU GOT SEVERAL UNITS THAT ARE DISPATCHED, THE VERY FIRST ONE THAT'S ON SCENE WILL MARK THE START TIME TO THE FIRST UNIT ON SCENE.
ARE YOU GONNA SAY A MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING OR WITH INCREASED TENE AND HIGH RISES IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TO THE FRONT DOOR OF THE ADDRESSES.
AND, AND EVEN THAT HAS SOME CHALLENGES TO IT.
SOME OF THE, THE, THE SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE WILL SHOW YOU ON SCENE WHEN YOU GET IN PROXIMITY.
WELL, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S AN ACCIDENT ON A HIGHWAY, YOU COULD BE GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION HAVING A TURNAROUND, BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE IN PROXIMITY, IT, IT SHOWS YOU ON SCENE.
THAT'S WHY I POINTED OUT WITH THE, THE PIE CHART WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS ARE MEDICAL, AND IT WAS SUCH A SMALL SLIVER WITH THE FIRE THAT THE PIE CHART ITSELF DOESN'T TELL YOU THE FULL STORY.
YOU HAVE TO DIG INTO THE DETAILS TO, TO, TO, TO UNDERSTAND IT MAYBE, UH, UH, UH, UH, MORE THAN WHAT THE VISUAL WOULD TELL YOU.
AND YEAH, I WONDER AS AUSTIN DENSIFIES, HOW IT'S GONNA CHANGE THAT RESPONSE.
AND THEN I ALSO, WITH THAT, IS THERE ANY DATA THAT LOOKS AT, YOU KNOW, THE DECENT PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN TERMS OF RESPONSE TIMES FROM, I THINK IT WAS 2021 TO 2022 OR 2019? I CAN'T REMEMBER THE COMPARISON YEAR, BUT IS, DO Y'ALL COLLECT ANY HEALTH DATA ON THAT? YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT A 32ND LONGER RESPONSE TIME, A MINUTE RESPONSE TIME, LIKE WHAT'S THE ACTUAL IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
ALSO A LITTLE BIT COMPLEX BECAUSE NOT ALL CALL TYPES ARE THE SAME, RIGHT? SO, UH, WE'D HAVE TO DO SOME DIGGING IN TO, TO, TO PULL THAT OUT.
AND THE, THE, THE REPORT ENTRY STUFF IS NOT AS ROBUST AS YOU WOULD THINK.
SOMETIMES WHEN WE GO TO IT, THERE'S BUTTONS THAT YOU PUSH, SAY, HEY, THIS WAS THE CALL TYPE YOU WENT ON.
IT VERIFIES IT SO IT'S EASIER TO FARM THE DATA OUT OF IT.
SOME THINGS, UH, AS LIFE MOVES ON AND, AND THE, THE SOFTWARE WAS CREATED SOME TIME AGO, WE HAVE TO DIG INTO WORD SEARCHES WITHIN THE NARRATIVES TO FIND THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH A DEPARTMENT OF 1200 PEOPLE, NOT EVERYONE USES THE SAME TERMINOLOGY, UH, ON THERE.
SO SOME OF THE FARMING BECOMES A CHALLENGE AS WELL.
BUT I'LL LOOK IN TO SEE IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO THE, THE, THE MEDICAL OUTCOMES OVER TIME.
I, I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME AT THIS TIME OR FIRE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE, THE OUTCOMES OF INTEREST ARE, BUT MM-HMM.
UM, ON, ON MEDICAL CALLS, UM, DOES THE REPORTING BACK, UM, ON A MEDICAL CALL GO TO, I ASSUME THERE'S REPORTING BACK FROM BEING OUT IN THE FIELD TO SOME MEDICAL DIRECTOR OR SUPERVISOR AT A HOME BASE? IS THAT AN ACCURATE ASSUMPTION? EACH UNIT WILL FILL OUT THE REPORT FOR WHAT THEY DID ON, ON THE CALL, WHETHER IT BE MEDICAL OR FIRE.
AND, AND WE DO ALL WORK UNDERNEATH THE, THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S LICENSE.
SO WE GET SOME MEDICAL ION FROM THEM ON HOW, AS AN EMT, WHEN WE SHOW UP, HERE'S THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO, ET CETERA, AND WE WORK UNDER LICENSE TO, TO TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE.
AND AS EMS ARRIVES, THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO CONTINUE THAT CARE EVEN FURTHER WITH PARAMEDICS AND TO ULTIMATELY GET THE PERSON TO THE, THE HOSPITAL BRING OUT NURSES AND DOCTORS TO, TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION AS A WHOLE.
AND EACH OF US HAVE REPORTS THAT WE FILL OUT FOR WHAT WE DID, UH, IN THERE AND ALL THAT IS SHARED SO THAT PEOPLE GET THAT ALONG WAY TO SEE WHAT WAS DONE AND HOW THAT, TO HELP SOMEONE FURTHER.
I'M SURE, UH, CHIEF GARNER CAN ALLUDE ON THAT A BIT.
WELL, THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTION WAS GOING IS THAT YOU AND
[00:30:01]
AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS SHARE THE SAME ELECTRONIC SYSTEM SO THAT THEY CAN SEE YOUR RECORDS WHEN THEY GO IN.SO THE, THE, YOU'RE WORKING ON THE, THE, THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS ARE A WORKING CONFERENCE.
AND I, I, I FEEL LIKE I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM SOMEBODY AT A, AT AUSTIN FLEET SERVICES, BUT, AND NOW I'M NOT REMEMBERING THE PHONE CALL VERY WELL.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S AN EFFORT AFOOT TO WORK ON TRAFFIC LIGHT SINKING TO SPEED UP EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES.
THAT'S, THE SYSTEM'S BEEN AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND OPTICON IS WHAT IT WAS CALLED IN THE PAST.
AND THERE ARE WAYS FOR, UH, YOU'D HAVE A, A STROBE ON THE FIRETRUCK THAT WOULD DING THE, THE, THE TRAFFIC LIGHT, SO IT WOULD KNOW TO TURN, SO YOU COULD NOT HAVE TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP FOR TRAFFIC.
UH, THERE ARE SOME NEWER VERSIONS OF THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE STATUS OF WHERE THOSE ARE.
IT'S BEEN A CONVERSATION FOR A WHILE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE, THE CURRENT STATUS OF, OF ROLLOUT FOR IT.
UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO EMS. GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M TERESA GARDNER, THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EM S DEPARTMENT, AND I HAVE AN ABBREVIATED REPORT FOR YOU TODAY.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING US DO THIS KIND OF JOINTLY SO WE COULD KEEP EVERYBODY ON SCHEDULE AND, UM, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, SO THIS, UH, REPORT WILL SPAN THE TIMEFRAME FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2022 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST.
SO THE FIRST QUARTER OF OUR FISCAL CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
THIS IS AN ONGOING SLIDE THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, THAT JUST REFLECTS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THREE DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, THE TOP LINE IS OUR, UH, NUMBER OF P OF INCIDENTS, EMS INCIDENTS.
SO THAT'S THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT COME INTO THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.
UM, THE NEXT LINE THAT'S IN RED IS THE NUMBER OF PATIENT CONTACTS WE HAVE.
SO THAT'S IF WE HAVE SOMEONE OUT IN THE FIELD ON AN AMBULANCE OR A SINGLE MEDIC RESPONDER THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH A PERSON.
THAT'S HOW MANY TIMES THAT WE'VE DONE THAT OVER, OVER TIME.
AND THEN THAT FINAL GRAY LINE IS OUR PATIENT TRANSPORTS.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT COME IN.
SOME OF THOSE ARE DUPLICATE CALLS, SOME OF THOSE ARE INFORMATION CALLS.
SOME, SOME ARE JUST NOT RELEVANT TO, UM, THE ACTUAL DISPATCH.
UM, THE SECOND LINE IS ANYTIME AGAIN THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, CONTACTS, THERE MAY BE REFUSALS, THERE MAY BE REFERRALS TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE DIDN'T TAKE 'EM TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY OUR LAST LINE IS, IS OUR, UH, PATIENT TRANSPORT OVER TIME.
UM, SO OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT'S REMAINED RELATIVELY FLAT.
WE DO HAVE SEASONAL ANOMALIES WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE COMING UP INTO THE SUMMER, UM, IN THE SPRING WHERE IT STARTS TO INCREASE.
UM, MUCH LIKE OUR, UM, PREVIOUS REPORT, THIS IS OUR PARTY ONE COMPLIANCE BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
AND, UM, AS WE TRIAGE CALLS IN THE, UH, COMM CENTER AND DISPATCH, THEY'RE BROKEN INTO PARTY ONE THROUGH PARTY FIVE.
PARTY ONE IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, CALL TYPE BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE.
OUR GOAL IS TO, UH, BE ON SCENE WITHIN 9 59.
UM, AND THIS IS A PERCENTAGE OF TIME BY DISTRICT THAT WE, UH, MAKE THAT TIME.
AND THEN OUR NEXT SLIDE IS, UM, AS YOU SAW, THAT WAS A 90%, THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE MAKE, THAT 9 59.
THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE SHOWS THAT WHILE WE MEET WHAT TIMEFRAME, WE ARE MAKING 90 PERCENTILE WITHIN, UM, EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO IN SOME DISTRICTS WE ARE LESS THAN A MINUTE OFF IN THAT 90TH PERCENTILE, AND SOME WERE UP TO FOUR MINUTES, UH, DIFFERENCE IN THAT, THAT LITTLE ORANGE SECTION BELOW IS JUST A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF PRIORITY ONE CALLS THAT ARE FOR THAT ENTIRE DISTRICT.
SO WE HAVE PRIORITY ONE THROUGH PRIORITY FIVE, AGAIN FOR CITYWIDE.
UM, AND THEN THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT ARE PRIORITY ONE IS THAT PERCENTAGE.
AS I MENTIONED, PARTY ONE THROUGH PARTY FIVE, WE START AT THE VERY BOTTOM IS THAT PARTY ONE, AND THIS IS JUST BREAKS DOWN PER COUNCIL DISTRICT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CALLS WE'RE SEEING IN EACH DISTRICT THAT ARE PARTY ONE, WHICH ARE AGAIN, ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO PARTY FIVE, WHICH ARE LOW ACUITY CALLS.
AND OUR NEXT SLIDE, THIS WILL GET INTO OUR, UH, STAFFING.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2021.
WE'VE STARTED AN ACADEMY SINCE, SINCE THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, OUR OVERALL VACANCY RATE AT THE TIME WAS 24%.
UM, AND WE HAVE STILL A NUMBER OF VACANCIES WITHIN OUR, UH, COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION.
AND WITHIN OUR CLINICAL SPECIALIST, UH, RANK IN JANUARY, WE DID START, UM, OUR FIRST LATERAL HIRE, UH, ACADEMY THAT IS HIRING PARAMEDICS DIRECTLY INTO THAT CLINICAL SPECIALIST.
UM, WE HAD A VERY SHORT TIMEFRAME THAT WE STARTED THAT UP, SO WE DID HAVE SEVEN THAT CAME IN, UM, THROUGH THAT LATERAL.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE SCHEDULED TO COME UP IN JULY.
[00:35:01]
UM, SO WE HOPE TO SEE MORE FILLING IN IN THAT RING.WE ALSO JUST CONCLUDED A, UM, HIRING PROCESS AND EXPECT TO SEE MORE OF COMMUNICATION MEDICS COMING IN.
AND WE HAVE SOME PLANS TO, UM, DO SOME INTERNSHIPS AND PROVIDE SOME TRAINING SO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY REACH MORE PEOPLE TO COME INTO THOSE PHYSICIANS, UM, IN, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE, ARE MOST SIGNIFICANT VACANCIES WITHIN THE COMMUNICATIONS SECTION AND THAT FIELD CLINICAL SPECIALIST.
THIS IS OUR SEPARATION DATA FOR, UM, THE LAST QUARTER.
UM, WE HAD HAD ONE RETIREMENT AND WE HAD, UH, 14 RESIGNATIONS.
UM, AND THEN GETS INTO ALSO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE TENURE.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THESE WERE, WERE WITHIN THAT ONE TO FIVE YEAR RANGE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION AT THIS POINT OF, UH, WHERE THEY WERE LEAVING, UH, WHERE WHY THEY WERE LEAVING, WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO, BUT, UM, IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT CHIEF BYERS MENTIONED.
WE SEE A LOT THAT GO INTO REAL ESTATE, OTHER HEALTHCARE POSITIONS, OR THEY'RE LEAVING THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSION ENTIRELY.
THIS IS OUR VACANCY RATE, UM, BY MONTH FOR BOTH SWORN AND CIVILIAN.
OVER THOSE PAST THREE MONTHS, UM, OUR CIVILIAN VACANCY RATE WAS AS HIGH AS 23.4%, AND THEN OUR SWORN VACANCY RATE, UH, CAME DOWN AFTER AN ACADEMY GRADUATION IN DECEMBER, 2022.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT TREND DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE HAVE AN ACADEMY THAT WILL GRADUATE IN, UH, APRIL OF THIS YEAR, AND WE'LL SEE SOME, SOME MOVEMENT ON THAT TOO.
AND OUR NEXT SLIDE, THIS, UM, IS THE TURNOVER RATE.
UH, DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WE'RE SEEING ABOUT A 1% PER MONTH.
UM, ACTUALLY IN JANUARY WE HAD NO TURNOVER.
UM, SO WE ARE, UM, HOPING TO CONTINUE THAT TREND AND, AND SEE OUR, OUR TURNOVER RATE DECREASE.
UM, THIS WAS A REQUEST OF INFORMATION OF THE OPIOID, UM, OVERDOSES WITH WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, THIS BUILDS ON, UH, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD A FEW MONTHS AGO FROM, FROM OUR GROUP.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE CONTINUE TO TREND UP.
UM, THERE IS A TREND, UM, DURING THE SPRING FOR IT TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE STARTING 2023, UH, BEFORE SPRING WITH A, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
THAT GRAY LINE, THEY STARTED TRACKING WHAT TYPE OF OVERDOSE IT WAS.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S, IT'S MARKED AS PILLS.
UM, THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED TO SEE THAT MARKET TO INCREASE IN FENTANYL OVERDOSES.
AND THIS IS OUR OPIOID RESCUE KIT INFORMATION.
UM, WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS THROUGH OUR, UH, PROGRAM THAT ARE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THESE KIDS OUT IN THE FIELD.
UM, ANYBODY WHO WANTS ONE CAN GET ONE.
WE IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK, WHO MAY HAVE FRIENDS, FAMILY, UM, OR OTHER PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE HIGH RISK.
AND, UM, THESE ARE THE KIDS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THEM.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER, HASSEN, JUST AN EASY ONE ON THE CADET CLASSES.
HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE IN THIS CURRENT CLASS AND WHAT'S THE NORMAL SIZE? OUR CURRENT CLASS HAS 30, UM, AND THAT'S A MIXTURE OF OUR ENTRY LEVEL MEDIC, WHICH IS THE EMT, UM, RANK.
AND THEN WE HAVE SEVEN THAT ARE THAT LATERAL, UH, CLINICAL SPECIALISTS.
SO ON AVERAGE WE'VE BEEN ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 30.
UM, AND IT JUST VARIES ON, YOU KNOW, THE, WE WE'RE RUNNING A, IN A HIRING PROCESS CONSTANT, WE HAVE TO CLOSE AT A CERTAIN POINT ON A DAY, BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY WE REOPEN A PROCESS.
UM, I THINK IN THIS LAST HIRING PROCESS, WE HAD THE SAME NUMBER OF 150 TO 200 APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND I BELIEVE WE'LL BE SEEN A ANOTHER CLASS OF 20.
SO I GUESS AFTER THIS NEXT CLASS, I DIDN'T DO THE MATH, I COULDN'T SEE THAT FAR.
UM, HOW MANY VACANCIES WE GO YOU HAVE, UM, AFTER THIS NEXT CLASS, IF, IF I ESTIMATE IT CORRECTLY, I BELIEVE THAT WE'LL BE AROUND 125 VACANCIES.
UM, GIVE OR TAKE, TAKE A FEW DEPENDING ON BOTH ATTRITION AND UM, GRADUATION RATE.
UM, CHIEF GARDNER, IS IT YOUR IMPRESSION THAT, UM, THE CHANGE IN SALARIES FROM THE NEW CONTRACT IS IMPROVING THE SITUATION? UH, IN TERMS OF VACANCIES OR, I MEAN, WHAT'S YOUR JUST GENERAL IMPRESSION OF THE TRAJECTORY? I THINK, WELL FIRST OF ALL, WE'LL BE GOING BACK TO BARGAINING AGAIN THIS YEAR.
AND UH, WE HAVE A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WHI WHICH, UM, DID IMPROVE SOME THINGS.
BUT I THINK THAT WE'LL BE SEEING, UM, HOPEFULLY SOME MORE MOVEMENT ON THAT.
UM, THERE ARE TRENDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WE LOOK AT WHENEVER WE DO THAT, OF, OF HOW THAT'S IMPACTING.
UM, WE ARE STILL SEEING JUST NATIONWIDE,
[00:40:01]
THE TREND OF MORE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE EMS PROFESSION THAN ARE ENTERING.UM, SO WE, THAT IS A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR US THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE FACING.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT SOME OF THAT HAS HELPED A LITTLE BIT, SOME OF IT HAS NOT.
UM, AND THEN WE JUST CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT.
UM, BASICALLY CURIOUS, THIS THE SAME QUESTION, UM, THAT I ASKED FOR CHIEF HOURS.
IS THERE ANY DATA IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE TIMES AND WITH THOSE ONES THAT ARE ABOVE THE TARGET IN TERMS OF PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK OR IS THERE AN ABILITY DOWN THE ROAD TO THINK ABOUT MOVING TOWARDS THAT? UM, WELL, INTERESTING ENOUGH, IN, IN EMS INDUSTRY, THERE IS A MOVE AWAY FROM MEASURING STRICTLY RESPONSE TIMES AND GOING TOWARDS JUST OUTCOMES.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IF WE'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING ON AN ONGOING BASIS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO TO WORK WITH YOU ON, ON GETTING THAT INFORMATION.
YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHER COMMISSIONERS, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE ALL YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE ALL CARE ABOUT IN THE END.
AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME CRITICAL ISSUES THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WITH EITHER STROKE, TRAUMA, UM, HEART ATTACK, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT, UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT AT WHAT THOSE IMPACTS ARE.
UM, I OBVIOUSLY CAN'T SPEAK FOR DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL ON THIS, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND A RESEARCH PARTNER AT UT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A NEED FOR LIKE SURE.
UM, ALRIGHT, UH, I GUESS WE SHOULD MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT DISCUSSION ITEM,
[3. Discussion of winter/extreme weather event preparedness]
UM, WHICH IS EXTREME WEATHER EVENT PREPAREDNESS.UM, UH, IS, UM, MR. PARKER AND, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF WADE AND ASSISTANT CHIEF, UM, STANKY OH, OH, AND WE HAVE, SHOULD WE START WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, WELL IT'S, IT DOUBLES.
IT'S THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I THINK IF WE CAN HAVE UM, UM, THE EMS ASSOCIATION AND THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION COME UP TO THE TABLE, THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
WE'D LOVE TO HEAR SOME IF YOU GUYS ARE IN THE ROOM.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME COMMENT ON IT.
AND I THINK IN GENERAL, LIKE THIS, THIS AGENDA ITEM, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO, WE GOT A PRESENTATION ON, YOU KNOW, WINTER PREPAREDNESS AFTER WINTER STORM, YURI, I THINK IT WAS A YEAR AGO, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
AND JUST KIND OF TO CHECK IN WHERE WE ARE WITH SOME OF THOSE OUTSTANDING ITEMS. THINGS THAT WE WANTED JUST, AND ALSO JUST KIND OF TALK MORE GENERALLY ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE NEED IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY CHANGES IN WHAT WE NEED.
AND I KIND OF HAD MY BUDGET HAT ON
DID YOU WANNA START WITH US? YEAH, I THINK SO.
UM, WELL I JUST HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH EMS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL SAY, BUT I THINK, UH, YOU PROBABLY HEARD WE HAVE QUITE A PROBLEM WITH OUR GENERATORS.
WE'RE FINDING THAT MORE AND MORE NOW THAT WE'RE HAVING MORE POWER OUTAGES.
FOR THE LONGEST TIME WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A LOT, BUT WE KNOW FROM WINTER STORM URI AND THEN RECENTLY, RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS OF LAST YEAR, WE HAD, UH, SIGNIFICANT OUTAGES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND UH, SOME OF THAT WAS CORRECTED FOR URI, BUT NOT A LOT.
SO THERE WAS SOME ONE TIME MONEY THAT COUNCIL, UH, ALLOCATED AND IT FIXED SOME ISSUES.
I'LL KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE CATEGORY IN WHICH IT FIXED THEM, BUT THERE'S STILL QUITE A FEW, UH, GENERATORS THAT ARE OUT.
AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET COUNCIL TO STUDY THIS AND COME BACK WITH ACTION PLAN FOR EACH, EACH PARTICULAR STATION.
SO, SO I DID A SURVEY OF OUR MEMBERSHIP AND WE SHOWED A LITTLE BIT DATA, DIFFERENT DATA THAN UH, MANAGEMENT, BUT IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH IN LINE I WOULD SAY.
SO WE SHOWED ABOUT 27 STATIONS LOSING POWER DURING THE WINTER STORM LAST YEAR.
UM, AND OF THOSE 27 I ASKED THREE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, DID YOU HAVE A GENERATOR
ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR STATIONS, I THINK EMS IS PRETTY CLOSE TO THESE STAMP STATISTICS DID NOT HAVE A GENERATOR AT ALL.
SO OBVIOUSLY THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T HAVE BACKUP POWER.
ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR STATIONS HAVE RIDGE, BUT THEY'RE FAIRLY OLD AND THE MAINTENANCE IS, UH, IT HASN'T BEEN KEPT UP LIKE MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
AND SOME OF THOSE ARE SO OLD THEY PROBABLY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT NEEDS TO BE STUDIED IN A DIFFERENT
[00:45:01]
SOLUTION FOR ALMOST FOR EVERY STATION.AND THEN ABOUT A THIRD OF THE STATION SEEM TO HAVE FAIRLY GOOD GENERATORS, BUT THEY'RE NOT HOOKED UP CORRECTLY TO THE, TO THE STATION.
AND SO THAT'S A TRANSFER SWITCH PROBLEM.
AND SO FOR INSTANCE, STATION 31 HAD AN ISSUE WHERE I THINK THEY HAVE A, I'M NOT POSITIVE ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK THEY HAVE A FAIRLY GOOD GENERATOR, BUT IT WAS ONLY SUPPLYING THE GARAGE DOORS AND THE EMERGENCY LIGHTING, NO HEAT, NO HOT WATER, NO INSIDE OUTLETS, NO INSIDE LIGHTS.
AND SO THERE'S EACH STATION OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT JUST DON'T HAVE IT GENERATED AT ALL TWO THIRDS OF OUR STATION, EACH PROBLEM WILL BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND SO I'M ACTUALLY GOING AROUND COUNCIL RIGHT NOW AND TALKING ABOUT THAT AND SEEING IF WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO SPONSOR A RESOLUTION TO STUDY THAT, COME BACK AFTER ABOUT A SIX MONTH PERIOD AND THEN IT'S GONNA BE A MULTI-YEAR FIX.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE SOMETHING WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIX QUICKLY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO START, START ON SOON, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
THE OTHER THING WE NOTICED IS THAT, UM, WHEN WE HAD UNITS GO DOWN, NOT, I IMAGINE IT'S PROBABLY THE SAME WITH EMS ALSO IS WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN THEY'RE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS BECAUSE OF THE, THE TEMPERATURES AND THE RUN VOLUMES, YOU HAVE MORE, UH, MORE UNITS, UH, NEED REPAIRS, YOU KNOW, THEY GO OUT OF SERVICE AND, AND THEN SEE AT THE PULLING THE RESERVE FLEET, WHAT WE STARTED SEEING IS, IS THAT OUR RESERVE WAS VERY STRESSED AND SO WE PROBABLY NEED TO RETHINK THE AMOUNT OF UNITS WE HOLD IN RESERVE, MAYBE INCREASE THAT NUMBER CUZ WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXTREME CONDITIONS HERE, RIGHT? AND, BUT WE'RE SEEING MORE EXTREME CONDITIONS IN AUSTIN THAN EVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND I SUSPECT IT'S GONNA KEEP UP WITH A LOT OF THE GLOBAL WARMING CHANGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS SIGNIFICANT IS WE HAVE QUITE A FEW STATIONS UNDER REMODEL RIGHT NOW AND THAT PUTS AN ADDITIONAL STRAIN ON THE SYSTEM.
SOME OF THOSE STATIONS ARE SHUT DOWN, SOME ARE IN AND STATES OF, UH, DISREPAIR.
AND WE'VE LOST, UM, WE'VE KIND OF, WE'VE KIND OF HAD FIVE PROJECTS STARTED AND THE BOND MONEY RAN OUT.
SO WE NEED SOME GAP FUNDING TO FINISH THOSE STATIONS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, I WOULD CALL THAT A PRIORITY ALSO.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH COUNCIL TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN THAT REGARD.
BUT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES, I THOUGHT I'D BRING 'EM UP HERE IN THIS FORMAT.
I COMPLETELY ECHO WHAT BOB WAS SAYING.
I THINK ESPECIALLY, UM, IN OUR FIELDS WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT AT THE STATIONS, A WE'RE NOT REALLY ABLE TO CHARGE, UM, OUR DEFIBRILLATOR BATTERIES, OUR RADIOS, AND A LOT OF OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT, UM, TRULY IS LIFESAVING AND WE'RE, UM, ADDING THIS ADDITIONAL STRESS TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS BY HAVING TO THINK ABOUT SWAPPING OUT BATTERIES, UM, UH, WITH OTHER AMBULANCES GOING TO PLACES WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY HAVE POWER.
UM, AND SO IT, IT REALLY IS AN ADDITIONAL LAYER THAT WE REALLY NEED TO WORK OUT.
I THINK ONE COMPLICATING FACTOR ABOUT E M S IS THAT MANY OF OUR STATIONS IN THE COUNTY, UM, BECAUSE THE COUNTY HAS NOT INVESTED IN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, WE ARE IN, FOR EXAMPLE, APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHERE YOU CAN'T HAVE A BACKUP GENERATOR AND THEY'RE NOT REGISTERED AS EMERGENCY FACILITIES.
AND SO WE HAD SOME, UM, OF OUR STATIONS THAT WERE IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT HAD POWER OUT FOR A REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DEFINITELY ASKING THE COUNTY TO ADDRESS.
UM, I THINK, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT, UM, TO GO ALONG WITH WHAT BOB WAS SAYING ABOUT THE INCREASE IN SEVERITY OF, UM, WINTER EVENTS AND ALSO LIKELY WE'LL SEE A LOT MORE SUMMER EVENTS, JUST EXTREME HEAT, UM, AND WILDFIRES IS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT, UM, REALLY NEEDS TO ADDRESS OUR LACK OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
UM, WE SHOULD HAVE, WE HAVE AN AMBU, WHICH CAN TAKE A LOT OF PATIENCE, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE A VEHICLE SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, THESE TYPE OF EXTREME EMERGENCIES, UM, THAT CAN HANDLE A WHOLE RANGE OF ISSUES, UM, FROM UH, MASS SHOOTINGS TO WINTER EVENTS TO SUMMER EVENTS.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE PROVIDING REHAB FOR FIREFIGHTERS, UM, AND ALSO, UH, DOING OUR OWN E EMS OUT THERE.
UM, AND THE LAST THING I JUST WANNA ADD IS THAT ORIGINALLY THIS TOPIC WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS AND THE, UM, AND EXPANDING THEM AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED THE RESOLUTION BEFORE THIS MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, E EVEN THOUGH THAT RESOLUTION HAS PASSED, I I STILL JUST WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE THAT, UM, THE WHOLE POINT ORIGINALLY IS JUST TO TALK ABOUT HOW INACCESSIBLE THOSE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS ARE, ESPECIALLY FOR EMS. UM, IT MADE IT REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO TAKE PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO, UM, THE DIFFERENT SHELTERS BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS NARROW REGISTRATION WINDOW OF TWO HOURS DOWNTOWN.
WE WERE TRYING TO FUNNEL PEOPLE THERE, BUT IT WASN'T REALLY CLEAR, UM, TO A LOT OF OUR FUEL FOLKS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AFTER 8:00 PM UM, COULD WE GO DIRECTLY TO ONE OF THE SHELTERS THAT WE KNEW ABOUT? AND SO, UM, WE REALLY HAVE BEEN CALLING ON THE CITY TO ALLOW REGISTRATION
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DIRECTLY AT ALL THE DIFFERENT SHELTERS.UM, AND ALSO, UM, INCREASE THE THRESHOLD SO THAT, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S LOWER FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTERS.
UM, AND ALSO OPEN THEM DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN IT GETS ABOVE A HUNDRED DEGREES.
SO, UM, WE, WE THINK IT'S PRETTY EASY ABOVE A HUNDRED, BELOW 34.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW IT'S BELOW 32.
UM, OR IF THESE OTHER CONDITIONS ARE MET.
CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? SO DO THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS NOT KNOW WHAT THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER LOCATIONS ARE GOING TO BE IN ADVANCE OF THE REGISTRATION PERIOD? LIKE WHEN THEY'RE ASSIGNED FOR THE DAY? LIKE, CUZ I KNOW THE GENERAL PUBLIC DOESN'T NECESSARILY KNOW UNTIL THEY REGISTER AND THEN THEY GET TOLD.
BUT DO YOU GUYS KNOW IN ADVANCE WHAT THOSE LOCATIONS ARE GONNA BE FOR THE DAY? I MEAN, THEY DON'T SEND OUT THOSE LOCATIONS TO THE FIELD, BUT IF, IF, IF, IF AN AMBULANCE, UM, RECOGNIZES THAT IT'S SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS TO GO TO ONE, THEN THEY WOULD COORDINATE, UM, THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATION CENTER WHO THEN CAN COORDINATE THROUGH THE E O C AND GET PEOPLE ROUTED.
SO THE FIELD FOLKS DON'T DIRECTLY HAVE ACCESS, BUT WE CAN GO THROUGH OUR CHANNELS AND GET THAT, BUT IT IS PRETTY CUMBERSOME.
COULD I ADD TO THAT REALLY QUICKLY PLEASE? SURE.
AND AND REALLY THE SAME THING SELENA SAID, BUT YOU KNOW, WE OPENED A SHELTER JUST FOR TWO DAYS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, CUZ REMEMBER IT WAS HIGH WIND, HIGH RAIN, REMEMBER IT WAS LIKE 70 DEGREES AND IT DROPPED 40 DEGREES IN A COUPLE HOURS.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE OPENED IT AND I LEARNED A LOT DURING THAT TIME.
A LOT OF THE THINGS LENA'S SAYING AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT VERY CUSTOM ORIENTED THE WAY WE DO IT.
SO IF A PERSON THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE GOOD MOBILITY AND THEY HAVE ALL THESE BELONGINGS WITH THEM, HAVE TO GO DOWN TO AND REGISTER AT THE ONE TEXAS CENTER FOR A TWO HOUR WINDOW, BUT IT GETS WORSE.
SO THEN THEY TAKE 'EM AND THEY PUT 'EM TO THIS PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
AND THEN THE NEXT MORNING THEY MAKE 'EM LEAVE, RIGHT? AND THEN THEY GOTTA GO BACK TO ONE TEXAS CENTER TO REREGISTER TO GO AGAIN.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SINCE YOU'RE ALREADY ADVERTISING WARMING CENTERS, WARMING SHELTERS DURING THE DAY, YOU COULD REGISTER THERE, PICK 'EM UP THERE AND, AND GIVE 'EM AN ARMBAND THE NEXT DAY.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A STAKEHOLDER GROUP, WHICH WHAT THE, WHAT THE RESOLUTION CONTEMPLATES, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT, NOT VERY GOOD.
IT'S PROBABLY REALLY LOGISTICALLY FEASIBLE FOR THE PEOPLE RUNNING IT.
BUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE, I LOOK AT IT AS CUSTOMERS, IT'S, IT'S REALLY POOR.
UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S MY COMMENT.
AND IN ADDITION, UM, THE FACT THAT THEY ONLY ANNOUNCED IT THE DAY OF, AND SO THE RESOLUTION ASKED THEM TO ANNOUNCE IT A FEW DAYS BEFORE.
I MEAN, THERE'S TIMES WHERE WE CAN'T PREDICT WHAT THE WEATHER'S GOING TO BE, AND SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT THEY NEED TO OPEN IT THE DAY OF.
BUT, UM, WHEN DURING, I THINK IN MID-JANUARY WE HAD KNOWN FOR WEEKS THAT, UM, THAT THE TEMPERATURE IS GONNA BE LIKE 17 DEGREES AND EVEN IF IT HAD BEEN 10 DEGREES HIGHER THAN THAT AT 27 DEGREES, IT STILL WOULD'VE BEEN OPEN.
SO WHY WE DIDN'T LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE HAPPENING, UM, REALLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT ATX LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ALREADY HAD A WORK GROUP.
THEY HAVE ALL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS LAID OUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
WE CAN JUST IMPLEMENT WHAT THEY SUGGEST.
WE'RE JUST EMPHASIZING THERE'S A NEED.
AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO, TO HELP SOLVE IT.
UM, YOU, YEAH, IF YOU GUYS WANNA STAY ON HAND IN CASE WE HAVE QUESTIONS, WOULD THAT BE OKAY? YEAH, SURE.
HEY, I'M JUST PULING I'D BE CURIOUS IF ANYBODY HAS SOME HISTORY ON THIS, YOU KNOW, BEING, BEING NEW TO THE COMMISSION, BUT OBVIOUSLY HAVING OBSERVED THIS OFFICER FOR A WHILE, I MEAN, WHAT'S THE LOGIC MODEL FOR NOT DOING SOMETHING MORE CUSTOMER OR IN CUSTOMER SERVICE LOCATED ONLY HAVING A TWO HOUR WINDOW? WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD IS THAT, UM, THEY WANT TO HAVE THE CENTRALIZED LOCATION TO PROHIBIT, UM, UH, OVER OVERFLOW AT THE, AT THE SHELTERS.
UM, THAT'S THE BEST ANSWER I'VE GOT.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THOUGH BECAUSE WE ALREADY SEND ALL THESE CAT METRO BUSES TO ONE LOCATION AND SHUTTLE EVERYBODY OUT.
AND SO IF WE FIND OUT THAT ONE SHELTER IS FULL, WE CAN JUST SEND ONE BUS OVER.