[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING, UM, FOR MAY.UM, WE ARE OFFICIALLY CALLING IT TO ORDER.
I'LL DO A ROLL CALL FOR EVERYONE.
COMMISSIONER SIERRA AVALO IS NOT GONNA BE JOINING US TODAY.
AND COMMISSIONER PENA WAS ON HER WAY, BUT NOT HERE, SO I'M ASSUMING SHE'LL JOIN US LATE.
SHE DID SAY SHE WOULD BE HERE.
SO SHE'S NOT WITH US YET THOUGH.
UM, WITH THAT, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYONE A HEADS UP THAT THE AGENDA IS GONNA BE A BIT OUT OF ORDER.
UM, I'M GONNA WORK ON, WE'RE GONNA WORK AROUND SOME AVAILABILITY AND SOME SCHEDULING SO THAT WE CAN GET TO EVERYBODY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE BODIES THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN THE ROOM.
UM, SO, UM, FIRST THINGS FIRST, I THINK, DO WE HAVE ANY GENERAL COMMUNICATION BESIDES THE AGENDA? ITEM NUMBER FIVE? NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYONE ELSE.
SO IF IT'S NOT ON THAT LIST IN FRONT OF YOU, OKAY.
WE'LL TAKE THESE TWO SPEAKERS ALONG WITH ITEM FIVE WHEN THAT COMES UP, AND THEN WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO
[1. Approve the minutes of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING on April 3, 2023.]
THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UM, DID EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES? MM-HMM.
AND, UM, ALSO A QUICK THING ABOUT THE MINUTES.
I KNOW THAT, UM, SOME OF US HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE HABIT OF ABSTAINING, UM, WHEN WE WEREN'T PRESENT FOR THE MEETING BEFORE.
REALLY WHAT WE'RE VOTING, I CHECKED IN WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND OUR MINUTES NEED TO GET POSTED, AND IN ORDER FOR OUR MINUTES TO GET POSTED, WE NEED SIX VOTES,
AND SO WHEN PEOPLE ABSTAIN AND WE END UP MINUS, MINUS VOTES, OUR MINUTES DON'T GET POSTED TO THE SITE.
AND SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE DO, IT'S, IT'S REALLY AN ADMINISTRATIVE THING.
IT REALLY IS JUST ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE MINUTES FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE WEREN'T HERE PREVIOUSLY, BUT IF I WOULD, I WOULD APPRECIATE HELP GETTING THESE APPROVED SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY GET THEM POSTED.
UM, WITH THAT, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CHANGES OR OBJECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? NOPE.
THEN I JUST GOTTA DO A ROLL CALL THOUGH, RIGHT? SO I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL FOR THEM.
UM, WE WILL START WITH COMMISSIONER NUEN.
COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN APPROVED.
UM, WELL, SINCE I WASN'T CALLED DURING THE ROLL CALL, I AM HERE.
AND I, AND THEN I WILL ALSO APPROVE, COMMISSIONER KOFF IS HERE.
COMMISSIONER KOFF IS HERE, AND I'M ACTUALLY VERY HAPPY THAT HE IS HERE TODAY.
I'M MAKING SURE THAT HE'S ON THE LIST.
[5. Austin License Plate Reader Program]
WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE STUFF AROUND A LITTLE BIT.WE ARE ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE THE AUSTIN LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM DISCUSSION TO THE TOP OF THE AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE THAT CAN'T BE HERE LATER IN AND OUT.
UM, SO IF WE COULD HAVE, UM, UM, I BELIEVE JEFF GREENWALT, IF HE'S HERE, OR WHOEVER'S COMING FROM A P D TO JOIN OUR DISCUSSION.
UM, COMMISSIONER NEK PITTS IS ONLINE AND HE'S JOINING US FROM THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION COMMISSION.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, CHRIS HARRIS AND SARAH RODRIGUEZ JOINING US FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SO IF WE CAN JUST HAVE EVERYBODY COME ON UP, WE CAN GET STARTED.
AND, UM, MS. RODRIGUEZ AND MR. HARRIS, UM, YOU EACH HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR REMARKS, AND IF YOU COULD JUST STAY AT THE TABLE IN CASE THERE ARE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS WHILE WE HAVE OUR DISCUSSION, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND I SEE THAT COMMISSIONER PENYA HAS ARRIVED, SO SHE'S JOINING US AS WELL.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE A COUPLE OF CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT POLICY.
UM, ONE BEING SORT OF THE VAGUE LANGUAGE FOR THE HOT LIST, UM, ALLOWING FOR
[00:05:01]
PRETTY MUCH A MULTITUDE OF OFFENSES.UM, IT'S VERY VAGUE AND I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE CUT DOWN TO SPECIFIC OFFENSES AND CAN BE UPDATED TO ADD OFFENSES AS NEEDED, OR REMOVE OFFENSES AS NEEDED.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S, I THINK, REALLY ALMOST ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE LISTED AS NON PROHIBITIVE USE, UM, ARE LISTED ON THERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY WIDE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL OFFENSES THAT COULD FALL UNDER THAT.
UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER POLICY ON THE USE OF DATA PROVIDED THAT WE'RE NOT CAPTURING AS A CITY, BUT THAT'S PER, UH, CAPTURED BY THE, UM, PRIVATE COMPANY OR OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT ON HOW THAT IS REVIEWED AND WHAT IS TAKEN.
UM, THAT'S REALLY VERY, VERY LIMITED.
THERE'S NOT MUCH LANGUAGE AND POLICY AROUND THAT.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO NO LANGUAGE ABOUT AUDITING HOW LONG THE DATA IS KEPT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT CAN BE A CONCERN JUST GIVEN HOW MUCH DATA IS COLLECTED, UM, AND WHAT WE KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THINGS LIKE BLUE LEAKS WHERE DATA HAS BEEN KEPT FOR A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME, MUCH LONGER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, UM, IF AT ALL.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, LANGUAGE ON 34, 4 0.32 B, UM, ITEM OR ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS ALSO VAGUE WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT DECIDING WHERE ALPR SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S LEFT UP TO THE DISCRETION OF A COUPLE PEOPLE AND POLICE, WHICH IS A CONCERN, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOOKING AT IT FROM AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
AND ALSO GIVEN SORT OF THE, UM, INEQUITABLE, UM, PLANNING THAT HAS HAPPENED, THAT HAS RESULTED IN A LOT OF MAJOR ARTERIALS BEING IN EAST AUSTIN.
UM, SO TAKING THINGS LIKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, YEAH, THOSE ARE MY MAIN, MAIN ISSUE, MY MAIN CONCERNS.
UM, SO I CAN HAND IT OVER TO YOU, CHRIS.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSION.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN SEPTEMBER, WHEN THIS ITEM, UH, WAS UP BEFORE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF BRINGING BACK THIS CONTRACT? SO, UH, JUST A LITTLE HISTORY, THE CONTRACT WITH 400, YOU KNOW, 13, I BELIEVE THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS, UH, WAS CANCELED, UH, AS PART OF THE BUDGET, UH, FOR F Y 21.
UH, IT WAS BROUGHT IT BACK, UH, IN, IN THE, I THINK, FOURTH COUNCIL MEETING DURING WHICH THEY DELIBERATED THE TOPIC, UH, LAST SEPTEMBER.
UH, THEY'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT ACTUALLY AWARDING THAT CONTRACT AFTER, YOU KNOW, THERE BEING A COMMUNITY-LED PROCESS AS WELL AS, UH, CHANGE TO THE POLICY, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, REALLY THIS BEING IMPLEMENTED AS A PILOT PROGRAM SUCH THAT WE COULD, UH, DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF THE LICENSE PLATE READERS, AS WELL AS, UH, MITIGATE ANY UNINTENDED HARMS THAT MIGHT COME FROM THE PROGRAM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR PART, PART, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE, WE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH BRINGING BACK THE PROGRAM TO START.
AND, AND WHAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE AS IT RELATES TO ANY PILOT PROGRAM IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OBVIOUSLY THAT THE POLICY ADHERED TO THE COUNCIL POLICY THAT WAS PUT FORWARD IN SEPTEMBER, WHICH INCLUDED, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS AROUND DATA RETENTION IN PARTICULAR.
AND FOR WHICH IT DOESN'T SEEM AS THOUGH THE CURRENT POLICY, UH, ULTIMATELY IS, IS ENSURING THAT THOSE, THAT THAT DATA RETENTION, UH, THOSE, THOSE METRICS ARE, ARE BEING MET.
AND THAT, THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC WAY THAT THAT'S BEING REPORTED BACK TO.
AND THEN SECONDARILY, THAT, UM, THAT THE O P O RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WE HAVE NOT SEEN PUBLICLY, BUT WHAT, BUT THAT WE UNDERSTAND WERE DEVELOPED, UH, ARE INCORPORATED, UH, INTO THE POLICY, UH, THAT'S PUT FORWARD FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
SO, UH, WE'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE THE OPO RECOMMENDATIONS PUBLIC.
WE'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE THAT ALL OF THE OPO RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INCORPORATED INTO IT.
UM, AND THEN THIRDLY, I'LL JUST SAY I WAS, UH, I PARTICIPATED IN THE ETHICS BOARD FOR THE AXON CORPORATION FOR A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS, UH, AXON, UH, BEING ONE OF THEM PRIMARY PROVIDERS OF, UH, NOT JUST BODY CAMERAS, BUT ALSO, UH, NOW AOP, PARTICULARLY FLEA AOPS.
UH, DURING THAT TIME, UH, UH, WITH THAT, THEY WERE DEVELOPING THIS TECHNOLOGY, UH, AS WE DID WITH ALL THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THEY DEVELOPED.
WE WROTE A REPORT WITH A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS AS IT RELATES TO THE USE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF ALPS, BOTH FROM THE POLICE SIDE AND THE CITY SIDE, AS WELL AS FROM THE VENDOR SIDE.
AND, UM, AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, THERE'S JUST A LOT LACKING THERE, UH, WITH THE CURRENT POLICY THAT'S PUT FORWARD, UH, VERSUS WHAT WE DID.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE VERY MUCH RECOMMENDED THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE IMMIGRATION RELATED ALERTS NOT BE UTILIZED, UH, BECAUSE I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A VERY LARGE UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITY HERE, AND EVERY LICENSE PLATE ASSOCIATED WITH A FEDERAL, UH, IMMIGRATION CASE, UH, THAT'S
[00:10:01]
TICKING OFF YOUR HEIGHT LIST AND, AND ALERTING OFFICERS TO PULL PEOPLE OVER.UH, THERE'S ALSO ALL CLASS A MISDEMEANORS ARE CURRENTLY POSITIVE TO TRIGGER HOT LIST ALERTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS INCLUDES THINGS THAT ARE CITATION ELIGIBLE, UH, WHICH ARE AGAIN, PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT NOT BE INCLUDED IN HOT LIST ALERTS.
SO, AGAIN, THERE'S JUST A LOT HERE WANTING, UH, WITH THIS POLICY, WE UNDERSTAND THIS IS COMING BACK.
I'LL WRAP UP MY COMMENTS, BUT, UH, WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE GREATER CARE TAKEN AND ENSURE THAT THE OPO RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PUBLIC AND INCORPORATED.
UM, I THINK WITH THAT, UM, MR. DESAI, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HERE TO JOIN US, AND IS THERE ANYONE FROM A P D OR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO JOIN US FOR THE CONVERSATION, JUST SO THAT WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE THE LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM IS, AND, UM, JUST KIND OF GIVE US AN UPDATE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
AND, UM, YEAH, WE HAVE ANOTHER SEAT HERE IF YOU GUYS WANNA CHECK.
SO, YEAH, I THINK IT, UH, JUST TO START OFF, WE'D JUST LIKE TO KIND OF HEAR WHERE THAT, SO THAT EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION UNDERSTANDS, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW MEMBERS, UM, JUST WHERE, WHERE WE ARE WITH THE AUSTIN, WITH THE LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM.
UM, IF YOU GUYS COULD JUST KIND OF GIVE US A BRIEFING ON WHERE WE ARE, WHERE IT IS IN THE PROCESS, AND WHAT COMES NEXT.
SO THAT, I THINK, TAKE IT FROM THERE.
WHAT'S GONNA, WHAT NEXT IS COMING IS THE, UH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, CHIEF OR DEVIN, UH, Y'ALL COMMITTED OR SOMEBODY COMMITTED TO AT LEAST A COUPLE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, INPUT SESSIONS TO GET FEEDBACK ON THE POLICY.
UH, I THINK YOU HAVE ONE SCHEDULED, UH, IN THE COMING WEEKS, BUT WE HAD, WE'VE HAD TWO, ONE OF 'EM KIND OF GOT HIJACKED AND DIDN'T REALLY OCCUR, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SECOND ONE.
UH, THE POLICY, UH, WILL GO BEFORE COUNCIL, AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE MAY 18TH MEETING, UH, ASSUMING EVERYTHING IS VETTED BY THAT TIME.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE ON IT, UNLESS YOU KNOW MORE.
AND, AND DEVIN, I CAN'T RESPEAK TO THE WHAT, UH, CHRIS WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH, UH, WITH YOUR INPUT.
I THINK YOU'VE VETTED THE POLICY THAT CHIEF GREEN WALT, UH, HAS DRAFTED, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS JOE CHUCK ON, I'M THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
I KNOW, UM, I'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF THIS COMMISSION SEVERAL TIMES.
UH, I'M PLEASED TO MEET THE, THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
AND SOME OF YOU, I HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH YOU YET, BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND FOR HAVING THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE EACH WEEK.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA BE VERY DIRECT AND LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT, UM, I DID NOT COME PREPARED TODAY TO TALK ABOUT LPRS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S ON THE AGENDA RELATED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I WANTED TO BE HERE TODAY TO KIND OF, UM, EXPLAIN, UM, OR I THINK THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THIS COMMISSION HAS BROKEN DOWN, UM, AND HOW, UH, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN HERE HAVE NOT JUST BEEN CONTENTIOUS, BUT INAPPROPRIATE, UH, TOWARDS EITHER POLICE EMPLOYEES, UH, TOWARDS, UH, POLICE STAFF, UH, BOTH SWORN IN CIVILIAN AND AT TIMES, UM, SOME OF, EVEN SOME OF THE VENDORS THAT ARE WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, THAT, UH, THAT THEY'VE HAD TO, THEY'VE HAD TO KIND OF ENDURE.
UH, AND, AND I TOLD MY STAFF AFTER LAST MONTH'S MEETING THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ATTENDING THIS MEETING, UM, THAT I WANTED TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE NEW CHAIR OF THE, UM, OF THE COMMISSION.
THAT, THAT MEETING HAPPENED LAST WEEK.
I THINK IT WAS A GOOD MEETING.
UH, I SAT DOWN, UH, MYSELF AND, AND ACM MILLS, UM, WITH THE CHAIR, AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN FIND A GOOD NEW PATH FORWARD.
UM, BUT I, AFTER SEVERAL OF THE LAST MEETINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN, IN WHICH I'VE SEEN, UH, STAFF TREATED EXTREMELY POORLY, UM, AND, AND, UM, I, I DON'T WANNA LIVE IN THE PAST.
I REALLY WANNA MOVE FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UNDERSTANDING THAT I DON'T WANNA PUT MY EMPLOYEES INTO AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING ATTACKED.
UM, I WAS NOT GOING TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN ANY LONGER.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, IF IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REMOVE MY STAFF FROM THE MEETING.
UM, I JUST THINK THAT THAT IS, THAT IS FAIR IN THE END.
UH, IF, IF MY STAFF WERE, UH, SPEAKING TO COMMISSIONERS
[00:15:01]
OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE MANNER THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SPOKEN TO, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WOULD BE, UH, AN INVESTIGATION AND POTENTIAL DISCIPLINARY ACTION THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE LOOKED AT.AND I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR THAT THEY ARE TREATED IN THE SAME MANNER.
UH, IF NOTHING ELSE, WITH CIVILITY, IF NOT RESPECT IN THIS ROOM, I THINK IS, IS NOT ASKING TOO MUCH.
SO, LIKE I SAID, I, I CAME INTO THE SPACE, UM, REALLY HOPEFUL WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE NEW CHAIR, UH, HAD A GOOD MEETING, LAST MEETING THAT, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, LAST WEEK, THAT I THINK IS GOING TO HOPEFULLY MOVE US INTO A BETTER SPACE MOVING FORWARD.
FULLY INTEND TO BE HERE NEXT MONTH AND BE READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO LPRS OR ANY OTHER POLICE RELATED ITEM.
BUT, UM, BUT THAT IS, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
SO I'M CERTAINLY WILLING TO A ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT.
UM, BUT I AM NOT HERE PREPARED.
I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK ON LPR OR ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER ITEM.
IF I COULD, UH, DO YOU KNOW WHEN, WHEN IS THE PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED? OR IS IT SCHEDULED YET? JOE? OH, I, I, I, SORRY.
I KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON ANOTHER MEETING.
SO THE REASON I'M ASKING, I DON'T, I THINK IT'S REALLY PREMATURE TODAY TO HAVE ANY IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ON A, ON A POLICY THAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN VETTED COMPLETELY BY US TO, AND I'M HAPPY TO VET IT ONCE IT'S OUT THERE.
I'D LIKE TO GET MORE PUBLIC INPUT IF IT'S, IF, IF WE GET IT, UM, TO, AND THEN TO ADD TO CHIEF CHA'S POINTS, WE DID HAVE A GREAT MEET MR. MAYOR'S FRIDAY.
I THINK IT WAS, SEEMED LIKE IT WAS LAST WEEK.
UM, AND AGAIN, TO THIS IS, I'VE BEEN TO THIS COMMISSION MANY YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S BEEN MANY YEARS AGO.
UH, RESPECT TO COMMISSION, UH, YOUR, YOUR PURPOSE, UH, IS, IS COMPLETELY LEGITIMATE.
WE NEED, IT'S WHY I'VE INTRODUCED MYSELF TO A COUPLE OF YOU.
I THINK YOU SAID YOU JUST GOT ON THE COMMISSION.
I'VE SERVED ON COMMISSIONS AS WELL.
THEY NEED, BUT THE RESPECT HAS TO BE BOTH, BOTH WAYS.
AND IT'S GOTTA BE TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA PARTICIPATE, WE, YOU AND US PARTICIPATE, WE HAVE TO PARTICIPATE, AND IT HAS TO BE A RESPECTFUL, UH, DIALOGUE.
UH, WE WELCOME IT, WELCOME IT FOR THE PART FOR THE, UH, INPUT ON L P R POLICY OR ANY OTHER POLICY WE'RE GONNA BE TAKEN FORWARD.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS TIME WE'RE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT PREMATURE FOR THIS MEETING, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO HAVE THAT, HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, WE DID HAVE A PRODUCTIVE MEETING ON FRIDAY, AND I DID FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, AND I EXPRESSED THAT I WAS READY FOR US TO RESET BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE.
I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT I'M LEARNING RIGHT NOW,
SO I AM, I AM A LITTLE DIS I'M, I'M, I'M BE FRANK.
I'M A LITTLE DIS I KNOW YOU SAID THAT YOU GUYS HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT.
UM, AND WHEN I SAW YOU, I, I ASSUME THAT THAT MEANT THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME DISCUSSION TODAY.
SO I AM DISAPPOINTED, UM, THAT I'M FINDING OUT RIGHT THE SECOND, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF A LIVE MEETING THAT YOU GUYS AREN'T GOING TO BE PARTICIPATING IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH REGARDS TO A L P R SPECIFICALLY, IF THIS IS COMING BEFORE, UM, COUNSEL ON MAY 18TH, UM, THAT'S, WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER MEETING TILL, UM, JUNE.
AND SO I'M JUST GONNA PUT IT OUT ON THE TABLE THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO CALL FOR A SPECIAL MEETING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY HERE.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH REGARDS TO A L P R IS IF WE COULD JUST GO AHEAD AND HAVE EVERYBODY ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE.
UM, AND IF WE COULD DO SOME SOLID NOTE TAKINGS SO THAT WE CAN TAKE IT UP AS OLD BUSINESS AT OUR NEXT SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, WHICH WE WILL, I'M GIVING A HEADS UP THAT YOU WILL ALL BE GETTING A NOTICE, UM, ABOUT A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE THE MAY 18TH VOTE THAT IS VERY SOON.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AGENDA ITEM.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS, THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THE FIRST QUESTION AND THEN I'LL SEED THE FLOOR.
I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF QUESTIONS, UM, INCLUDING FROM CHAIRMAN PITTS, I HOPE.
UM, SO THAT, UM, EVERYBODY HAS A TURN.
IF EVERYBODY COULD JUST GIVE US ONE QUESTION, AND WE'LL JUST MAKE ROUNDS AROUND EVERYBODY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
MY FIRST QUESTION WAS SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARDS TO THE O P O.
I KNOW THAT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF SESSIONS THAT WERE DONE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND JUST, UM, JUST ECHOING WHAT MR. HARRIS SAID, JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHERE THAT FEEDBACK IS, HOW IT'S BEING INCORPORATED, WHETHER THERE'S A REPORT THAT WE CAN SEE, UM, AND WHERE THAT INFORMATION LIVES.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER PENA? YES.
[00:20:01]
THERE YOU GO.UM, I WAS WONDERING FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT MAY HAVE, I GUESS, UM, A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR, ARE THEY ABLE TO GO AND, AND DO LIKE A WALKTHROUGH? WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR THEM TO TAKE CARE OF THAT? AND ARE YOU GUYS INTENDING ON, ON TAKING THOSE RESIDENTS TO JAIL? UM, FOR TRAFFIC TICKETS? UM, I JUST WANT THEM TO HAVE THEIR BEST OPTIONS BEFORE THAT STARTS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THE SCREEN, UM, THAT I USUALLY HAVE ON RIGHT HERE, SO THAT I CAN SEE EVERYBODY THAT'S ONLINE.
AND THE INVITATION THAT WAS PROCEEDED, UH, FROM VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.
UH, I, I RECOGNIZE, UH, THAT THIS IS HAVING WHAT'S GONNA BE DISCUSSED AND, AND TAKEN UP AND DISCUSS CALLED MEETING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT FUTURE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UH, AND THEY'RE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE MEMO, UH, WHICH WAS DRAFTED BY, UH, CHIEF CHAPON.
SO, UH, I DON'T WANNA PUT THE CHIEF ON THE SPOT, BUT I APPRECIATE HIS PRESENCE, UH, THERE TODAY.
AND, AND CERTAINLY, UH, TAKE TO HEART, UH, YOUR, UH, YOUR STATEMENTS ABOUT THE QUORUM AND, AND HAVE A FULL APPRECIATION FOR THAT, AND I'M SURE EVERYONE DOES WITH ROOM, UH, THERE AT THE COMMISSION.
UH, WITH REGARDS TO MY QUESTIONS, UH, LOOKING AT THE MEMO ITSELF, I WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT I, I SHARED THE FACT THAT THIS PROGRAM WAS COMING BACK IN A PILOT FORMAT, UH, WITH A GROUP OF RESIDENTS, UH, THAT ATTENDED A TOWN HALL AT THEE, UH, BRANCH LIBRARY THIS PAST SATURDAY THAT I HOSTED.
UH, THE, THE TOWN HALL ITSELF WAS FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, REALLY TO GET PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES, GOOD OR BAD, WITH THE INTERNET TECHNOLOGY, ACCESS TO DEVICES, UH, TRAINING AND OTHER THINGS RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT THAT, OF COURSE, INCLUDES TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
AND WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERFACE WITH THE PUBLIC, I THOUGHT I'D BE REMISS, UH, IF I DIDN'T SHARE THAT MS. POLL WAS COMING BACK.
UH, I, I MADE A POINT TO QUOTE THE MEMO AT DIFFERENT POINTS, UH, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE ANY KIND OF ALARM OR CONCERN FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS, UH, JUST SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT AND THAT WE NEEDED TO GET THE FEEDBACK ABOUT.
UH, I DIDN'T SHARE MY OPINIONS ON, ON THE PROGRAM AT ALL.
UH, BUT IN READING THE MEMO ITSELF, UH, A COUPLE THINGS CAME TO MIND.
UH, AND IT TURNED OUT THROUGH WERE ECHOED IN THE ROOM, UH, BY THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT LOCATIONS OF THE, UH, THE ACTUAL, UH, READERS THEMSELVES.
UH, THERE WAS CONCERNS, UH, AS WAS STATED EARLIER BY, UH, THE JUSTICE COALITION.
UH, THERE WAS CONCERNS, UH, ABOUT DATA, UH, AS WELL AS THE, THE REPRESENTATIVE WHO SPOKE FIRST.
UH, THERE WAS CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, EQUITY, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, AND, AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN IN TERMS OF APPLICATION, UH, PERHAPS TO DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
I MADE SURE TO QUOTE, UH, HOW IN THE MEMO, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, THERE WAS A STATEMENT ADDRESSING HOW NO PERSON WOULD BE SUBJECT TO POLICE ACTION BECAUSE OF RACE, PRE SEX, GENDER, AND ON AS DESCRIBED.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY KNOW THAT, UH, HAVING SAID THAT, THEY RAISED, UH, LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ALSO ABOUT ALGORITHMS AND WHAT THAT COULD MEAN.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY, UH, TELLING THAT SOME WERE INFORMED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ALGORITHMS JUST FROM THE DAY-TO-DAY LIVES, UH, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO USE A PHONE AND THEN SEE ADS SO MUCH THAT FOCUS ON, ON THEM PERSONALLY, AND IMAGINE HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND THAT THEN BROUGHT IT TO HOME, UH, TO WHAT I THEN, UH, WAS CONCERNED ABOUT.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE HOT LIST IS, AND I APOLOGIZE IF, IF, UH, I JUST DIDN'T GET TO THAT YET IN THE MEMO.
UH, BUT ONE THING IN PARTICULAR, UH, THAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT WAS, UH, THE NEXUS.
UH, THERE WAS A DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE READERS THEMSELVES, UH, WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO, UH, REALLY TAKE ADVANCED MEASURES IF THERE WAS A CRIMINAL NEXUS.
UH, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT POINT, UH, ABOUT THE READER PROGRAM.
AND SO MY SPECIFIC QUESTION, I THINK, UH, OTHER THAN TO KNOW, UH, THAT THESE DATES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED FOR THE PUBLIC AND, AND, AND, AND WHEN
[00:25:01]
THOSE XR SO WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THEY PARTICIPATE, WE CAN DO OUR PART AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL TO ELEVATE THAT TOO, UH, FOR OUR COMMISSION.BUT REALLY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT, UH, SUPPOSED CRIMINAL NEXUS IS, UH, AND TO SPELL THAT OUT.
I, I DO APPRECIATE HOW, UH, WITH THE DIFFERENT ACTION ITEMS, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF THOUGHT PUT INTO, UH, ITERATIVENESS TO THE PROCESS, MAKING SURE, UH, THAT REVIEW, UH, UH, COMMITTEES ARE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND OR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AND OTHERS ARE INVOLVED TO MAKE THIS PROCESS ITERATIVE.
BUT, UH, JUST FOR MY CLARITY AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMMUNITY, ANY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT A CRIMINAL NEXUS IS THAT WOULD TAKE ACTION FROM THESE, UH, LICENSE PLATE READERS WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW TODAY.
UM, THAT CRIMINAL NEXUS QUESTION WAS VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE, UM, MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE IMMIGRATION ALERTS AND, UM, AND WHETHER, UM, THEY HAVE A CRIMINAL NEXUS.
UM, AND, UH, AND IF THEY DON'T, WHY THEY'RE GONNA BE HAPPENING.
UM, AND EVEN IF THEY DO, UM, IF THEY ARE RESPONDING TO IMMIGRATION CRIMES THAT ARE EXCLUSIVELY BORDER CROSSING CRIMES, AND BY THAT I MEAN MISDEMEANORS THAT ARE COMMITTED IN TERMS OF JUST ILLEGALLY ENTERING THE UNITED STATES AND EVENTUALLY GETTING CHARGED, UM, UNDER THE FEDERAL STATUTE, THAT MAKES IT UNLAWFUL TO WALK ACROSS AN INTERNATIONAL BORDER WITHOUT BEING, UM, INSPECTED.
UM, I THINK THAT'S MY MAIN QUESTION.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A L P R? ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR MAY.
MY LAST QUESTION, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD, WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S GREAT LEARNINGS, UH, FROM RESEARCH AND LESSONS LEARNED IN THE APPLICATION OF, UH, FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE.
AND MY, MY ONE QUESTION RELATES TO THAT AND, UH, SOME THOUGHT LEADERS WE HAVE HERE ON THAT, UH, LOCALLY, UH, I SHARED THE MEMO, UH, WITH DR.
SHARON STROBER, WHO HAS BEEN KNOWN, UH, RENOWNED FOR HER RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC, UH, INTERNATIONALLY AND, UH, NATIONALLY.
UH, AND SO I, I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK IF, UH, WE COULD CONNECT, UH, WHOEVER NEEDS TO, UH, BE INFORMED OF HER INSIGHTS AND FROM THE SCHOLARSHIP OUT THERE ON THIS, UH, AFTER THE MEETING TO HELP.
UM, DID YOU HAVE SOME COMMISSIONER ROTEN? UM, THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM EVERYBODY.
AND, UM, AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS NEW TO THIS COMMISSION, I WAS NOT HERE, UH, LAST MONTH AND NEW TO UNDERSTANDING THIS ISSUE.
MY BACKGROUND IS MORE IN HEALTHCARE AND THE MEDICINE SIDE OF THINGS.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS TO, IN THE MEMO IN TERMS OF LAYING OUT DATA COLLECTION, THE PROCESSES AND WHAT, UM, WHAT THE METRICS ARE AND THAT THIS IS A PILOT PROCESS.
A WOULD BE LIKE, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO THINGS WHEN WE ARE REPORTING BACK.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, SORT OF WHAT THE UNDERLYING MOTIVATION IS FOR RE-IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS, WHAT THE GAINS ARE TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, CUZ OBVIOUSLY EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HAS A CERTAIN TRADE OFF OF, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL CIVIL LIBERTIES VERSUS PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND I THINK THE SECOND CONCERN, I THINK THE MEMO DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF LAYING OUT HOW WE WANT TO PROTECT WHAT OUR DATA IS, WHAT WE SHARE.
I'M CONCERNED WITH SOME OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE BROADER STATE, OUR ABILITY TO ACTUALLY CONTROL THAT HERE WITHIN AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING ON STATE LEVEL, UM, SURROUNDING THINGS THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY MAY NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO HAVE THIS DATA SHARED.
AND OUR ABILITY TO ACTUALLY RESTRICT WHAT THINGS ARE SHARED FOR, IF THOSE ARE INVESTIGATIONS THAT MAY NOT BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY VALUES, AND THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN PROTECT THAT GOING FORWARD AND WEIGHING THAT BENEFIT, UM, IS SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SEEING BACK ON MR. UH, COMMISSIONER.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M, I'M NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR ON THAT LAST QUESTION ON WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF DATA IS GATHERED, THAT WE WOULD MAKE A DECISION ABOUT IN THE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION, WHETHER IT WOULD BE SHARED, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE, THE MEMO, WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SHARE THIS DATA WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, FEDERAL OR STATE, FOR EXAMPLE, UNLESS THERE ARE ACTIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OR IMMEDIATE, UM, CONCERNS FOR A LOST PERSON OR A MISSING PERSON.
UM, I'M CONCERNED, LIKE IF WE LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE STATE POLICIES SURROUNDING, UH, ACCESS TO ABORTION CARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WHAT GETS DEFINED AS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
[00:30:01]
BY THE STATE MAY END UP BEING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE WANT HERE, ORDO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, COMMISSIONER NUEN, UH, SO THIS IS, UH, KIND OF MORE, UH, REGARDING, UM, WHAT THE PROTOCOLS ARE WHEN WE DO IDENTIFY, UM, THAT THERE'S A LICENSE PLATE WHERE IT MIGHT BE A STOLEN VEHICLE OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE THAT RES RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE, UM, UH, IS ELEVATED.
UM, CUZ FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF, OF RESEARCH OF THIS IN THE PAST, UM, THERE HAS BEEN SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, A VEHICLE, UM, MAY HAVE BEEN, UM, IDENTIFIED AS BEING STOLEN, BUT WAS NOT REPORTED AS NOW BEING FOUND.
UM, AND THERE HAS BEEN SITUATIONS WHERE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE, UH, POTENTIALLY RENTING A VEHICLE, UM, THAT HAD BEEN STOLEN IN THE PAST, UM, BUT WAS NEVER REPORTED AS FOUND, UM, HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY'VE, UM, HAD A, A POOR INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE.
UM, SO I, I WAS WONDERING WHERE THAT THOSE PROTOCOLS ARE, UH, UH, RESULT IN, LET'S SAY A STOLEN VEHICLE.
HOW IS THAT, HOW IS THAT HANDLED? UM, UH, BECAUSE I, I KNOW THAT IF I WANT TO RENT A VEHICLE, UM, UH, THE LAST THING I WOULD WANT, UH, IS FOR ME TO BE PULLED OVER AND FOR A GUN SPEED DRAWN AT ME.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, I, I KNOW WE HAD MENTIONED ABOUT, UH, FACIAL RECOGNITION, UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS MOSTLY FOR LICENSE RECOGNITION.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BEING CONSIDERED, UM, CUZ UH, I, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS, UH, A CAPABILITY OF THESE CAMERAS.
UM, BUT IF IT IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UH, UTILIZED IF, IF WE WERE GONNA IMPLEMENT THIS? COMMISSIONER PENA, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? IT'S UNRELATED.
UM, I ACTUALLY, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK IF THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD.
UM, NOT RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, WE WILL, UM, HAVE A FOLLOW UP MEETING TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.
I WANTED TO GO THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF GOING THROUGH THESE QUESTIONS AND ALSO TO RESPOND A BIT TO, UM, CHIEF CHACON.
WE HAVE BEEN HAVING MEETINGS, UM, AS YOU SAID, WE HAD A MEETING LAST FRIDAY, UM, WHERE WE TALKED SOME ABOUT DECORUM, BUT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT RESPONSIVENESS TO OUR QUESTIONS AS BEING ONE OF THE SORT OF UNDERLYING ISSUES THAT THE COMMISSION HAS THAT GOES IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
AND SO I FELT LIKE IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GO THROUGH OUR QUESTIONS.
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE ARE GONNA PUT SOME NEW PROCESSES IN PLACE, UM, AND SOME NEW PROCEDURES IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING, WHICH IS ONE OF THE ONLY POWERS THAT THIS COMMISSION ACTUALLY HAS, THE POWER THAT WE HAVE IS TO ASK QUESTIONS, UM, AND USE THOSE QUESTIONS TO FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN POSSIBLE FOR THE COUNCIL.
AND SO IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WE DO IS WE SIT HERE AND ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, I HOPE THAT WE'LL PUT SOME OF THESE NEW PROCESSES THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN PLACE, UM, AND THAT FOR THIS NEXT MEETING THAT WE HAVE, UM, PROBABLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, THAT WE CAN ADDRESS ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS HAD AND THAT WE CAN HAVE A MORE FULL DISCUSSION ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT SHOWED UP TODAY.
I'M SORRY THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING A MORE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION TODAY AND A MORE PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION BACK AND FORTH.
I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN JOIN US WHEN WE RESCHEDULE THIS ITEM.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THIS FOR NOW.
CAN I ASK YOU ONE, I JUST, I, UH, AN AGENDA QUESTION IF I COULD? YES.
UM, I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL THIS, AFTER SOMETIME TODAY THAT I WAS ON HERE FOR 9 1 1 3 1 1.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND POSTPONE THAT AS WELL.
IF, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, WHAT I WOULD OFFER, AND I THINK WE CAN, UH, DO IT, BUT HAVE CHIEF GASLIN OR SOMEONE FOR COMMUNICATIONS BE HERE WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
UH, I'M NOT FIRST NEAREST VERSED AS, UH, PEOPLE IN OUR COMMAND CENTER FOR THAT.
IF YOU'D LIKE THAT, JUST LET ME KNOW SO I CAN HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA.
AND I THINK CHAIR BERNHARDT HAD SOME COMMENTS AS WELL.
UM, SO, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS APPARENT TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME NEW MEMBERS, BUT, UM, THE DISCUSSION OF, UH, DECORUM FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS A REFERENCE TO ME.
UM, PROBABLY HISTORICALLY THERE WERE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS REFERRING TO.
BUT, UM, THOSE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION HAVE LEFT.
AND I AM THE ONLY SITTING MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A PROBLEM WITH, UM, IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT I SPEAK.
[00:35:01]
UM, AND, UH, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO US HAVING A MEETING WITH, UM, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, TO DISCUSS WHAT THE CITY'S RULES ABOUT DECORUM MEAN, UM, IN APPLICATION.UM, BECAUSE AS SOMEONE WHO HAS A LAW LICENSE, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT ACTIVE, UM, I'VE READ THAT RULE SEVERAL TIMES, UM, AND I'M REALLY NOT SURE I'M VIOLATING IT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
UM, I, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, IT, IT IS, IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME THAT IT'S DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC FOR A DEMOCRACY, UH, TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT WE BESTOW THE POWER UPON, UM, TO USE FORCE ON BEHALF OF THAT DEMOCRACY, THE PEOPLE WHO WE BESTOW THE POWER TO USE LETHAL FORCE ON BEHALF OF THAT DEMOCRACY, UM, USE THAT FORCE IN A WAY THAT IS ROUTINELY UNACCOUNTABLE.
AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION WHO IS A VOLUNTEER AND A CITIZEN OF AUSTIN, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT LIVING IN A DEMOCRACY, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A LITTLE UPSET WHEN I LEARN THAT IT IS QUITE LIKELY THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY THAT I'VE LIVED IN FOR OVER 20 YEARS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT I'VE WATCHED SHOOT UNARMED PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR 20 YEARS, UH, UNDER QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, CONTINUES TO SHOOT PEOPLE OF COLOR UNDER REMARKABLY QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THEN NOT TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT IT, UM, AND NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE SURVIVING FAMILY, UM, AND DO ALL SORTS OF UNPLEASANT THINGS IN RESPONSE TO THAT INCIDENT INSTEAD OF BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
I THINK THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL FLAW IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY, THE PEOPLE WHO OFFICIALLY GET TO SHOOT PEOPLE OR THE PEOPLE WHO UNOFFICIALLY SHOOT PEOPLE SHOULD BE UNACCOUNTABLE.
AND, UH, IF I RAISE MY VOICE SOMETIMES OR I GET A LITTLE ANGRY BECAUSE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT REFUSE TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS, OR I LEARN, UM, THAT YET ANOTHER, USUALLY YOUNG MAN OF COLOR IN AUSTIN HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF ALL OF HIS RIGHTS BY BEING MURDERED PROBABLY BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO KEEP US SAFE.
I'M GONNA LOSE MY TEMPER OCCASIONALLY, UM, BECAUSE I, I GUESS I'M NOT A CALM AND COOL ENOUGH COOKIE, UM, TO JUST SIT HERE AND BE OKAY.
UH, WITH THE 20 YEARS I'VE LIVED IN THIS CITY WATCHING MOSTLY YOUNG BLACK MEN GET SHOT IN QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LARGELY NOT CHANGE BEHAVIOR CHAIR.
IF I COULD, I'D JUST LIKE TO REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER AND WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN ON SET OF THIS MEETING WE'D LIKE FOR THIS TO BE PRODUCTIVE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I, I'M NOT GONNA RESPOND TO ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT OUR OFFICERS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST OR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT'S NOT FORUM FOR AGREED.
WE PLAN TO COME BACK AND BE PRODUCTIVE AS LONG AS IT'S SAYS A DECORUM IS SERVED.
CAN I HAVE ONE THING? UM, I HAVE A, OH, I'M SORRY.
I'M, I'M ACTUALLY, I, I AM GONNA ASK THAT EVERYBODY WAIT TO BE RECOGNIZED WHEN WE'RE, LIKE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TIGHTEN UP THE SHIP HERE A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO I AM GONNA ASK THAT EVERYBODY WAIT TO BE RECOGNIZED WHEN WE'RE TALKING.
UM, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER HALLMARK.
AND SO I AM GONNA ASK, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM, AND WE ARE TRYING TO WRAP THAT ITEM UP SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON.
IF ANY OF YOUR FOLLOWING COMMENTS ARE JERMAINE
BUT OTHERWISE, I WANNA, I WANNA CLOSE THIS SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE REST OF OUR AGENDA.
UM, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, EVERYONE HAS SAID THEIR PIECE WITH REGARDS AND, AND THE REASON WE, WE TOOK SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS IS BECAUSE CHIEF CHACON CAME TO THE TABLE AND TALKED ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER
[00:40:01]
WHICH, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT ISSUE HAS BEEN CLOSED.SO LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM, I THINK, DO WE HAVE ONE TRAILING QUESTION? YES.
UH, FIRST OFF, UH, FOR ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, THIS IS YOUR FIRST MEETING AS CHAIR, AS OPPOSED TO CALLING VICE CHAIR, UH, CHAIR RAMIREZ.
IN FACT, MORE SPECIFICALLY, YEAH.
CAN WE, UH, EVALUATE BASED UPON THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE DATA THROUGHPUT, UH, WHAT MADE IT FEASIBLE, PERHAPS FOR APPLICATIONS AT THOSE LOCATIONS? OKAY.
AND IF ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME TIME TO SUBMIT SOME QUESTIONS IN WRITING TO CHIEF TO CHIEF CHACON.
SO IF YOU GUYS CAN FORWARD THOSE TO ME.
I JUST WANNA KEEP THE AGENDA GOING.
SO WITH THAT, WE ARE DONE WITH THAT.
AND, UM, JUST LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND SCRAP THE NINE ONE ONE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER UPDATE, AND WE WILL MOVE THAT TO OUR SPECIAL CALLED MEETING THAT WE'LL HAVE BEFORE MAY 18TH.
UM, AND WITH THAT, IF WE CAN HAVE
[3. A Chief Medical Office Overview/Duties]
ITEM THREE, WHICH IS OUR CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICE, UM, IF EVERYONE CAN COME UP, DO THE FILING REPORT, WE'RE GONNA DO IT LAST.SO WE DON'T GET ANY RULES OF ORDER.
DO WE NEED TO VOTE TO TABLE THAT DISCUSSION ITEM FORMALLY SPEAKING? UM, YES.
ACTUALLY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE TO FORMALLY, UM, TABLE ITEM NUMBER FOUR FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT SECOND NOTE.
UM, AND THEN LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE COMMISSIONER, OR, YES.
AND I'M REALLY SORRY, COMMISSIONER KOFF, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NINE ONE ONE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
UM, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU GUYS HERE.
UM, AS WHEN I WAS TALKING TO YOU GUYS, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY STARTING SOME MORE RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS INTERACT WITH THE REST OF THE CITY, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP, AND YOU GUYS DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS.
YOU DON'T JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I, I THINK IT'S BEEN, UH, MAYBE SIX YEARS.
UH, I TALKED TO THE COMMISSION MAYBE MY FIRST WEEK THAT I WAS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I DON'T THINK I'VE BEEN BACK SINCE.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BACK HERE.
I'M THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BILL LEGO, UH, WHO'S MY CHIEF OF STAFF.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO A QUICK PRESENTATION TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO.
CAUSE I, I DON'T THINK IT'S CLEAR TO, TO MANY FOLKS.
UH, AND WE WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, THIS OFFICE WAS ORIGINALLY FORMED AS THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR BACK IN 2006.
UH, BACK THEN WE HAD A SINGLE MEDICAL DIRECTOR, SMALL STAFF.
IT WAS REALLY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE, THE CLINICAL FUNCTIONS, UH, OF THE, UH, EMS DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UH, WHO BOTH PROVIDED CLINICAL SERVICES THROUGH THE CITY IN FY 21, UH, THROUGH A COUNCIL INITIATIVE AND BUDGET AMENDMENT, IT WAS TRANSITIONED TO THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER.
AND THE, THE IDEA REALLY WAS TO ALIGN THE CLINICAL SERVICES OF THE CITY.
UH, SO REALLY ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING ABOUT THE CLINICAL MISSION.
WE SET SOME COMMON EXPECTATIONS, AND THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO SOLVE THE, THE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND OF, OF COURSE, IN ADDITION TO, TO MANY OTHER PARTNERS IN THE HEALTHCARE SPACE.
UH, SO JUST A FEW FACTS ABOUT HOW WE'RE ORGANIZED IN THE CITY.
WE ARE AN OFFICE WITHIN THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF, UH, MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
WE REPORT TO THE ACM FOR, UH, FOR SAFETY.
[00:45:01]
3.9 MILLION.AND I'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF OUR, OUR PERSONNEL IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND WE ARE LOCATED, UH, AT THE ED BLUESTEIN LOCATION.
SO ACROSS FROM, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS, UH, EMS IS THERE, APDS THERE.
IT'S A, IT'S A COMBINED EFFORT OVER AT, AT BLUESTEIN.
UH, SO A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE UNDER, UNDER TEXAS LAW.
UH, THE THINGS THAT, PARTS OF, OF THE LAW AND CODE THAT, UH, ARE INVOLVED, REALLY.
CHAPTER 7 73, CHAPTER 1 57, AND CHAPTER 1 97.
UM, SO REALLY, UH, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLINICAL, UH, CARE THAT'S PROVIDED IN THE EMS AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLINICALLY RE RELATED OPERATIONS.
THINGS LIKE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, CREDENTIALING OF OUR CLINICAL STAFF, UH, TO PROVIDE CARE AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, UH, ONLINE, OFFLINE, MEDICAL DIRECTION.
SO WE HAVE, UH, OUR DOCTORS WILL, UH, ANSWER PHONE CALLS WHEN THE MEDICS CALL TO ASK QUESTIONS OR, UH, YOU KNOW, NEED SOME ADVICE ABOUT, UH, CARING FOR A PATIENT.
AND WE ALSO PROVIDE OFFLINE MEDICAL DIRECTION THROUGH OUR CLINICAL GUIDELINES OR, OR PROTOCOLS, UH, THAT WE TRAIN OUR, OUR PARAMEDICS AND EMTS TO, TO OPERATE THROUGH.
AND WE'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR CLINICAL EDUCATION.
THIS IS A SMALL LIST OF THE 17 OR SO SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR, UH, UNDER TEXAS LAW.
UH, SO THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT TEXAS, AND THERE ARE MANY UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT TEXAS, BUT THE UNIQUE THING WHEN IT COMES TO EMS IS THIS DELEGATED PRACTICE.
SO IN EVERY OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY, EMS IS A FUNCTION OF THE GOVERNMENT, UH, OR THE ENTITY THAT'S PROVIDING IT.
BUT THERE IS NO AGENCY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND THE PERSON THAT'S PROVIDING CARE.
UM, IN TEXAS, THERE'S AN AGENCY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ME AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROVIDING CARE.
SO FOR US, AND THESE ARE ROUGH NUMBERS, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS EMS, ABOUT 650 FOLKS, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT 1,250.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT FOR, UH, THE DPS, UH, MEDICAL PROGRAM.
UH, SO WE HAVE AB ABOUT A HUNDRED, UH, SPECIAL AGENTS, UH, STATE TROOPERS AND TEXAS RANGERS WHO ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND EMTS, OR PARAMEDICS OR FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, THAT CAN PROVIDE CARE TO INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY, THAT THEY INTERACT WITH.
UH, SO ABOUT 2000 AGENTS, UH, UNDER, UH, UNDER OMO THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR, FOR CLINICAL OVERSIGHT FOR, UH, SO AGAIN, SINCE 2007, WE'VE, UH, EXPANDED OUR OPERATIONS, OBVIOUSLY WITH 2000 AGENTS.
UH, IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE, ONE DOCTOR TO PROVIDE THE OVERSIGHT.
UH, SO THESE ARE OUR FULL-TIME PHYSICIANS, UH, MYSELF, DR.
PICKETT IS MY CHIEF DEPUTY MEDICAL DIRECTOR, DR.
ABRAHAM REALLY FOCUSES ON OUR TELEHEALTH AND URGENT CARE COMPONENTS, UH, WHICH I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LATER.
CHO IS OUR EQUITY AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AGAIN, HE'S OUR NEWEST, UH, ADDITION AND CERTAINLY PROUD TO HAVE ALL OF THEM.
UH, WE HAVE A ADDITIONAL, UH, PHYSICIANS INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE THREE ASSOCIATE MEDICAL DIRECTORS WHO ARE PART-TIME.
THEY'LL TAKE CALL, SOMETIMES THEY'LL DO SOME EDUCATION QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AS WELL.
UH, SO WE STARTED EMS FELLOW, UH, FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WITH ASCENSION SEATON AND UT DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL, UH, TWO YEARS AGO NOW.
UH, SO WE HAVE A FULLY QUALIFIED EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN WHO'S COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING THAT DOES A ONE YEAR FELLOWSHIP TO LEARN EMS MEDICINE.
UH, SO SINCE 2013, EMS HAS BEEN A MEDICAL SUBSPECIALTY, UH, IN THE HOUSE OF MEDICINE IN THIS TRAINING, QUALIFIES THEM TO GO ON AND PRACTICE AS AN EMS PHYSICIAN.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, HAVE RECENTLY ADDED PAR, WHAT WE CALL PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONERS.
SO THESE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE PARAMEDICS AND THEIR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS OR NURSE PRACTITIONERS.
NOW, SO FAR, THEY'RE ALL, UH, PAS, UH, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE THOSE JOBS OPEN FOR, FOR NURSE PRACTITIONERS AS WELL.
UM, THEY ARE FULL-TIME CLINICAL WHERE OUR PHYSICIANS ARE PART CLINICAL PROVIDING, UH, CARE IN THE FIELD OR VIA TELEHEALTH.
THEY ARE 100% PROVIDING CARE IN THE FIELD OR VIA TELEHEALTH WITHOUT, UH, REAL ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THESE TWO, TWO COMPONENTS ARE NECESSARY.
SO, SOME BROAD STROKES ABOUT THE EMS SYSTEMS IN MOST CITIES, UH, IN THE UNITED STATES.
UH, THERE, THERE'S, GENERALLY SPEAKING, A COUPLE OF MAJOR OPTIONS.
UH, ONE IS TO SEND AN AMBULANCE.
ONE IS TO SEND AN AMBULANCE IN A FIRETRUCK, UH, AND PRIMARILY TRANSPORT PEOPLE FROM THE SCENE TO THE ER.
THE CHALLENGE IS, OF COURSE, THAT THESE ARE EXPENSIVE OPTIONS.
UH, SO THESE ARE SOME ROUGH, ROUGH
[00:50:01]
COSTS OF SERVICE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, TO PROVIDE THE AMBULANCE OR, OR A FIRE APPARATUS FOR A SINGLE CALL.AND THEN, OF COURSE, UH, THE AVERAGE ER BILL, AND THIS IS THIS, THAT IS A FEW YEARS OLD ON THE, THE ER BILL.
UH, BUT ABOUT $2,300 ON AVERAGE.
SO IT'S EXPENSIVE CARE, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE EXPENSIVE RESOURCES.
UH, THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DOES OUR COMMUNITY NEED? SOMETIMES WE NEED AN AMBULANCE AT A FIRETRUCK, AND SOMETIMES TWO AMBULANCES AT A FIRETRUCK AND A DOCTOR ON THE SCENE.
BUT THESE ARE MORE LIKE OUR, OUR ECHO CALLS THAT YOU SEE IN THE RED, WHICH IS A SMALL SLIVER, RIGHT? THAT'S ABOUT 1.8%.
THESE ARE THE HIGH ACUITY CALLS WHERE SOMEBODY IS, WE THINK IS, IS DYING.
UH, THE DELTA CALLS ARE ALSO HIGH PRIORITY CALLS WHERE THERE MAY BE SOMETHING LIFE-THREATENING.
AND THEN IT GOES DOWN FROM THERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN.
THESE ARE WHAT THE DISPATCH SYSTEM IDENTIFIES AS NON-EMERGENCY CALLS.
SO ABOUT HALF OF THOSE ARE, ARE ALPHA OR OMEGA CALLS, AND HALF ARE CHARLIE CALLS THE ALPHA OMEGA, OR WHAT'S DETERMINED AS B L S OR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT WITH THE CHARLIE BEING THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.
BUT AS YOU MIGHT SUSPECT, GIVEN THAT IT'S DETERMINED THAT IT'S A NON-EMERGENCY RESPONSE, LESS LIKELY TO BE A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY.
AND FOR US, THIS IS WHERE THE OPPORTUNITY IS, RIGHT? WE HAVE EXPENSIVE RESOURCE, WHICH WE NEED ON THOSE HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS, BUT THAT MAY NOT BE AS HELPFUL ON THE LOWER PRIORITY CALLS.
AND AS YOU MIGHT ALSO SUSPECT, THE INCIDENTS OF THOSE LOWER PRIORITY CALLS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES OVER TIME, PARTICULARLY AS ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE RESOURCES, UM, START TO DRY UP.
UH, AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT WHERE THAT HAPPENS IN A MINUTE.
SO, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR, OUR PARTNERS, THE EMS DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IS TO REALLY RETHINK WHAT THAT EMS SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE.
SO WE STILL HAVE THE AMBULANCE, WE STILL HAVE THE AMBULANCE AND FIRETRUCK OPTION, BUT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER OPTIONS IN THE MIDDLE.
UH, ONE IS IN-PERSON, PHYSICIAN, OR PA SERVICES, AND THE OTHERS VIA TELEHEALTH.
UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COST PER UNIT HOUR OF THOSE SERVICES, IT'S MUCH LESS THAN THE OTHER COMPONENTS.
UH, AND ALSO HELPS TO, UH, AS WE HANDLE CALLS WITH THOSE RESOURCES, IT HELPS TO FREE UP AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIME FOR THOSE HIGHER ACUITY CALLS.
UH, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, HOW MUCH LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD PARTIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONERS, IT WAS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF AMBULANCE RESOURCES RETURNED TO SERVICE, UH, THROUGH THIS, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ONLY PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO BETTER IDENTIFY AT THE POINT OF TRIAGE WHAT RESOURCES AN INDIVIDUAL MAY NEED, AND THEN APPLY THE RIGHT, UH, RESOURCES FOR THAT PARTICULAR EMERGENCY.
UH, I WILL SAY THERE ARE MANY OTHER VARIATIONS OF THIS OPTION.
I'VE GIVEN YOU HIGHLIGHTS HERE.
UH, SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF A RESPONSE MATRIX FOR US, WE HAVE, UH, THE EMS DEPARTMENT IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR SHIFTS.
WE HAVE AN ASSIGNED SHIFT PHYSICIAN, AND WE HAVE AN ASSIGNED SHIFT PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT.
UH, THESE INDIVIDUALS, UH, ROTATE CALL WITH THEM, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, THE INTENTION IS TO CREATE A TEAM ENVIRONMENT SO THAT OUR PHYSICIANS AND OUR PAS BECOME USED TO WORKING WITH, UH, WITH CREWS.
THEY BE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RESPONSIVE.
THEY DO BEDSIDE EDUCATION IN ADDITION TO THE DIRECT CLINICAL CARE.
UH, AND IT'S BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED, UH, BY OUR CREWS
SO IN ADDITION TO THE CLINICAL STUFF, WE HAVE SOME OTHER, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES REALLY CENTERED AROUND THESE THREE ITEMS. THE DATA ANALYSIS AND, UH, RESEARCH PIECE, UH, THE QUALITY AND EQUITY PIECE, AND THEN EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALING PIECE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, THANKS TO, UH, TO COUNCIL ACTION.
OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF, UH, SESSIONS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE, UH, A DATA MANAGER, UH, ADDITIONAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FOLKS, UH, TO HELP ON THIS QUALITY EFFORT AND CERTAINLY OUR, OUR EQUITY TEAM AS WELL.
AND THEY'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK.
WE HAVE CREATED, WE'RE DRAFTING SOME DASHBOARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CLINICAL OUTCOMES.
UM, THEY ARE NOT READY YET TO BE PRESENTED, BUT WE'RE WORKING THERE.
AND PART OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE HAD IN, IN PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE METRIC THAT WE TRADITIONALLY GO TO IS RESPONSE TIMES.
HOW FAST CAN WE GET TO SOMETHING? NOT WHAT'S THE OUTCOME OF THAT INTERACTION? UH, AND OBVIOUSLY THE OUTCOME IS, IS QUITE IMPORTANT IN, IN FACT, MOST OF THE TIME, MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE RESPONSE TIME.
NOW, DON'T GET ME WRONG, THERE'S RESPONSE TIMES ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT NOT IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND PROBABLY NOT IN THE MAJORITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO, AS WE ARE ABLE TO ASSESS OUTCOMES, WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT PARTICULAR INFORMATION.
UH, AND WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW IS, IS THE, THE EQUITY OF THOSE OUTCOMES, UH, BOTH BASED ON GEOGRAPHY AS WELL AS, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY.
UM, SO THOSE OF THE, THIS IS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, ONE OF THE, THE MANY MAPS, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY'S
[00:55:01]
PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH OUR EASTERN CRESCENT.AND THE FACT THAT, UH, ACCESS TO CARE, UH, THINGS LIKE UNDERLYING DISEASES OF MANY FLAVORS, UH, ARE MORE CONCENTRATED IN THESE AREAS.
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE CARDIAC ARREST IN THE INCIDENTS OF CARDIAC ARREST IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WE TRADITIONALLY LOOK AT NATIONAL DATA AND WE LOOK AT HOW WE'RE DOING AS AN ENTITY, AS A COUNTY.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OTHER EMS SYSTEMS, THEY DO THE SAME THING.
HOW ARE WE DOING IN TOTALITY? BUT WHEN WE DISAGGREGATE THE DATA AND LOOK AT IT MORE SPECIFICALLY BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, BY GEOGRAPHY, IT PAINTS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT STORY.
SO, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS OUR, OUR CARDIAC ARREST DATA FROM TWO YEARS AGO NOW, UH, 2021.
UH, AND WHAT YOU SEE IS A BREAKDOWN OF INCIDENTS OF CARDIAC ARREST IN AND PERCENT POPULATION BASED ON RACE AND ETHNICITY.
UH, AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED TWO OF THE AREAS WHERE THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AND THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CARDIAC ARREST.
UM, AND WHAT WE ALSO SEE IS THAT THE SURVIVAL FROM CARDIAC ARREST IS DIFFERENT BASED UPON RACE AND ETHNICITY AS WELL.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON THE OMO SIDE IS GET AT THE HEART OF THIS, RIGHT.
DATA IS STEP ONE, BUT STEP TWO IS SORTING OUT HOW WE SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. HOW DO WE CREATE EQUITY AND OUTCOMES VERSUS THE RESPONSE TIMES? AND THIS IS WHERE THAT CONCEPT OF OMO, UH, REALLY PLAYS A ROLE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST FINDING AN EMS OR A FIRE SOLUTION.
IT'S ABOUT ENGAGING EMS IN FIRE AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE AND ALL THE OTHER HEALTHCARE STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND SORT OUT HOW WE CAN APPLY APPROPRIATE RESOURCES TO FIX THAT PROBLEM.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT CARDIAC ARREST.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, OVERDOSES, HEART ATTACKS, STROKES, ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, BASED ON RIGHT NOW, THE OUTCOME INFORMATION THAT, THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, RELATED TO THE CARDIAC ARREST IS AREAS WHERE SOMEBODY EXPERIENCES A CARDIAC ARREST AND THEY DON'T GET BYSTANDER CPR.
UH, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THE EASTERN CRESCENT OVERLAPS WITH AREAS WHERE WE SEE A, UH, A LACK OF CORRELATION BETWEEN CARDIAC ARRESTS AND CPR HAPPENING.
SO, UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH EMS AND FIRE ALONG WITH FLEET, UH, TO USE THE NEW GEOTAB PROGRAM.
THE CITY HAS, UH, IMPLEMENTED TO IDENTIFY WHAT CITY VEHICLES ARE MOST OFTEN IN THIS AREA OF CONCERN, UH, WITH THE INTENTION OF US TOGETHER, GOING TO COUNCIL, UH, AND, UH, RECOMMENDING IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMUNITY C P R ACTIVATION, WHERE WE CAN INCLUDE CITY, OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WEARING A UNIFORM AND A MARKED VEHICLE, TEACHING THEM CPR, GIVING THEM AN A E D, AND HOPEFULLY INCREASING BIAS, TENER CPR, AND ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE, UH, EQUITY ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING BOTH IN APPLICATION OF CPR AND SURVIVAL, UH, FROM CARDIAC ARREST.
UH, SO MORE ON THAT LATER, HOPEFULLY AS, AS WE GET INTO BUDGET SESSION.
UH, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE'RE, WE'RE APPLYING THIS DATA AND THE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED.
I KNOW I SPOKE QUICKLY, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
I, I SHOULD SAY THAT, THAT, THAT, WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE DASHBOARDS WE'RE BUILDING, UH, WE INTEND ON SOME OF THOSE DASHBOARDS BEING PUBLICLY FACING SO THE COMMUNITY CAN, CAN BE AWARE OF, UM, THE OUTCOMES AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, COMMISSIONER NEWMAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, I DEFINITELY COMMEND YOU ON THE, THE COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE.
IT'S A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING THAT MY SURVIVAL RATE IS, UH, GONNA BE PRETTY LOW IF I WAS GONNA GO INTO CARDIAC ARREST.
BUT, UM, YOUR NUMBERS ARE LOW.
I, I, I SHOULD SAY, AND, AND THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, THE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF INCIDENTS POPULATING, BUT YEAH.
BUT I, I WAS INTERESTED, UH, IN ONE OF THE SLIDES, IT, IT, IT SHOWS 9 1 1 AND THEN IT SHOWS, UH, EITHER AMBULANCE COMES OUT, A PRACTITIONER COMES OUT, A, UH, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PRACTITIONER WOULD COME OUT, OR TELEMEDICINE.
HOW IS THAT DETERMINED, UH, FROM THE 9 1 1 CALL? AND HOW DO THEY PRIORITIZE? OH, WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT AMBULANCE, UH, VERSUS SENDING OUT, UH, ANOTHER RESOURCE.
UH, SO THE EMS DEPARTMENT HAS A, UH, C4, UH, INITIATIVE, UH, TO DO A SECONDARY TRIAGE ON SOME OF THOSE LOW ACUITY CALLS, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, DO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT MAY BE HANDLED THROUGH A, A PA THROUGH TELEHEALTH? UH, AND THEN THEY ASSIGN THOSE RESOURCES.
[01:00:01]
UH, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF WORKING THROUGH THAT, UM, IDENTIFYING THE CALL TYPES WHERE IT'S SAFE TO SLOW IT DOWN AND SEND A DIFFERENT RESOURCE.UH, BUT I, I SHOULD SAY ALSO THAT MANY OF THE CALLS THAT ARE REFERRED TO THE PAS OR THE DOCS, UH, ARE CALLS THAT COME IN FROM, FROM THE AMBULANCE, RIGHT? THEY'RE RESPONDING TO A CALL, THEY'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, I'VE EVALUATED THIS PERSON AND THEY NEED IT, THEIR PRESCRIPTION REFILLED.
CAN YOU TAKE CARE OF THAT? YOU KNOW, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE EMERGENCIES THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO NOW.
UH, WHILE THAT DOESN'T SAVE A LOT OF CITY RESOURCES, IT DOES BECAUSE THE AMBULANCE IS NOT TAKING SOME OF THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF AN HOUR OF AMBULANCE TIME.
UH, AND IT'S CERTAINLY SAVING THE INDIVIDUAL AN AMBULANCE TRANSPORT, SAVING THE INDIVIDUAL AN ER BILL ON WHAT THEY HAVE IS A A $50 PROBLEM.
UH, SO PART OF THIS IS ALIGNING THE COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS AND LIMITING THE IMPACT OF, OF HEALTHCARE BILLS ON FOLKS WHO, WHO MAY NOT NEED IT.
UM, NOW OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE LOTS OF REAL EMERGENCIES, LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCIES, AND OUR TEAMS DO A FANTASTIC JOB.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE THE FATIGUE IS COMING FROM IN OUR SYSTEM.
THE FATIGUE IS COMING FROM THE VOLUME OF LOW ACUITY CALLS THAT THEY'RE, THEY DO THE BEST THEY CAN, BUT THEY ARE NOT TRAINED TO DO THAT.
THAT'S WHERE THE COMMUNITY PARAMEDICS COME IN.
THAT'S WHERE SOME OF OUR OTHER E M S, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, RESOURCES COME IN.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY AN AREA FOR OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO DO FURTHER INVESTMENTS AND FURTHER EXPANSION.
UM, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION, WOULD THERE BE A WAY TO, UM, TRIAGE CALLS WHERE SOMEBODY JUST NEEDS A PRESCRIPTION REFILLED AT THE NINE ONE ONE THREE HUNDRED ELEVEN LEVEL, LIKE CALL CENTER LEVEL? IS THAT POSSIBLE? THAT IS, YES.
THE IDEAL SITUATION IS IF, IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT JUST NEEDS, UH, COUNSELING OR SOMETHING THAT CAN BE MANAGED BY TELEHEALTH, NOT EVER SENDING ANYBODY.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK PEOPLE SOMETIMES WORRY, WHY DO PEOPLE CALL 9 1 1 FOR PRESCRIPTION REFILLS BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING MONEY THROUGH FRIDAY, SOMETIMES SATURDAY, SOMETIMES ONE JOB, SOMETIMES MORE THAN ONE JOB, AND TO TAKE TIME OFF TO GO TO AN APPOINTMENT AND GET A CLINIC, GET A CLINIC APPOINTMENT NEXT WEEK, MAYBE NEXT MONTH IS MORE LIKE, IT, UH, IS VERY DIFFICULT.
UH, IT'S VERY COSTLY FOR INDIVIDUALS.
SO OUR IDEAL SITUATION IS THAT, YES, WE CAN DO THAT TRIAGE PROCESS.
WE CAN CONNECT THEM STRAIGHT TO A PA OR A DOC.
WE HAVE A BRIEF CONVERSATION, WE CALL IN A PRESCRIPTION FOR THEM, AND WE CONNECT THEM TO A RELIABLE SOURCE OF, OF REGULAR HEALTHCARE, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT 9 1 1 TO BE THE REGULAR GO-TO, UH, A HEALTHCARE RESOURCE.
BUT A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, PARTICULARLY FOLKS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MAP, UM, THAT HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT MAP, DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACCESS IT.
OUR GOAL IS TO CONNECT THEM TO THAT, UH, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY, UH, PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.
I WAS WONDERING, UM, COMMISSIONER, I'M GONNA SAY IT ONE, JUST, I'M GONNA, I WANT PEOPLE TO WAIT TO BE RECOGNIZED, PLEASE.
SO, COMMISSIONER PENNER, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF, I KNOW YOU SAID IT WAS A BUDGET ISSUE.
UM, WOULD ANYBODY BE WILLING TO COME OUT AND DO LIKE A FREE CLASS FOR, UM, PEOPLE ON, LIKE, I LIVE, UH, IN DISTRICT THREE, WHICH IS THE EAST SIDE, UM, UM, MAYBE ORGANIZED LIKE A ONE DAY EVENT FOR, OR NOT EVEN A DAY, LIKE AN HOUR TO COME AND TEACH CPR TO SOME OF THE, THE RESIDENTS? LIKE, AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE A BUDGET ISSUE? YES, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE RESOURCES, UH, SO WE CAN CONNECT YOU.
AUSTIN, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS HAS A, A CPR PROGRAM.
UH, THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS, BUT YES, THAT, THAT'S THE KIND OF WORK THAT, THAT WE WANT TO DO IN, IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING THIS DISPARITY AS IT RELATES TO BYSTANDER CPR.
UH, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE CARDIAC ARRESTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW ARE GETTING BYSTANDER CPR.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW NATIONAL AVERAGE.
UH, SO IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON AND SOMETHING THAT, UH, CERTAINLY THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, UH, WANT TO AND ARE WILLING TO BE ENGAGED IN.
COMMISSIONER HALL, MARTIN, THANK YOU.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M JUST BLOWN AWAY BY THIS AND, AND REALLY SUPPORT IT.
UM, I'M CURIOUS, DO YOU HAVE ANY LIKE, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE, UM, LIKE SEEING THAT BILL OF LIKE 290, LIKE YES, IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN TAKING AMBULANCE, UM, AND, OR A FIRETRUCK, BUT, AND IT CAN BE A LOT FOR FOLKS.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY SORT OF PROGRAM THAT CAN HELP WITH THAT? YES, AND I'M NOT THE BEST PERSON TO DISCUSS THAT.
UH, SO THE EMS DEPARTMENT AND, UH, CHIEF GARDNER COULD, COULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS, HAS A, A SLIDING SCALE, UH, THAT ADJUSTS THE FEES BASED
[01:05:01]
UPON ABILITY TO PAY.UH, AND THERE'S ALSO, UH, AMBULANCE SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENT PROGRAMS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE STATE THAT THE CITY CAN SEND THOSE, THOSE BILLS TO, TO ALSO RECEIVE SUPPLEMENTARY PAYMENT.
SO YES, THAT WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF EVEN $290, UH, AND, UH, AND, AND DON'T WANNA BURDEN FOLKS.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY FOR US AS A CITY, IF, IF WE CAN APPLY A $290 RESOURCE INSTEAD OF A, A MORE EXPENSIVE ONE, THEN IT, IT, IT SAVES US AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE SIDE OF THE TABLE? OKAY.
UM, I HAD ONE FINAL, SO THE, THE, THE PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONERS, UM, DO THEY WORK WITH THE, THE, LIKE THE AMBULANCE TEAMS OR ARE THEY, THEY, ARE THEY, HOW, HOW, HOW ARE THEY INTEGRATED INTO EMS AND LIKE THE DAY-TO-DAY SORT OF LIKE SURE.
THEY'RE IN ONE OF OUR VEHICLES, BUT THEY APPEAR IN THE EMS AND FIRE SYSTEMS AS A UNIT.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW, UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN THEY'RE DISPATCHED TO A CALL, THEY'RE REQUESTED.
UH, SOMETIMES IF THEY SEE A, A LOW PRIORITY CALL, UH, THAT'S BEEN SENT OUT, THEY WILL REPLACE THE AMBULANCE, UH, YOU KNOW, SAYING, WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE A, A RELATIVELY LOW ACUITY CALL.
YOU GO BACK AND SERVICE HANDLE SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, BUT IT, IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, SIMPLE THINGS LIKE SOMEBODY NEEDS STITCHES.
NORMALLY IN MOST CITIES THAT GETS AN AMBULANCE AND AN AMBULANCE RIDE AT THE HOSPITAL, AN ER BILL, NOW WE CAN SEND 'EM SOMEBODY, IT'LL TAKE 30 MINUTES AND THEY GET TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE.
UM, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, AGAIN, WE'RE REFINING THAT, THAT DISPATCH PROCESS, THAT SCREENING PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN GET BETTER AND BETTER AT TRIAGING THE RIGHT CALLS THAT ARE LIKELY TO, TO LEAD TO A DISPOSITION OF SOMEBODY STAYING WHERE THEY ARE AND NOT BEING TRANSPORTED.
AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE TIME BECAUSE NOBODY, NOBODY ELSE IS DOING THIS.
UH, THERE IS NO MODEL TO, TO WORK FROM.
SO WE ARE BUILDING THE PLANE AS WE'RE FLYING IT, UH, BUT WE'RE DOING SO, YOU KNOW, WITH INTENTION AND, UH, WITH CARE AND, AND CAUTION AS WE SHOULD BE.
SO AT THIS POINT, OH, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER RATON.
I WAS JUST GONNA, IS THIS, IS THIS ONE UNIT CURRENTLY, OR IS IT MULTIPLE UNITS? IS IT ONE UNIT WITH MULTIPLE PRACTITIONER, LIKE, JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE SCALE OF THE PROGRAM AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO EACH, EACH WANTING TO GROW IT? YEAH.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE PRIMARILY CONCENTRATED IN THAT EASTERN CRESCENT WHERE WE DO TEND TO SEE THE HIGH CALL VOLUME FOR LOW ACUITY TYPE CALLS.
UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T GET TO, TO ALL THE CALLS.
UH, SO IT IS A COLLABORATION WITH THE EMS DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT CALLS TO, TO PLUG IN THE, THE PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONER, COMMISSIONER CHEN.
UM, WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE, AND I'VE ALWAYS, UM, FOUND THE, THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE IN AUSTIN IN COMPARISON TO SOME OTHER PLACES, UM, VERY IMPRESSIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE SAME FOLKS WORKING WITH Y'ALL, UM, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO AS WELL AS WE BUILD OUT THESE DASHBOARDS INTO OUR COMPLICATED, MAKING SURE WE'RE ADDING MORE THINGS, YOU KNOW, PEDIATRICS, MENTAL HEALTH RESTRAINT USE, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I KNOW ARE PROBABLY ON Y'ALL'S, UM, LIST.
UM, MY QUESTION IS THAT, AS SOMEBODY NEW TO THIS COMMISSION, BUT KINDA ASKING EVERYBODY IS, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN MAKE TO, UM, CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND THINGS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT BUILDING OUT, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THIS COMMISSION? YEAH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS, IS A COMMISSION THAT'S FOCUSED ON, ON THOSE OUTCOMES.
UM, A COMPOSITION THAT'S, THAT'S WILLING TO, TO TAKE RISKS ON THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE.
UM, TOO OFTEN I THINK IN, IN GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY PROPOSES A CONCEPT, THE FIRST QUESTION IS, WELL, WHO ELSE IS DOING IT? AND IF THE ANSWER IS NO ONE, THEN IT'S LIKE, OOH, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH RISK.
WE'VE GOTTA BE WILLING TO TAKE RISK.
UH, WE'VE GOTTA BE WILLING TO MAKE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE NOT SURE ABOUT, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW INNOVATION HAPPENS.
UH, AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT, THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE C4 PROGRAM, WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICINE, WITH OUR PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONERS E EVERYBODY'S PAYING ATTENTION TO, WE GET CALLS EVERY SINGLE WEEK ABOUT HOW WE'RE BUILDING THE PROGRAM, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, CITIES CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THINGS AS THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE IT.
OUR, OUR CITIES ARE GROWING AT A RATE THAT, THAT WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UH, IN THE WAY WE'VE, WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST.
UH, WE'RE ALSO NOT MEETING THE OUTCOME GOALS
[01:10:01]
THAT WE NEED.AND BY THE WAY, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO THESE JOBS THESE DAYS, AND THAT GOES FOR ALL OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO INNOVATE AND, AND TAKE THOSE RISKS IF, IF WE'RE GONNA MEET THE CHALLENGES AND EX EXPECTATIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
MR. UM, I WAS WONDERING, WHAT ABOUT, UM, FOR LIKE MEMBERS THAT THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE A, THEY NEED STITCHES, THINGS LIKE THAT, THE SMALLER CALLS, COULD THEY NOT DO SOMETHING TO PROVIDE LIKE LYFT OR UBER RIDES TO THE HOSPITAL AND THAT WOULD FREE UP AMBULANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION TO GET THERE.
WE, WE COULD IN SOME PLACES DO THAT.
THE, THE CHALLENGE IS THAT, UM, THE, THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED TO DO THE SAME THING ARE, ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES WE, WE SEE PATIENTS AND, AND THEY DON'T END UP GOING TO THE HOSPITAL, SOME BY AMBULANCE, SOMETIMES THEY GO BY UBER OR LYFT, SOMETIMES THEY GO BY THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, THEY DRIVE THEMSELVES.
UH, SO THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
UH, I, I THINK THE REASON WE WENT WITH THIS SOLUTION IS BECAUSE THE, THE FOLKS WHO TEND TO USE 9 1 1 FOR THESE LOW ACUITY CALLS, THEY DON'T HAVE OTHER OPTIONS.
THEY DON'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
THEY GO TO AN URGENT CARE, AND THEIR EXPECTATION IS TO PAY UP THE FRONT.
UM, THIS GIVES THE FLEXIBILITY OF TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY.
UH, AND THEN ADJUSTING THE, THE FEE SCHEDULE BASED UPON THAT ABILITY TO PAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE I, I, I THINK GOVERNMENT CAN DO IT BETTER.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S THE CASE EVERY TIME, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE, IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT WILLINGNESS TO, TO PAY WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT OR WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE CARE WITHOUT PAY UPFRONT.
UM, I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS? WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO HAVE YOU GUYS BACK.
AND WITH THAT CHIEF FIRES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY
[2. Public Safety Quarterly Report – Austin Fire Department]
QUARTERLY REPORT FROM AUSTIN FIRE NEXT.AND I ALSO JUST WANNA TAKE A SECOND, UM, I'M SORRY.
UM, ABOUT THE, THE UP AND FORMALITY IN OUR MEETINGS WITH JUST CALLING ON PEOPLE AND TRYING TO, UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S BEEN SOME, I WANT TO DO MY BEST TO HAVE US OPERATE ABOVE REPROACH SO THAT, UM, THINGS AREN'T THROWN BACK AT US.
UM, UM, BY, I MEAN, QUITE FRANKLY, AP D'S NOT HERE ANYMORE BY APD.
WE'RE, WE'RE BEING ACCUSED OF NOT OPERATING, UM, BY THE BOOK, BY NOT, AND SO I'M, I AM TRYING TO TIGHTEN THINGS UP HERE SO THAT WE CAN NIP THAT STUFF IN THE BUD AND JUST DO BUSINESS.
SO WITH THAT, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
I'M THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR THE NEW FACES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO, UH, MEETING Y'ALL AND, AND FUTURE DISCUSSIONS, UH, FOR THE VETERANS.
IT WAS GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL AS WELL.
SO, WHAT WE HAVE TODAY FOR Y'ALL ARE, IS OUR QUARTERLY REPORT, AND THIS IS A HIGHLIGHT OF THINGS THAT HAVE GONE OF FOR, GONE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS EXPERIENCED OR GONE THROUGH OVER THE PAST QUARTER.
THIS TIME, I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO QUARTERS IN HERE TO CATCH US UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO THERE IS THAT AND SOME OF THE, UH, RECENT, UH, HAPPENINGS WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO, WITH THAT, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE, THE NEXT, THESE FIRST THREE SLIDES, YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK TO SOME EXCITING THINGS GOING ON.
AND, UH, THIS REALLY IS A JOINT DEAL FOR, FOR BOTH EMS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH, UH, THE, UH, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE AN OLDER ONE THAT WAS BUILT BACK IN 1975 OFF OF EAST RIVERSIDE, AND IT HAD SOME STRUCTURAL ISSUES TO IT, AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN, IN US, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT STATION WAS ACTUALLY TORE DOWN.
SO YOU SEE THE OLD PICTURE OF IT, UH, THERE WAS BEING TORN DOWN AND BEING REBUILT, UH, FROM SCRATCH.
THE PROBLEMS WERE SO SIGNIFICANT WITH THE FOUNDATION THAT TO TRY TO REPAIR IT WAS BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN JUST A, A, A REDO OF THE WHOLE THING.
SO, UH, IN THE SPIRIT OF STARTING FROM SCRATCH, WE HAD A GROUNDBREAKING.
SO, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE DIFFERENT PUBLIC SAFETY AGENTS OUT THERE TO CELEBRATE THIS,
[01:15:01]
EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN EXISTING STATION, UH, BECAUSE IT'S BEING REBUILT.WE, UH, HAD THAT, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW TO, TO HAVE A NEW STATION OPEN AND A GRAND OPENING FOR THAT TO, FOR FOLKS TO ENJOY.
WE JUST OPENED, UH, VERY EXCITING, UH, A NEW STATION OVER OFF OF 360 LOOP, 360 IN DAVENPORT.
UH, THE, THE, WE WENT THROUGH A, UM, A REPORT INTERNALLY ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AGO ABOUT WHAT OUR NEEDS AS THE CITY IS GROWING, AND WE, IT HAD IDENTIFIED FIVE LOCATIONS, AND THE CITY HAS SUPPORTED THAT TO BUILD THESE FIVE STATIONS OVER SIX YEARS.
AND THIS WOULD BE NUMBER THREE, UH, OF THAT, IF I'VE GOTTEN MY MOUTH RIGHT, THE, THE, THE NEXT STATION YOU'LL SEE IN A SECOND.
AND, UH, ONE YET TO BE, UH, GROUND BROKE ON UP IN NORTH AUSTIN TO BE THE LAST TWO OF THE BUNCH.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT TO HELP US WITH, UH, THE SERVICE DELIVERY TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WITH THAT ONE, WE HAD A SOFT OPENING AT THE END OF MARCH, AND THERE'LL BE A GRAND OPENING, UH, HERE IN MAY.
UH, SOME OF THAT IS ALLOW US TO WORK SOME OF THE BUGS OUT AND THEN WORKING WITH A VARIETY OF DIGNITARY SCHEDULES, ET CETERA, TO MAKE SURE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE THERE TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF THAT.
SO WE'RE HAPPY AND GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
THIS ONE IS GONNA BE DOWN TO GOODNIGHT RANCH IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, AND WE WERE HAPPY TO HAVE A GROUNDBREAKING OF THAT BACK IN FEBRUARY.
AND AGAIN, ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW, EXCITED TO HAVE THAT STATION OPEN TO SERVE THAT COMMUNITY IN THAT AREA.
UH, SO, UH, WE'RE APPRECIATIVE AGAIN OF THE COMMITMENT TO THE CITY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS TO BUILD THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF A GROWING CITY.
THESE NEXT HANDFUL OF SLIDES, UH, WILL COVER THINGS AS FAR AS OUR RESPONSES.
AND, AND THEY'RE DIVIDED OUT BY DISTRICT.
SO FOR THE DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE COMPARED TO QUARTER ONE OF LAST YEAR.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THROUGH THESE SLIDES, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT THINGS HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE BUSIER.
UH, PEOPLE CONTINUE TO MOVE THE CITY.
WE GET, UH, UH, MORE GREATLY POPULATED, A LITTLE BIT MORE DENSE.
SO WITH THAT, THE COVID, UH, HAD A, HAD A DOWNTURN ON CALLS.
NOW THAT PEOPLE ARE BACK TO RELATIVELY FAIRLY NORMAL WAY OF LIFE OR A NEW NORMAL WAY OF LIFE, YOU SEE THE, THE, THE CALL VOLUME STARTING TO GO BACK UP AGAIN.
AND SO THIS SLIDE HERE IS FOR QUARTER ONE.
AGAIN, THE SAME GENERAL PREMISE YOU SEE THERE.
IF WE COULD HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS BREAKS UP, UH, OUR, OUR CALLS BASED ON THE CALL TYPES.
AND AS YOU SEE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS ARE MEDICAL RELATED.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT HOW TO, TO SERVE THE CITY BETTER, AS, AS, UH, DR.
ESCOTT TALKED ABOUT, WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AS, AS A, A SERVICE GROUP, ALL PUBLIC SAFETY OF HOW BEST TO, TO REARRANGE THAT.
AND SO THIS, UH, MAY ADJUST OVER TIME.
WE'VE MADE SOME TWEAKS TO IT ALREADY AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS WITH THE CITY DOLLARS, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE BEST RESPONSE TO THE, THE CITY AS A WHOLE TO TAKE CARE OF FOLKS WHEN THEY HAVE NEEDS.
NOT A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN THOSE.
IT'S RELATIVELY STABLE AS FAR AS THE PERCENTAGES OF CALL TYPES THAT GO THROUGH THERE.
SO THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE, THE LAST BAR CHART YOU SAW ON THIS ONE IS THE, THE FIRST ONE WAS ALL CALL TYPES.
SO WHETHER WE WENT LIGHTS AND SIRENS, WHICH IS CALLED CODE THREE, OR IF WE DROVE, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS A LESS, UH, SERIOUS TYPE CALL WITH NO LIGHTS AND SIRENS BEING SAFER IN OUR RESPONSE.
THE FIRST ONE COVERED ALL TYPES.
THIS TALKS ABOUT JUST THE, THE ONES THAT WERE CODE THREE.
SO LIGHTS AND SIRENS AND MORE SERIOUS CALLS.
AND AGAIN, GENERALLY YOU SEE AN UPTICK OF, OF, OF CALLS, UH, FROM LAST, FROM LAST YEAR, THE SAME TIME.
IT'LL SHOW YOU THE SAME THING FOR QUARTER NUMBER TWO.
AND THEN IF WE MOVE ON, UH, TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE FOR THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, THE LAST TIME, THE LAST PIE CHARTS YOU SAW WERE, UH, ALL CALL TYPES, REGARDLESS OF EMERGENCY LEVEL.
THESE ARE THE ONES WHERE WE WENT CODE THREE THE MOST CONCERNING OF, OF THE BUNCH.
AND YOU'LL SEE, UH, THE, THE, THE PIE CHARTS HERE WHEN IT'S ALLER, ALL EMERGENCIES, REGARDLESS OF CODE TYPES BE SIMILAR FROM ONE QUARTER TO THE NEXT.
THE SAME WITH THE EMERGENCY ONES.
YOU'LL SEE IT VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE WITH A PREDOMINANT RESPONSE IS MEDICAL.
IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE QUARTER NUMBER TWO, SAME STORY WITH THAT ONE.
AND THEN IF WE MOVE OVER TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE, UH, RESPONSE TIMES.
AND IN GENERAL, AGAIN, IT'S DIVIDED OUT BY YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AND YOU'LL SEE, UH, THAT THINGS ARE, UH, ARE, ARE RESPONSE TIMES ARE, ARE GETTING LONGER IN NATURE.
UH, THE RESPONSE TIME HERE, FOR THOSE WHO ARE AWARE, IT'S THE NINE ONE ONE PHONE CALL, THE PROCESSING THE TURNOUT TIME.
[01:20:01]
A FIRE CALL, THE FIREFIGHTERS NEED TO PUT ON THEIR EMERGENCY, UH, OUTFIT, FIRST TURNOUTS BEFORE THEY GET IN THE APPARATUS.CUZ TRYING TO GET DRESSED IN A MOVE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE FOR ANYBODY.
AND IF WE CAN'T GET THERE IN A SAFE FASHION, WE DO NO GOOD FOR THE CITIZENS.
SO THERE'S SOME, SOME, UH, EFFORT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY THE FIREFIGHTER BEFORE THE VEHICLE MOVES ON A MEDICAL CALL.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE, BUT ON A FIRE ONE THAT IS.
SO, AND THEN IT ALSO IS THE RESPONSE TIME FROM WHERE THE, THE APPARATUS WAS, WHETHER THEY WERE IN THE STATION OR, UH, OUT TAKING CARE OF ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OR COMING FROM ANOTHER CALL.
THE, ALL THOSE, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GATHERED TOGETHER, UH, IN WHAT TURNS OUT TO BE THEIR RESPONSE TIME.
UH, AS A CITY, AGAIN, HAS GOTTEN MORE POPULATED AND, UH, MORE DENSE.
UH, IF YOU DRIVE IN TRAFFIC, YOU SEE THE CHALLENGES EVEN WITHOUT LIGHTS AND SIRENS TO GET THROUGH WITH THE CONGESTION.
UH, SOME OF THE, THE, THE CITY DESIGN AS WELL AFFECTS THIS.
AND THEY'RE ALL ADDRESSING, ACTUALLY HAVE VERY GOOD PROBLEM OR VERY GOOD ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED.
BUT ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER WHERE, WHERE YOU DO SOMETHING TO MAKE TRAFFIC SAFER BY SLOWING IT DOWN, THAT ALSO SLOWS US DOWN.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS HERE THAT, THAT TAKE CARE OF ONE PROBLEM, BUT DON'T UNINTENTIONALLY CREATE AN ISSUE WITH ANOTHER PROBLEM LIKE OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE SAME THING.
AND THEN THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE WILL BE RE KIND OF TELLING FOR YOU.
YOU SEE TWO MAPS, CITY OF AUSTIN, ONE IS FROM 2014 AND THE OTHER IS FROM 2022.
AND WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IS STANDARD OF COVERAGE.
OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO AN EMERGENCY WITHIN EIGHT MINUTES 90% OF THE TIME.
AND THAT'S THE, THE, YOU KNOW, CALL COMES IN, UH, TURNOUT TIME RESPONSE TO ET CETERA.
AND YOU'LL SEE BACK IN 2014, AND THAT WAS JUST A RANDOM YEAR THAT WAS PICKED ON MY WALL AT MY OFFICE.
I'VE GOT ALL THOSE CHARTS PINNED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, AND THE OLDEST ONE IN THERE IS 2014.
SO THERE, THERE'S NO OTHER RHYME OR REASON TO THAT PARTICULAR YEAR, BUT WHEN YOU START GLANCING AT THEM THROUGH THE YEARS, YOU SEE A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE.
DARKER GREEN IS GOOD, LIKER LIGHTER GREEN IS, IS SLOWER.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO THE, TO THE PURPLES, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT SLOWER.
AND YOU CAN SEE AS THE CITY HAS GROWN IN DENSIFIED OVER TIME, HOW THAT HAS HAD EFFECT ON OUR RESPONSE.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING THROUGH WHAT ARE RESPONSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO HELP US ADDRESS THAT.
SOME OF IT IS SENDING THE RIGHT UNITS ON THE RIGHT CALLS, RIGHT? WHERE YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE AN AMBULANCE AND A FIRETRUCK SHOW UP FOR WHAT'S SIMPLY A PRESCRIPTION.
UH, THAT WILL HELP US CUZ WE CAN REMOVE THOSE CALLS FROM THERE AS, AS THAT PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW.
THE, THE OTHER PART OF IT'S WHERE WE DO NEED TO RESPOND, HOW CAN WE RESPOND THE RIGHT RESOURCE, THE RIGHT NUMBER OF PEOPLE, UH, IN A FASHION THAT THAT'S, UH, UH, APPROPRIATE TO TAKE CARE OF THE, THE NEED OF THE CITIZEN, BUT ALSO LOOKS AT IT, IT BEING A, A GOOD STEWARD OF THE CITY'S RESOURCES FINANCIALLY.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE OPTIONS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT 'EM NOW AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING SOME STUFF FOR Y'ALL IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE ON WHAT THOSE OPTIONS MIGHT BE.
BUT THOSE TWO MAPS ARE KIND OF TELLING AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
SO WE ARE IN WHAT'S CALLED AN AUTO AID AGREEMENT.
UH, THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS NOT THE ONLY FIRE DEPARTMENT IN DRIVERS COUNTY.
THEY'RE SEVERAL OTHERS AND THEY'RE ALL FANTASTIC PROFESSIONALS.
UH, AND SO WE HAVE AGREEMENTS AND HAVE HAD AGREEMENTS WITH MOST OF TRAVIS COUNTY FOR OTTAWA, WHICH MEANS WHEN 9 1 1 IS CALLED, IT ALL GOES TO THE SAME DISPATCH CENTER AND THE CLOSEST UNIT, WHETHER YOU HAVE A CITY OF AUSTIN LOGO ON THE SIDE, OR WESTLAKE OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THE CLOSEST UNIT GOES TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITIZENS NEED.
THAT'S THE MOST RESPONSIBLE THING WE CAN DO.
UH, THAT ABOUT A YEAR AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE WILLIAMSON COUNTY AS WELL.
UH, THE TWO PARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO MAKE IT FUNCTIONAL WAS TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE THE, THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, THE, THE DISPATCHING CENTERS THERE HAD A DIFFERENT OPERATING SYSTEM THAN OURS.
SO IT'S LIKE GETTING AN APPLE AND A A, A DELL COMPUTER TO TALK TOGETHER.
THAT'S VERY SIMPLISTIC IN TERMS, BUT IT'S, IT, IT, THEY SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TRANSLATING DEVICE, WHICH IS TELL US, UH, UH, THE TELUS HUB THAT'S REFERRED TO ON THE, ON THE SLIDE.
AND TO GET THAT IN PLACE AND GET IT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY WOULD THEN ALLOW ALL DISPATCHERS, WHETHER YOU'RE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY OR THE, OR IN TRAVIS COUNTY, TO SEE THE CLOSEST APPARATUS, NO MATTER WHAT EMBLEM IS ON THE SIDE OF THE, OF THE, THE VEHICLE SO THAT THE CLOSEST UNIT TRULY COULD BE RESPONDED.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE DENSITY OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND TRAVIS COUNTY BORDER, IT MADE A LOT OF SENSE FOR US TO PURSUE THAT.
UM, SO THE TECHNOLOGY WAS ONE PART OF THAT.
THE OTHER PART IS, UH, NOT ALL DEPARTMENTS WERE USED TO WORKING, UH, COLLECTIVELY, RIGHT? SO THEY HAD DIFFERENT POLICIES, DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING THE SAME THING.
[01:25:01]
WHAT'S A SAFE WAY TO BRIDGE ALL THAT SO THAT WE CAN OPERATE THE SAME ON THESE INCIDENCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITIZEN AND TO MAKE SURE THE FIREFIGHTERS, UH, REGARDLESS OF OF WHAT DEPARTMENT THEY ARE, UH, WORKING THEIR COMMON PROCESSES AND, AND DO, CAN DO SO SAFELY AS WELL.AND SO THE, THE POLICIES AND THE TECHNOLOGY WERE THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO BRIDGE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND SO A LOT OF HARD WORK BY A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE, UH, COLLECTIVELY AMONGST ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS CAME TOGETHER TO, TO, TO FIND SOME COMPROMISED OPTIONS.
NOT EVERYONE GOT WHAT THEY WANTED, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD DO VERY WELL TO ALLOW US TO SERVE THE CITIZENS, WHICH IS OUR, OUR, OUR GOAL.
NUMBER ONE, THE TECHNOLOGY PART, UH, CONTINUES TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
UH, AS YOU WORK WITH ANY TECHNOLOGY, YOUR LAPTOPS, CELL PHONES, ET CETERA, THERE'S HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY.
AND SO THOSE ARE STILL BEING IRONED OUT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT BECOMING SMOOTHER AND SMOOTHER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN THE, THE NEXT STEP BEYOND THAT WILL BE, WHERE'S OUR NEXT MOST POPULATED BORDER? AND HOW DO WE START INTEGRATING THAT THERE SO THAT WE CAN TRULY HAVE A REGIONAL RESPONSE THAT TAKES CARE OF THE CITIZENS IN A MOST TIMELY FASHION? CUZ BUILDING FIRE STATIONS ACROSS THE STREET FROM EACH OTHER IS NOT A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROACH, RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
NOT ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE A PART OF THE AUTO EIGHT AGREEMENT.
UH, ALL THE FIRE CHIEFS, UH, HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM AND THEIR COMMUNITY.
UH, SOME OF THEM IT'S A TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE AND SOME OF IT'S, UH, THE POLICIES DON'T WORK FOR HOW THEY OPERATE, BUT, UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND LOOK FOR AGREEABLE SOLUTIONS TO EVERYBODY THAT, THAT, THAT CAN BE DONE TO, TO MAKE THAT MOVE FORWARD.
SO THAT'S THE AUTO AID SYSTEM.
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE EXPLANATION, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE A NEW AUDIENCE I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE TO TO, TO STRIKE A BALANCE HERE.
UH, WE'VE COVERED THIS A FEW DIFFERENT TIMES.
ONE OF THE, THE BENEFICIAL THINGS WE'VE BEEN ADD TO THE, TO BEEN ABLE TO ADD TO THE FIRETRUCKS IS NALOXONE, THE ABILITY TO, TO DEAL WITH, WITH OVERDOSES.
AND YOU SEE THE, THE, THE, THE TREMENDOUS VALUE TO THAT PARTICULAR RESOURCE AND DONE IN A TIMELY FASHION.
WE'RE GREAT PARTNERS WITH THEM.
THEY'RE GREAT PARTNERS WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF FOLKS IN, IN A TIMELY FASHION AND JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THE MANY SERVICES WE DO.
BUT THAT, THAT TRULY TRU PROVIDES A BENEFIT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
UH, HIGHLIGHTING ONE OF OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS IS INVESTIGATIONS.
OUR ARSON INVESTIGATORS, IF YOU WILL, THEIR ROLE IS TO HELP THE COMPANY OFFICERS WHENEVER THERE IS A FIRE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CAUSE WAS.
UH, MANY OF THE OFF COMPANY OFFICERS CAN TAKE CARE OF IT ALL ON THEIR OWN EVERY NOW AND THEN.
THERE'S SOME THAT ARE A LITTLE CHALLENGING AND NOT SURE HOW THAT OCCURRED OR IT'S EVIDENT THAT IT DID NOT OCCUR COINCIDENTALLY, BUT WAS INTENTIONALLY SET.
AND OUR A INVESTIGATORS ALONG WITH OUR, UH, UH, ACCELERANT SNIFFING DOGS ARE, DO A GREAT JOB OF IDENTIFYING, UH, THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
AND THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB IN CLEARANCE RATE.
CLEARANCE RATE MEANS THAT THEY FIGURE OUT WHO, WHO SET THE FIRE AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH, UH, LEGAL ROUTES.
AND WE ARE, ARE MORE THAN TWICE THE NATURAL AVERAGE ON THAT.
SO OUR ARSON INVESTIGATORS DO A VERY GOOD JOB, UH, OF MAKING SURE TO FIND OUT THAT THE TRUE CAUSE AND ORIGIN AND THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY OR PARTIES FOR THAT, UH, TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND IDEALLY TO STOP THE ARSON FIRES FROM OCCURRING.
CUZ TYPICALLY IF SOMEONE DOES AN ARSON FIRE, IT'S NOT JUST ONCE.
THAT'S SOMETIMES THEY'RE HABITUAL IN NATURE, SO VERY PROUD OF THEM AND THE GREAT WORK THEY DO THERE.
SO WE ARE THE FIFTH LARGEST WILDFIRE RISK FOR PROPERTY LOSS.
AND WE'RE THE FIRST OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND SO THE CITY'S DONE A GOOD JOB OF SUPPORTING US WITH THE WILDFIRE DIVISION, OF WHICH WE'VE FURTHER ENHANCED BY SETTING UP WILDFIRE BATTALION, WHICH ARE OPERATIONAL UNITS THAT HAVE A MORE HEIGHTENED, UH, LEVEL OF TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE WHEN IT COMES TO WILDFIRE RESPONSE.
ALL OF OUR MEMBERS ARE TRAINED TO HOW TO RESPOND TO THE INTERFACE WHERE YOUR, YOUR WOODS AND YOUR HOMES, UH, COME TOGETHER.
THOUGH IT LOOKS FANTASTIC AND IT'S VERY HOMEY, UH, THAT IS A LOT OF FUEL NEXT TO YOUR HOME.
AND IF THAT WERE TO IGNITE, UH, DOES CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS WITH MOVING FROM HOME TO HOME.
AND, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW DO WE EVACUATE THOSE PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS? SO WE DO HAVE THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT TRAINED TO A RESPONDING INTERFACE LEVEL.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE A WILDFIRE, THE WILDFIRE BATTALION THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND ON THEIR TRAINING TO DEAL WITH, WITH WILDFIRE RESPONSE.
AND WE HAVE OUR WILDFIRE DIVISION THAT, UH, DOES A LOT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, UH, MITIGATION, AND THEY ALSO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT, UH, UH, HIGH WILDFIRE RISK DAYS OCCUR, THEY'RE GOOD ABOUT PROVIDING INFORMATION TO OUR DEPARTMENT, TO THE REGION.
AND THEN OUR OPERATIONS SECTION
[01:30:01]
MAKES, UH, ADJUSTMENTS TO THE STAFFING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, FORWARD LEANING AND PREPARED, UH, IN THOSE SITUATIONS TO AGGRESSIVELY TAKE CARE OF THE FIRE BEFORE IT GETS OUT OF CONTROL, SO, OR AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO DO SO.AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE THERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE FREQUENCY OF WILDFIRE RISK DAYS, ET CETERA.
UH, SO FAR THIS YEAR AND QUARTER TWO, UH, WE DON'T HAVE MONEY, BUT THIS IS ALSO A, UH, NOT THE ROUGHEST TIME OF THE YEAR.
SO THE, OUR NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT WILL PROBABLY HAVE SOME DIFFERENT NUMBERS ON THERE.
OH, AND IF YOU WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT WILDFIRE, THE THE BOTTOM PART OF THERE, YOU SEE ATX WILDFIRE.COM.
IT'S AN OUTWARD FACING, UH, UH, WEBSITE FOR FOLKS TO LOOK AT, TO SEE WHAT THEIR WILDFIRE RISK IS IN THEIR AREA, HOW TO BECOME A WILDFIRE, UH, SAFE COMMUNITY.
UH, ALL SORTS OF GREAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ON THAT WEBSITE, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU, SHARE IT, CHECK IT OUT, ET CETERA.
IT'S, IT'S A FANTASTIC RESOURCE TO HAVE.
UH, OUR FIRE MARSHAL, UH, THE, THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE DOES A LOT OF THINGS.
EVERY PLACE YOU SEE A CRANE OR, OR, UH, UH, CONSTRUCTION FENCES UP TO BUILD NEW, UH, PROPERTY.
WE ARE A COMPONENT OF THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SPRINKLER, THEY'VE GOT EXITS, UH, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE BUILT SAFELY IF IT'S A HIGH RISE, THAT IT HAS ALL THE SAFETY FEATURES IN THERE TO, TO, TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, TO MINIMIZE THE FIRE RISK, AND TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF HARM'S WAY.
UH, THEY ALSO DO, UM, MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS, WHICH IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PREEXISTING BUILDINGS ARE STILL MAINTAINED IN A SAFE FASHION.
AND THEY ALSO DO SPECIAL EVENTS.
YOU SEE A LONG LIST OF THINGS THERE.
I WON'T GO OVER ALL OF THEM, BUT, UH, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A, A, A CITY, A COMMUNITY THAT'S A HOST TO A LOT OF SPECIAL EVENTS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
AND WE HAVE A HAND IN ALL OF THOSE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DONE SAFELY.
UH, I'LL SPOTLIGHT ONE JUST AS A RANDOM DEAL.
YOU TURN ZILKER PARK INTO, UH, A VARIETY OF, OF CONCERT CLUBS AND RESTAURANTS WITH THE STAGES IN THE, THE, THE, THE FOOD TRUCKS AND THE, THE FOOD VENDORS THERE.
AND IT'S ALL AN ENCLOSED AREA ALONG WITH THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THEY DO.
IT'S GOTTA BE DONE IN A FASHION THAT, THAT MAKES THINGS SAFE, UH, THAT PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO GET OUT IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE THERE, AND TO DO SO IN A SAFE AND ORGANIZED FASHION.
AND ALSO TO ALLOW, AS PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE EMERGENCY RESOURCES TO GET IN TO, TO HANDLE WHATEVER THAT SITUATION MAY BE.
UH, A LOT OF HARD WORK GOES INTO THAT BY NOT ONLY THE, THE, THE VARIETY OF, UH, EVENT HOSTS, BUT ALSO BY, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, MANY OTHER AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE DONE AND DONE SAFELY.
AND WE'VE GOT A VERY GOOD TRACK RECORD AND HOPEFULLY WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT, THAT THEME MOVING FORWARD AND, AND HAVE SAFE EVENTS FOR THE THE CITY.
THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE PLAN REVIEW, ET CETERA.
BASICALLY, WHEN SOMEONE HAS A PLOT OF LAND AND THEY SAY, HEY, I WANT TO BUILD THIS.
SO THEY SEND THAT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND IT GOES THROUGH A VARIETY OF REVIEWS.
ONE OF THOSE IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A FIRE LANE.
OUR ABILITY TO GET TO THE PROPERTY, UH, PER CODE THAT THE BUILDING'S BUILT BY CODE, ET CETERA, IS ALL ENCOMPASSED IN THIS.
AND WE HAVE, WE NEED TO, TO, TO GET THOSE REVIEWED SO WE'RE NOT UNDULY HOLDING PEOPLE BACK.
AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN US AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO MAKE THOSE AS STREAMLINED AS WE POSSIBLY COULD.
WE GOT LOTS, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS.
WE GOT A LOT OF MORE WORK TO DO TO MAKE THAT A, A, UH, PROCESS OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION THAT, UH, IS, IS VOID OF MUCH RED TAPE AND BUREAUCRACY, POSSIBLY CAN MAKE IT, BUT ALSO DONE SAFELY.
SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE NUMBERS REFLECT THERE WITH OUR ENGINEERS.
THE NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, THIS GOES BACK TO ONCE A BUILDING IS OPEN, ONCE SOMEONE HAS GOT THEIR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, AND NOW THE, THE OVERSIGHT IS DONE, THEY'VE PASSED ALL THEIR INSPECTIONS, AND THE BUILDING IS UP RUNNING A AS THEY SO CHOOSE UNTIL THEY DECIDE TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO IT.
WELL, IN THOSE BUILDINGS YOU COULD HAVE ALARM SYSTEMS, SPRINKLERS, UH, STANDPIPES, ET CETERA.
AND THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE INSPECTED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE FISCAL YEAR 14 AND 15 ON THERE, WE WERE DOING THAT WITH A COUPLE OF PEOPLE OUT OF OUR FIRE PREVENTION OFFICE.
AND THE CHALLENGES CAME WITH CHANGEOVER OF, OF MANAGEMENT SUPERVISION, ET CETERA.
NOT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, BUT FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND SO OUR ABILITY TO CONNECT AND MAINTAIN THOSE CONNECTIONS BECAME PROBLEMATIC.
SO WE FOUND THIS, UH, THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE, WHICH IS A THIRD PARTY VENDOR, AND THEY TAKE CARE OF MAKING THOSE, THOSE CONNECTIONS AND THEY HAVE A PROCESS TO IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUILDINGS ARE STAYING WITHIN COMPLIANCE ONCE THEY HAVE THE SYSTEMS, THE SYSTEMS ARE MAINTAINED IN A, IN A PROPER AND APPROPRIATE FASHION.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE TREMENDOUS VALUE OF THAT IS THE CITY.
WE, WE'VE GONE FROM, UH, 5% IN FISCAL YEAR 14 NOW TO UP UPWARDS OF 80% OR GREATER.
[01:35:01]
SOME THINGS DOWN IN THE PROCESS OF THAT, BUT, UH, THEY ARE FANTASTIC TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR, OUR EXISTING BUILDINGS, PARDON ME, ARE BEING MAINTAINED IN A SAFE FASHION.SO THAT IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND IS DONE WELL FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT BUILDINGS ARE, ARE MAINTAINED AS APPROPRIATE.
WE GO TO SCHOOLS, WE TEACH FIRE SAFETY, UH, WE, UH, DO EDUCATION, A VARIETY OF THINGS.
THE WILDFIRE DEPARTMENT OR SECTION DIVISION DOES THAT AS WELL.
ONE OF THE ADDITIONAL THINGS OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOLKS DO IS THEY SMOKE.
THEY SMOKE,
AND IF PEOPLE CAN BE ALERTED, UH, THAT THERE'S A FIRE IN, IN THE BUILDING THAT THEY'RE IN AND SAFELY EXIT, THEN WE CAN THEN FOCUS ALL OF OUR EFFORTS, NOT ON THE LIFE SAFETY PART, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, BUT IN THE EXTINGUISH IT AND OF THE FIRE AND PRESERVATION OF THEIR PROPERTY.
SOME THINGS LIKE TVS CAN BE REPLACED.
THE, THE MEMENTOS FROM, UH, FAMILY HEIRLOOMS, ET CETERA, THOSE CANNOT.
AND SO IF WE CAN GET IN THERE AND DO THAT IN A MORE TIMELY FASHION, WE CAN SAVE SOME OF THOSE PRECIOUS THINGS FOR, FOR THE FAMILY, UH, ALONG THE WAY.
SO WITH THAT, IT'S OUR DESIRE TO THERE BE A SMOKE ALARM, UH, IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD, NOT JUST ONE, BUT ONE IN EVERY BEDROOM, ONE IN THE HALLWAY THAT LEADS TO THE BEDROOM, ET CETERA.
SO PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOU GOT THE PHONE NUMBER THERE, GIVE US A CALL.
WE'LL COME PUT THOSE IN FOR FREE.
SO, AND HAPPY TO DO THAT SERVICE, WHOEVER WANTS IT.
SO, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF DOING.
THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES, WE'LL BREEZE THROUGH.
THESE WERE KIND OF REQUESTS BACK WHEN COVID WAS, WAS MORE PREVALENT THAN NOW.
AND YOU CAN SEE OUR THROUGH TIME, THE, THE SPIKES THAT WE HAD AND, UH, IN THE HEIGHT OF COVID AND IT HAD A FEW DIFFERENT WAVES TO IT.
WE HAD UPWARDS OF A HUNDRED TO 130 OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE QUARANTINED BECAUSE THEY HAD COVID, UH, AND, AND PROBLEMATIC.
A WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PHYSICALLY OKAY AND THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OKAY AS FAR AS THE, THE DISEASE GOES, BUT THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT THE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH REQUIRES PEOPLE TO PUT ON FIRETRUCKS AND RESPOND.
AND THOSE SORT OF NUMBERS, UH, DEFINITELY CREATED SOME CHALLENGES FOR US TO GET THROUGH.
THANKFULLY, NOW FOR A WHILE, THINGS HAVE SETTLED DOWN AND, AND WE HAVE JUST A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, AS YOU SEE HERE, AS PER THIS REPORT, ONLY TWO, UH, AS OF RECENT THAT WERE OUT WITH COVID.
SO THE NUMBERS ARE DRAMATICALLY SMALLER THAN BEFORE.
UH, UM, BUT THIS WAS AGAIN, A SLIDE THAT WAS AT A REQUEST OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND AT THIS POINT, WE SEEM TO BE AT A STEADY STATE OF ONES AND TWOS, NOT TWENTIES, THIRTIES, FORTIES AND FIFTIES, AT LEAST AS IT STANDS NOW.
SO, UH, NOT ONLY DO WE GO TO FIRES, WE ALSO HAVE DEALT WITH VACCINATIONS, RIGHT? WE, UH, AND STILL DO OUR WELLNESS CENTER.
IF, IF YOU ARE ARE CURIOUS ABOUT OR, OR INTERESTED IN A COVID SHOT, BY ALL MEANS, UH, CONTACT US.
WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK YOU THROUGH IT.
THERE'S NOWADAYS SUCH A VARIETY OF OPTIONS OUT THERE, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR, OUR, UH, NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY, BUT OUR MEMBERS AS WELL.
WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE THAT MOST PEOPLE THAT JOIN US JOIN AND THEY, THEY ENJOY A VERY HEALTHY CAREER.
THEY STAY 20 PLUS YEARS AND AT, AT THEIR DECISION TO, TO, TO MOVE ON.
THEY THEN RETIRE AND, AND, AND GO ON TO WHATEVER'S NEXT IN THEIR LIVES.
AFTER WORKING A FANTASTIC, UH, CAREER SERVING THE COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN, WE DO HAVE A SMALLER NUMBER THAT, THAT LEAVE EARLIER, UH, THAT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
AND WE'VE DONE EXIT INTERVIEWS, AND I'VE SHARED THIS BEFORE.
UH, THE FOLKS THAT TEND TO LEAVE EARLIER, THE RESIGNATION YOU SEE THERE WITH THE AVERAGE OF 5.4 YEARS WERE ALONG THE LINES OF, UH, THEY TRIED OUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY, THEY, THEY'RE NOW WANTING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW.
UH, BACK WHEN REAL ESTATE WAS BOOMING, WE HAD SOME FOLKS LEAVE TO BE REAL ESTATE AGENTS.
UH, WE'VE HAD FOLKS LEAVE TO, TO GO WORK IN THE IT COMMUNITY, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I JOINED IT LAST CENTURY, WE ARE A BUNCH OF BLUE COLLAR WORKERS, UH, THAT PEOPLE HAD HAD, UH, LABOR SKILLS, ET CETERA.
NOWADAYS, UH, SINCE NINE 11 AND THE, THE, THE CALL TO TO TO SERVICE, UH, YOU SEE A LOT OF WHITE COLLAR WORKERS, FOLKS THAT WERE IT OR, OR REAL ESTATE OR WORKED OFFICE JOBS OR AIRLINE PILOTS.
WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE LAWYERS THAT JOINED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
JUST, IT'S, IT'S A DIFFERENT GROUP THAT HA HAVE JOINED.
AND, AND SOME OF THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS, THEY, THEY, THEY JOIN, THEY TRY SOMETHING, THEY WANT TO GO TRY SOMETHING ELSE.
AND WITH THAT IT'S IT REAL ESTATE OR MAYBE THERE WAS FAMILY ISSUES, THEY CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THERE WAS THEN THE NEED TO MOVE BACK TO TAKE CARE OF FAMILY MEMBERS WHO, UH, UH, WERE ILL, UH, IN
[01:40:01]
ANOTHER STATE.AND FOR THAT REASON, HAD TO LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT TO GO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
WHAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN AS OF YET, IS ANYONE LEAVING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO GO JOIN ANOTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? IF THEY DO, IT'S ONLY BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER ISSUES.
I, I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS ELSEWHERE, I NEED TO GO BACK THERE.
I'M A FIREFIGHTER, SO I'LL TRY TO GET ON THERE WHEN I GET THERE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW THAT GOES FOR US.
SO, UH, THE, THE, IN THE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE ABOUT 140 CIVILIANS THAT HELP US FOR IT.
THEY TRULY ARE, UH, THE, THE GLUE THAT HELPS A LOT OF THINGS, UH, CONTINUE AND KEEP TOGETHER, ET CETERA.
WE HAVE ABOUT 29 VACANCIES NOW.
UH, SOME OF THAT'S THE ENGINEERS, UH, FOR FIRE PREVENTION.
THOSE ARE CIVILIANS THAT DO REVIEW THE PLANS.
IT'S NOT A HUGE MARKET OF PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN SELECT FROM.
UH, SO THAT'S A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REVAMPING OUR WILDFIRE SECTION AS WELL, WHERE WE WERE FOCUSED A LOT ON MITIGATION.
OUR LIMITATION ON THAT MITIGATION WAS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, WHICH IS ABOUT 30%.
AND PUBLIC PROPERTY IS GONNA BE LIKE AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND THOSE, THOSE DEPARTMENTS OVER THE YEARS HAVE GOTTEN A MORE ROBUST, UH, INTERNAL PROCESS FOR THEMSELVES AND PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN MITIGATION.
SO THEIR NEED FOR US BECAME LESS.
SO WE'RE NOW GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF, OF RECLASSIFYING POSITIONS AND CHANGING THAT TO WHERE THEY'RE, UH, FOCUSED MORE ON THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT TO YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTIES, THE 70% OF THE CITY TO HELP EDUCATE THEM AND POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF RESOURCES OUT THERE TO HELP WITH THE, THE MITIGATION AND TO MAKE THEIR PROPERTIES SAFER, TO MINIMIZE THE WILDFIRE RISK.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THE, THE CIVILIAN POSITIONS FOR US.
NEXT, OUR CADET HIRING PROCESS.
WE'VE GOT TWO CADET CLASSES IN, UH, IN SESSION, CURRENTLY ONE OF THOSE GRADUATES FRIDAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA PUT ABOUT 40 NEW FIREFIGHTERS OUT ON THE, UH, ON THE STREETS TO HELP US WITH OUR STAFFING AND TO, UH, UH, TO, TO RESPOND TO CALLS.
UH, HERE ON FRIDAY THEY'LL GRADUATE.
AND THEN, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND, THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK, THEY'LL START THEIR FIRST SHIFTS OUT IN OPERATIONS.
UM, THE, THE OTHER CLASS WILL GRADUATE IN, I THINK AUGUST, IF I'M REMEMBER.
THEY'RE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND, UH, THE, WE JUST NOW COMPLETED OUR, UM, OUR NEW HIRING PROCESS.
THESE ARE THE LAST TWO CLASSES OFF OUR CURRENT HIRING LIST.
OUR HIRING LIST LASTS FOR TWO YEARS.
IT'S AN AGREEMENT THROUGH OUR, OUR CONTRACT, UH, BETWEEN THE LABOR AND MANAGEMENT.
UH, AND THESE ARE THE LAST TWO CLASSES OFF OUR CURRENT HIRING LIST.
WE DID A, A, UH, HIRING PUSH THROUGH RECRUITING, AND WE HAD APPLICATIONS THAT WERE OPEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF MARCH THAT CLOSED.
UH, WE HAD JUST UNDER 14 APPLICANTS, 1371 I THINK IS THE EXACT NUMBER.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO PROCESSING THROUGH HERE IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS.
WE, UH, HAD THE, THE ORIGINAL CLASS WAS SCHEDULED.
THE ORIGINAL TEST DATE FOR THEM WAS SCHEDULED IN MAY.
UH, BUT DUE TO OUR CONTRACT, UH, AND THE CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS THERE, THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT RULES WE WOULD NEED TO FOLLOW FOR THAT TESTING PROCESS.
UNDER THE CON CONTRACT, WE'RE ABLE TO DEVIATE FROM CHAPTER 1 43.
AND BY AGREEMENT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT'S SET IN PLACE FOR, FOR, FOR THAT TO HIRE FOLKS, THE TESTING THEY DO, ET CETERA.
UH, THE CURRENT CONTRACT IS SET TO, UH, TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF JUNE, NOT KNOWING HOW THAT WOULD PLAY OUT.
IT, WE DIDN'T WANT TO, TO BRING PEOPLE IN, HAVE 'EM TAKE A WRITTEN TEST, THEN COME BACK AND DO AN ORAL TEST, AND THEN THAT CONTRACT NOT BE RESOLVED AND NOT BE EXTENDED.
AND THAT EFFORT BE FOR NOT, WE'RE TRYING TO VALUE PEOPLE'S TIME AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
AND THE MOST PRUDENT THING WAS TO SAY, LET'S PUT A PAUSE ON THIS RESCHEDULE.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF A VENUE THAT CAN HOLD ABOUT 1500 PEOPLE FOR TESTING, WE'D LOVE TO KNOW IT.
BE, BE HAPPY FOR YOU TO SHARE THAT WITH US, UH, SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT SET UP SOMETIME AFTER THE END OF JUNE.
HOPEFULLY THE CONTRACT RESOLVED AND IT, IT PROVIDES US CLARITY ON WHICH ROUTE WE'RE GONNA GO, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF PEOPLE'S TIME IN THE RECRUIT.
NEXT, RECRUITING, UH, MORE ABOUT RECRUITING.
WE HAVE A COUPLE PROGRAMS THAT EXPLORE.
ONE IS FOR YOUR YOUNGER FOLKS.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE SCOUTS, BUT IT'S FOCUSED MORE ON FIREFIGHTING AND, AND JUST, UH, DEVELOPING CHARACTER AND HOPEFULLY SOME INTEREST IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT PAST THE TORCH, WHICH IS FOR YOUR, UH, 18 AND OLDER FOLKS TO, TO BE A BIT OF RECRUITING TOOL.
THEY GET TO SEE WHAT FIRE FIGHTING'S, LIKE THIS PAST WEEKEND, UH, WAS ONE OF THEIR LAST, UH, THEY GO THROUGH ABOUT 10 WEEKENDS, 10 SATURDAYS WHERE THEY GET TOGETHER THIS PAST SATURDAY.
THEY GOT TO CUT UP CARS, THE, THE JAWS ALIVE, THE CUTTERS AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF.
AND I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH THE, THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM AND THEY WERE JUST
[01:45:01]
EXCITED THAT THEY GOT TO DO THAT.WHAT A, WHAT A FUN THING THAT IS TO CUT UP A CAR.
SO IT'S A GREAT RECRUITING TOOL TO, TO SHOW PEOPLE THE THINGS THAT WE GET TO DO TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE LAST SLIDE, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S PATIENCE.
AND WITH THAT, IF YOU KNOW OF FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, JOIN AFD.COM AS OUR WEBSITE.
UH, WE ACCEPT APPLICATIONS ONLY EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN SOON, BUT THERE'S GREAT INFORMATION ON THAT WEBSITE AND, UH, WOULD LOVE TO, TO TELL THEM MORE ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE WELCOME TO, TO, TO SEE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT AND MAYBE CONSIDER US FOR A JOB OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE.
AND WITH THAT, I'VE TALKED A LOT.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS? YEAH.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER KOFF.
THANK YOU CHIEF BYERS FOR YOUR REPORT.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO YOUR RESPONSE TIMES.
IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, IT'S FROM THE TIME THAT THE NINE ONE ONE OPERATOR PICKS UP THE PHONE SAYS, WHAT'S THE NATURE OF YOUR EMERGENCY UNTIL YOU ARRIVE ON THE SCENE? CORRECT.
I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT YOUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE FROM THE TIME THAT YOU GET THE TONES IN THE STATION TO WHERE WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON THE SCENE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT BREAKDOWN.
AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF STATION 25? IS IT GONNA BE ANOTHER STATION 22 PROJECT IN A SENSE THAT ONE WAS NOT.
SO STATION TWO, SO I APOLOGIZE, I I'LL HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU ON THE INFORMATION ABOUT, FROM THE TONES GO OFF TO IT'S RIGHT, WHICH WILL BE YOUR TRAVEL TIME.
AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.
SO I'LL SEND THAT BACK TO THE, TO THE, THE COMMISSION FOR Y'ALL'S REVIEW FOR STATION 25.
THAT ONE WAS A PARTIAL TEAR DOWN THAT, THAT THO THOSE UNITS NOW ARE AT A DIFFERENT STATION.
WE TRY, UH, WHERE POSSIBLE WHEN WE, WE GO THROUGH A RENOVATION PROCESS WHERE THE, THE, THE STATION'S NOT GONNA BE INHABITABLE FOR THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, THE, THE CONSTRUCTION TIME TO PUT THEM IN A TRAILER IN THE VICINITY SO THAT WE'RE STILL PROVIDING THE RESPONSE TO THAT COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE USED TO.
NOT ALL AREAS ARE SUITABLE FOR THAT, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO FIND, WE HAVE TO HAVE A TRAILER THAT'S AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE ONE THAT'S AVAILABLE, HAVE TO HAVE A SPACE WHERE IT WOULD FIT AND, AND WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR, FOR US TO DRIVE A FIRETRUCK IN AND OUT OF, UH, ET CETERA.
SO THERE'S SOME PARAMETERS TO ALL OF THAT.
AND 20 FIVES UNFORTUNATELY WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND A SUITABLE LOCATION NEARBY.
SO WE HAD TO MOVE THEM TO, UH, UH, UH, THE CLOSEST FIRE STATION FOR THE DURATION OF THE, OF, OF THE BUILD.
UM, THE, FOR 20 FIVES THERE, THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES IN THE, THE, UH, PERMITTING PROCESS, WHICH I BELIEVE WE'VE NOW NAVIGATED THROUGH AND IT SHOULD BE LESS THAN A YEAR FROM NOW THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CELEBRATE A GRAND OPENING OF, OF THE NEW STATION 25 AND, AND HAVE THOSE CREWS BACK IN THERE AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY LIKE, LIKE WE DESIRE FOR THEM TO BE.
COMMISSIONER RU 10, IT'S VERY BRIEFLY, I I, IN THE INTEREST OF RESPECTING EVERYBODY'S TIME, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS NECESSARY FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TAKING THE TIME TO REPORT ON THE COVID DATA TO US.
I'M SURE THAT YOU TRACK THAT INTERNALLY, BUT IF THAT SAVES TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT CONTINUING HAVING THAT'S GOOD.
UM, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW IF THAT CHANGES, BUT FOR NOW I THINK ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS CAN PROBABLY EASE OFF OF THAT FOR NOW.
COMMISSIONER NGUYEN, THANK YOU CHIEF FOR BEING HERE.
UM, UH, ANOTHER FOLLOW UP TO THE RESPONSE TIMES.
UH, I SEE THAT ON, ON AVERAGE IT'S GOING UP BY A MINUTE.
UH, I COMMEND YOU DESPITE THE FACT THAT TRAFFIC IS PROBABLY INCREASING AT A EVER INCREASING RATE.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP ALLEVIATE, UM, THE INCREASES ON RESPONSE TIMES? WE ARE LOOKING INTO SOME, SOME OPTIONS OUT THERE.
UH, THE, UH, THE COST OF A FIRE STATION IS 17 MILLION IN GROW A PUBLIC SAFETY STATION.
FORGIVE ME, PUBLIC SAFETY STATION IS ABOUT 17 MILLION IN GROWING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LAND THAT IT GOES ON.
IT NEEDS A LOT OF LAND TO MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, AND TO STAFF THAT WITH A FIRETRUCK WITH FOUR PERSONNEL ON IT IS A ROUGHLY 1.6 MILLION ANNUAL COST AS WELL.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, WE, WE DID SOME DATA MINING FOR, AS WE ARE FINISHING THESE FIVE STATIONS IN SIX YEARS, WHERE ARE OUR NEXT CHALLENGES? WHERE DO WE FIND THAT WE'RE HAVING ISSUES? AND WE FOUND IT MOSTLY ALONG THE I 35 AND 180 3 CORRIDOR, UH, RUNDBERG LANE, UH, RIVERSIDE, STASSY, WILLIAM CANNON, THE UM, THE GEORGIAN LANE AREA.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GEORGIAN LANE OR GEORGIAN DRIVE AREA, ET CETERA.
[01:50:01]
FOR THOSE, WHAT, WHAT OPTIONS EXIST FOR US TO, TO IMPROVE OUR RESPONSE TIME IN THAT AREA.AND IT'S A MULTITUDE OF THINGS.
YOU HEARD SOME OF IT FROM, FROM OMO WITH USING THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE RIGHT SITUATION.
IF THEY JUST NEED A PRESCRIPTION, THEN A EMERGENCY APPARATUS NEED TO GO AT ALL.
IF IT'S A A LESS SIGNIFICANT, UH, MEDICAL DEAL, RIGHT, THAT DOESN'T NEED A FIRETRUCK WITH FOUR PEOPLE ON IT, MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT WE REFER TO AS A SQUAD, WHICH WOULD BE A TWO PERSON UNIT, UH, TO RESPOND TO TAKE CARE OF UNDERWRITE CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHT? CPR CALL WOULD NEED, UH, MORE PEOPLE TO DO CPR AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE WITH THAT.
BUT FOR A LESS SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL CALL THAT STILL RE STILL REQUIRES A RESPONSE, MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO DO THAT WITH, WITH A, A UNIT THAT'S LESS EXPENSIVE CUZ A PICKUP TRUCK IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN A FIRE TRUCK, TWO PEOPLE'S LESS AT EXPENSIVE THAN FOUR, UH, ET CETERA.
SO WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE THAT, UH, VETTED OUT MORE THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR IN, IN, IN THE FUTURE BUDGET CYCLES.
WE'LL BE MAYBE PUTTING THAT ON THE TABLE OF SOMETHING TO HELP US TO ACCENTUATE OUR SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL IF IT MAKES SENSE.
UM, WAS, WAS IT SPECIFICALLY JUST TRAFFIC THAT ACCOUNTED FOR THE MINUTE JUMP BETWEEN THE QUARTERS OR WAS IT STAFFING TOO? OR IT WAS NOT STAFFING FOR US, WE, WE ARE MANDATED TO HAVE FOUR PEOPLE ON EVERY APPARATUS EVERY DAY.
SO WITH THAT, THAT IT'S NOT A STAFFING ISSUE.
NOW UNITS DO, UH, MAYBE THE UNIT'S NOT AVAILABLE, RIGHT? CAUSE THEY'RE ON ANOTHER MEDICAL CALL AND MAYBE THE UNIT'S NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO SOMETHING AT OUR TRAINING CENTER OR OUT OF SERVICE FOR A MECHANICAL ISSUE OR, OR, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS THAT COULD CAUSE THAT.
SOME OF IT IS ALSO THE, THE, THE CITY DESIGN, RIGHT? AS WE'RE TRYING TO, TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER FOR, UH, A MORE WALKABLE COMMUNITY.
EITHER THE BIKE LANES, THE, THE OTHER THINGS AFFECT THE, THE, THE SIZE OF THE STREET.
AND AS YOU ADD MORE PEOPLE IN THE CITY, NOW WE ALL HAVE VEHICLES THAT DOES CREATE SOME CONGESTION ISSUES THERE.
UH, SO HOW CAN WE BE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE OTHER CITY AGENCIES ON SOLUTIONS THAT HELP RESOLVE THAT PROBLEM MAKING THINGS, UH, SAFER IN A WALKABLE CAPACITY, BUT ALSO ALLOW US TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY FASHION.
UH, AND SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THOSE GREAT CHALLENGES AND OF THOSE CHALLENGES OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS TOGETHER.
SO WAS THE JUMP, UM, HAS IT BEEN INCREMENTAL QUARTER OF A QUARTER OR IS THIS A NEW IT'LL FLUCTUATE.
SO YEAH, SO FOR AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, IT'S, IT WON'T BE THAT NEXT TIME.
WELL, IT'S EVEN A MINUTE LONGER OR A MINUTE LONGER.
IT FLUCTUATES BASED ON CALL TYPES, UH, CALL VOLUME AND THE THINGS I JUST DESCRIBED, RIGHT? IF, IF, UH, TWO OR THREE CALLS HAPPENED IN THIS AREA AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, THE, THE FIRST ONE OR TWO WOULD HAVE THE CLOSEST UNIT RESPOND.
WELL, THE NEXT ONE IS GONNA COME FROM FURTHER AWAY, SO THE RESPONSE TIME WOULD BE LONGER.
UH, AND THAT WILL ALSO BE THE CASE IF THERE'S A MECHANICAL ISSUE OR, OR OTHER THINGS THERE THAT WOULD AFFECT OUR, OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND IN A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME.
SO IT, IT WON'T BE THAT YOU, WHERE I SHOWED YOU THE ONE MAP WHERE OVER TIME FROM 2014 TO 2022, YOU'VE SEEN A, A GENERAL INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME OR CALL, UH, RESPONSE TIME.
IT WON'T BE THAT EACH TIME THAT YOU SEE IT'S A MINUTE MORE, A MINUTE MORE, A MINUTE MORE.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO, UM, THANK YOU CHIEF FIRES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
I THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA DO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I DID SEND OUT A NOTE TO EVERYBODY ABOUT OUR REALLY LONG LIST OF AGENDA ITEMS. WE PROBABLY HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, LIKE PROBABLY LIKE SIX MONTHS WORTH OF AGENDA ITEMS ON THE LIST, UM, AT LEAST.UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE STUFF, UM, THAT COMES UP THAT PEOPLE WANT.
UM, I REALLY, UM, UM, I WANT US TO FIND SECONDS ON THE RECORD AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, I KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE CRUNCHED FOR TIME, SO IF WE CAN JUST COMMUNICATE VIA EMAIL A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN GET SECONDS FOR ALL OF THESE ITEMS. UM, IF ANYONE HAS SOMETHING BRAND SPANKING NEW THAT THEY WANNA ADD TO THE LIST, I AM HAPPY TO TAKE THAT.
SO SAY I HAVE LIKE A, A QUESTION I SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO ASK LIKE A P D OR WHATEVER.
HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? DOES IT NEED, IT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM, IT'S JUST A QUESTION.
UM, WE CAN UM, AND WE CAN, WE CAN CREATE AGENDA ITEMS AROUND YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE CAN TALK AFTER THE MEETING AND FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT EXACTLY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT LIKE THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
UM, THERE IS ALSO THE A P D QUARTERLY REPORT THAT COMES UP EVERY, EVERY, THEY
[01:55:01]
ALL TAKE TURNS.SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK SOME OTHER QUESTIONS OF THEM AS WELL.
BUT LIKE, YEAH, LET'S TALK AND FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE AND WHAT THE BEST WAY IS TO GET THEM ADDRESSED.
CUZ I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THE FORMAT OF THE MEETING CAN BE, BUT LIKE, AND LIKE I SAID, UM, I'M, I'M REALLY SORRY THAT, UM, I WAS NOT ABLE TO IRON OUT EVERYTHING WITH A P D OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PAST MONTH.
I'VE ACTIVELY BEEN WORKING WITH A P D ALL MONTH, UM, IN HOPES OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE A PRODUCTIVE MEETING TODAY.
I'M REALLY, REALLY SORRY THAT WE WASTED EVERYONE'S TIME TODAY AND THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO COME BACK TO THE TABLE AND HAVE AN A P D SPECIFIC MEETING TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO I REALLY DO APOLOGIZE TO EVERYBODY FOR NOT HAVING THAT SQUARED AWAY ALREADY.
UM, AND UH, I THINK IT'S A REAL DISSERVICE TO A P D NOT BE JOINING US FOR OUR MEETINGS.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE'RE GONNA FIGURE THIS OUT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, UM, I WILL, YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UM, I, I THINK WE PUT THIS ON THE LIST OF SUGGESTED, UH, AGENDA ITEMS, BUT I, I DO REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES CUZ WHEN IT RELATES TO PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, AND WHEN IT RELATES TO, UH, PREPAREDNESS.
I, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE, UH, OUR OTHER AGENCIES BESIDES OUR, OUR FIRST RESPONDING AGENCIES ALSO PARTICIPATING, UM, IN WITH THIS COMMISSION.
AND I HAVE ONE TRAILING THOUGHT BUDGETS.
SO YOU GUYS ARE ALL SUBMITTING YOUR BUDGETS BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
SO WILL WE BE READY FOR BUDGET CONVERSATIONS IN JUNE? I BELIEVE SO.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHEN WE DID IT LAST YEAR IN AROUND JUNE.
AND SO I'M, I'M SAYING IT OUT LOUD WHILE WE'RE ON THE RECORD.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT JUNE IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE RESERVED.
IS THAT GONNA WORK? IF IT'S NOT GONNA WORK, THEN I MEAN WE, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, WE'LL, WHEN WE MEET FOR OUR AGENDA REVIEW OKAY.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SPECIFIC DATES ON WHAT'S GONNA BE RIGHT.
AND I THINK THE, UM, THE CITY BUDGET ISN'T APPROVED UNTIL, I THINK IT'S IT AUGUST THAT THEY TAKE THEIR VOTE.
SO WE MAY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME IF WE NEED IT, BUT YEAH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
UM, AND DO I NEED TO TAKE A VOTE TO ADJOURN OR CAN I JUST ADJOURN? OKAY.
WELL THEN I AM ADJOURNING OUR MEETING.