Aug 07, 2023 Public Safety Commission

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT? YES.

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS, ADDITIONS, CHANGES? OKAY, WITH THAT, I GUESS WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ON THE MINUTES.

VOICE VOTE FOR EVERYBODY.

OH, YEP.

A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AND MOVE TO APPROVE.

AND THEN I'LL JUST GO THROUGH, UM, COMMISSIONER ORR.

UM, COMMISSIONER HOLMES? YES.

COMMISSIONER, UM, HALL MARTIN? YES.

COMMISSIONER RUAN APPROVE.

AND COMMISSIONER SMITH APPROVED.

OKAY, SOUNDS GREAT.

AND WITH THAT, WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS JUST STAFF BRIEFINGS.

A NOTE THAT WE DID GET, UM, FOLLOW UP RESPONSES TO SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE POSTED PUBLICLY YET, BUT WE DID GET THEM THOSE CIRCULATED AND THEY SHOULD BE UP POSTED.

THEY'LL BE POSTED SHORTLY IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY.

UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, WE MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST

[3. Public Safety Quarterly Report given by Rob Vires – Austin Fire Department (Sponsors: Commissioners Ramírez and Bernhardt) 4:15pm - 4:30pm]

ITEM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS, UM, OUR QUARTERLY REPORT FROM FIRE.

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

ROB FIRES, CHIEF OF STAFF WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, TRYING SOMETHING NEW HERE.

THE LAST TIME WE DID A QUARTERLY REPORT, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, UH, ABOUT HAVING SOME DIFFERENT ITEMS IN THERE.

AND HISTORICALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO THE DATA DIVIDED BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, ET CETERA, THERE'S USUALLY NOT QUESTIONS THERE.

SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE PARCELED THOSE THINGS OUT AND IT'S IN A SEPARATE HANDOUT FOR EVERYONE.

SO YOU'VE STILL GOT THE INFORMATION, BUT IT WILL NOT BE A PART OF OUR POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.

SO LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS APPROPRIATE.

IF YOU WANT

[00:05:01]

SOMETHING DIFFERENT, HAPPY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.

UH, WITH THAT, IF WE COULD GO TO OUR NEXT SLIDE.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.

UH, THEY DO A GOOD JOB WORKING HARD DAY IN, DAY OUT, AND, UH, A LOT OF OUR STATIONS ARE, ARE VERY WELL AGED AND, AND NOT WITH CURRENT TIMES WITH, UH, THINGS TO HELP WITH, UH, IMPROVED SLEEP, UH, OR, UH, UH, CANCER PREVENTION SORT OF THINGS, OR EVEN THE, THE LOCKER ROOMS. SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY ON THAT.

UM, THIS FIRST SLIDE IS HIGHLIGHTING STATIONS 8 23 AND 25.

UM, ALL OF THEM, UH, ARE EXISTING STATIONS THAT ARE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY REMODELED, UH, LONG OVERDUE AND VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT TO, TO IMPROVE THE, UH, THE LIVING CONDITIONS FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND, UH, MAKE 'EM MORE MODERN WITH THE THINGS THAT'LL BE IN THERE.

SOME TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS, AND AGAIN, THINGS TO, TO, TO HELP OUR CREWS BE, UH, HEALTHIER AS WELL.

UH, WITH THE CANCER PREVENTION, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, FOR THESE STATIONS, WE DO OUR BEST TO KEEP, UH, CREWS WITHIN THEIR RESPONSE TERRITORY.

UH, IF THE THE SITE IS LARGE ENOUGH, WE MIGHT PUT A TRAILER ON THERE OR SOMEWHERE IN THE, IN THAT PARTICULAR, UM, RESPONSE AREA IF WE'RE ABLE TO.

IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, THEN WE PUT THEM AT A, AT, AT A CLOSEST STATION AT ALL POSSIBLE.

AGAIN, TRYING OUR BEST TO, TO MAINTAIN RESPONSE TIME FOR THE, THE, THE, THE CITIZENS AND THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE SERVING.

UH, THESE, UH, THREE, THE, THE TARGET COMPLETION DATE IS MARCH OF, UH, 2024.

UH, THIS ONE, UH, STATION ONE DOWNTOWN ERIC FIFTH AND TRINITY, UH, AGAIN, LONG OVERDUE.

THIS ONE WAS, UH, THE, THE ELECTRICAL.

AND THERE WAS SO OLD THAT THEY WERE HAVING TO GO TO EBAY TO, TO GET BREAKERS WHEN BREAKERS WENT DOWN.

AND IT WASN'T NEW ONES.

THEY WERE GENTLY USED.

ONE OWNERS.

SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE, THE, THE CITY'S, UH, INVESTMENT INTO THIS PROPERTY AND TO UPGRADE THE STATION SUBSTANTIALLY LIKE THE OTHERS.

AGAIN, IT'S AN EXISTING STATION THAT'S BEING REMODELED.

THE, THE GOAL IS TO KEEP, AT THIS PARTICULAR STATION, WE HAVE THREE FIRE APPARATUS, TWO ENGINES, AND ONE AERIAL.

AND NORMALLY THE SHIFT COMMANDER THERE, THE SHIFT COMMANDER IS NOT A, THEY'RE MORE OF A, A SUPERVISORY DEAL THAN THEY ARE A RESPONSE UNIT.

UM, AND THE GOAL IS THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION HERE, TO KEEP AT LEAST ONE OF THE UNITS THERE AT THE STATION.

UM, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OPTIONS THAT ARE STILL BEING WORKED ON WITH SOME PARTNERSHIPS FROM, FROM, UH, THE COMMUNITY TO, TO GET THE OTHER UNIT, MAYBE, UH, THE LADDER CLOSE BY IN AN AREA WE'VE USED BEFORE.

AND, AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP US TO, TO HELP MAINTAIN OUR RESPONSE TO THIS AREA.

THIS IS ALSO SCHEDULED TO BE DONE IN MARCH OF 24, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT HAVING THIS BACK IN, IN OPERATION WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS.

UH, THE, THERE ARE OTHER LARGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS GOING ON, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET OF TRINITY, SO JUST TO THE WEST OF THE STATION AND ON THE NORTH SIDE OF FIFTH STREET.

SO THAT PARTICULAR AREA IS GONNA BE, UH, QUITE CONGESTED AND, AND PROBABLY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE THROUGH FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

UM, VERY EXCITED.

THE, FOR THE, UH, CONTINUATION OF ADDING FIRE STATIONS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SERVE OUR, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, OUR, OUR NEXT NEW ONE TO OPEN.

WE'LL BE IN JANUARY.

THAT'S THE ONE AT GOODNIGHT RANCH, WHICH IS SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.

THAT'LL BE OUR 53RD STATION.

IT'LL ALSO HAVE E M S THERE AS WELL.

UM, THIS ONE WILL BE, UH, STATE-OF-THE-ART WITH ALL THE, THE SAME FEATURES I TALKED ABOUT IN THE REMODELS OF THE OTHER WITH THE CANCER PREVENTION, THE EQUITY LOCKER ROOMS, BATHROOMS, UH, SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS TO HELP MINIMIZE DISTURBANCES.

SO THE FIREFIGHTERS GET THE, THEIR BEST REST AS WELL WHEN THEY'RE NOT, UH, RESPONDING TO A CALL.

SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THERE.

AND ALL OF THESE TO INCLUDE THE REMODELS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ENDEAVORED TO MEET THE CITY'S, UH, EXPECTATION TO BE SILVER DESIGNATIONS.

THE, THE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IS AS, UH, EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.

THE, UH, AND WITH THIS, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, GRATITUDES TO THE, THE SYNERGY WE'VE GOT, NOT ONLY WITH OUR, UH, FIRE FOLKS THAT ARE ASSISTING WITH THESE MODELS, WITH E M SS, WITH PUBLIC WORKS, UH, JE DUNN, WHICH IS THE CONTRACTOR, AND THERE'S OTHERS AS WELL.

SO, THOUGH I DON'T CATCH ALL THE NAMES, VERY GRATEFUL.

THE, THE, THESE, UH, REMODELS AND THE, AND THE NEW BUILDS HAVE GONE VERY, VERY WELL BY THE, UH, COLLABORATION AND WORKING TOGETHER, UH, WITH AN EXISTING TEAM.

SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOOD AND BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY BECAUSE IT, I MEAN, THAT EFFICIENCY TRANSLATES TO SOME DOLLARS SAVED THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE PROCESS.

SO THINGS HAVE GOTTEN EXPENSIVE AND THE MATERIALS SOMETIMES ARE DELAYED.

IN ARRIVAL, OUR, THAT SYNERGY'S GONE VERY WELL.

[00:10:01]

SO I'M SADDENED TO SHARE THIS ONE IN PART, BUT GRATEFUL THAT FOR THE HEALTH OF THE PARTICULAR FIREFIGHTER STATION 51 IS ONE OF OUR NEWER STATIONS OVER MONTEREY OAKS TWO 90 AREA.

AND, UH, WHEN IT WAS DESIGNED, IT HAD SOME LARGE FANS IN THERE TO HELP DEAL WITH THE, THE HEAT THAT HAPPENS INSIDE THOSE TRUCK ROOMS. AND, UH, THE PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL NOT NORMALLY ASSIGNED TO THAT STATION HAD TRAVELED OVER THERE DOING DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE APPARATUS WAS UP ON TOP.

AND IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THAT FAN AND HAD SOME VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.

I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT IT IS NO WORSE THAN IT WAS, AND VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE PROGRESS THAT PARTICULAR FIREFIGHTER HAS MADE TO, TO DATE, STILL A LONG, LONG ROAD TO GO.

UM, THE, THE DESIGN AT THE TIME THE STATION WAS BUILT DID NOT CONTEMPLATE A PARTICULAR UNIT BEING IN THERE.

AND THAT WAS PART OF WHAT CAUSED THIS.

THERE WAS, THERE WAS EFFORTS, UH, IN, IN THE INITIAL DESIGN TO ENSURE THAT THE FANS WEREN'T IN PROXIMITY, BUT IT DIDN'T CONTEMPLATE THE PARTICULAR APPARATUS THAT WAS IN THERE.

UH, WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE FANS HAVE BEEN IN THE OFF POSITION POWER, UH, REMOVED SINCE THE INCIDENT.

AND, UH, A DIFFERENT SOLUTION WILL BE PROVIDED TO MAKE SURE ADEQUATE AIR FLOW IS GOING THROUGH THERE.

UH, BUT IT DOES SPEAK TO THE CHALLENGES OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE.

UH, IT'S A DIFFICULT JOB.

IT'S A DANGEROUS JOB.

AND, AND EVEN DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE OF BEING PREPARED, UH, DEFINITELY HAS, UH, AN ELEMENT OF DANGER TO IT.

AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY TIMES IT'S BEEN USED AND, AND THE, THE, UH, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IT MAKES.

AUTO AID.

UH, WE'VE SHARED THIS, UH, FOR A WHILE NOW.

IT'S, UH, FANTASTIC, UH, OCCURS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, AND IT'S A GREAT BENEFIT TO THE, THE CITIZENS OF ALL THE, THE, THE, THE, THE COMMUNITIES IN OUR AREA THAT ARE PART OF THE AUTOMATED PROGRAM.

IT GETS THE FIRST, THE CLOSEST EMERGENCY UNIT THERE FIRST, UH, AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, REGARDLESS OF THE NAME OF THAT'S ON THE SIDE OF THE, THE, UH, THE APPARATUS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, WESTLAKE OR AUSTIN OR CEDAR, UH, PARK, IT DOESN'T MATTER THE CLOSEST UNIT RESPONSE.

AND THAT'S CRITICAL, UH, IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.

LIKE RIGHT NOW WITH THE, THE HIGH, HIGH WILDFIRE RISK, WE HAVE THE RED FLAG WARNING DAYS, UH, THOSE CAN MOVE QUICKLY AND, UH, WITH AUTO AID, IT GETS THE UNITS THERE THE ABSOLUTE FASTEST.

WITHOUT AUTO AID, THERE'S MUTUAL AID, BUT THAT REQUIRES A PHONE CALL AND A REQUEST FOR, FOR CERTAIN APPARATUS TO GO.

AND, AND WITH THAT, THERE'S A PROCESS AND THAT PROCESS, THERE'S A LAG TIME AND RESPONSE THAT DOES NOT EXIST WITH AUTO AID.

SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

THE TWO EXAMPLES THAT ARE, THAT UP THERE, THE BRUSH ALARM WAS ONE THAT WAS, IT HAPPENED AT MIDNIGHT ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.

UH, THE, THE FIRE DID MOVE QUICKLY.

THERE WERE SOME HOMES INVOLVED.

AND BECAUSE AUTO EIGHT EXISTED, UNITS GOT THERE, UH, IN A VERY TIMELY FASHION AND AVOIDED IT FOR BEING MUCH WORSE THAN IT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN.

UH, ANOTHER INCIDENT TO HIGHLIGHT THERE IS THE VEHICLE RESCUE, UH, WHICH IS DOWN HERE IN SOUTH AUSTIN, UM, WHERE 45 AND 1626 AT THAT NEW TOLL, NOT 45 UP NORTH, LET'S CONFUSED THAT.

IT WAS A 45 DOWN SOUTH.

AND, UH, BY THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS NOT EASY TO GET TO.

AND EACH OF THOSE UNITS JUST HAPPENED TO COME FROM A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

AND THAT THAT ALLOWED FOR UNITS TO BE ON SCENE TO HELP THE INDIVIDUALS PINNED INSIDE IN THE MOST TIMELY FASHION TO HELP MINIMIZE THE, THE, THE HEALTH ISSUES AND THE MEDICAL RISKS THAT COME FROM THE INJURY ITSELF OR FROM THE, THE ACCIDENT.

SO AUTO AID WORKS VERY, VERY WELL FOR OUR, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AND, UH, IS IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK TO ENHANCE MOVING FORWARD.

WHERE IT SAYS RECENT AUTO AID CONTRACT CHANGES, IT'S A BIT OF A MISNOMER.

UH, PFLUGERVILLE MAINOR, SAM BASS AND JOLLYVILLE HAVE NOT BEEN A PART OF THE CURRENT AUTO AID AGREEMENT.

ROUND ROCK STEPPED BACK, UH, THAT WASN'T WORKING FOR, FOR THEM, WHICH WE CAN APPRECIATE THE CHALLENGES THAT EACH OF THE CHIEFS HAVE TO MAKE.

UH, AND THEY MADE THE DECISION TO STEP AWAY.

WE STILL WORK ON TRYING TO GET EVERYONE INCLUDED.

UH, SO CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OF THOSE ARE, ARE ONGOING, AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS EACH OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, CHIEFS HAVE FOR, FROM TECHNOLOGY TO RESPONSE ISSUES, ET CETERA, THAT JUST AREN'T WORKING FOR THEM AT THIS TIME.

BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE PART OF THE AUTOMATED AGREEMENT, IT WORKS ABSOLUTELY WELL TO THE BENEFIT OF, OF THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY, AND MOST CERTAINLY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL, BY HAVING OTHER UNITS THERE ON SCENE TO, TO TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER, WHETHER IT'S BLOCKING ON A HIGHWAY TO, TO AVOID GETTING HIT BY PASSERBYS OR HAVING ADDITIONAL PEOPLE ON THE FIRE GROUND TO, TO HELP MAKE SURE SOMETHING WENT WRONG.

THEY COULD, UH, UH, SOMEONE COULD STEP IN AND TRY TO GET THEM OUTTA HARM'S WAY.

SO IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.

IF I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UH, OVERDOSE RESPONSE.

YOU'VE HEARD, UH, UH, CHIEF GARDNER, UH, TALK ABOUT THIS AS WELL.

THE, UH, ALL OF US HAVE THE, UH, NALOXONE ON THE, OUR APPARATUS SINCE 2021 FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS.

[00:15:01]

YOU'VE HEARD THAT MULTIPLE TIMES OVER AND JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT IT CONTINUES TO BE A NEED AND, AND A SERVICE THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE ASSISTING WITH TO, TO TAKE CARE OF OUR, OUR FOLKS.

THOSE ARE ARSON INVESTIGATORS.

UH, SO WE HAVE INVESTIGATIONS.

THEY'RE FIREFIGHTERS, THEY'RE ALSO CERTIFIED PEACE OFFICERS.

AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE, AND WE'VE, I'VE, UH, UH, TOUTED THIS, UH, EVERY TIME WE DO A QUARTERLY REPORT, THE NATIONAL CLEARANCE RATE, WHICH MEANS IDENTIFYING WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, WHO, WHO WAS THE PERSON AND, AND GETTING 'EM ARRESTED.

THE, THE CLEARANCE RATE NATIONALLY IS 22%, AND WE'RE MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT.

AND THAT'S BEEN A CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT.

WE HAVE, UH, TOP-NOTCH FOLKS DOING A GREAT WORK THERE TO, UH, D DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF A FIRE AND TO FIND WHO MAY HAVE, HAVE, HAVE CAUSED IT.

GREAT WORK THERE.

IN ADDITION, THEY'VE HELPED US IN A NUMBER OF OTHER WAYS.

AS YOU SEE HERE, WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE ONE OF OUR UNITS RESPONDED DOWNTOWN TO A, UH, PERSON THAT, UH, WAS PULLING A, A, A VEHICLE TIRE.

IT WAS ON FIRE, AND THE FIRE WAS SETTING THE GRASS ON FIRE.

SO THEY WERE PUTTING THAT OUT AND, AND TRYING TO WORK WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL TO, TO KEEP THEM OUTTA HARM'S WAY.

IF THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS WORKING THEIR WAY ONTO, UH, I 35 PROPER WITH THAT, THEY, THEY, THERE WAS CONTACT MADE, AND THAT PERSON DID ATTACK ONE OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND, AND, AND DID STAB THEM.

UH, THANKFULLY, THE, IT, IT WASN'T AS BAD AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN.

THE, THE, THE, THE FIREFIGHTERS RECOVERING AND DOING WELL.

UH, IT WAS, UH, IN AN AREA THAT WASN'T, UH, NO VITAL ORGANS WERE, WERE, WERE, UH, MESSED WITH.

SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT, BUT OUR ARSON INVESTIGATORS SHOWED UP QUICKLY TO HELP WITH THAT SITUATION, TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS ALONG WITH, UH, A P D ONCE THEY WERE MADE AWARE OF THE INCIDENT TO, TO HELP US OUT.

SO, UM, A LOT OF CHALLENGES OUT THERE, AND IT SPEAKS TO FOLKS STEPPING UP TO HELP WHERE THEY CAN TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE WHO ARE TAKING CARE OF THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY.

UH, OUR WILDFIRE DIVISION, UH, MOST CERTAINLY A, A, A, A, A TOPIC FOR THESE TIMES.

THE WEATHER OUT THERE IS RELENTLESS IN THE, THE LACK OF RAIN AND THE PROLONGED HEAT AND LACK OF HUMIDITY.

UM, THE, THE, THE WORK BEING DONE, UH, CONTINUOUSLY OVER THE PAST YEARS TO MINIMIZE THE, THE FUELS IN OUR AREA ARE, ARE, ARE HELPING TO SOME DEGREE IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.

UH, THEY CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH, UH, MECHANICAL FIELD TREATMENTS, REMOVING OF, OF STUFF MANUALLY.

THEY'VE GOT PRESCRIBED FIRES, THEY BURN AWAY THE DEBRIS, UM, HOME ASSESSMENTS TO MAKE SURE HOMES ARE SAFER, PRESENTATIONS TO GET COMMUNITIES, UH, FIRE WIVES INVOLVED, THE VERY ACTIVE GROUP, AND THEY'VE DONE A WHOLE LOT, UH, TO, TO HELP IMPROVE OUR CONDITIONS IN OUR, IN, IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THEY'VE DONE.

THE, UM, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE AUTO AID MUTUAL AID, UH, ALL THAT HELPS OUR FIREFIGHTERS TO GET BETTER AT RESPONDING TO WILDFIRES AND TO INCLUDE STATE DEPLOYMENTS.

UH, WE'VE GOT FOLKS, UH, DEPLOYED, UH, MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR, UH, THROUGHOUT TEXAS, HELPING OUR OTHER TEXAS NEIGHBORS AS THEY'RE EXPERIENCING WILDFIRES.

AND THERE'RE FIREFIGHTERS ABLE TO COME BACK WITH A LOT OF VALUABLE EXPERIENCE TO HELP US BE BETTER FOR WHEN IT, WHEN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE, NOT IF, BUT WHEN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE.

WE'VE HAD THE FIRE THIS, UH, PAST WEEKEND DOWN IN HAYES COUNTY.

WE HAD UNITS RESPOND THERE FOR MUTUAL AID, AND SOME OF OUR STATE, UH, SOME OF OUR ASSETS THAT ARE DEPLOYED TO THE STATE ALSO, WERE PULLED IN TO HELP TO, UH, TRY TO GET THAT FIRE UNDER CONTROL.

UH, SO WE CONTINUE TO, TO, TO GET BETTER WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UH, THINGS THAT WE HAVE INSTITUTED.

WE'VE GOT THE RESPONDING TO THE INTERFACE TRAINING THAT ALL OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE GOING THROUGH, WHERE HOMES ARE INTERMIXED WITH THE, THE, THE WOODS WOODED AREAS, HOW TO, TO MANAGE THAT IN A MORE RESPONSIBLE AND SAFE FASHION.

AND TO, UH, ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, ARE AS WELL TRAINED AS POSSIBLE, NOT ONLY TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE, BUT THE, THE, THOSE AROUND US SAFE AND TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF THE FIRE AS BEST WE'RE ABLE TO VERY PROUD OF THEIR WORK.

ARE SET UP IN A SAFE FASHION TO MINIMIZE AN INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING AND TO CLEARLY MARK THE EXITS IS VERY IMPORTANT, EVEN FOR THOSE THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA.

UH, SO THE FIRE MARSHAL, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ONE EVERY YEAR.

THERE'S, UH, FIRE MARSHAL HAS MULTIPLE COMPONENTS TO IT.

ONE OF IT IS A SPECIAL EVENTS, AND, UH, THINGS ARE BACK IN AND, UH, LIVELY AROUND HERE WITH, AND THAT'S FANTASTIC FOR THE COMMUNITY.

UH, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PERIOD OF EVENTS ARE DONE SAFELY, ARE INSPECTORS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THIS SECTION HAVE A MONUMENTAL TASK WHEN YOU TURN ZILKER PARK INTO MULTIPLE CONCERT VENUES AND RESTAURANTS FOR LIKE A C L, HOW TO DO THAT WITH THE, THE FENCING UP.

AND PEOPLE EVEN LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN ALL THAT'S IN PLACE, THEY FIND THEMSELVES TURNED AROUND AND UNAWARE OF HOW TO GET OUT.

SO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE THINGS

[00:20:01]

AND YOU SEE THE VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING ON AND SCHEDULED FOR THIS YEAR.

UH, AUSTIN'S MOST CERTAINLY BOOMING WITH ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES.

UH, AGAIN, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES AND HOW CRITICAL THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE IS.

WHEN YOU BUILD A NEW BUILDING, WHICH THEY'RE GOING UP LEFT AND RIGHT THROUGH AUSTIN.

UH, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE ALL OF YOUR SAFETY FEATURES ARE UP WORKING, UH, AND FUNCTIONAL TO GET YOUR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY ONCE YOU MOVE IN.

THERE WASN'T REALLY A GOOD SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE MAINTAINING ALL THAT.

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PARTICULAR, UH, THIRD PARTY, UH, PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES.

UH, I CAN TELL YOU, HAVING DONE INSPECTIONS, UH, UH, FOR, UH, SEVERAL YEARS, WHEN YOU GO IN, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON THAT WHEN THINGS ARE BROUGHT IN THAT STAIRWELLS AND BACK DOORS TO, TO VENUES GET BLOCKED, RIGHT? THAT'S JUST WHERE THE STUFF ENDS UP, AND THAT'S, YOU'RE EXITING IN CASE THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.

UH, AND SO DOING THAT STUFF ALONG WITH MAKING SURE THAT YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AND YOUR FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS ARE ALL WORKING PROPERLY TO GET PEOPLE OUT IN A FAST AND SAFE FASHION BEFORE THE INCIDENT PROGRESSES.

VERY IMPORTANT.

SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR FOLKS SAFE ONCE THE BUILDINGS ARE UP AND OCCUPIED AND WORKING ON A DAILY BASIS.

UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

SO, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE HELPS US WITH YOU GOT YOUR MORE OF YOUR COMMERCIAL OR, OR LARGE RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS, IS MORE ON THE PERSONAL LEVEL FOR YOUR, YOUR, UH, UH, SMALLER RESIDENTS.

SINGLE, UH, SMALL MULTI-FAMILY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE GOT WORKING SMOKE ALARMS. UH, WE'LL INSTALL THOSE FOR FREE.

IF YOU, YOU SEE THE PHONE NUMBER ON THERE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE 'EM, CALL US.

WE'RE HAPPY TO PUT THOSE IN.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE OUT OF THE LIFE.

SAFETY IS THE GREATEST, UH, MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF.

AND GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF A STRUCTURE THAT'S ON FIRE, UH, HELPS US TO, FOR THE LIFE SAFETY PART.

AND THEN TO FOCUS ON PUTTING THE FIRE ITSELF OUT.

UH, WE'VE GOT FIRE SAFETY TRAINING THAT OUR FOLKS DO.

YOU CAN SEE THE, THE DIFFERENT TIMES THAT THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED.

HOW TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, UH, HOME SAFETY AWARENESS, HOW TO GET OUT SAFELY.

UH, OUR RED ANGELS PROGRAM IS THE, THE MEDICAL COMPONENT OF THAT, WHERE WE'VE GOT, WE PARTNERED WITH A C C AND THEY'LL GO CHECK PEOPLE'S VITAL SIGNS.

IF WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE THE MEDICAL CARE THEY NEED BEFORE THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT PROGRAM LENDS ITSELF TO.

SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE, ARE, UH, UH, DOING WHAT THEY CAN THROUGH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE BE SAFE AND HEALTHY.

SWORN SEPARATIONS.

SO, UH, YOU SEE THROUGH THE YEAR, MOST PEOPLE THAT JOIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LEAVE THROUGH RETIREMENT.

UH, WE DO EXIT SURVEYS WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE OUTSIDE OF RETIREMENT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND WE'VE HAD A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE LEAVE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.

FAMILY MOVED ELSEWHERE, UH, HEALTH ISSUES FOR FAMILY, UH, PURSUING OTHER JOBS, UH, REAL ESTATE AGENTS, UH, HIGH TECH INDUSTRY, ET CETERA.

AND THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS YOU SEE THERE.

UM, I, I WILL SHARE THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO GRADUATE A CADET CLASS.

SO YOU SEE WE HAVE, UH, 56 VACANCIES AS OF TODAY.

HAPPY TO, TO SHARE.

WE HAVE CLASS 1 36, GRADUATED ON FRIDAY, AND WITH THAT WE'LL HAVE 44 NEW, UH, PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTERS OUT AT THE FIRE STATIONS.

WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT REDUCES OUR VACANCIES DOWN TO 12.

I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO, TO HAVE THAT.

UM, I WILL SHARE ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, THE, THE NEXT CADET CLASS WE HAVE SCHEDULED DOESN'T START TILL JANUARY, WHICH MEANS IT'LL BE NEXT YEAR, YEAR, THIS TIME BEFORE WE HAVE AN EX CADET CLASS OUT.

SO THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS THAT THEY LOOK GOOD FOR THE MOMENT, UH, GIVEN A YEAR OF NOT PUTTING ADDITIONAL PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREET WILL HAVE A, HAVE AN EFFECT ON THAT.

AND, UH, THE, UH, THE NEED FOR US TO HAVE FIREFIGHTERS WORK ADDITIONAL HOURS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING THE SERVICES OUR COMMUNITY IS ACCUSTOMED TO.

SO YOU GOT YOUR CIVILIAN VACANCIES.

UM, HAPPY TO SAY, AS OF TODAY, WE GOT FIVE PEOPLE TO, UH, ACCEPT OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR ENGINEERS.

THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT LOOK OVER THE BUILDING DESIGNS FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.

SO THAT NUMBER OF 28 IS GOING DOWN.

YOU CAN SEE THE VARIETY OF THINGS OUR FOLKS ARE DOING TO, TO, TO REACH OUT THE, THE STAFFING CHALLENGES IN ALL OCCUPATIONS.

UH, NOT JUST IN AUSTIN, BUT EVERYWHERE.

BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY DOING OUR PART TO, TO, TO, UH, ATTRACT FOLKS HERE TO, TO COME WORK WITH US AND TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY, THE, WITH THE, THE VERY JOBS THAT WE HAVE HERE.

WE HAD 1,467 APPLICATIONS.

AND CADET HIRING PROCESS.

SO WE, UH, DID HAVE A, AN APPLICATION, UH, PERIOD BACK IN MARCH, I BELIEVE, UH, OF THIS YEAR.

[00:25:01]

UH, THERE WAS A DELAY, WHICH WE'LL GET TO HERE IN I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE WITH OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FOR, THE WRITTEN TEST FOR THAT WAS PUSHED TILL AUGUST 1ST.

ON AUGUST 1ST, WE HAD 642 OF THOSE 1,467 SHOW SHOW UP AND SIT DOWN FOR THE WRITTEN EXAM.

AND WE'LL TAKE A PORTION OF THEM MOVING FORWARD ON WHAT WILL BE A ONE YEAR LIST TO, TO HIRE MORE FOLKS.

SO THAT CLASS THAT STARTS IN JANUARY WILL COME FROM THIS GROUP.

AND, AND, AND MAYBE ONE MORE CLASS ON TOP OF THAT, MAYBE 80 ISH, MAYBE A HUNDRED PEOPLE ON THE HIGH END TO TAKE CARE OF THE, THE NEW STAFFING FOR THE GOODNIGHT RANCH WE TALKED ABOUT.

AND, UH, UM, THE FOLKS THAT, UH, LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH RETIREMENT OR OTHERWISE TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES.

UH, AND RECRUITING ONGOING EFFORT.

UH, YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT OUR FOLKS ARE DOING TO, TO REACH OUT AND, AND, AND SHOW 'EM HOW AWESOME THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS AND, UH, THAT IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO COME WORK WITH THE PEOPLE THAT'S AROUND YOU.

WE DO A, A COUPLE DIFFERENT, UH, RECRUITING TOOLS.

UH, ONE IS CALLED PASS THE TORCH.

IT'S ACTUALLY A CLASS WHERE THE PEOPLE COME ON WEEKENDS, UH, ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT TIMES, AND THEY GET TO PUT ON TURNOUTS AND DO FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES.

SO, UH, THEY GET TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE.

UH, WE HAVE 38 PARTICIPANTS THIS LAST TIME, 25 ACTUALLY GRADUATED THE CLASS.

AND ALL 38 ARE, ARE IN THE, THE HIRING PROCESS NOW.

THEY ALL SAT FOR THE EXAM.

WE'RE PART OF THAT 6 42.

AND THEN FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD, WE HAVE THE FIRE EXPLORERS.

SO THAT'S, UH, FOR YOUR, YOUR YOUNG TEENAGERS TO 20 YEARS OF AGE.

AGAIN, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND HOW TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY, AND, AND IT'S A GOOD RECRUITING TOOL FOR US FOR FOLKS THAT MAYBE ARE LOOKING FOR A, A, A DIFFERENT TRACK OUTSIDE OUT ONCE THEY GET OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL.

ALRIGHT, REALLY PROUD OF THIS ONE.

THE, UH, FEMA GRANT, UH, HELPS US, UH, STATION FITNESS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND, UH, TO HAVE THIS GRANT TO HELP US REPLACE TREADMILLS, UH, STAIR STEPPERS, ROWERS, THE BARBELLS, ET CETERA, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.

THAT'S A BUDGET THAT WE DON'T HAVE.

SO THIS MOST CERTAINLY HELPS US TO EXTEND THAT $210,000 IN A, IN A GREATER WAY TO, TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS WITH GOOD EQUIPMENT TO, TO WORK OUT WITH.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF IS, UH, I'M GONNA JUST SAY P F A SS.

DON'T GET ME TO SAY THAT POLY WORD.

IT'S A , IT'S A BIG ONE, BUT IT'S ALSO A SCARY WORD.

IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A CHEMICAL THAT'S IN THE, UM, THE FOAM THAT WAS USED OUT AT THE AIRPORT, AND IT, IT'S KNOWN TO BE CANCER CAUSING.

SO THERE'S A, UH, A, A MAJOR ENDEAVOR BEING WORKED THROUGH TO, TO GET THAT FOAM REMOVED WHERE IT WAS HOUSED, CLEANED OUT, AND NEW FOAM THAT'S NOT CANCEROUS, PUT IN PLACE OF IT.

UM, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT BE WORKED ON, BUT THIS ONE PUTS US A STEP FORWARD IN GETTING A HUNDRED OF OUR FOLKS TESTED TO SEE IF, IF THEY'VE BEEN AFFECTED BY P F A SS.

UH, AND WE'RE MOST REALLY GONNA FOCUS ON THE FOLKS THAT ARE AT THE AIRPORT FIRST TO, AND HOPEFULLY COULD EXPAND IT BEYOND THAT.

SO, VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT GRANT AND WHAT IT'S GONNA DO FOR OUR RIDERS.

ALRIGHT, AND, UH, WITH THIS, WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN OUR LABOR AND THE CITY ARE ONGOING.

UH, AND, UH, THERE'S TWO ROUTES THAT THIS COULD, COULD GO.

ONE IS THERE IS THE, THE, THE ARBITRATION ROUTE, WHICH WOULD BE A, AN AWARDED, UH, CONCLUSION TO THE CONTRACT ON THE 13TH OF SEPTEMBER.

THE OTHER WOULD BE A NEGOTIATED ONE, WHICH BETWEEN NOW AND THE 13TH, AS THOSE DISCUSSIONS GO, MAY BE A POSSIBILITY THERE.

SO, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO GETTING THAT RESOLVED AND, AND TAKING CARE OF FOLKS AND BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.

AND WE'RE ALWAYS RECRUITING, UH, FANTASTIC FOLKS.

UH, HAPPY TO WORK, UH, 28 YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT, WORK AROUND A LOT OF WONDERFUL FOLKS.

AND IF YOU KNOW FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED, JOIN AFD.COM IS WHERE YOU GO TO CHECK US OUT.

AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? DOES, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER RUTTEN? UM, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE NARCAN MAP.

UM, I HAD A COMMUNITY MEMBER REACH OUT TO ME WHO ACTUALLY LOOKED OVER YOUR PRESENTATION IN ADVANCE AND, AND WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, THE, SO IT LOOKS LIKE A F D ADMINISTERED 101, UM, NARCAN, AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER NON A F D ARRIVALS.

ARE THOSE, DO WE DOCUMENT, KEEP TRACK OF? IS THAT A P D? IS THAT BYSTANDERS OR WHO THOSE OTHER ONES? AND, AND WITH THAT, IS THERE LIKE A COMPREHENSIVE, SO SORT OF ALL PUBLIC SAFETY NARCAN USE MAP AND THAT WE CAN KIND OF LOOK WITH LIKE GEOSPATIAL, WHERE DO WE NEED MORE ASSISTANCE, HELP, THAT KIND OF THING? I DON'T HAVE THAT.

I'M HOPING THE PERSON BEHIND ME MIGHT HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OR INFORMATION ABOUT, ABOUT THAT, BUT I DON'T, ALL I HAVE IS WHAT, WHAT

[00:30:01]

A F D HAS DONE.

THE THE OTHERS WOULD'VE BEEN A CONGLOMERATION OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS YOU SPOKE TO BECAUSE, BECAUSE I SEE IT'S, YEAH, THERE'S SOME THAT ARE A F D, SOME THAT ARE NON, FROM THE E M S SIDE.

WE STARTED INCLUDING, I BELIEVE A FEW CYCLES AGO, WE'VE STARTED INCLUDING OUR, UH, TRACKING, UM, FOR OVERDOSES, UM, IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY'RE HAPPENING, UM, AND OUR BUPRENORPHINE PROGRAM AS WELL.

SO, UM, I'M UP NEXT, NEXT MONTH.

UM, SO WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT OUR STATISTICS LOOK LIKE AND WHAT WHAT THE TRENDS ARE RIGHT NOW.

YEAH, I THINK WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

AND I GUESS THE SORT OF QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ENTITIES HAVING SOME AGGREGATED DATA AS WE CAN KIND OF SEE WHO'S GIVING IT EVERYTHING, BOTH KNOW WHO'S GIVING IT, BUT THEN ALSO KIND OF PUT THAT IN ONE SPOT FOR, I'LL MAKE A NOTE THAT, THAT, WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO INCLUDE THAT IN APPROPRIATE.

WELL, THANK YOU.

I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER SMITH HAD A QUESTION.

YES, I HAVE A COUPLE.

UM, MY PRIMARY FOCUS THOUGH IS SOME REPORTS I'VE HEARD FROM A COUPLE OF CONSTITUENTS REGARDING, UH, FIRES AND ENCAMPMENTS.

I WAS WONDERING WHAT, IF ANYTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS, UH, OR CREATE OUTREACH FOR OUR IN-HOUSE, UH, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, UM, DURING THESE TIMES, PARTICULARLY IN REGARDS TO FIRES AND THEIR CAMPS.

SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS.

THE, THE PATENT STATEMENT IS, UH, IN THOSE SITUATIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR PROXIMITY TO COMBUSTIBLES, WHETHER IT'S THE, THE MATERIAL IN THE CAMP OR THE WOODED AREA AROUND IT, FIRES ARE NOT PERMISSIBLE.

SO EVERY TIME A FIRE IS REPORTED, OUR FIREFIGHTERS DIRECTED TO GO PUT IT OUT.

UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, INFORMATION TO POINT THE, THE FOLKS IN THOSE CAMPS IN OTHER DIRECTIONS, UH, OF OTHER AREAS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THEIR NEEDS.

UH, WE KNOW THAT THE, UM, UH, DIANA GRAY AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING THROUGH PROCESSES TO GET PEOPLE REHOUSED IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

THERE'S THE, THE, THE, THE HOTELS THAT THE CITY'S POD.

THERE'S, UH, UM, SOME OTHER SHELTERING BEING WORKED ON AS WE SPEAK.

AND THEN THE IDEA IS TO GET 'EM OUT OF THE CURRENT SITUATION TO SOMEPLACE SAFER AND THEN ULTIMATELY SELF-SUFFICIENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

UH, IN THE INTERIM THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF OUTREACH DONE TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TO HELP WITH OTHER RESOURCES AND TO ALSO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE, UH, OTHERWISE, BUT THE FIRES THEMSELVES ARE NOT PERMITTED.

DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SMITH, DID YOU SAY YOU HAD A SECOND QUESTION? I DID.

SO MY OTHERS REFERENCE TO, WELL, FIRST THE MAY 29TH INCIDENT.

UM, DID WE HAVE ANY MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS? I KNOW FOR THE 9 1 1 YOU CAN ALSO ASK FOR MENTAL HEALTH.

UM, WAS THERE A MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST IN THAT INCIDENT ON, ON GROUND WITH YOUR FIREFIGHTER? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FOR THE FIREFIGHTER OR FOR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS PULLING THE TIRE? WAS IT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS PULLING THE TIRE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIREFIGHTER THAT WAS ON GROUND? WAS HER MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST IN THE TERRAIN FOR THE INCIDENT ITSELF? UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT A MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST SHOWED UP TO HELP DEAL WITH THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE MOMENT OF THERE.

MM-HMM.

, UH, I DO KNOW FOR THE FIREFIGHTER WE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT THINGS PUT IN PLACE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE OKAY IN ALL CAPACITIES MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, UH, AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.

AND THEN I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT SORT OF THINGS WOULD'VE BEEN PUT IN PLACE FOR THE, THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL, UH, AFTER THE INCIDENT HAPPENED? I DON'T HAVE THAT.

OUT AND TURN TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO, TO ENGAGE OR SHOW INTEREST IN OR EXPLORE FIREFIGHTING AS, AS A POSSIBILITY.

SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THERE WAS NOT A MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST DISPATCHED ALONGSIDE YOUR FIREFIGHTER DURING THAT INCIDENT.

THERE WAS A DELAY IN GETTING OTHER RESOURCES THERE TO HELP, UH, EXACTLY WHAT SHOWED UP.

AS FAR AS THAT PARTICULAR FEATURE, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION HEARD AND RECEIVED.

AND THEN LASTLY, I'M SEEING SOME GAPS.

YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, YOUR CADET HIRING, THE, THE, I BELIEVE THAT'S SLIDE, UH, 13 OR 14 I WANT TO SAY, BUT THERE WAS A, THE, THE COMPARISON BETWEEN FEMALE AND MALE CADETS WAS LIKE 11 TO 111.

I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN GET ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE DISPARITY AND WHAT WE CAN BE DOING TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE DIVERSITY, UM, WITHIN THE RANKS AS WELL AS SLIDE 12 COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

HOW CAN WE EXPAND THOSE PROGRAMS? UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR, FOR US AS, AS A COMMISSION? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE RECRUITING SLIDE NUMBER, I THINK IT'S NUMBER 16, YOU CAN SEE OUR RECRUITERS WORK IN A TARGETED FASHION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ALL FOLKS ARE AWARE OF, OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, MAYBE ONES THAT DON'T NORMALLY APPLY TO, TO REACH

[00:35:01]

UH, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, I, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS NOW, BUT WE, WE ARE ONE OF THE, THE MORE PROGRESSIVE ONES WITH WOMEN IN THE DEPARTMENT, UH, AROUND THE NATION.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT, I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE PROBABLY OVER, AND THIS WILL COME UP LATER IN OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE DO DO A PERIODIC SORT OF CHECK IN ON JUST DEMOGRAPHICS OF HIRES AND STUFF.

I'LL LOOK TO SEE HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE WE DID THAT, BUT I'M THINKING IT'S PROBABLY BEEN OVER A YEAR, SO WE CAN PROBABLY, PROBABLY DO THAT FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS SOON.

UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, I, I DO WANT US TO MOVE ON.

WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE GOING ON.

HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, HERE.

SO THANK YOU.

AND WITH THAT, UP NEXT, UM, WE HAVE

[4. Discussion and action to approve the creation of a working group to regarding Homeland Security Emergency Management collaboration with public safety entities. (Sponsors: Commissioners Nguyễn and Ramírez) 4:30pm-5:00pm]

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS CHAIR.

MY NAME IS KEN SNIPES, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

UM, I WAS ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, AND, UM, WANTED TO RESPOND TO THOSE FOR THE COMMISSION TONIGHT SPECIFICALLY.

UH, THERE WERE SIX QUESTIONS.

SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS, UM, BECAUSE I'M GETTING OLD AND CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THESE QUESTIONS ANYMORE, I'M GONNA COVER THE QUESTION AND THEN I'LL PROVIDE THE RESPONSE TO THOSE.

UM, AND IF AT ANY TIME YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND LET ME KNOW.

SO QUESTION ONE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UH, SO THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL COVER THEM AS I SAID, UH, IN THE, UH, AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.

THE NEXT QUESTION WAS QUESTION NUMBER TWO.

SO, UH, QUESTION ONE WAS, HOW DOES HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEFINE ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES? UM, AND, UH, IT HAS BEEN MY, UM, SHORT MY EXPERIENCE IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I'VE BEEN AT HOMELAND SECURITY, THAT, UM, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS.

UM, I HAVE, UH, PERSONALLY WITNESSED THAT BEFORE COMING TO, UM, HOME HOMELAND SECURITY.

AND IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, ALL OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS HAVE REACHED OUT, UH, IN SUPPORT OF ME AND THE TEAM.

UH, AND JUST IN GENERAL TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND SAFETY IN GENERAL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO COME HERE TO THE CITY.

UM, AT A MINIMUM, WE HOLD THREE, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS OR TABLETOP EXERCISES ANNUALLY, UH, UNLESS THERE ARE ACTUAL EVENTS, AND THEN THOSE OF COURSE COULD BE SUBSTITUTED.

UM, OTHERWISE, UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, SEMINARS THAT WE HOST.

UM, AND MORE AND MORE OFTEN NOW, WEATHER IS OFTEN A, A DRIVER FOR ENGAGEMENT.

UM, FOR EXAMPLE, SUMMER WEATHER.

UM, WE'VE, UH, ENGAGED RECENTLY WITH, UH, E M S ON, UM, PUTTING OUT MESSAGING IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT SOME OF THE EXTREME HEAT THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.

UH, WE'VE KIND OF WORKED TOGETHER TO PUT OUT MESSAGING AS WELL ABOUT, UH, HOW TO, HOW PEOPLE SHOULD PROTECT THEMSELVES, UH, DURING SOME OF THE TIMES, UH, THE, THE, THE, UM, HOT WEATHER, UH, TIMES THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE, UM, PUT TOGETHER, UH, SOME, UM, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO PROVIDE, TO RECEIVE COOLING, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.

UM, WE HAVE A SITE RIGHT NOW, UH, AT THE INTERSECTION OF, UM, OH, AT REPUBLIC SQUARE PARK.

AND, UH, WE DID A JOINT MESSAGE THERE TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WE'VE ALSO DONE QUITE A BIT OF COLLABORATION WITH SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE LIBRARY, UM, DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE, UM, PARKS DEPARTMENT ON, UH, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO FIND RELIEF.

UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WILDFIRE DANGER BEING, UH, WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.

WE PUT OUT MESSAGING AROUND THAT AS WELL.

SO, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE ENGAGE WITH A F D TO TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO.

UM, AND ANYTIME WE MODIFY, MODIFY ANY OF OUR PLANS, UM, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS COME TOGETHER AND THEY'RE PART OF THOSE, UH, DECISIONS.

SO THEY'RE NOT MADE IN A VACUUM.

WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUSIVE OF THAT.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE STANDING, UM, SPOCK OR POINT OF CONTACT MEETINGS WITH, UH, FOLKS FROM AROUND THE CITY.

UH, THOSE HAPPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS SO THAT, UH, WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S UP TO DATE, UH, ANY REVIEWS OF ANY MATERIALS OR CHANGES, UH, THOSE ARE BEING DONE, UH, COLLABORATIVELY.

UM, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE STARTED RECENTLY IS WE HAVE 10, UH, EMERGENCY PREP PREPAREDNESS POP-UP EVENTS.

UH, AND WE DO THOSE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

WE'VE DONE MOST OF THEM RECENTLY AT, UH, PUBLIC LIBRARIES.

UH, AND IT'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF THE OTHER, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.

AND WE ALL, UH, STAFF TABLES AT THOSE EVENTS.

WE PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITIES, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE A RESOURCE, UH, IN HELPING THEM, UH, INCREASE THEIR RESILIENCE AND PREPAREDNESS.

[00:40:02]

UH, HOW DOES HESO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION AMONG DIFFERENT SAFETY ENTITIES IN THE CITY AND THEN ALSO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY? UM, SO WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED A BIG FIVE CALL, UH, AND THAT IS THE AUSTIN, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UM, AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND ALSO AUSTIN, I S D.

UM, AND SO WHEN THAT CALL ORIGINALLY STARTED, IT WAS A WINTER WEATHER CALL, UH, AND IT WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE PLAYERS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE FOR HOW WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD IN RESPONSE.

UM, BUT RECENTLY WE'VE USED THAT, UH, ALSO, UH, FOR HEAT AGAIN, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS, UH, OF HEAT AND, UH, THAT WE'RE GETTING THE APPROPRIATE MESSAGING OUT FOR PEOPLE, UM, UM, AS THEY MOVE ABOUT THEIR DAY.

UM, WE PARTICIPATE IN, UH, ONE FULL SCALE EXERCISE THROUGH, UH, CAP COG.

UM, ANYTIME WE HAVE AN EVENT, WE ALSO GO THROUGH OUR AFTER ACTION REPORTS.

WE DISCUSS WHAT WENT WELL, UM, AND WHAT CAN BE APPROVED.

WE ARE DIRECT PARTNERS WITH TRAVIS COUNTY.

UM, IN FACT, WE HAVE, UH, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, OUR OFFICES ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

UM, WE PARTNER WITH, UH, HAYES COUNTY AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND OTHER ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE AREA.

UM, COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION.

UM, HOW DOES HESO ENSURE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, UM, BETWEEN VARIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES DURING EMERGENCIES AND OR CRITICAL EVENTS? SO, UM, DURING E O C ACTIVATIONS, UM, WE, UH, BRING ALL OF THE, UH, PLAYERS TO THE E O C.

UM, EVERYONE SENDS STAFF TO THE E O C SO THAT WE DIRECT, WE COORDINATE DIRECTLY WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO GET MESSAGING TO AND FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS OR TO THEIR RESPECTIVE PEOPLE AS THEY PERFORM THEIR WORK.

UM, AND OF COURSE, UH, AS, AS PART OF THE E O C ACTIVATION, EVERY 12 HOURS, WE PROVIDE A SITUATION REPORT UPDATE, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, PEOPLE WHO COMING INTO WORK UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST 12 HOUR OPERATIONAL PERIOD.

AND, UH, AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT IT'S TIMELY AND RELEVANT.

QUESTION NUMBER FOUR, HOW DOES HEUN FACILITATE INFORMATION SHARING, UH, AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION AMONG PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES DURING BOTH ROUTINE OPERATIONS AND LARGE SCALE EMERGENCIES? SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE.

I'M SORRY.

UM, SO, UH, HES DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS, THE RESPECTIVE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES OPERATE AS USUAL.

SO, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE METHODOLOGIES THAT WE USE FOR ENGAGING THERE.

UM, BUT DURING AN ACTIVATION, UM, HESSON WORKS FROM A SET OF OBJECTIVES TO CREATE AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.

UM, SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE USE INCLUDE, UH, WEB, E O C, UM, AND THAT IS A, UH, WEB, UH, DATABASE THAT, UH, MOST OF THE, UM, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ENTITIES AROUND THE STATE USE FOR, UH, STORING OR COLLECTING OR OR SHARING INFORMATION.

WE USE, UH, EVERBRIDGE AS NOTED HERE IN THE SLIDE.

UM, AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER, UM, PLATFORMS AS WELL.

UM, ANY ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AL NOT ALREADY COORDINATED THROUGH AN M O U WITH OTHER AGENCIES, WE WOULD HELP COORDINATE THOSE.

SO IF THERE'S A, A GAP IN INFORMATION OR A GAP IN RESOURCES, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD WORK TO CLOSE THAT GAP.

UM, ONE THAT COMES TO MIND FROM RECENT MEMORY, UH, IS, UH, WITH WINTER STORM MARA, UM, AS EVERYONE REMEMBERS, UM, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF TREE DEBRIS, UH, DOWN ALL OVER THE PLACE.

UH, AND WE WORKED TO BRING IN THE, UH, TEXAS, UH, SERVICE, UH, CHAINSAW TEAM TO HELP, UH, SUPPORT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH, UH, REMOVAL OF TREE DEBRIS FROM AROUND THE CITY.

UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, QUESTION NUMBER FIVE.

OF TEXAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE REGISTRY OR STEER, UM, TO HELP, UH, IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING.

UM, HOW DOES SCIM LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY AND DATA TO ENHANCE COORDINATION AND RESPONSE SUFFERERS AMONG DIFFERENT PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES? UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WEB B O C, UM, TEAMS HAS BEEN, UH, MICROSOFT TEAMS HAS BEEN A NEW TOOL, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT CAME ABOUT THROUGH COVID, UM, UH, DURING THE COVID PERIOD, BUT IT HAS BECOME A TOOL THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE USING TO MOVE INFORMATION QUICKLY, UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION ACROSS ENTITIES.

AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT TEAMS. UM, TYPICALLY, UH, MOST CITIES WOULD'VE HAD THEIR OWN SYSTEMS AND, UH, WE WOULD'VE FOUND, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKAROUNDS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT TEAMS MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE SEAMLESS.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, EVERBRIDGE, UH, AND WE USE THAT AS A, THROUGH OUR REVERSE 9 1 1 PUBLIC INFORMATION SYSTEM, UH, TO PUSH, UH, PEOPLE OUT.

AND THEN WE ALSO USE THE STATE

[00:45:01]

IT WAS ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A COASTAL EVACUATION SUPPORT TOOL.

UM, AND THAT'S BEING EXPANDED NOW.

UH, THERE WAS A HOUSE BILL, UH, PASSED RECENTLY THAT MANDATED THAT EVERYONE START TO MIGRATE TO AND USE THAT SYSTEM.

UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT I THINK YOU WILL SEE MORE PROMINENTLY FEATURED, UM, AS PART OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, PORTFOLIO.

NEXT QUESTION.

UM, QUESTION NUMBER SIX.

HOW DOES HS IM ACTIVELY INVOLVE OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES, UH, SAFETY AGENCIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

SO, UM, HS A INVOLVES ANYTIME THERE'S, UM, ANY SORT OF NEED.

UM, THE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES ARE INCLUDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANS.

WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, UM, BEFORE.

UM, SOME GOOD EXAMPLES OF THAT ARE, UM, WE HAVE ONE NOW CALLED THE CRISP, OR THE, UM, COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IMPROVEMENT STATUS PORTAL.

UM, AND THAT IS A TOOL WHERE WE STORE INFORMATION RELATED TO, UM, PAST INCIDENTS, UM, THAT WE CAN USE TO GO IN AND SEE HOW WE DID, UH, LEARN, UH, LESSONS FROM, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE MAY HAVE HEARD FROM AROUND THE, UH, AROUND THE CITY AND AROUND THE, THE REGION IF IT'S APPLICABLE.

UM, WE ALSO USE OUR COOP PLANS.

UM, THAT'S OUR CONTINUITY OF OPERATION PLANS.

UM, AS PART OF, UM, THE, UH, PROCESS FOR UNDERSTANDING, UH, HOW WE WILL CONDUCT BUSINESS IF WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE SOME OF OUR SYSTEMS ARE COMPROMISED OF THOSE ARE OUR PARTNERS, UH, WE USE THOSE PLANS TO CONTINUE, UH, TO HELP US BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.

UH, EVEN IF THEY'RE COMPROMISED TO SOME DEGREE, WE STILL WANT TO BE, UH, ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, AND RESPOND TO, UH, TO FOLKS AS APPROPRIATE.

SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE.

THAT IS IT.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER NOY, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS YOUR AGENDA ITEM.

WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS TO START US OFF.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK HOW WE COULD BEST SUPPORT YOU AS A COMMISSION, UH, IN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP, UH, FURTHER YOUR COLLABORATION WITHIN, UH, WITH, UH, FIRST RESPONDING AGENCIES.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THE COLLABORATION IS, AS I SAID, IT WORKS WELL.

UM, WE HAVE REALLY GOOD PARTNERSHIP HERE THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

UM, AND, UH, THE CITY PARTNERS WHO I, I WORK WITH AND ENGAGE WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS, UM, WE, WE ALL, UM, BRING WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES WE NEED TO BEAR TO, TO MOVE THE BAR.

UM, THE ONE THING I'VE SHARED WITH PEOPLE, AND HAVING ONLY BEEN AT HESSON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOW, UM, I SHARED WITH PEOPLE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OUR BUSINESS, UM, SUCCESS AND FAILURE IS OFTEN MEASURED IN, YOU KNOW, EITHER LIVES LOST OR SAVED, RIGHT? BUT THE THING THAT IS HARD FOR US IS LIVES THAT WE PREVENTED THE LOSS OF ARE HARD TO MEASURE AND QUANTIFY.

AND SO I THINK THE WORK TO BE DONE GOING FORWARD IS TO HELP PEOPLE REALIZE THE VALUE OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING EVERY DAY.

UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE, WHERE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON A LOT IS GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE.

UM, HAVING THEM UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PREPARED IN THEIR OWN HOME, IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, AND, AND BEING ABLE TO LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.

UM, BECAUSE, UM, DURING AN AN ACTIVATION, THERE MAY BE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE, UM, IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, TIME TO COVER, UM, A CITY THIS SIZE.

YOU KNOW, AUSTIN'S A VERY LARGE CITY PHYSICALLY, UM, AND, UM, I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET THAT.

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, UM, I, UH, JUST RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT, UM, THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM PROGRAM IN TERMS OF TRAINING, UH, CIVILIANS IN, UM, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SKILLS AND, AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE SKILLS.

UM, ARE THERE THINGS THAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CAN BE DOING TO EXPAND ACCESS TO THAT TRAINING IN OUR AREA? YES.

I I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE CERT PROGRAM.

YES, SIR.

AND YES.

UM, YOU KNOW, IN FACT, WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THAT.

WE ALREADY HAVE A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES, UM, THAT WE ARE RUNNING AND MANAGING IN THAT SPACE.

UM, BUT THE CERT TEAM IS, UM, THE CERT PROGRAM IS, UM, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.

AND SO IT'S A COMMON PLATFORM IS A COMMON, UH, LESSON PLAN.

AND SO WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING AT REESTABLISHING THE CERT PLAN HERE AS WELL.

UM, AUSTIN HAD THE PROGRAM, UH, BEFORE AND WE'RE LOOKING AT BRINGING THAT BACK.

I HAD A COUPLE OF VERY LAYMAN QUESTIONS ABOUT ACRONYMS THAT YOU USED.

, UM, UH, E O C I'M ASSUMING

[00:50:01]

IS THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.

MY APOLOGIES FOR THAT QUESTION, RIGHT? JUST FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S LISTENING ALONG.

YEAH.

UM, THERE WAS ALSO M O U IF YOU COULD LET WHAT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

AND SO BASICALLY THINK OF IT AS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN AGENCIES WHERE WE AGREED, AGREED TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF SERVICE OR SOME SORT OF SUPPORT.

UM, AND SO IT'S JUST A, UM, UM, SOFT FORMAL, IF YOU WILL, UM, AGREEMENT TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.

THEN I THINK THERE WAS ONE MORE, WHICH WAS THE, THE CAP COG THAT YOU MADE REFERENCE TO? YEAH, THAT'S THE CAPITAL AREA GOVERNANCE, UM, UM, GROUP.

AND, UM, IT IS, UH, KIND OF LIKE THE, THE STATE AGE, UH, THE REGIONAL AGENCY THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, KIND OF COORDINATES A LOT OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PUT TOGETHER ACROSS, UM, THE DIFFERENT CITIES AND COUNTIES AND, AND SO IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A COMMON OPERATING PLATFORM AND FRAMEWORK.

I'M JUST GONNA MAKE SURE ONLINE, COMMISSIONER SMITH, I DIDN'T WANNA FORGET ABOUT YOU IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYONE ELSE JUST I DID, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WERE COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS FOR CHRIS OR ANY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE METHODOLOGY BY WHICH YOU SURMISED CRISP.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH.

SO, SO CRISP TOOL IS NEW.

UM, A LOT OF INFORMATION IS STILL BEING LOADED INTO CRISP, UH, RIGHT NOW.

UM, AS FAR AS MOVING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT PLAN.

SOME OF THAT'S HAPPENING THROUGH, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, PROBABLY MORE INFORMALLY, BUT WE CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE, UM, THE, THE CRISPUS PUBLIC FACING AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION THAT IS IN THE CRISP TOOL.

UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S FAIRLY NEW.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD IS THAT IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, IMPROVING THE TOOL SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE AN EASIER TIME FINDING WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, WHEN THEY TRY TO USE THE TOOL TO GAIN INFORMATION.

AND A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION, IF YOU CAN JUST EXPLAIN WHAT THAT TOOL IS FOR ALL OF US? YEAH.

IT'S A REPOSITORY FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION.

SO WHAT I, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

SO RIGHT NOW, UM, THE, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE GLEANED FROM WINTER STORM MARA, IT'S BEING LOADED INTO THAT TOOL.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT LESSONS LEARNED AND HOW DO WE, UM, HOW DO WE USE THOSE AND MAKE SURE THOSE LESSONS LEARNED ARE AVAILABLE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T LIVE AND DIE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL.

THERE'S A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO HOLD THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN SEE THAT.

UM, AND IT DOESN'T RELY ON ME TO BE IN MY SEAT OR ANYONE ELSE.

UH, IT'S THERE FOR EVERYONE AS A RESOURCES AND, AND AS A TOOL.

SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.

AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER IWIN, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION? YEAH, DIRECTOR, I AL I KNOW YOU'VE ONLY BEEN THERE FOR A FEW MONTHS, UM, BUT I WAS WONDERING IN TERMS OF THE PAST TWO WINTER STORMS OR PAST THREE WINTER STORMS, UM, IS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH, UM, ALL OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES ABOUT, UM, SIMILAR TO THE AUTO AID, UM, CHIEF WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.

ARE, ARE YOU SETTING UP ANY TYPES OF MOUS OR AGREEMENTS WHERE, UM, IF OUR RESOURCES ARE OVERWHELMED HERE IN AUSTIN, THAT WE HAVE RESOURCES FROM OUTSIDE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE? UH, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME OF THOSE IN PLACE.

UM, SOME OF THOSE HAPPEN THROUGH THE ACTIVATION AT THE E O C, UM, THEY WOULD BE CALLED MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS.

AND SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A NATURAL PART OF THE INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE.

AND SO, UM, WE DO HAVE THOSE, WE RELY ON THOSE AND WE'LL USE THOSE AS NEEDED.

UM, UM, FOR SURE.

SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPIN UP MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS, UM, WHETHER SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, WITH DEBRIS CLEANUP OR OTHER THINGS THAT MAY BE HAPPENING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

COMMISSIONER KOFF IN REGARDS TO THE CERT TRAINING, UH, COUNCILWOMAN KELLY DID HOST A CERT TRAINING AT OUR FIRE STATION LAST WEEKEND, SO I GUESS THEY'RE UP AND GOING.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY MORE SCHEDULED OR NOT.

UM, THERE IS A SCHEDULE AVAILABLE ON THE NATIONAL WEBSITE.

UM, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS NOW.

UM, AND, AND I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

SO, UM, THAT IT BE MORE PUBLICIZED AND THAT WE KNOW WE DO AN EFFORT TO REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET START TRAINING, UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, I, WE'RE ALREADY KIND OF USED TO THIS IN TEXAS, BUT THERE ARE GONNA BE COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AREN'T GONNA GET TO VERY QUICKLY.

UM, AND IF, IF SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE TRAINED IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IT'S JUST GONNA BE A BETTER SCENE.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU, UM, FOR COMING AND UM, JOINING US.

AND OUR NEXT ITEM IS ITEM

[00:55:01]

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

FIVE WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, JUST THE, THE UPCOMING BUDGET, UM, AND A POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION.

I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL MS. JACKSON? I DO NOT HAVE ANY.

ANYONE ELSE? OKAY.

SO IF I COULD HAVE, UH, MARSHALL, CATHERINE AND CHRIS, IS IT ZEAL OR ZEAL? ZEBO ZEAL.

UM, IF I COULD HAVE YOU GUYS COME UP, UM, AND I WILL LET YOU GUYS DECIDE WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST.

RIGHT THERE, THERE YOU GO.

YOU ARE WE ON? OKAY, UM, I'LL START.

UM, MY NAME'S MARSHALL COTRAN.

I'M CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY REPRESENTING 4,000 PLUS PHYSICIANS IN IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, T C M S IS SHORT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY MEDICAL SIDE.

T C M SS HAS, UH, A LONGSTANDING COMMITTEE CALLED THE ED E M S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS OF EVERY RECEIVING HOSPITAL FROM E M S IN THE REGION AND CONSULTING SPECIALIST IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE, CARDIOLOGY, NEUROLOGY, AND TRAUMA SURGERY.

UH, I'M HERE BASICALLY TO SPEAK, UH, TO THE BUDGET IMPACT OF THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL, UH, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OMO, UH, ON BEHALF OF THAT COMMITTEE, AS IS DR.

ZABELL.

THIS COMMITTEE ADVISES THE MEDICAL DIRECTORS OF AUSTIN E M S AND SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS ON ALL ASPECTS OF PRE-HOSPITAL, UH, MEDICAL CARE, UH, THAT CLINICAL PROTOCOLS CREDENTIALING AND, AND, UH, CLINICAL OVERSIGHT PRE-HOSPITAL CARE ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE RECEIVING HOSPITALS IN DR.

MARK ESCO'S TENURE, UH, THIS COMMITTEE HAS OBSERVED DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF PRE-HOSPITAL CARE FOR THE PATIENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

IN FACT, IN 2017, THIS HAS BEEN AN EVOLVING, UM, UH, ADVANCEMENT.

IN 2017, T C M SS RECOMMENDED A SPECIFIC SET OF PHYSICIAN, UH, RATIOS OF PHYSICIANS TO DELEGATED, UH, E M S A F D PROVIDERS RATIOS TO ENSURE MINIMUM SAFE PHYSICIAN OVERSIGHT OF THE E M S DELEGATED MEDICAL PRACTICE.

IN FACT, THEY'RE GREATER THAN 2300 DELEGATED E M SS AND A F D PROVIDERS FOR WHOM THE PHYSICIANS OVERSEEING THEM HAVE DIRECT LEGAL LIABILITY UNDER THEIR MEDICAL LICENSE.

IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE PASSAGE IN 2021 OF COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT CREATED THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OMO, UH, UH, THAT, THAT THAT'S WHEN DR.

UH SCOTT WAS HIGHLY AFFORDED THE RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THESE MINIMUM SAFE PHYSICIAN OVERSIGHT RATIOS.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE STRUCTURE OF ECMO THAT WAS CREATED AT THAT TIME PROVIDED FINALLY THE PHYSICIAN INDEPENDENCE REQUIRED BY LAW OF THEIR OVERSIGHT FUNCTION.

THE SOCIETY IS DEEPLY CONCERNED RIGHT NOW THAT THE CURRENT BUDGET PROPOSAL, UH, UH, WOULD DISSOLVE OC O STRUCTURE THAT, THAT STRUCTURE THAT I JUST REFERRED TO, SAY FOR THE C M O POSITION ITSELF.

AND, AND, UH, DR.

ESCO'S ASSISTANT AND REASSIGN ALL OTHER OC O PHYSICIANS AND SUPPORT STAFF INTO VARIOUS POCKETS OF THE E M S COMMAND STRUCTURE, ESSENTIALLY REPORTING UP EVENTUALLY TO A PARAMEDIC, THUS COMPROMISING THE PHYSICIAN INDEPENDENCE AND EFFECTIVE CLINICAL OVERSIGHT THAT WAS GAINED IN THE 2021 BUDGET AMENDMENT.

IT'S A SWEEPING REORGANIZATION THAT SEEMS HASTILY CONCEIVED, AND IT CERTAINLY, YOU CAN FINISH YOUR SENTENCE.

OF COURSE, .

THE UNION MEMBERS THAT ARE, UM, JOINING US FOR OUR DISCUSSION, IF YOU GUYS COULD CLEAR THE SPACE FOR THEM.

I'D HAD A FEW MORE SENTENCES, BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FRAUGHT WITH UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR SURE.

AND, UH, UNDER DR.

ES ESCOT ECMO HAS DEVELOPED A RENOWNED POOL OF PHYSICIANS AND SUPPORT STAFF AND A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION THAT'S NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.

IT'S A BEACON OF CUTTING EDGE EMERGENCY MEDICAL PRACTICE, AND IT'S DEVELOPED INTO THAT WHICH LEAVES US THE COMMITTEE AND THE MEDICAL SOCIETY WITH TWO QUESTIONS.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE EXISTING UTMOST STRUCTURE AND WHY THE RUSH TO CHANGE IT? UH, I WANT TO END WITH T C M S DOES SUPPORT EFFORTS TO ENHANCE, OF COURSE, COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN E M S AND ECMO PROVIDED THAT OC MO'S PERSONNEL PROGRAM AND PROGRAMS ARE KEPT INTACT UNDER AND WITHIN THE EXISTING INDEPENDENT REPORTING STRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE.

AND, UH, MY NAME'S CHRIS

[01:00:01]

BEL.

I'M AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, UH, THAT WORKS HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SETON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

UH, IN A PRIOR ROLE, I WAS THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT DEL SETON MEDICAL CENTER AND FORMERLY BRACKENRIDGE HOSPITAL FOR 14 YEARS.

UM, I WAS ASKED, UH, BY THE MEDICAL SOCIETY TO COME AND SPEAK FROM THE PHYSICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT WHAT'S PROPOSED.

UM, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL START BY SAYING THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY, UH, INVOLVED IN THESE DECISIONS HAS ANY NEFARIOUS INTENT.

HOWEVER, UM, IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE INDEPENDENT PRACTICE OF MEDICINE BY PHYSICIANS CAN INADVERTENTLY OR INADVERTENTLY BE, UH, AFFECTED BY, UH, HOW YOU STRUCTURE REPORTING STRUCTURES.

AND, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY WE DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, ORG CHARTS THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT HAVE, UH, STRAIGHT LINE REPORTING FROM PHYSICIANS TO A PARAMEDIC.

UM, AND SO, UH, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT, UH, SOME OF THE REALLY REVOLUTIONARY AND EVOLUTIONARY GAINS THAT, UH, THAT OMO HAS MADE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, PERSIST AND THAT THAT SPIRIT OF INGENUITY CONTINUES.

UM, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT, UH, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY SUFFERED GREATLY AS A RESULT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC AND HAVE NOT YET FULLY RECOVERED, UH, WAIT TIMES ARE VERY, VERY LONG.

AND, UM, THE, SOME OF THE INNOVATIONS, UH, THAT ECMO HAS, UH, ENGAGED IN HAVE PREVENTED UNNECESSARY TRANSPORTS TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BE TREATED IN THEIR HOMES.

UH, THEY ALLOW PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE TAKEN TO THE SOBERING CENTER INSTEAD OF BEING TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY WAIT, WOULD WAIT TO SOBER UP FOR 12, 14, 16 HOURS DENYING OTHER CITIZENS IN THE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO THOSE BEDS IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.

UM, AND, UH, ALL OF THIS IS, IS CREATIVITY THAT HAS COME OUT OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER.

SO WHAT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US IS THAT AT THAT INGENUITY, UH, UH, BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, AND THAT THE SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAKES THAT POSSIBLE WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE.

AND SO I DO THINK THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT MOVING AND BREAKING UP THAT REPORTING STRUCTURE AND HAVING IT GO IN OTHER DIRECTIONS, EVEN IF WE DON'T REDUCE THE BUDGET A WHOLE LOT.

BUT JUST MOVING THOSE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER REPORTING TO THE, UH, TO THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR HIMSELF IN A DIRECT FASHION, UH, IS, IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN GIVEN HOW REMARKABLY EFFECTIVE THE CURRENT STRUCTURE HAS BEEN.

AND SO, I, I DO AGREE WITH MARSHALL'S QUESTIONS AT THE END.

UM, IF IT'S WORKING AND IT'S GAINING NATIONAL RENOWNED, UH, WHY DO WE REALLY FEEL SUCH AN URGENCY TO SHAKE IT UP AT THIS POINT IN TIME? AND, AND WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX? I THINK THOSE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE WE RESTRUCTURE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, AND I BELIEVE THANK YOU.

THANK YOU BOTH.

UM, I THINK WE HAVE

[5. Discussion and action on recommendation to City Council regarding FY23-24 Proposed Budget impacts on public safety agencies. (Sponsors: Ruttan, Bernhardt) 5:00pm-5:50pm]

UM, AND SO OUR INTENTION WITH THIS ITEM WAS JUST TO CONTINUE HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE BUDGET.

SO IF I COULD HAVE, UM, THE UNION REPS COME ON UP TO JOIN US, ALL THREE OF US.

SO FIREFIGHTERS ARE UNIQUE TO ANY OTHER CITI GROUP IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

ALL THREE OF Y'ALL SIDE BY SIDE.

AND YOU GUYS CAN, AGAIN, DECIDE WHAT ORDER YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO GO IN .

I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

AND CELINE, YOU WANNA GO FIRST? I'M OH, BOB.

I THINK YOU'RE UP ON THE SCREEN.

SO THANK YOU.

WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, UH, TIME YOU DEVOTE TO THE COMMISSION.

UM, MY NAME'S BOB NICKS, I'M PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTER ASSOCIATION.

I AM THE LONGEST TENURED FIREFIGHTER IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 37 YEARS, AND THE LONGEST TENURED CHIEF OFFICER IN THE DEPARTMENT.

I'M THE BATTALION CHIEF, BUT TODAY I'LL BE SPEAKING TO YOU IN MY ROLE FROM THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT AND SPEAKING WITH NELLY, SHE GAVE ME SOME IDEAS, THINGS TO SPEAK ABOUT, WAY MORE, WAY MORE STUFF THAN WE HAVE TIME.

SO I'M TO GO THROUGH PRETTY QUICK.

UM, THIS ALL, NORMALLY WHEN I'M ADDRESSING THIS, THIS COMMISSION, I'M TALKING ABOUT ITEMS OF PUBLIC CONCERN AND HOW TO SERVE THE CITIZENS BETTER.

AND SO I'M REALLY BAD AT WHAT I'M ABOUT READY TO DO.

I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT WAGES AND BENEFITS, HOW FIREFIGHTERS BEEN MISTREATED AND TREATED VERY UNFAIRLY FOR YEARS.

AND THE REASON WE GOT BINDING ARBITRATION, YOU MAY REMEMBER A FEW, A FEW YEARS AGO, IS BECAUSE OF THAT, AND ABOUT 83% OF THE CITIZENS AGREED WITH US THAT IF WE CAN'T GET A FAIR DEAL WITH THE CITY, THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO A NEUTRAL ARBITRATOR.

AND DAY TWO AND A HALF INTO ARBITRATION, A VERY BROAD SUPREME COURT RULING CAME DOWN THAT DESTROYED ALL THAT.

SO NOW WE'RE AT THE WHIM OF THE CITY AGAIN, AND WE'RE BEING TREATED VERY POORLY AGAIN.

SO I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.

[01:05:03]

UH, WE DO NOT GET PAID OVERTIME UNTIL OVER 53 HOURS.

THAT'S, UH, THROUGH A FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT.

WE WORK 33% MORE THAN ALL OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES.

MINIMUM.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES NOT PAY, NOR DO THEY, NOR DO THEY RECEIVE BENEFITS ON SOCIAL SECURITY.

WE PAY SEVEN 18.7% INTO OUR PENSION.

SO IT REDUCES OUR TAKE HOME PACE CONSIDERABLY JUST FROM THAT ALONE.

REGULAR CITY EMPLOYEES PAY 8%.

THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS.

THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A FIREFIGHTER IS 10 YEARS LESS THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON.

THIS IS CAUSED FROM THE RIGORS OF THE JOB AND THE CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS.

POST ASSISTANCE, STRESS INJURY IS RUNNING RAMPANT IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WE'VE HAD THREE SUICIDES SINCE 17.

WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE, UM, ATTEMPTED SUICIDES, AND WE HAVE A STREAM OF PEOPLE GOING TO IMMERSION PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE.

MORALE IS, UH, OUR WINTER COATS.

UH, WE WEAR THESE, THIS GEAR, THIS LIKE HEAVY WINTER COATS.

YOU CAN IMAGINE DOING THAT IN THE SUMMER.

AND BY THE TIME WE, UH, CARRY ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT, WE ARE, UM, WE'RE CARRYING ABOUT A HUNDRED POUNDS OF EQUIPMENT EXTRA FROM OUR BODY.

WEIGHT.

FIREFIGHTERS SUFFER FROM HIGHER RATES OF CANCER IN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

AND THE FIREFIGHTER GEAR, INCLUDING IN OUR STATION, HAS THIS FOREVER CHEMICAL THAT CHIEF FIRE'S TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.

OUR STATION GEAR AND OUR PROTECTIVE GEAR HAS THAT CHEMICAL IN IT, NOT JUST THE FIREFIGHTER FOAMS WE'RE EXPOSED TO IT EVERY DAY.

THIS IS ALL STUFF THAT'S UNIQUE TO THE FIREFIGHTERS.

OF COURSE, FIREFIGHTERS ARE THE ONLY PUBLIC SAFETY GROUP THAT ARE ORDERED TO COME TO WORK.

WE FILL EVERY SEAT EVERY DAY, NO BROWNOUTS EVER.

WE WERE 22% SHORT.

OUR FIREFIGHTERS TOWED THE LINE AND MADE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE UNIT WAS FILLED, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

FIREFIGHTERS, UM, I JUST BASICALLY SAID THAT WE'D NEVER BROWN OUT A UNIT.

FIREFIGHTERS ARE SUBJECT TO MAINTAINING A PHYSICAL STANDARD.

HERE'S THE BOOK.

WE HAVE TO, WE'RE SUBJECTED TO.

IF WE DON'T SATISFY OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL AND MEDICAL STANDARDS, WE CAN BE TERMINATED.

SO YOU HEAR ABOUT FIREFIGHTERS WORKING OUT.

THAT'S THE REASON FIREFIGHTERS ARE THE HIGH RISK JOB, UM, WITH A HIGH CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR, ONE OF THE HIGHEST OF ANY OCCUPATION.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IF I MAKE A MISTAKE, I CAN HURT MY FELLOW FIREFIGHTER AND YOU INSIDE A HOUSE.

AND SO IT'S A VERY COMPLEX JOB.

IN FACT, THE JOB COMPLEXITY OF A FIREFIGHTER IS CONSIDERED BETWEEN AN AIRLINE PILOT AND A SURGEON.

BECAUSE WHEN WE GO UP ON A SCENE, IT'S VERY CHAOTIC.

WE HAVE TO SORT OUT VERY QUICKLY AND MAKE, MAKE VERY QUICK DECISIONS WITH VERY LIMITED INFORMATION, HIGHLY INTELLIGENT ACTIVITY.

OVER 70% OF FIREFIGHTER CALLS ARE MEDICAL CALLS, BUT WE SPEND MORE TIME ON FIRES THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF CALL.

WE'VE DONE JOB ANALYSIS ON THAT.

SO WE CERTAINLY, UH, WORK SEAMLESSLY WITH E M S.

BUT OUR MAIN THING WE DO IS EMERGENCY CALLS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AND FIRE RELATED CALLS.

FIREFIGHTERS SPEND THEIR DAY PREPARING FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND TRAINING AND RESPONDING.

THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT JOB THAN OTHER JOBS EVEN FROM E M SS.

YOU KNOW, WE DO DO NON-EMERGENCY RESPONSES ONLY TO ADD VALUE TO THE CITIZENS, BUT THE MAIN THING WE NEED TO BE IS IN THESE GEOGRAPHIC STATIONS READY TO RESPOND WITH OUR FOUR TO EIGHT FIREFIGHTERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

WELL-TRAINED, PREPARED, AND EQUIPPED.

AUSTIN FIRES.

FIRES RUN VOLUMES INCREASED 68% OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

FIREFIGHTERS, LOWEST PAID PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES.

NO, SEL WAS GONNA SAY THAT'S NOT TRUE, BUT I, I CAN, I'M, I CAN'T GO OVER THE DATA RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S TRUE OR PAID LESS THAN AASS OR PAID LESS THAN EMPLOYEES.

THIS IS KIND OF A RECENT PHENOMENON.

FIREFIGHTERS HAVE LOST.

I MADE A MISTAKE HERE.

IT'S NOT, WE DIDN'T LOSE 15.75, WE ONLY LOST 13.75 OF OUR PURCHASING POWER OVER THOSE LAST CONTRACT TO PAY FIREFIGHTERS LESS MONEY.

A F D MANAGEMENT AND AF AND, AND CITY VOS LEGAL CHARACTERIZE FIREFIGHTERS WITH LOW-SKILLED EMPLOYEES TO THE ARBITRATOR.

THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE.

SO WE STARTED AT 40,000.

MCKINNEY STARTS AT 66.

YOU CAN PULL THESE UP ALL OVER THE INTERNET.

WE USED TO BE THE HIGHEST PAID OR ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAID DEPARTMENTS IN THE NATION, IN THE STATE, IN THE NATION.

REALLY, WE'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE.

WE'RE NOT EVEN THE HIGHEST PAID IN TRAVIS COUNTY ANYMORE.

AND THE REASON WE ONLY HAD 462 PEOPLE TAKE THE TEST IS BECAUSE OF THIS.

IT'S NOT RECRUITING.

WE'RE NOT PAYING FIREFIGHTERS LIKE, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IS.

NOW, THIS WAS, UH, I SAID FIVE YEARS AGO WE WEREN'T TREATED FAIRLY.

UH, WE HAD A ONE PROMISE WITH THE CITY, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS 12 TIMES AT THE TABLE.

CAN WE PLEASE MAINTAIN OUR COST OF LIVING? AND WE ACTUALLY SIGNED A DOCUMENT SAYING THEY WOULD.

AND THE CITY JUST SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THOSE ARE JUST WORDS.

WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT.

AND SO THIS IS WHY WE HAD TO GO TO ARBITRATION, IS WE

[01:10:01]

TREATED VERY, VERY UNFAIRLY.

THIS CHART SHOWS THE LOSS OF PURCHASING POWER.

YOU KNOW, UH, SELENA HAD A REALLY GREAT SLOGAN A FEW YEARS AGO THAT SAID, WE'RE WORTH MORE THAN 18 CENTS.

THE FIRST YEAR OF OUR 17 CONTRACT, THAT GAVE US A QUARTER PERCENT RAISE, THAT'S A 5% RAISE FOR OUR LOWEST PAY.

THE NEXT YEAR WAS A HALF PERCENT RAISE, HALF PERCENT RAISE.

THAT'S ANOTHER 10.

SO OVER TWO YEARS, WE GOT 15 CENTS MORE FOR OUR LOWEST PAID PEOPLE.

AND SO, BECAUSE OF THIS AND BECAUSE OF THE BIG COST OF LIVING DIFFERENCES AT THE END, WE LOST 13.75%.

AND NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE.

NOW, IF I WERE Y'ALL, I WOULD SAY EVERYBODY DID, RIGHT? EVERYBODY HAD THIS, THIS CONDITION OCCUR LATE IN THE YEAR, BUT WHAT NOT EVERYBODY HAD WAS LOWER PAID BY EVERY OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUP, THE FIREFIGHTERS OVER THE LAST 10, 11, AND 12 YEAR PERIODS.

AND THIS SHOWS IT RIGHT HERE.

SO OVER THIS 10 YEAR PERIOD, THE FIREFIGHTERS RECEIVED ONE 11.75%.

SO A LITTLE OVER 1% A YEAR.

CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES RECEIVED 24%.

AND YOU CAN SEE THEY KEPT PACE WITH THE COST OF LIVING AND EXCEEDED IT.

SO WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY HAD A SMOOTHING EFFECT WHERE THEY HAD HIGH AND LOW YEARS, WHERE THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE ALWAYS PAID LESS.

SO WE HAD POLICE FIRE, E M S AND C P I W.

THERE YOU CAN SEE WE WERE PAID SIGNIFICANTLY LESS.

SO NOT ONLY WE COMPLETED LESS THEN, THEN WE HAD THIS OTHER CONDITION HAPPEN AND THE CITY JUST SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'LL BE PROMISED TO KEEP YOU AT PURCHASING POWER.

FORGET IT.

IT WAS A LIE.

AND THIS IS A 10 OR 12, UH, 12 AND, UH, 11 YEAR WINDOW.

YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE SAME SORT OF THING.

VERY, VERY UNDERPAID.

UH, AND SO WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WANTS TO GET LADDERS AND WANTS TO GET COMMAND TEXTS, I'D NORMALLY BE SITTING HERE AND SAYING, LET'S DO IT.

WHAT I'M SAYING NOW IS FORGET ALL THAT.

FORGET ALL THAT.

'CAUSE THESE THINGS ARE HURTING FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

WE, OUR YOUNGER FIREFIGHTERS, I'M GOING AROUND COUNSEL TALKING ABOUT THIS.

I HAVE A YOUNGER FEMALE FIREFIGHTER.

SHE'S MADE ONE RANK SPECIALIST 10 YEARS.

SHE'S QUITTING AT THE END OF THE SUMMER.

'CAUSE SHE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE AN AUSTIN FIREFIGHTER ANYMORE.

YOUNGER FIREFIGHTERS ARE DOING DOORDASH AND GIVING PLASMA TO TRY TO MAKE IT WITH HER FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

IT'S, IT IS RIDICULOUS.

AND, AND STILL THE CITY, AS SOON AS THE SUPREME COURT RULED DOWN, THEY'RE GLEEFUL THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE TO MIS TO MISTREAT FIREFIGHTERS.

AND, UH, THEY'VE, THEY, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NEGOTIATING AND BARGAINING OR ARBITRATION AND BARGAINING.

THEY'VE OFFERED US A VERY MINIMAL PACKAGE COMPARED TO ANY OTHER GROUP.

AND IT JUST NEEDS TO END.

SO OUR RECOMMENDATION, AND YOU'VE NEVER HEARD ME SAY THIS FOR IN 14 YEARS, OUR RECOMMENDATION NEEDS TO BE INCREASING.

OUR PAY MORALE IS IN THE TOILET.

AND THIS WASN'T ACTUALLY THE RIGHT PRESENTATION.

I DON'T KNOW WHY.

I GUESS I GAVE YOU THE WRONG ONE, BUT MY LAST SLIDE WAS SUPPOSED TO SAY, WHAT DO I HEAR FROM FIREFIGHTERS MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW IS, WHY DOES THE CITY HATE US SO MUCH? THAT'S WHAT I HEAR FROM FIREFIGHTERS MORE THAN ANY OTHER COMMENT.

THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.

MY PEOPLE THAT GIVE SO MUCH ALL THE TIME ARE NEVER TAKEN CARE OF WHEN IT COMES TO PAYING BENEFITS.

WE'RE DISREGARDED.

WE'RE DISRESPECT AND TREATED VERY UNFAIRLY.

SO UNTIL WE CAN GO TO THE SUPREME, UH, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND CHANGE THE LAW SO WE CAN GET ARBITRATION BACK, WE'RE AT THE WHIM OF THE CITY AND THEY CONTINUE TO TREAT US QUITE UNFAIRLY.

THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.

MY HEARING IS VERY POOR.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO STAND FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.

I THINK WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE OTHER, UM, THE OTHER UNIONS TO HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS ON BUDGET AND ANYTHING ELSE THEY'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.

UM, AND THEN WE WILL SORT OF DO QUESTIONS AND ROLL AROUND.

SO, THANK YOU.

GO AHEAD ONE MORE TIME.

I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHERE TO BEGIN BECAUSE, UM, I THINK TRADITIONALLY THERE'S BEEN, UH, AN INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY UNIONS AND, UM, WE TRY VERY HARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WAGES, TO NOT DISPARAGE OTHER GROUPS.

AND IN A LOT OF WAYS, I DO FEEL LIKE BOB IS OPENLY DISPARAGING US TO THIS COMMISSION AND ALSO DIRECTLY TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UM, AND THAT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE.

UM, WE ALL DESERVE TO BE PAID MORE.

UM, OUR, AND I REALLY DON'T WANNA GET INTO IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA DO THIS TIT FOR TAT WITH BOB, BUT HE'S, I REALLY FEEL LIKE HE'S PUTTING ME IN A POSITION TO DO THAT.

AND IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE.

UM, I HAVE MEMBERS QUITTING LEFT AND RIGHT WHO CAN'T WORK HERE.

I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL, UH, A SURVEY, A WORKFORCE SURVEY OF, OF THAT WE DID TO SHARE ABOUT OUR FOLKS' MENTAL HEALTH.

UM, THE 14 SOMETHING THAT WAS AFTER COVID, THAT WAS THEIR FIRST OFFER AFTER COVID.

BOB IS TALKING ABOUT YEARS THAT HAPPENED IN TWENTY SEVENTEEN, TWENTY EIGHTEEN.

UM, OUR CALL LOAD AS DEMONSTRATED BY A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CITY IS 300% WHAT BOB'S AVERAGE CALL LOAD IS.

WE WORK 300% MORE ON AVERAGE.

UM, AND SO I, I REALLY DON'T WANNA

[01:15:01]

DO THIS TIP FOR TOT, BUT I REALLY FEEL PUT IN A POSITION TO DO THAT.

UM, WE DON'T MAKE 300% THE SALARY THAT BOB MAKES.

IN FACT, EVERY SINGLE SALARY IS LESS THAN BOB'S.

UM, YES, HE'S ON A 24 48, WE'RE ON A 24 72.

UM, BUT OUR SALARY IS STILL SUBSTANTIALLY LESS AND OUR WORKLOAD IS MUCH HIGHER EVERY SINGLE DAY.

WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING STANDUP, 20 FOURS.

UM, ALMOST EVERY CITY TRUCK IS THAT WAY.

IT'S VERY, VERY CHALLENGING FOR US.

UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ACT I'M NOT GONNA , I'M NOT GONNA DO THIS WITH YOU, BOB.

UM, BUT IT'S VERY UPSETTING.

AND WE ARE ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, SO I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT STUFF TOO.

Y'ALL HAVE HEARD, UM, OUR CONCERNS ABOUT OUR SALARIES.

EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN AUSTIN.

UM, WE'VE SPOKEN ON OTHER ISSUES TO TRY TO TACKLE IT FROM MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I SIGNED GROUND RULES THAT I WOULDN'T TALK ABOUT IT PUB ABOUT OUR NEGOTIATIONS PUBLICLY.

UM, BUT I'M JUST VERY DISHEARTENED, UM, TO HEAR WHAT BOB'S SAYING AND IS ACTUALLY HURTING US IN A LOT OF WAYS IN OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S VERY UPSETTING.

UM, BUT I WAS NOT CALLED HERE TO TALK ABOUT WAGES AND SALARIES.

I HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY.

I AM HAPPY TO TALK TO ANYBODY OFFLINE, REALLY DON'T WANNA DO THAT PUBLICLY.

UM, BUT AS FAR AS OUR BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS, OR EXCUSE ME, I'M A LITTLE FLUSTERED BECAUSE I'M PRETTY UPSET AT BOB'S PRESENTATION, TO BE HONEST.

I'M SORRY.

UM, BUT, UM, I'M JUST, I MEAN, Y'ALL HAVE NEVER HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTERS THE WAY THAT BOB HAS TODAY IN THE, IN A PUBLIC FORUM.

SO, UM, ANYWAY, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CALLS OUT THERE TO INCREASE OUR COMMUNICATIONS LINE, OUR PARAMEDIC HOTLINE TO 24 7.

UM, THAT'S THE ONLY AMENDMENT THAT I REALLY SEE THAT COUNCIL HAS BEEN PUTTING FORWARD.

UM, THIS HOTLINE DOES SO MUCH WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY, BASICALLY, UM, WHAT IT DOES IS FOR OUR LOW ACUITY CALLS THAT WE GET THROUGH 9 1 1, UM, THAT THEY HAVE THESE PARAMEDICS THAT ARE USED TO SEEING THEM IN THE FIELD ALL THE TIME.

UM, AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY PULL THEM OUT AND POTENTIALLY TRIAGE THEM DIFFERENTLY.

AND SO THEY CAN, UM, HELP THEM GET THE HELP THAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED.

I'LL, I'LL GIVE Y'ALL AN EXAMPLE.

UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, A WOMAN CALLS, SHE SAYS HER BLOOD PRESSURE'S HIGH, SHE NEEDS TO GO TO THE ER.

UM, AND WE SHOW UP AND WE TALK TO HER AND SHE SAYS, MY BLOOD PRESSURE'S HIGH.

AND THEN WE SAY, DO YOU HAVE A PRESCRIPTION FOR ANYTHING? AND SHE SAYS, YES, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, MY CAR'S NOT WORKING AND I HONESTLY DON'T HAVE THE $5, UM, TO, TO, TO GET MY PRESCRIPTION REFILLED.

AND SO THE C SO OUR PARAMEDICS SAY, WELL, I GUESS THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO.

THE ONLY THING WE CAN REALLY DO IS TAKE YOU TO THE ER.

BUT NOW THE C FOUR LINE, THEY CAN ACTUALLY SAY, WELL, WHY DON'T WE HELP YOU GET THAT PAYMENT FOR THAT MEDICATION? UM, THEY CAN ACTUALLY GO PICK UP MEDICATION REFILLS FOR PEOPLE AND ACTUALLY DELIVER IT.

AND I'VE CALLED THEM TO HAVE THEM DO THAT, UM, FOR A PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT, UM, WHO WAS OUT OF HIS MEDICATION AND HIS MOMS, YOU KNOW, DECIDED TO STOP PAYING FOR THEM AND PICKING THEM UP FOR HIM.

UM, WE'VE ALSO USED THEM FOR FOLKS THAT CALL US BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO OTHER RESOURCES EXCEPT TO GO TO THE ER FOR THINGS LIKE INGROWN TOENAILS AND OTHER THINGS.

AND C FOUR CAN ACTUALLY SET UP CAP METRO TRANSPORTATION.

THEY CAN DO SO MANY THINGS TO GET THEM THE HELP THAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED, UM, INSTEAD OF GO TO THE ER.

UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH CALLS THAT COME IN OVERNIGHT, UM, AND CAN'T GET THAT SIMILAR TRIAGE.

AND SO WE REALLY SUPPORT, UM, HAVING THIS 24 7 OPERATIONS OF THE PARAMEDIC HOTLINE, UM, FOR 24 HOURS.

I BELIEVE THAT, UM, REQUEST IS JUST TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10 PEOPLE.

UM, AND YES, UM, WE ARE 23% SHORT STAFFED.

I KNOW OUR NUMBERS HAVE COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT WITH THE LAST CLASS.

UM, SO WE'RE 23% SHORT STAFFED.

THAT'S PROBABLY OVER ONE 20 PEOPLE.

UM, AND I KNOW ONE THING IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HOPING THAT THE C FOUR GOES 24 HOURS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY EXHAUSTED.

IT'S VERY TOUGH TO WORK ON THE AMBULANCE AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES.

AND SO BEING ABLE TO BE IN COMMUNICATIONS BUT STILL DOING VERY SIMILAR WORK ACTUALLY WILL EXTEND CAREERS AND I THINK POTENTIALLY KEEP PEOPLE HERE AS A RETENTION TOOL.

UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE SUPPORT THAT DESPITE OUR STAFFING SHORTAGES.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO ANYBODY OFFLINE.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, DETECTIVE THOMAS AL, PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION.

UM, I, I GUESS I WILL SAY, UM, I'VE EXPRESSED SOME FRUSTRATION IN THE MEDIA, UM, ABOUT THE BUDGET.

UM, I FEEL LIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY'S NOT DOING, UH, A GREAT JOB OF COMPETING NATIONALLY, RIGHT? I MEAN, THE COMMON THEME THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM, FROM ALL THREE GROUPS IS, UM, EVERY SECTOR OF, OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS HURTING FOR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.

[01:20:01]

UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT Y'ALL REPRESENT, UM, ESPECIALLY ON OUR ISSUE, LIKE TO THROW BACK IN, IN, IN MY FACE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM NATIONALLY.

AND, AND I AGREE, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S CLEARLY A PROBLEM NATIONALLY.

AND I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE THAT PROBLEM NATIONALLY, IT, IT EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? LIKE THERE'S AN EVER, UH, SHRINKING GROUP OF FOLKS THAT WANT TO JOIN THE POLICING PROFESSION.

UM, AND ESPECIALLY, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE VERY HIGH STANDARDS LIKE WE DO, UM, THE ABILITY TO, TO FIND AND RECRUIT THE, THE BEST OF THE BEST JUST BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER.

AND SO, UM, I I WILL SAY AS IT PERTAINS TO BUDGET, I, I WISH THAT THERE WAS MORE OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE COMPETE AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, RIGHT? HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE COMPETE HERE LOCALLY SO THAT THE FOLKS THAT WE INVEST TIME AND ENERGY AND MONEY INTO, UM, TO, TO GO THROUGH OUR EIGHT MONTH ACADEMY, DON'T IMMEDIATELY LEAVE AND GO TO GEORGETOWN, ROUND ROCK, HAYES COUNTY, TRAVIS COUNTY.

UM, BUT THEN ALSO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE COMPETE ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, RIGHT? WHEN I'VE GOT FOLKS IN, IN, YOU KNOW, FROM LOS ANGELES TO NEW YORK, UM, SIGNING PRETTY ROBUST CONTRACTS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WALKS AROUND WITH A COMPUTER IN THEIR POCKET THESE DAYS AND, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH WORK TO, UH, TO DO THE RESEARCH TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU SHOULD GO BE A POLICE OFFICER IF THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR DESIRE THESE DAYS.

AND SO, UM, I, IT IT'S JUST, IT'S FRUSTRATING 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH MORE, I FEEL LIKE WE COULD BE DOING SOME OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING AS A CITY.

UM, WE, YOU KNOW, I OFTENTIMES TELL OUR, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LIKE WE HAVE AN OUTSIDE THE BOX PROBLEM, WE HAVE TO HAVE OUTSIDE THE BOX SOLUTIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY NEED 500 MORE COPS TODAY.

UM, AND IF YOU DO THE, IF YOU DO THE NUMBERS ON HOW MANY INITIAL APPLICANTS AND, AND JUST USING OUR OWN HISTORIC NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED 10 YEARS WORTH OF APPLICANTS TO GET 500 PEOPLE GRADUATED FROM OUR POLICE ACADEMY.

AND SO IT'S A TREMENDOUS ASK THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON, UM, OUR RECRUITING TEAM.

UM, AND I JUST, UH, I, I STRUGGLED TO UNDERSTAND WITH THE STRUGGLES THAT WE'RE HAVING AS AN AGENCY TO COMPETE, UH, TO FIND PEOPLE THIS YEAR, WE WILL LOSE WELL OVER 150, UH, POLICE OFFICERS AND WE'RE GONNA GRADUATE ABOUT 50 CADETS.

AND SO WE'RE, WE ARE SLIDING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

UM, UH, I STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A SINGLE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE DOLLAR, UM, LOOKING LONG TERM AT OUTSIDE THE BOX SOLUTIONS.

WE, WE, I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK, I THINK WE COULD DO MORE.

AND THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING ON, ON OUR OWN PEOPLE.

I WILL, I WILL TELL Y'ALL VERY UNSELFISHLY, UM, WE DON'T REPRESENT A SINGLE CIVILIAN, UM, AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT I, IT, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO SEE A BUDGET THAT DOESN'T DO MORE TO FIX OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER PROBLEM.

UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THREE OF OUR MEMBERS, UH, NEVER GET THE CALL WHEN IT TAKES, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY WE NEVER GET IT RIGHT WHEN IT TAKES 20, 25, 30 MINUTES TO, TO ANSWER 9 1 1 CALLS.

UH, THAT'S JUST DELAYING THE, UH, THE RESPONSE FOR, FOR ALL THREE OF OUR, OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS.

AND SO, UM, THAT IS A FRUSTRATION.

UM, AND I JUST THINK THERE'S MORE, THERE'S MORE THAT, THAT THIS CITY COULD DO FOR PROBABLY ALL THEIR CITY EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? UM, THEY OWN A, THEY OWN A ELECTRIC UTILITY.

UM, YOU'VE GOT A CHUNK OF OF CITY EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, SOME OF MY MEMBERS INCLUDED THAT LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS, RIGHT? YOU OWN THE WATER UTILITY.

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU COULD DO FOR ENERGY RATES AND, AND, AND WATER RATES FOR, FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES? UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, ALL RIGHT, BEING IN THE 24 7, 365 DAY A YEAR BUSINESS, HAVE MEMBERS KNOW MEMBERS THAT STRUGGLE WITH CHILDCARE, PARTICULARLY OVERNIGHT CHILDCARE.

UM, SO I JUST, I, THAT'S MY FRUSTRATION IS, IS THERE'S, WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF PROBLEMS AND WE HAVE A, A CITY THAT'S GOT A LOT OF REALLY, REALLY SMART PEOPLE.

AND I FEEL LIKE AT TIMES WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT DOING THE BEST JOB OF, OF THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX TO PROVIDE FOR, LIKE I SAID, PROBABLY ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, MUCH LESS THE, UH, THE 1,475 COPS THAT I REPRESENT.

SO, THANK Y'ALL.

UM, THANK YOU.

UM, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT BRIEF YES.

'CAUSE WE NEED TO GET TO COMMISSIONERS AND QUESTIONS THAT IF YOU CAN KEEP IT BRIEF, AND I NOTICED YOU RAISED YOUR HANDS BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA GET TO QUESTIONS AND YEAH, I'LL KEEP IT VERY BRIEF.

SELENA MENTIONED MY NAME EIGHT TIMES AND, AND IT WAS, UM, AND SHE, SHE WASN'T BEING HONEST ABOUT WHAT I SAID.

I NEVER, I NEVER ACTUALLY, I, I NEVER ACTUALLY, WE, WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR, FOR, FOR BACK AND FORTH.

I NEVER SAID ONE TIME THAT I DIDN'T SUPPORT E M SS.

I ONLY TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS NEED MORE.

GONNA, THE FACT, I'M GONNA FACT, I DO SUPPORT E M S AND THEIR BUDGET.

I'M

[01:25:01]

I'M GONNA STOP YOU THOUGH BECAUSE WE DO HAVE LIMITED TIME AND, AND, AND I REALLY DON'T, DON'T WANNA SPEND OUR TIME BACK THAT FORTH, BUT YOU GAVE HER TIME TO SAY MY NAME EIGHT TIMES AND SAY WRONG THINGS EVERY TIME SHE SPOKE.

OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.

UM, OKAY.

SO THE POINT OF TODAY'S SORT OF, UM, IS JUST TO SORT OF HAVE CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE BUDGET, OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT WE PASSED, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO.

IT SOUNDS, SEEMS LIKE AT THIS POINT, UM, OUR, OUR VOTE, UM, NEED NEEDED TO BE REDONE ON A TECHNICALITY, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF POSTING STUFF.

AND LIKE I HAD MENTIONED, UH, SEVERAL TIMES, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS WATCHING US WITH LIKE HAWKEYES .

UM, AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, AND BECAUSE WE, SINCE WE TOOK OUR, OUR, UM, OUR VOTE, WE HAVE HAD THE ENTIRE BUDGET RELEASED AND STUFF, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HEAR FROM THE UNIONS AND HEAR ABOUT HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THE BUDGET, UM, WHAT WAS MISSING FROM THE BUDGET.

UM, I JUST ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS, UM, WE ARE GOING INTO A BUDGET CYCLE WITHOUT UNION CONTRACTS FINALIZED.

UM, AND THERE'S JUST, UM, CEMENTING A BUDGET WITHOUT HAVING THAT STUFF, WITHOUT HAVING THOSE CONTRACTS IN PLACE, UM, I THINK BY DEFINITION CAN POTENTIALLY CONSTRAIN, UM, WHAT THE UNIONS ARE LOOKING FOR IN THEIR CONTRACTS.

UM, AND SO I AM, I AM NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT THIS BUDGET CYCLE, UM, AND WHAT THIS BUDGET APPROVAL MEANS, UM, FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTS, WAGES, SALARIES AND EVERYTHING MOVING FORWARD.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HEAR FROM WHERE YOU GUYS WERE ON THE BUDGET AND WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS IMPORTANT.

AND WITH THAT, JUST QUESTIONS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR THEM? OKAY.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.

UM, UH, SO, UM, I, I GUESS I, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR ALL, UH, THREE OF YOUR UNIONS, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT ONLY ONE HAS ANY MEANINGFUL SAY, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.

UM, AND SO I'M GONNA DIRECT THIS AT, UM, OFFICER VIAL, UM, OR SERGEANT OR COMMANDER, LIEUTENANT DETECTIVE, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

RESOURCES WAS, WAS COMING.

SORRY, I'M REALLY BAD AT THE TITLES.

SO, UM, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

DETECTIVE, UM, UH, WOULD YOU CONSIDER IN TERMS OF OUT OF THE BOX THINKING, UM, SUPPORTING, UH, IN EFFORT TO HAVE, UH, A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY CALLS THAT A P D CURRENTLY RESPOND TO, UM, ADDRESSED BY, UH, UH, CIVILIAN, UH, MENTAL HEALTH STAFF, UM, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DEDICATING A P D RESOURCES TO THOSE CALLS AND, UM, GOING TO Y'ALL'S FRIENDS AT THE LEGISLATURE AND ADVOCATING FOR THEM TO NOT CONSTRAIN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY'S CAPACITY TO, UH, RAISE TAXES, UH, WHEN THEY NEED TO RESPOND TO SOMETHING LIKE A 40% INCREASE IN THE COST OF HOUSING, UM, IN THIS JURISDICTION SO THAT INSTEAD OF THE UNIONS FIGHTING AGAINST EACH OTHER OVER WHO'S GONNA GET MONEY, UH, THE, THE CITY HAS THE CAPACITY, UH, TO HAVE A BUDGET THAT ACTUALLY COVERS ALL OUR NEEDS.

YES, MA'AM.

I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO MISS ANY PARTS OF YOUR QUESTION, .

SURE.

UM, SO I, I GUESS I WOULD SAY TO THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION, UM, UNEQUIVOCALLY YES.

I, I, SO I'VE BEEN WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR, UM, ABOUT 17 AND A HALF YEARS.

I SPENT MY FIRST 10 AND A HALF YEARS WORKING PATROL, UM, MOSTLY NIGHT SHIFT, EVENING SHIFT PATROL, UM, IN SOME OF OUR HIGHER CALL VOLUME PARTS OF TOWN.

AND THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY OF MENTAL HEALTH CALL RESPONSE IS IT, THE MORE WE GO TO IT, THE MORE CHANCES WE HAVE FOR A NEGATIVE OUTCOME.

IT, IT'S A, IT'S NOT A GAME, BUT IT, IT'S A NUMBERS ISSUE, RIGHT? UM, AND IF, IF YOU COULD TELL ME THAT LAST YEAR WE RESPONDED TO 50,000 AND NEXT YEAR YOU'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE US RESPOND TO 25,000, LET'S LESS OPPORTUNITIES, IF YOU WILL, FOR THINGS TO GO BAD, AND FOR OUR MEMBERS TO BE PUT IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE FORCED TO USE DEADLY FORCE AT TIMES, FORCED TO USE ANY FORCE ON PEOPLE.

RIGHT? UM, SO A, A A HUNDRED PERCENT I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT.

UM, IN, IN 2018, UM, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH OUR THEN CHIEF OF POLICE SEEING THAT THE CUT OF, OF

[01:30:02]

AND I SAID, YOU SHOULD PROACTIVELY TAKE SOME OF YOUR VACANCIES, ASK THE MANAGER IN THE BUDGET PROCESS TO CONVERT THOSE SWORN POSITIONS INTO CIVILIAN POSITIONS AND BE THE FIRST MAJOR BIG CITY IN AMERICA THAT'S GOT MENTAL HEALTH, UM, PRACTITIONERS ON PAYROLL, RIGHT? LIKE, IN MY MIND, THEY COULD BE MUCH LIKE OUR VICTIM SERVICES COUNSELORS.

WE GIVE THEM UNIFORMS IN A RADIO AND THEY CAN RESPOND IF THEY NEED HELP, THEY HAVE THE SAME RADIO AS WE DO, WE CAN GO HELP 'EM.

UM, IT FELL ON DEAF EARS, RIGHT? UM, WE PREVIOUSLY, UH, THE LAST TWO SESSIONS TRIED TO BRING FORWARD, UH, LEGISLATION THAT WOULD EXPAND WHO ALL CAN COMMIT SOMEONE AGAINST THEIR WILL.

UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A BILL THAT'S BEEN VETOED ONCE BY, BY THE GOVERNOR.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PUSHBACK FROM SOME OF THE OTHER LOBBIES, PARTICULARLY THE, THE HOSPITAL LOBBIES.

UM, SO NOT A FOREIGN CONCEPT TO US IN THE LEASE BIT AND SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD VERY MUCH, UH, BE OPEN TO WORKING, WORKING TOWARDS.

UM, I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S LOTS AND LOTS OF THESE SITUATIONS WHERE EVEN IF IT WAS SALINAS PEOPLE, RIGHT? THAT THE LEGISLATURE GAVE THE ABILITY TO COMMIT SOMEBODY, UM, IT'S UNREASONABLE IN MANY SITUATIONS FOR ME AS THE PERSON THAT GETS ISSUED, YOU KNOW, A, A A A VEST AND A GUN TO SAY, HEY, SELENA, I WANT YOU TO GO DEAL WITH THIS VIOLENT PERSON, OR I WANT YOU TO GO DEAL WITH THIS ARMED PERSON, RIGHT? SO STILL LOTS OF THOSE CALLS WHERE, WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY.

UM, BUT YES.

UM, TO, TO YOUR FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION.

SO THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION IN TERMS OF, I, I THINK IT WAS BASICALLY, ARE WE WILLING TO GO TRY TO LEVERAGE OUR RELATIONSHIPS AT THE LEGISLATURE TO DEAL WITH THE MONEY ASPECT SO WE'RE NOT FIGHTING OVER THE SAME POOL OF MONEY? UM, WE, WE HAVE, UM, AND THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION ACTUALLY, UM, TESTIFIED AGAINST, I DON'T REMEMBER THE BILL NUMBER, BUT, UH, BUT THE CAP, UH, THE TAX CAP AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY TOLD BY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT TURN AROUND AND HELP US ON OTHER ISSUES, UM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TEACH YOUR CITY COUNCIL HOW TO, HOW TO PRIORITIZE THEIR MONEY.

AND SO, UM, THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON, THINGS THAT WE'RE WILLING TO WORK ON.

UM, SO DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M JUST CHECKING AROUND THE TABLE.

CAN I ADD ONTO THAT TOO? YEAH, OF COURSE.

UM, SO E M S IS TAKING A VERY PROACTIVE ROLE IN RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.

WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, UM, MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY RESPONDED TO, I THINK, UM, 3000 CALLS THIS YEAR AND, AND PROBABLY WILL, UM, HIT 4,000.

UM, AND, UM, I'VE JUST BEEN WATCHING THEIR PRESENTATIONS, BUT I KNOW THAT 95% OF THE TIME WHEN THEY GO TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, WE DON'T HAVE TO INVOLVE LAW ENFORCEMENT.

UM, AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, CONTINUING TO, TO USE THAT RESOURCE IS REALLY GOOD.

WE OBVIOUSLY WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND IT, UM, BUT DUE TO STAFFING, WE'RE UNABLE TO, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND IT TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO MORE CALLS.

UM, I THINK WHAT THOMAS IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT HAVING, UM, OTHER TYPES OF LICENSED PROFESSIONALS, UM, LIKE SOCIAL WORKERS, UM, INTEGRAL CARE DOES HAVE A CONTRACT TO DO EM COT, UM, THEY'RE ALSO HAVING STAFFING ISSUES, AND SO THEY'RE UNABLE TO FULFILL IT A LOT OF TIMES.

AND SO IT'S NOT REALLY CLEAR TO ME, UM, HOW MUCH OF IT, HOW MUCH WE COULD ACTUALLY BE DOING IF EVERYBODY WAS STAFFED, UM, AS OPPOSED TO, UM, UH, IF IT'S A TRIAGING ISSUE.

BUT I, I REALLY DO THINK THAT, UM, OUR PARAMEDICS HAVE A VERY GOOD TRACK RECORD OF RESPONDING REALLY WELL TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS AND NOT HAVING TO SUCK UP POLICE RESOURCES, UM, WHEN THEY GO, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR VERY, VERY SPECIALIZED MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING.

I WILL SAY, AS A GUY THAT'S BEEN WORKING, UM, A DECENT AMOUNT WITH OUR PATROL OFFICERS, UM, I'VE HAD SOME OF THESE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS THAT THEY'RE CALLED SHOW UP ON SCENES AND COMPLETELY TAKE OVER FOR US SO THAT IT'S A, IT'S A FANTASTIC PROGRAM.

AWESOME.

THAT WE GOT FROM THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES AROUND THEIR UNMET NEEDS AND THEIR REQUESTS.

CAN I ASK A PROCESS QUESTION? JUST OF COURSE.

I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH, UM, TIME IN TERMS OF CITY BUDGET.

WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION TODAY, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.

AND THEN WE DO HAVE SPACE WITH A PLACEHOLDER FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, WE CAN CREATE ANY RESOLUTIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE.

YEAH, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE THE ENTIRE YEAR BETWEEN BUDGET CYCLES TO SURFACE ISSUES THAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, BRING UP THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SEE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF BUDGET ADOPTION, WHICH IS COMING UP LATER THIS MONTH.

THIS IS OUR LAST MEETING AHEAD OF, UM, THE BUDGET ADOPTION.

SO IT'S JUST ABOUT, UM, OUR PREVIOUS, UM, OUR PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION WAS BASED AROUND THE PRESENTATIONS

[01:35:01]

UM, AND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS BASICALLY THAT DRAFT.

IT'S UM, IT'S BASICALLY A LIST OF ALL THE UNMET NEEDS.

AND WE ALSO AGREED AS A COMMISSION WHEN WE MET LAST TIME AND LOOKED AT THIS, THAT WE WERE BACKING THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BUDGET.

THAT THAT IS ALL STILL THERE AS WELL.

WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BUDGET SPEAKERS LAST MEETING, UM, THERE IS ONE ADDITIONAL LINE ITEM HERE THAT WAS ADDED UNDER A P D FOR SEVEN CIVILIAN FTES FOR VICTIM SERVICES, UM, CONTINGENT ON LOSING THE V O C A FUNDS.

UM, AND THAT'S JUST AN ISSUE THAT'S COME UP SINCE THE BUDGET WAS RELEASED.

UM, DO YOU WANT YEAH, IF, UM, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT WAS THE ONE THAT ADDED THAT HAD THAT AMENDMENT, UM, IF SHE WANTS TO SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH, SO JUST VERY BRIEFLY, THE CONCERN IS THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT MAYBE EVEN ALL 10 OF THE VICTIM SERVICES FOLKS AT A P D CURRENTLY ARE COVERED BY WHAT ARE CALLED VOCA GRANTS.

UM, AND, UH, THOSE GRANTS ARE GETTING MORE COMPETITIVE AND A P D HAS ONLY BEEN ABLE TO ASK FOR RENEWAL OF THAT FUNDING FOR FIVE POSITIONS.

THE CURRENT BUDGET HAS THREE POSITIONS ADDED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

UM, SO THAT LEAVES, UH, TWO, UM, THAT, UH, ARE, ARE NOT BEING REPLACED WITH ANY FUNDING AND FIVE THAT WE MIGHT LOSE BECAUSE OF THE VOCA FUNDING MIGHT NOT COME THROUGH.

UM, SO THE PROPOSAL IS TO FUND ALL FIVE EXISTING SLOTS, UM, AND FUND, YOU KNOW, THE FIVE POTENTIAL VOCA SLOTS IF THEY DO NOT GET, UM, RENEWED GOING FORWARD.

CHIEF HENDERSON, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? UH, YES MA'AM.

AND, AND THAT IS CORRECT ON, ON YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THAT.

UH, JUST WANTED TO ADVISE THAT JUST BECAUSE THE TIMING OF THE GRANTS AND WHEN THOSE GRANT APPROVALS COME THROUGH, THERE JUST AREN'T ANY GUARANTEES THAT WE WILL BE AWARDED THOUGH THOSE FIVE POSITIONS, BUT WE ARE SEEKING, SEEKING THE GRANTS, SEEKING THE RENEWAL.

IT'S JUST, WE WILL NOT KNOW THAT UNTIL AFTER THE, THE BUDGET SEES IT OR BUDGET CYCLE CAN BE APPROVED.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION? SO JUST TO CLARIFY IN THERE, JUST THINKING THAT SOME TIME AND WHAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE VOTING ON, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF VERY IMPORTANT WAGE ISSUES AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES, BUT THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT COUNCIL BUDGET CYCLE.

IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PUT AS AN ITEM FOR NEXT TIME TO CONSIDER HOW WE WANT TO RECOMMEND APPROVING THAT.

YES, CORRECT.

WE CAN DEFINITELY HAVE FOLLOW UP DISCUSSIONS, UM, UH, CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNDERWAY FOR, FOR SOME, UM, AND THAT'S JUST, THOSE ARE DEFINITELY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE.

LIKE I SAID, MY, MY MY HOPE WAS THAT JUST SORT OF TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE CONTEXT OF WE HAVE LABOR NEGOTIATIONS THAT STILL NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE ARE APPROVING A BUDGET AND JUST SORT OF SHED LIGHT AND DAYLIGHT THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH A BUDGET WITHOUT THAT IN PLACE AND THAT, THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY BIG DEAL .

UM, AND I, I DON'T WANT, UM, TO LIMIT THE DISCUSSION TO THIS, BUT I WANT TO PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO OUR DRAFT, UM, THAT WOULD INCLUDE LANGUAGE CLARIFYING THAT, UH, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE, UH, FINAL BUDGET, UM, BE CHANGED SO THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT, UM, ALL, UM, UH, PHYSICIANS ANSWER DIRECTLY TO DR.

ESCOTT, UM, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THIS, UH, CHAIN OF COMMAND PROBLEM, UM, WITH THE PHYSICIANS, UM, AND OR THAT THE CHIEF, THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER JUST BE MAINTAINED AS IT IS CURRENTLY.

UM, AND ALSO, UM, THAT WE, UH, FUND TAKING THE LIKE C FOUR, UM, UH, LOW ACUITY CARE, UH, MODEL 24 7, UM, IN THE NEXT BUDGET, UM, WHICH IS AN AMENDMENT THAT HAS BEEN, UH, FLOATED, UM, BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER ALISON ALTER.

SO JUST TO MAKE SURE, UM, THE C FOUR PROGRAM AND EXPANDING IT TO 24 HOUR OPERATIONS IS ALREADY PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION AS PART OF THE UNMET NEEDS.

UM, SO THAT IS ALREADY THERE.

UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING I HEARD WAS AN AMENDMENT TO, UM, SO ABOUT FI JUST, I WANNA MAKE, I WANNA GET LANGUAGE CLEAR.

I NEED A SECOND, AND THEN WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT IF WE WANNA ADD IT ON TO THE EXISTING LANGUAGE.

WOULD YOU BE AMENABLE IF I SUGGEST LANGUAGE I, I WAS TYPING OUT AS WE WERE GOING TO SAY THAT WE RECOMMEND NOT RESTRUCTURING OCMA AT THIS TIME IN THE CURRENT BUDGET UNTIL FULL ANALYSIS OF BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF THE MOVE CAN BE DISCUSSED WITH SUFFICIENT STAKEHOLDER INPUT.

WOULD THAT GET THE SENSE OF WHAT YOU WERE WANTING TO HAVE? I WOULD SECOND THAT.

SO I WILL SECOND THAT.

OCMA UNTIL FULL ANALYSIS IS DONE.

SO WE'VE GOT LANGUAGE ALONG THE LINES OF NOT RESTRUCTURING

[01:40:01]

I KNOW THERE WAS MORE, MORE TO IT THAN THAT, BUT THAT FULL ANALYSIS OF BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF THE MOVE CAN BE DISCUSSED WITH SUFFICIENT STAKEHOLDER INPUT.

UM, I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS GOOD REASON WHY THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE MOVEMENT, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE MANY OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WERE CAUGHT, UM, A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED AND UNAWARE, AND I JUST THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION OF WHY AND HAD THE PROCESS AND NOT NECESSARILY AS JUST A BUDGET ITEM.

ESPECIALLY SINCE I, I THINK I HEARD IT WAS 2021 WHEN IT WAS FIRST FORMED.

IT SEEMS A FAIRLY BRIEF TIME PERIOD WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE REASONING ON IT.

COMMISSIONER HOLMES? YES.

SO I HAVE A MOTION, I HAVE A SECOND AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE.

SO I'M GONNA GO AROUND THE TABLE.

COMMISSIONER ORR? YES.

COMMISSIONER KOFF? YES.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT? YES.

COMMISSIONER HALL.

MARTIN? YES.

COMMISSIONER PENA? YES.

COMMISSIONER NEN? YES.

COMMISSIONER RUTAN? YES.

I'LL COMMISSIONER SMITH ABSTAIN.

AND, UM, I WILL VOTE YES ON THAT.

UM, OKAY.

AND SO DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE RECOMMENDATION DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? CAN I JUST GET A CLARIFICATION ON ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES VACANCIES, UM, UH, WHAT THE CURRENT VACANCIES ARE AND THE CURRENT, UM, GRADUATING CLASS, UH, NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF GET A BETTER IDEA OF THOSE GAPS? OH, OKAY.

I THINK Y IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, THAT'S AWESOME.

FROM TODAY.

UM, FOR THE E M S DEPARTMENT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 113 VACANCIES.

UH, 24 OF THEM ARE AT THE ENTRY LEVEL.

WE HAVE 24 THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN A CADET CLASS FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AS SHARED EARLIER, OUR CURRENT VACANCIES AT TODAY IS 56.

UH, WE ARE GRADUATING A CLASS ON FRIDAY THAT'LL HAVE 44, WHICH WILL LEAVE OUR VACANCIES AT 12.

AGAIN, WE WON'T HAVE ANOTHER CADET CLASS GRADUATING UNTIL NEXT YEAR.

THIS TIME WE ARE OPENING UP A FIRE STATION, SO THOSE VACANCIES WILL, WILL RISE RATHER QUICKLY, UH, WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO PUT MORE PEOPLE INTO OPERATIONS TILL NEXT TIME, NEXT YEAR THIS TIME.

AND YES, FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR CURRENT VACANCY RATE AS OF AUGUST 7TH, WE HAVE 331 VACANCIES.

WE HAVE A CURRENT CLASS THAT'S SCHEDULED TO GRADUATE SEPTEMBER 8TH, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE 19 CADETS IN THAT CLASS.

AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER CLASS THAT'S OVERLAPPING WITH THAT CLASS, AND THAT ONE WILL GRADUATE, I BELIEVE DECEMBER 28TH.

AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE 32 CADETS IN THAT CLASS.

UM, COMMISSIONER RUTAN APPROVE.

MM-HMM.

ALL RIGHT.

ANYTHING ELSE AHEAD OF GOING FOR A VOTE ON THE FULL BUDGET RECOMMENDATION? OKAY, AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA START FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

I THINK WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION WITH THE, UM, ADDED AMENDMENT.

COMMISSIONER NGUYEN? YES.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT? YES.

COMMISSIONER PENA? YES.

COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN? YES.

COMMISSIONER HOLMES? YES.

COMMISSIONER KOFF? YES.

COMMISSIONER ORR? YES.

AND I WILL VOTE AS WELL.

COMMISSIONER SMITH, RICK KEYS AS WELL.

RECUSE, DID YOU, UM, RECUSE YOURSELF? NO.

YOU JUST ABSTAINED ON THE, ON THE AMENDMENT, WAS THAT CORRECT? YES.

SORRY, I SHOULD PROBABLY, LET'S DO ABSTAIN ON THIS ONE RATHER THAN RECUSE.

ABSTAIN.

JUST WANNA MAKE SURE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WITH THAT, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS APPROVED.

WE NEVER GET TO, WHICH IS OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE ALWAYS RUN OUT OF TIME.

UM, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US TODAY FOR THIS CONVERSATION.

WE HAVE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM AND THAT IS ONE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UM, I DID FLOAT A LIST OF, UM, SORT OF OUR RUNNING ITEMS, UM, AGENDA ITEMS LIST.

UM, I THINK WHAT I NOTICED AS I WAS LOOKING AT THAT LIST, IS THERE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO COMBINE SOME OF THESE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN SORT OF ACCUMULATING OVER TIME? UM, UM, ONE THAT I SAW WAS THE POTENTIAL TO COMBINE, UM, COMMISSIONER PENA'S BIKE LANE USE AND SAFETY, UM, AGENDA ITEM WITH COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT'S, UM, DISCUSSION ON SAFETY, UH, FOR UBER AND LYFT RIDERS.

I THINK IN JUST SORT, SORT OF OUR ALTERNATIVE, I FORGET WHAT THEY'RE CALLED, UH, ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES, UM, I THINK IT'S JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAYBE ADDRESS THEM ALL UNDER ONE WING AND TALK ABOUT SAFETY.

NOT WORKING.

SO THE, UM, THE LYFT AND UBER, THEY HAVE LIKE THE ONES YOU CAN RENT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE

[01:45:01]

THE CARS.

SO I'M SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE BIKE LANE ONLY.

SO I WORRY IF WE COMBINE BOTH OF THOSE THINGS THAT IT'LL KIND OF SWAY AWAY FROM THE PETTY CAPS AND THE BIKE LANE.

WELL WITH THAT, UM, EVERYBODY, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HAS THE LIST IN FRONT OF THEM, WE, UM, WE AS ALWAYS NEED SECONDS TO MOVE THESE AGENDA ITEMS FORWARD.

SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SECOND FROM OUR ONGOING LIST, THIS IS A GREAT CHANCE TO DO THAT.

UM, AND WITHOUT ANY WITH MOM, I'LL PROBABLY JUST MOVE FORWARD.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.

SO I'M NOT SURE IT'S CLEARLY ON THE LIST, BUT I WILL, IF I'M NOT ALREADY THE FIRST, I WILL SECOND THE, UM, OVERTIME DISCUSSION, THE SORT OF BROADER OVERTIME DISCUSSION.

I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND FOR THE OVERTIME DISCUSSION THAT WE WILL BE HAVING NEXT MONTH.

UM, JUST TO SORT OF EXPANDED, UM, DISCUSSION ON OVERTIME ACROSS ALL THE AGENCIES.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT A FEW MONTHS AGO.

UM, AND SO THAT'S ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH AND I WE'RE IN SEARCH FOR ANOTHER ITEM.

OH, CAN I SECOND NUMBER 12? NUMBER 12, WHICH IS POLICE INTERACTIONS PROTOCOLS WITH FAMILIES AFTER OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, AND I'LL DO NUMBER 13.

AND THEN ALSO A SECOND FOR VICTIM SERVICES AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY POST OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

SO WE'VE GOT SECONDS FOR THOSE.

A SECOND NUMBER ONE AS WELL.

OH YEAH, THAT WAS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY I WAS, UM, FOR US TO SORT OF COMBINE ITEMS. UM, SO THAT, THAT'S GREAT.

UM, IT'LL BE A NICE PIGGYBACK ON SOME OF THE, HES SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INTERDEPARTMENT SORT OF, UM, COOPERATION.

THAT'S GREAT.

UM, WE DO STILL HAVE ON THE SORT OF HORIZON, UH, LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, UM, WE USUALLY HEAR FROM THEM ONCE SESSION HAS CLOSED, WHICH IT'S JUST BEEN SORT OF TEETERING ON THIS YEAR.

SO, UM, ONCE THAT GETS WRAPPED UP, WE'LL BE HAVING A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM THEM.

AND THEN WE ALSO, I WANNA JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT ON THE RECORD.

I KNOW THAT I'VE CIRCULATED IT TO YOU GUYS.

UM, A DISCUSSION ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OUR DISABLED COMMUNITY.

THERE'S A REPORT THAT'S PENDING FROM THE O P O.

UM, AND I'D ALSO JUST, UM, I HAD REACHED OUT TO, UM, THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THERE'S INTEREST IN A JOINT COMMISSION MEETING WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE DISABLED COMMUNITY IN GENERAL AND THE INTERACTION WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, TRAINING, UM, INTERACTIONS, JUST OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT AND THAT'S ON THE HORIZON AS WELL.

UM, I, I, THIS MAY ALREADY HAVE A SECOND, BUT I JUST ALSO WANTED TO PUT ON THE RECORD, UM, THE, UM, AGENDA REQUEST TO DISCUSS WITH ALL THREE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES AND ANYONE ELSE WHO'S RELEVANT, RESPONDING TO EXCESSIVE HEAT, UM, EVENTS, UM, AND ALL THE RESOURCES THAT THE CITY BRINGS TO BEAR TO TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE WHEN IT'S TOO HOT.

ON COMMISSIONER HOLMES ON THAT, ITEM 13, THE VICTIM SERVICES.

MM-HMM.

, IF WE END UP TALKING ABOUT THAT, I THINK IF WE COULD EXPAND IT TO INCLUDE A DISCUSSION OF WHAT HAPPENS IF THOSE POSITIONS AREN'T FUNDED AT VICTIM SERVICES AT THE A P D.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE PRETTY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN VICTIM SERVICES WITH THE COUNTY AND I'VE SEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE GONE ON OVER THE DECADES ABOUT VICTIM SERVICES AND I JUST THINK IT'S CRITICAL AND IF THAT DOESN'T GET FUNDED, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING.

CAN DEFINITELY ADD THAT TO THE LIST OF QUESTIONS.

UM, CAN I, YEAH, OF COURSE.

OBVIOUSLY I THINK, I WISH WE HAD TIME TO DISCUSS EVERY SINGLE ITEM.

I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE SPACE AT SOME POINT BASED ON DISCUSSION TODAY TO, UM, DISCUSS CONTRACTS AND PAY.

SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S SORT OF FUNDAMENTAL TO UNDERLYING A LOT OF THESE ISSUES AND WHAT WE CAN RECOMMEND FOR NOVEL STRATEGIES AND IMPROVING THAT.

THAT IS ON THE RECORD.

WITH THAT WE HAVE A LONG LIST, AND SHORT MEETINGS, , SO WE WILL GET TO THEM AS WE CAN.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

UM, I THINK DO, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHETHER OR NOT I NEED A VOTE TO ADJOURN OR WHETHER I COULD JUST ADJOURN.