[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
IT'S OUR REGULAR MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW QUICK COMMENTS.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO OUR AGENDA, I WANTED TO APOLOGIZE FOR IT BEING POSTED TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH I HAD SORT OF MADE A COMMITMENT TO GET IT POSTED EARLY ON TO GIVE PEOPLE NOTICE OF WHAT WE WOULD BE SPEAKING ABOUT.
I WANTED TO APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING POSTED LATE.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH SOME CHANGES WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE THAT TOOK MORE TIME THAN WE EXPECTED.
UM, AND SECOND, I ALSO WANTED TO APOLOGIZE FOR THERE NO LONGER BEING TIME CERTAIN ON OUR AGENDA ITEMS. UM, THAT'S ANOTHER CHANGE THAT'S COME THROUGH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS COME TO RELY ON THOSE TIMES CERTAIN, SO THAT THEY KNOW WHEN TO TUNE IN, WHEN TO JOIN US, AND SO THAT THEY CAN MORE RELIABLY PARTICIPATE IN OUR MEETINGS.
UM, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AN AGENDA ITEM MOVING FORWARD, I SUGGEST THAT YOU REACH OUT TO OUR LIAISON OR TO ME PERSONALLY, AND THEN WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE OF WHEN WE'LL BE PLANNING ON STARTING.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, MS. JACKSON? WE'LL GO AHEAD.
ANYONE SIGN UP? BUT IT'S FINE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES.THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED TO BACK UP COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR EMAIL INBOX.
SO IF YOU CAN CHECK ONLINE, UM, THEY ARE THERE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE PAPER COPIES DISTRIBUTED HERE IN THE ROOM FOR ANYBODY.
I WILL TAKE A MOTION FROM THE FLOOR WHENEVER ANYONE'S READY TO CONSIDER THE MINUTES MOTION? YEP.
WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY CHANGES? DISCUSSION? OKAY.
BARRING ANY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THE MINUTES.
UM, OH, ACTUALLY I'M GONNA DO ATTENDANCE FIRST AND THEN WE'LL VOTE.
UM, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT WILL BE JOINING US LATE, IF AT ALL.
UM, COMMISSIONER NEN NOT PRESENT.
AND COMMISSIONER RUAN IS NOT PRESENT, BUT ON HIS WAY WILL JOIN US A BIT LATE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND BACK TO VOTING ON THE MINUTES.
I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH ROLL CALL AGAIN.
UM, COMMISSIONER HERMES MEYER.
WAS THIS ATTENDANCE OR VOTING ON THE DRAFT MINUTES? VOTING ON THE DRAFT MINUTES? UM, I'M SORRY.
UH, CAN WE BACK UP A SECOND? I DO HAVE ONE MODIFICATION FOR DRAFT MINUTES.
IF WE HAVE, WE WILL TAKE IT A STEP BACK IF YOU HAVE SOME CORRECTIONS.
AND IT WAS JUST, UM, THE QUESTION I ASKED, UH, REGARDING A PD VIRTUAL ADMINISTRATION PILOT PROGRAM.
UM, I BELIEVE I SPECIFICALLY ASKED, IS THERE A LIST OF QUE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE LIST OF QUESTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT APPEAR TO HAVE CONCERNS WRITTEN DOWN? OKAY, THANK YOU.
AND THEN WITH THAT MODIFICATION? YES.
SO WE'LL START THE, WITH THAT CHANGE, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GO AROUND THE TABLE AGAIN AND VOTE.
COMMISSIONER RUTAN IS NOW PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER RUTAN, I APPROVE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HERMES MEYER APPROVE.
COMMISSIONER SMITH APPROVE AND I WILL VOTE AS WELL.
[2. Discussion on edit to APD’s Virtual Magistration Pilot Program presented at January 8, 2023 meeting]
NEXT, UM, WE HAVE BRIEFLY ON THE AGENDA, THE DISCUSSION ON AN EDIT TO APDS VIRTUAL MAGISTRATION PILOT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS PRESENTED AT OUR LAST MEETING.THERE HAS BEEN A CORRECTION TO SLIDE THREE WITH REGARDS TO THE BUDGET.
UM, I, ALL OF YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL ABOUT THAT CORRECTION FROM CHIEF GREENWALT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A RECORD OF THAT CORRECTION ON THE RECORD.
AND DID WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ON THAT?
[00:05:01]
NO.UM, AND THE REASON WE ARE DOING THIS DIFFERENTLY IS, AGAIN, I KNOW THAT BEFORE WE HAD STAFF BRIEFINGS WHERE WE WERE CAPTURING QUESTIONS, UM, WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE DIRECTION, AGAIN, WE HAVE MOVED THESE TO DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE DIRECTLY.
UM, THE CORRECTIONS TO THESE ITEMS WILL NOW LIVE TWO PLACES.
THEY WILL LIVE IN THE ORIGINAL BACKUP FOR OUR MEETING ON JANUARY 8TH, WHERE THAT CORRECTION WAS MADE.
AND THAT'LL HAPPEN WHENEVER WE HAVE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
WE'LL POST THOSE ANSWERS INTO THE BACKUP FOR THE PREVIOUS MEETING, AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM WHERE WE CAN SORT OF ADDRESS IT, UM, IN AN ONGOING WAY.
[3. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Fire Department (Sponsors: Commisioners Ramirez and Bernhardt)]
NEXT IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY QUARTERLY REPORT.UH, WHILE THEY'RE PULLING UP THE, THE, UM, POWERPOINT FOR ME, PLEASE, UH, ROB MEYERS OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO AGAIN, OUR QUARTERLY REPORT AS Y'ALL ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, AND AS WE HAVE CHANGED RECENTLY, ALL OF THE RESPONSE DATA IS IN A SEPARATE BACKUP DOCUMENT FOR Y'ALL TO REVIEW.
SO THIS WOULD BE SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT IN GENERAL.
OH, UH, WINTER WEATHER IN JANUARY.
UH, AS WE HAD THAT ONE COLD FRONT THAT CAME THROUGH, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT WAS QUITE BUSY FOR US.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU WHAT WE DID AND THEN HOW WE PREPARED FOR IT.
AS A FOLLOW UP SLIDE, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE CALL VOLUME THERE, UH, MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL.
UH, UNDER THAT CIRCUMSTANCES, THANKFULLY, THE ROADS WEREN'T TOO BAD, SO THAT WASN'T A, A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR.
BUT THE COLD WEATHER, THE HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THE NUMBER OF FIRE ALARMS YOU SEE DOWN THERE, 770, UH, OF THAT, UM, THERE WAS 225 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS IMPACTED.
SO YOUR SPRINKLERS AND, AND HOW THOSE OPERATE, ET CETERA, EITHER WATER FREEZING OR SOMEHOW THEY'RE, UH, DAMAGING THE, THE SYSTEM OF THAT 225, WE'RE DOWN TO 41 AS OF TODAY THAT ARE STILL NOT REPAIRED.
THAT HAS TO DO WITH SUPPLY ISSUES, GETTING CERTAIN PARTS IN PLACE TO, TO MAKE THAT WHOLE, UH, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT NOW AS WE'VE HAD, UH, EACH YEAR SOME SORT OF A WEATHER, WINTER WEATHER EVENT THAT HAS CAUSED FREEZING PIPES TO MAYBE LOOK AT SOME SORT OF CODE CHANGES TO HELP US WITH THAT MOVING FORWARD, TO MINIMIZE THIS AS, AS A RISK OR CONDITION TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE, THE NUMBER OF FIRES WERE, UH, THAT WE RESPONDED TO, UH, BOX STRUCTURE FIRES, MEANING THAT WAS SOME SORT OF A, A, A HOME OR, OR DWELLING OR BUILDING OF SOME SORT.
UM, FIVE OF THOSE WERE IN SINGLE FAMILY AND WERE DUPLEX, AND FOUR OF THOSE WERE MULTIFAMILY DWELLINGS.
AND THANKFULLY WITH QUICK RESPONSE, WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP ALMOST 80% OF THOSE, A LITTLE OVER 75% TO THE ROOM OF ORIGIN TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF REBUILDING OR FIXING OR REPAIRING THAT PARTICULAR ITEM FOR THAT, THE, THAT AREA.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED FROM WINTER STORM URI AND WINTER STORM MARA, THE CITY HAS BEEN VERY DILIGENT ABOUT, UH, TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURES IS PROTECTED AND TAKEN CARE OF, UH, AND THAT THE, THE ABILITY TO RESPOND, UH, IS TAKEN CARE OF AS WELL.
SPECIFICALLY, WE'VE HAD, UH, A NUMBER OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STATIONS, SO FIRE EMS, WHERE THEY'VE LOST POWER AND OR WATER.
UH, AND THAT BECOMES AN ISSUE IS ESPECIALLY THE FIRE TRUCKS WHERE THEY'RE CARRYING WATER.
IF THE, THE TRUCK ROOM WHERE THEY'RE HOUSED, UH, GETS BELOW FREEZING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THEN THE, THE PUMP ITSELF COULD FREEZE DAMAGE THE VEHICLE AND, AND MAKE IT, UH, UNUSABLE FOR RESPONSE FOR A FIRE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, THERE'S NOW GENERATORS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, PUT OUT AT A GREAT NUMBER OF THE FIRE STATIONS, UH, AS THE FIRST STEP WITH THE, THE, THOSE ARE TEMPORARY GENERATORS.
THE, THE, THE INTENT IS TO PUT PERMANENT ONES THERE DOWN THE ROAD.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, A, A SEVERAL STEP PROCESS TO GET US TO A PLACE WHERE ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, UH, STATIONS ARE, ARE, UH, UNDER SOME SORT OF GENERATOR POWER IN THE CASE OF A, OF A LOSS OF POWER.
SO THEY STILL HAVE HEAT, UH, THAT THE, THE VEHICLES CAN BE PROTECTED, ET CETERA.
UM, AS WE GO THROUGH SOME OTHER SLIDES, UH, FOLLOWING UP HERE, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE STATION MAINTENANCE THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, WHICH WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR IN THE INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR, UH, THOSE STATIONS.
BUT IN THE INTERIM, WHEN THE STATION'S UNDER REPAIR THAT FIRE STATION OR THE, THE UNIT AND THE CREWS TYPICALLY MOVE ELSEWHERE, AND AS BEST WE'RE ABLE, SOMETIMES THAT'S A TRAILER SOMEWHERE STILL IN THE RESPONSE TERRITORY THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY, UH, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SO THAT WE CAN MINIMIZE A DELAY IN, IN, IN GOING TO A, UH, AN EMERGENCY.
WITH THAT, THE VEHICLES ARE PARKED OUTSIDE.
SO DURING WEATHER EVENTS LIKE THIS WHERE THE, THE, THE TEMPERATURE'S GONNA BE BELOW FREEZING
[00:10:01]
FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WE RELOCATE THOSE UNITS BACK TO SOMEPLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE PARKED INSIDE OF A, OF A TRUCK ROOM, LARGE GARAGE, FOR LACK OF BETTER TERMS, TO PROTECT THOSE VEHICLES.SO STAY OUT DURING THE DAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UH, BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF, OF FREEZING THE, THE PLUMBING AND THEN STAY OVERNIGHT IN, IN A PROTECTED FACILITY.
THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE FROM, FROM THE COMMISSION ABOUT THE, THE TEXT TO 9 1 1.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DATA AT THIS POINT.
UH, AS I REACHED OUT TO OUR DISPATCHERS TO ASK, ARE THEY RECEIVING THOSE SORT OF CALLS? AND, AND THEY SAID, NOT AT THIS TIME.
UH, AND THERE WILL BE SOME UPDATES TO THIS.
THE, UH, AS THE THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM IS, AND THE SOFTWARE IS UPDATED, UH, JUST FOR A, I CAUGHT THIS AND DIDN'T PUT THE, THE FULL DEAL ON THEIR CAPCO EXTENSIONAL CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S OUR REGIONAL AREA THAT, UH, IS A PART OF THIS AND HELPS WITH THE, THE, THE SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION, ET CETERA.
BUT AS THAT COMES, IT'D BE A FURTHER EXPANDING DEAL, BUT NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION AS OF TODAY.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, ALL THE, THE FANTASTIC WORK THAT THE, THE CITY HAS HAS PUT INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, IT'S ALSO INCLUDING, UH, NEW, UH, FIRE EMS STATIONS.
IT WAS FIVE STATIONS OVER SIX YEARS.
STATION NUMBER 53 AT GOODNIGHT RANCH IS THE FOURTH OF THOSE.
UH, AND THAT IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN HERE ON FEBRUARY 11TH.
UH, I WILL SAY, UH, ODDLY ENOUGH, AS THEY'RE IN THE LAST STAGES OF, OF INSPECTIONS, IT DID NOT PASS THEIR FIRE INSPECTION
SO WE HOLD EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE, EVEN OURSELVES, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE SYSTEMS ARE, ARE RUNNING AND WORKING PROPERLY.
WE STILL, WE'VE ALREADY STAFFED THE UNIT, UH, SO IT CAN RESPOND TO THAT AREA, BUT ACTUALLY OPENING THE STATION AND HAVING A, A UNIT IN THAT IS, IS SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 11TH.
AND WE'RE, WE BELIEVE WILL BE ONLINE TO MAKE THAT THAT HAPPEN.
THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU SEE BE BELOW ARE THE SAME AS THE OTHER NEWS STATIONS THAT WE'VE, UH, INTRODUCED TO YOU THROUGH TIMES, THE THINGS THAT MODERNIZE IT FOR THE, THE, UH, CARE OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS STAYING THERE, UH, FOR CANCER ISSUES, FOR, UH, GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOMS FOR, UM, THE, UH, SLEEP AND THE FATIGUE MANAGEMENT.
ALL THOSE THINGS ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE, THE, THESE NEW STATIONS TO INCLUDE TRYING TO MEET THE, THE HIGHEST LEVEL, UH, UH, THE LEED SILVER DESIGNATION FOR THE CITY.
RIGHT? TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, UM, AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.
SO, THE LAST OF THE FIVE STATIONS IN THE SIX YEARS IS STATION NUMBER 54, WHICH WE'VE RECENTLY BROKE GROUND ON AND IS, UH, SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN THE WINTER, UH, OF, OF 2024.
SO, UH, IDEALLY, UH, THEY'LL BE OPEN THIS YEAR, RIGHT? SO, UM, THAT'LL BE THE LAST OF THE STATIONS, UH, THAT ARE SCHEDULED.
UH, AS FAR AS ADDING TO THE, THE CITY, WE STILL HAVE OTHER NEEDS, AND WE'VE STARTED TO EXPLORE WHERE THOSE NEEDS EXACTLY ARE AND HOW WE CAN BEST MEET THOSE IN A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FASHION, BUT MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT ONE WILL BE BUILT THE SAME AS AS THE GOODNIGHT RANCH ONE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
SO, THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, WHERE I TALKED ABOUT, UH, UNITS BEING AT A, AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION WHILE THE STATION IS BEING RENOVATED.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS SPEAKING TO.
UH, STATION ONE IS HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
IT'S THE ONE THAT'S DOWNTOWN NEAR ALL THE HIGH RISES.
UH, THAT ONE WAS BUILT BACK IN THE THIRTIES, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, 38, 39, UH, AND WAS IN SUCH DIRE NEED OF RENOVATION THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WHENEVER A BREAKER BLEW, IT WAS GO TO EBAY AND HOPE YOU COULD FIND A GENTLY USED ONE OWNER TO PUT THAT, THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE BUILDING BACK IN SERVICE.
SO, UH, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE, THE EFFORT PUT INTO THIS ONE.
THE CREWS HERE, IT'S OUR LARGEST STATION WITH THREE FIRE APPARATUS IN IT, AND THE SHIFT COMMANDER, TWO OF THE APPARATUS, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE TO 11TH AND GUADALUPE WITH, UH, A COUNT THE HELP OF THE COUNTY.
AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING OUT OF AN OFFICE BUILDING THAT HAPPENED TO HAVE ALL THE FEATURES WE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT WORK WITH THE UNITS PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
THE, UH, UH, THAT WAS THE CLOSEST WE COULD GET TO STAY IN THIS AREA TO STILL MEET RESPONSE TIMES FOR EMERGENCIES.
AND, AND THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF DURING THOSE COLD DAYS OF WHEN WE WERE BELOW FREEZING, THOSE UNITS WOULD NEED TO BE MOVED ELSEWHERE TO, TO PROTECT THEM FROM FREEZING OVER.
UH, CONTINUATION OF THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, YOU'LL SEE STATIONS 8, 23 AND 25, SAME THING.
THOSE, THOSE ARE BEING REBUILT ON THE EXISTING, UH, SLAB,
[00:15:01]
UH, WITH, UH, EITHER, UH, SOME PARTS TORE DOWN AND REBUILT, OR JUST TO REFURBISH THE INTERIOR.AGAIN, TRYING TO MEET THE SAME NEEDS AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE BRAND NEW STATIONS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE WITH THE LIMITATIONS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UH, THESE TWO ARE EITHER ONSITE OR MOVED AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THAT TERRITORY TO MINIMIZE ANY DELAYS IN RESPONSE.
AUTOMATIC AID, UH, AGAIN, MOST OF OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS ARE, UH, A PART OF THIS.
THERE'S STILL A THING IS CALLED MUTUAL AID THAT THEY CAN CALL AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE, BUT BY MAKING THAT PHONE CALL AND THE, AND THE, THE, THE, THE RAPID PROCESS THAT EXISTS WITH THAT, THERE IS A DELAY.
SO AUTOMATIC IS IMPROVED, UM, UH, IMPROVEMENT OVER THAT AS UNITS ARE, ARE MORE QUICK TO OUT THE DOOR 'CAUSE IT'S AUTOMATIC VERSUS A REQUEST.
UH, EXAMPLE HERE IN JANUARY, UH, IN WESTLAKE, WE HELPED, WE RESPONDED, UH, IN A COLLABORATIVE FASHION THROUGH AUTO AID TO WORK IN RESIDENTIAL FIRE ON STRATFORD DRIVE.
UH, CAUSE WAS RULED TO BE WOOD ASSEMBLY THAT WAS AROUND THE, THE FLU.
YOU THINK ABOUT AS COLD AS IT IS THERE, LOTS OF FIREPLACES GOING THAT WOOD HEATS UP AND OVER TIME GETS TO THE POINT THAT IT'LL IGNITE.
AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
AND THAT'S THE MIDDLE PICTURE YOU SEE WITH THEM UP ON THE ROOF.
TENDING TO TO THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF AUTO AID, YOU GET FASTER RESPONSE AND WITH THAT YOU MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE.
SO IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE CREWS, I'M SORRY, THE, THE RESIDENTS MAY NOT HAVE TO, UH, EVACUATE OR LEAVE THE, THE HOUSE AND FIND SOMEPLACE ELSE TO STAY, THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR OWN HOUSE, JUST NOT HAVE TO NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE FIREPLACE UNTIL IT'S REPAIRED.
SO, UH, FAST RESPONSE MINIMIZES THE OVERALL EFFECT OF, OF WHAT A FIRE CAN DO.
I THINK WE LEARNED TODAY THAT, UH, I KNOW EMS REPORTS OUT THE INFORMATION FROM THEIR PART AS WELL.
AND THERE'S A DISCREPANCY IN OUR, OUR DATA THAT WE NEED TO SORT THROUGH.
SO, UH, HERE, WITHOUT GOING INTO THE DETAILS OF, OF THE NUMBERS, I'LL SAY GENERICALLY THAT THE, THE, THE QUICKER THAT'S USED, AS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE, THE, THE, THE, THE BETTER THE CHANCE OF THE OUTCOME FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO, UH, THAT, I'LL LEAVE THAT SLIDE FOR, UH, AT THAT POINT FOR, WITH THAT STATEMENT FOR NOW.
I, I, I CAN'T, UH, WE'VE GOT FANTASTIC FOLKS THROUGH THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE DEPARTMENT THAT, THAT, UH, RESPOND UNDER DIFFICULT CONDITIONS TO, TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
AND VERY PROUD OF THE GREAT WORK THEY DO.
AS A HIGHLIGHT, WE'VE POINTED OUT TO OUR INVESTIGATION SECTION THAT, UH, THEY, THEY, THEIR CLEARANCE RATE BASICALLY FINDING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE, AND IF IT'S, UH, ARSON RELATED THAT THEY FIND WHO DID IT, AND THAT THEY'RE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, THEIR, THEIR CLEARED RATE IS MUCH, MUCH HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE, THE, THE NATION.
AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WILL BE THE NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE.
UH, BACK IN, UH, THE, UH, NOVEMBER OF 23, UH, THE, UH, PERSON WAS SENTENCED, UH, AS HAVING CAUSED BY ARSON THE FIRE AT CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL, UH, SYNAGOGUE THERE IN AUSTIN, BACK IN THE 2021.
BY THEIR GREAT WORK, UH, OF, OF FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE DETAILS, THEY'RE ABLE TO HOLD THE PERSON ACCOUNTABLE AND, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, MINIMIZE OR EQUALLY IMPORTANT, MINIMIZE THE CHANCE THAT PERSON CAUSING A FIRE SOMEPLACE ELSE AS WELL.
AND, AND YOU SEE THE TESTIMONY THERE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE, IN THEIR RESPONSE AND IN THEIR INVESTIGATION, ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL JUDGE, UH, THE, THE WONDERFUL WORK OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, COULD HAVE BEEN A WHOLE LOT WORSE, UH, IF NOT, BUT THE GREAT WORK OF OUR FOLKS.
SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THERE OF, OF HOW ALL THE COMPONENTS OF OUR DEPARTMENT DO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
OUR WILDFIRE DIVISION, AS WE'VE GONE OVER THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES, THE, THEY, THEIR OUTREACH TO THE, TO THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY, AND TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE, UH, INDIVIDUALLY AND COMMUNITY WISE, MORE, UH, FIRE SAFE OR FIREWISE, UH, HAVE DONE A WHOLE LOT TO MINIMIZE THE RISK, UH, OF A WILDFIRE BEING WORSE IN CERTAIN AREAS.
YOU CAN SEE EIGHT OR 25 HOMES, UH, THROUGH INSPECTIONS.
AND, UM, COLLABORATION WITH THE HOMEOWNERS WERE, HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THEM TO MINIMIZE THEIR WILDFIRE RISK.
UH, WE'VE GOT 23 FIREWISE COMMUNITIES AS OF TODAY, AND WE'RE ENGAGED WITH 64 MORE.
NOT EVERY COMMUNITY HAS A HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION, SO FINDING A LEAD PERSON FOR THAT COMMUNITY SOMETIMES COULD BE AN ISSUE AS FAR AS TRYING TO REACH OUT TO THEM.
BUT OUR FOLKS IN THE WILDFIRE DIVISION DO A PHENOMENAL JOB, GIVEN THE HIGH RISK WE HAVE IN OUR AREA, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED THIS LAST SUMMER, AND CAN PREDICT WITH THE SUMMERS TO COME DOING THIS, UH, PREVENTION EFFORT ON THE FRONT SIDE, HOPEFULLY MINIMIZE ANY SORT OF
[00:20:01]
WILDFIRE ISSUES WE HAVE IN THE FUTURE.SO, FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS.
UH, THEY DO INSPECTIONS FOR, FOR NEW PROPERTIES LIKE OUR FIRE STATION THAT DID NOT PASS ITS INSPECTION.
THEY ALSO DO, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS OF WHICH YOU'VE GOT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
SHOULD BE 24, NOT 23 UP THERE, UH, COMING UP AROUND THE BEND.
AND, AND THAT IS VERY COMPLICATED 'CAUSE YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF EVENTS THAT THAT HAPPEN IN THAT TWO WEEK, THIS TWO WEEK PERIOD, THAT, UH, TYPICALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
AND OFTENTIMES IT'S A MULTITUDE OF SITE INSPECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VENUE THEY'RE CHANGING FROM A RESTAURANT TO A CONCERT VENUE MEETS ALL THE NEEDS ALONG THE WAY.
UH, SO AS TO AVOID ANY, UH, HAZARDS IF A, IF SOME SORT OF AN EVENT WERE TO OCCUR.
SO A LOT OF HARD WORK FOR THEM.
AND Y'ALL SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, EVENTS THAT HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO WE'VE GOT NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT WE DO INSPECTIONS OVER.
WE DO SPECIAL EVENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UH, CONDUCTED IN A SAFE FASHION.
THE OTHER PART THAT IS VERY, VERY CRITICAL, UH, AND AND LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ONE A LOT EVERY TIME WE TALK TO Y'ALL, IS THE EXISTING STRUCTURES AROUND THE CITY, SUCH AS CITY HALL, THE BEFORE YOU SEE THE LARGE, THE SMALL NUMBERS IN FISCAL YEAR 14, 15, AND 16, UH, THE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, THE ALARM SYSTEMS, ALL THE THINGS THAT MAKE SURE THAT THIS BUILDING STAYS SAFE FOR, FOR THE OCCUPANTS.
IT WAS HARD FOR US TO KEEP UP THAT, THAT THEY WERE ALL BEING INSPECTED AND AN APPROPRIATE FASHION.
UH, BUT THROUGH THIS THIRD PARTY, UM, PARTNERSHIP, WE'RE NOW UP TO 84% OF THE CITY THAT WE CAN SAY THAT THE, THE, THE BUILDING AFTER OCCUPIED YEAR, ALL THE YEARS AFTER THAT, THE, THE FIRE SUPPRESSION AND ALARM SYSTEMS ARE ALL BEING MANAGED IN A FASHION THAT IF, IF NEEDED, WOULD, WOULD, UH, WOULD WORK.
AND, AND I CAN GIVE YOU A COUPLE EXAMPLES.
IN THE PAST, THERE WAS TWO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS WHERE, UH, THERE WAS A, A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT THAT HAD A MALFUNCTIONING FRYER, AND THE REPAIR PERSON WAS ON SITE TO FIX IT.
LONG STORY SHORT, THEY STEPPED OUT FOR A MOMENT.
THE, THE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM, THE HOOD SYSTEM DID NOT ACTIVATE THE MANUAL PULL PULLED OUT OF THE WALL.
AND THE EXTINGUISHER THAT THEY HAD ALL DID NOT OPERATE.
THE, THE END RESULT WAS THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY BURNT TO THE GROUND.
IT WAS $1.5 MILLION TO, TO REBUILD.
AND THAT TOOK THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF.
THERE WAS A, A, A, A APARTMENT COMPLEX WHERE, UH, THERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, THAT, UH, A FIRE OCCURRED IN THEIR BEDROOM WHILE THEY WERE SLEEPING.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM PUT IT OUT, UH, TWO WEEKS AND $5,000.
YOU NEVER KNOW A FIRE OCCURRED IN THAT PARTICULAR APARTMENT.
SO THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE, NOT ONLY THE, THE PER THE, THE PEOPLE OUTCOME AND PROTECTING PEOPLE, BUT IN THE ECONOMIC PART OF, UH, SUSTAINING PROPERTY OR A PLACE OF BUSINESS AND FOLKS EMPLOYED BY HAVING THESE SYSTEMS IN PLACE AND WORKING PROPERLY.
SO THIS IS A FANTASTIC THING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE.
UH, UH, ONGOING COMMITTEE OUTREACH.
UH, THE BEST PROTECTION IS A WORKING SMOKE ALARM.
UH, WE, UH, EMPHASIZE THAT EVERY TIME THAT WE HAVE, UH, A MAJOR FIRE SOMEWHERE, BECAUSE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL, RIGHT? THE PEOPLE CANNOT BE REPLACED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
SO, AND THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN, IS LIFE SAFETY AND GETTING PEOPLE OUT.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE, UH, THAT NEEDS HELP, NEEDS A SMOKE ALARM INSTALLED, WE WILL DO IT FOR FREE.
AND THAT 9 7 4 0 2 9 9 NUMBER IS THE ONE TO CALL.
AND WE DO THOSE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE CANVAS NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL, UH, AFTER FIRES, TRYING TO TO BE PROACTIVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE SAFE.
SO, SWEPT SEPARATIONS, Y'ALL ASKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST, SHOWS YOU, BY AND LARGE, THE MAJORITY OF THE FOLKS THAT, THAT LEAVE OUR DEPARTMENT LEAVE BY RETIREMENT.
THERE ARE OCCASIONS FOR ONE REASON OR THE OTHER WHERE, WHERE THEY DO RESIGN SOONER THAN THAN, UH, MAKING IT TO RETIREMENT.
UM, OUR CURRENT SWORN VACANCIES ARE 39 AS OF TODAY.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, UH, THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT THOSE VACANCIES ARE IN AND THE, THE EFFORTS YOU SEE THERE.
OUR FOLKS ARE RELENTLESS AND, AND THEIR EFFORTS, AND THEY GO THROUGH A ROBUST PROCESS OF, OF ADVERTISING FORWARD, UH, TO FILL THOSE AS, AS BEST, UH, AS POSSIBLE.
AND, AND I CAN'T SPEAK ENOUGH ABOUT OUR EFFORTS
[00:25:01]
FROM OUR RECRUITING TEAMS AND STRATEGIES TO, TO, TO MAKE FOLKS AWARE OF, OF WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVEN REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU'RE SWORN OR CIVILIAN.SO, UH, WE ARE, UH, WE JUST STARTED A CADET CLASS HERE AT THE END OF JANUARY.
WE STARTED WITH 39, WHICH TIES IN WITH THE VACANCIES THAT YOU SAW BEFORE.
UH, WE HAVE HAD TWO PEOPLE RESIGN IN THE FIRST WEEK, UH, OF THE ACADEMY, UH, THAT DECIDED THAT, THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS THEY EXPERIENCED THE FIRST WEEK MAYBE WASN'T THEIR THING, WHICH FULLY UNDERSTAND.
UH, BUT WE HAVE 37 CADETS AS OF TODAY AND PLAN ON STARTING ANOTHER CADET CLASS IN APRIL, UH, 30 TO 35 CADETS.
THAT'LL BE BASED ON WHAT OUR VACANCIES OR PROJECTED VACANCIES ARE, UH, WITH THE, THE STATION THAT'S OPENING IN FEBRUARY AND THE OTHER ONE THAT'S OPENING IN, UH, SOMETIME IN THE WINTER.
RECRUITING, WE DO THAT YEAR ROUND.
UH, UH, JOIN AFD.COM IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
LOTS OF INFORMATION THERE TO, TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THE JOB IS LIKE.
WE'RE ABOUT TO START OUR, OUR NEXT HIRING PROCESS HERE IN THE SPRING, UH, WITH AN APPLICATION PERIOD SOMEWHERE, MARCH, APRIL, UH, MAY, SOMEWHERE IN THOSE MONTHS THERE.
WE ONLY SET APPLICATIONS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND THEN UNDER, UNDER CONTRACT THAT THAT WILL START A PROCESS THAT LASTS WHERE A LIST WILL LAST FOR TWO YEARS.
THEY, THEY GOT A TWO YEAR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT INTO THE DEPARTMENT BASED ON WHERE THEY ARE ON THE LIST.
PART OF A RECRUITING PROCESS HAS PASSED THE TORCH FANTASTIC PROGRAM WHERE PEOPLE GET TO GO DO HANDS-ON, THEY PUT ON THE, THE TURNOUTS.
THEY, THEY DO A DIFFERENT, UH, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UH, FIRE EVOLUTIONS.
SO IT'S, UH, AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE IN A SAFE FASHION WHERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A FIREFIGHTER.
UH, PROUD TO SAY THAT IN OUR CURRENT CADET CLASS, THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE THAT ARE PREVIOUS MEMBERS OF THE PASS THE TORCH.
SO IT IS A, IT'S A GOOD RECRUITING TOOL.
UH, AND THAT'S USUALLY MEANT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, ARE 18 ISH OR OLDER.
UH, FIRE EXPLORERS IS MEANT FOR YOUR YOUNGER CROWD.
UH, FOR FOLKS THAT MAYBE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, UH, UH, POST HIGH SCHOOL, IF THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERING COLLEGE, UH, I MOST CERTAINLY CAN CONSIDER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHOWCASE WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S ALL ABOUT.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT GONNA MISS ANY OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO ADVERTISE A JOIN AFD.COM WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE, PLEASE SEND THEM OUR WAY.
AND THAT COMPLETES OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER RUTAN? UM, I THINK FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE RATES OF SEPARATIONS ARE DECREASING.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT WAS JUST THE SORT OF COVID BLIP MOVING, MOVING PAST, OR, UM, I HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE, OR TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE, JUST ON THE, THE GRAPH FOR THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CANDIDATES.
I'M ASSUMING THERE'S A TYPO ON THAT.
UM, THE GRAPH, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADD UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT AND THE SLICE FOR LATINOS FAIRLY SMALL THERE.
I DUNNO IF I WANNA GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE OR TO SEE, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS ARE THERE.
2019, UH, YEAH, I'M SURE, I'M SURE IT'S NOT INFORMATION YOU HAVE ON, ON YOU, BUT JUST, UH, WOULD BE, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S AN ERROR IN TERMS OF THE LATINO SLICE, BUT I BELIEVE, SO MY APOLOGIES ON THAT.
I'LL BE, I'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH Y'ALL AS A, AS A GROUP TO, TO CLARIFY THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, AND THE ONE OTHER QUESTION, IF, IF I MAY, JUST ON THE WILDFIRE OUTREACH, I KNOW YOU SAID IT'S A CHALLENGE WITH, UM, HOMEOWNERS THAT DON'T HAVE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, WHICH I'M ASSUMING TENDS TO DO MORE ON SOME OF THE EAST SIDE COMMUNITIES.
I KNOW A FEW SESSIONS BACK WHEN WE HAD OUR, UM, FOCUS ON THE WILDFIRES, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT OUTREACH TO DIFFERENT LANGUAGE GROUPS AND THOSE HOMEOWNERS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CHANGE OR ANY PROGRESS IN TERMS OF HOW WE APPROACH TRYING TO GET THOSE, UM, HOMEOWNERS WHO MAY NOT TRADITIONALLY OR, OR RENTERS WHO MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES, BUT WHO ARE POTENTIALLY AFFECTED BY THESE WILDFIRES? VERY GOOD QUESTION.
AND, UH, UH, SO I DON'T GIVE YOU MISINFORMATION.
UH, WHEN I FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THE, THOSE RECRUITING NUMBERS, I'LL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I, I DON'T MISREPRESENT ANYTHING.
MM-HMM,
UM, WITH, UM, REGARDS, ACTUALLY, UM, TO THE ARSONS THAT YOU MENTIONED, I'M ALWAYS SORT OF TAKEN ABACK BY THAT NUMBER.
IT'S ALWAYS REALLY SURPRISING TO ME.
UM, IS THERE A, OR I'M ASSUMING THAT ALL THESE FIRES ARE NOT EQUAL, ALL THESE ARSONS ARE NOT EQUAL.
LIKE, WHAT IS THE SCALE OF LIKE THESE ARSONS THAT ARE
[00:30:01]
HAPPENING AND THE KIND OF RESPONSE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO HAVE TO SEND OUT? I'M NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE, THE QUESTION.SO WHAT THAT, THAT'S A LOT MORE ARSONS THAN I SEE IN THE NEWS, RIGHT? AND SO I'M NOT SURE HOW, LIKE, HOW LARGE ARE THE SCALE OF, LIKE, IS IS THERE A SCALE TO FIRES AND WHEN THEY'RE QUALIFIED AS ARSONS OR JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHY I DON'T HEAR MORE ABOUT THESE ARSONS, LIKE VIA THE NEWS, FOR INSTANCE.
UH, ANYTHING THAT'S INTENTIONALLY SAID OR PERCEIVED TO BE INTENTIONALLY SET IS, WOULD QUALIFY AS ARSON.
SO, AND THOSE WILL, WILL VARY IN RANGE FROM A TRASH CAN AT A SCHOOL TO SOMETHING MUCH LARGER.
LIKE WE WITH THE CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL.
SO IT'S, IT, IT, IT IS ALL OVER THE MAP AS FAR AS THE, THE SIZE OF IT GOES.
AND, UH, I WOULD IMAGINE ALL THOSE ARE NEWSWORTHY.
SO THE, BUT UH, THE REPORTING IS BASED ON SOMETHING THAT WAS, WAS, UH, CONFIRMED TO BE INTENTIONALLY SET.
SO, UH, LIKE A, A TRASH, A TRASHCAN FIRE WOULD, WOULD QUALIFY AS A OKAY.
[4. Discussion of policing and disabilities with the Office of Police Oversight, Austin Police Department (Sponsors: Commissioners Ramírez & Bernhardt)]
WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION OF POLICING AND DISABILITIES WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.UM, IF YOU GUYS CAN COME ON UP AND JOIN, UM, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING, I WAS JUST TALKING TO SARAH EARLIER.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ITEM SINCE MAY, JUNE OF LAST YEAR.
THIS REPORT HAS BEEN, WAS, HAS BEEN IN THE PROCESS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME TRANSITION IN LEADERSHIP IN OPO FOR A LONG, THAT, THAT SORT OF, THERE WERE LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENING WITH THE CITY THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO NOT TALK ABOUT THIS UNTIL RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE GETTING TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND I'M HOPING THAT IT'S THE FIRST OF MANY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE CAN HAVE, NOT JUST WITH REGARDS TO POLICING, BUT ALSO I'VE ALSO TALKED TO THE CHIEFS OF STAFF AND HOPING THAT WE CAN EXPAND THESE DISCUSSIONS IN SOME WAY WITH EMS AND FIRE AS WELL.
SO, WITH THAT, IF YOU GUYS WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, UM, JUST, JUST KIDDING.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US TODAY.
I'M THE PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
AND MY NAME IS LINDSAY SOUTHARD.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS LINDSAY SOUTHARD.
I AM A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
AND BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANT TO LET THE FOLKS LISTENING AT HOME.
THIS REPORT IS ACCESSIBLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND IS SCREEN READER ACCESSIBLE ON OUR WEBSITE, ATX POLICE OVERSIGHT.ORG.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME BRAILLE COPIES AVAILABLE BY REQUEST.
WE WILL ALSO BE USING DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE, WHICH HELPS FOLKS WHO ARE LISTENING TO THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS SARAH.
I AM A WOMAN WITH DARK CURLY HAIR, AND I'M WEARING A GREEN, GREEN BLOUSE AND A BLAZER.
AND I AM LINDSAY SOUTHARD, AGAIN, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
AND I AM WEARING A TANNED SHIRT AND BLACK PANTS, AND I HAVE BLACK HAIR.
ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE EXCITED, UM, ONCE AGAIN JUST TO SHARE SOME OF THE FINDINGS FROM SOME OF OUR RESEARCH, UM, ON THIS, WHICH STARTED BACK IN 2021.
SO, THE TOWN HALL ON PUBLIC SAFETY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND POLICING WAS A COMMUNITY EVENT SERIES THAT WE LAUNCHED IN 2021.
OPO DEVELOPED THIS INITIATIVE AND DIRECT RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ADVOCATED FOR ACTION, UH, TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
OUR PARTNERS INCLUDED THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE EQUITY OFFICE, AND SEVERAL COMMITTEE ADVOCACY GROUPS, UM, OPIOID INTENTIONALLY CENTERED PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT LIVED EXPERIENCES, LIVED EXPERTISE.
SO AT EACH EVENT, COMMUNITY MEMBERS OPENLY AND HONESTLY SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCES, THEIR CONCERNS, THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE, AND, UM, ANYTHING RELATED TO THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
OUR GOAL WAS TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS LEARN FROM THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AND DEVELOP ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE COLLECTED FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WE SYNTHESIZE THE QUALITATIVE DATA, AND THEN WE DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO IMPROVE INTERACTIONS WITH A PD.
AND I WILL BE SHARING, UM, AN A BIT OF AN ABBREVIATED TIMELINE.
SO OUR WORK ON THIS REALLY WAS CATALYZED, UM, BY A JULY, 2020 MEETING OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WHERE CONCERNS WERE EXPRESSED THAT REALLY STEMMED FROM THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
[00:35:01]
UM, DURING THIS MEETING, THERE WAS ALSO A HIGHLIGHTED NEED FOR MORE DETAILED DATA ON THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES AND POLICE OFFICERS IS THERE WAS A LACK OF OUTSIDE DATA THAT, UM, SPECIFICALLY PERTAINED TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN MENTAL HEALTH.IN MAY OF 2021, OPO COLLABORATED WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE EQUITY OFFICE TO HOST THE FIRST TOWN HALL ON PUBLIC SAFETY PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES AND POLICING.
UH, THAT SAME SEPTEMBER, WE THEN RELEASED OUR FIRST TOWN HALL REPORT, WHERE THE FEEDBACK FROM THAT FIRST EVENT WAS ANALYZED AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A NEED AND AN INTEREST TO CON CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND ALSO GAVE, UH, OPO SOME DIRECTIVES ON HOW TO BEST DO THAT.
UM, SO IN JUNE OF 2022, OPO HOSTED THE SECOND TOWN HALL, UM, WHICH WAS A HYBRID EVENT WITH 75, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTENDING BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON.
UM, AND AFTER ANALYZING THE FEEDBACK FROM THE SECOND TOWN HALL, OPO THEN RELEASED OUR FINAL TOWN HALL REPORT OF OCTO IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, 2023.
UM, JUST AS LINDSAY SAID, OUR FIRST TOWN HALL MEETING WAS HELD IN, UH, 2021.
WE HAD 42 COMMITTEE MEMBERS ATTENDING.
VIRTUALLY OUR APPROACH WAS TO GATHER THE QUALITATIVE DATA TO SEND TO THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF LIVES, LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND, AND WHAT THEY GO THROUGH WHEN THEY INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO WE HAD TRAINED FACILITATORS ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO INITIATE CONVERSATIONS WHILE MAINTAINING A SAFE SPACE TO GATHER THAT FEEDBACK.
UM, HERE'S A SAMPLING OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED.
WE ASK ANYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY IDENTIFY HOW THEY RELATE TO THEIR EXPERIENCE, UM, AS A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES, UM, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR SAFETY WHEN INTERACTION, INTERACTING WITH, UM, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE IN A CONVERSATION TO MOVE TO MOVE, YEAH, TO MOVE THE CONVERSATION FORWARD.
SO HERE'S SOME EXAMPLES OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT THE MEETING.
THESE ARE DIRECT QUOTES, THEY'RE UNEDITED, AND THEY WERE SELECTED TO REPRESENT THE NUANCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
CONCERNS ABOUT INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.
I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THEM, I'LL JUST PICK TWO OF THEM.
UH, SOME PEOPLE HAVE DISABILITIES THAT ARE NOT PHYSICAL AND VISIBLE, BUT STILL EXIST, STILL EXISTENT.
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT FOR A VISUALLY IMPAIRED, FOR A VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS, NO EYE CONTACT CAN BE MISINTERPRETED BY POLICE.
SO, OPO ANONYMIZED AND AGGREGATED THE RESPONSES DEVELOPED KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE TOWN HALL.
THESE INSIGHTS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION SURROUNDING THE EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES AND POLICING.
SO, UM, SOME OF THESE INSIGHTS, UM, THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF THEM, SO I'LL, I'LL READ THESE OUT TO Y'ALL AND TO KIND OF JUST BUILD OFF OF THEM.
SO, UH, FIRST INSIGHT IS CURRENT LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES MAY BE SEEN AS A THREAT OR VIEWED AS DANGEROUS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THIS PERCEPTION BY POLICE OFFICERS, UM, CAN LEAD TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVING A NEGATIVE INTERACTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, IT COULD RESULT IN, UM, MISUNDERSTANDING INJURY OR EVEN DEATH.
UH, A PD NEEDS TO UTILIZE MORE TRAINING RESOURCES, IMPROVED COMMUNICATION, AND INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THIS, UM, WITH, WITH IMPROVED COMMUNITY RELATIONS, THE BURDEN OF ENSURING LAW ENFORCEMENT UNDERSTANDS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH DISABILITIES DOESN'T FALL ON THE INDIVIDUALS OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS OR THEIR CARETAKERS, AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE OUTCOME OF POLICE INTERACTIONS FOR SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY DEPENDS ON WHETHER THE OFFICER IS AWARE OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S NEED, UH, DISABILITY IN NEED.
THIS CREATES A DISADVANTAGE FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE, UM, INVISIBLE DISABILITIES OR INVIS A DISABILITY THAT AN OFFICER WOULDN'T OTHERWISE PERCEIVE VISUALLY.
UM, THE INTERSECTION OF OTHER IDENTITIES AMONG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, THAT INTER WHEN MAKING POLICY, YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER, UM, THERE HAS TO BE CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNIQUELY IMPACTED BY THEIR VARIOUS SOCIAL CATEGORIZATIONS.
THAT INCLUDES RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER.
UM, WHEN POLICE ARE CALLED TO SCHOOL SYSTEMS, IT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS SCHOOL, UH, STUDENTS OF COLOR AND CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT THAT MAY HARM THE STUDENT AND PLAYS A ROLE IN THE BIGGER PICTURE OF SYSTEMIC RACISM IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
UM, THIS CAN LEAD TO LONG LASTING EFFECTS WITH TRAUMA FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR WITH DISABILITIES.
AND THE FINAL INSIGHT, UH, THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING RESOURCES AND TRAINING FOR OFFICERS HAS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISES.
A PD SHOULD PROVIDE MORE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR OFFICERS TO IMPROVE INTERACTIONS WITH BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS.
[00:40:01]
SO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, AGAIN, THE INSIGHTS WERE BASED OFF OF THE FEEDBACK WE COLLECTED FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.AND THEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WHAT OPO STAFF, UM, DO WE, UH, SYNTHESIZE AND DECIDED TO WOULD BE, WOULD INFORM THE NEXT COMMUNITY EVENT.
SO, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASKED US TO FOCUS ON BUILDING, UM, A CONVERSATION, UH, BASED ON EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, THEY ALSO WANTED US TO INCLUDE A CONVERSATION CENTERED ON INTERSECTIONALITY OR WHERE THEIR IDENTITY AS A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES INTERSECTS WITH THEIR, UM, SOCIAL CATEGORIZATIONS, INCLUDING RACE, GENDER, AND CLASS.
UM, THEY ALSO SPECIFICALLY ASKED US TO HAVE A PD PRESENT FOR THE NEXT CONVERSATION.
THEY WANTED A PD TO BE INCLUDED, AND THEY WANTED THEM TO BE A PART OF THE, THE MEETINGS TO BUILD MORE UNDERSTANDING.
SO MOVING INTO TOWN HALL TWO, UM, IN JUNE OF 2022, OPO HOSTED THE SECOND TOWN HALL, UM, ON PUBLIC SAFETY FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.
AND WE HAD 75 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTEND THIS HYBRID EVENT BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON.
UM, DURING THIS EVENT, OPO STAFF AND OTHER CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES COLLECTED COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THROUGH TWO FACILITATED EXERCISES.
UM, THEY'RE DESCRIBED HERE ON THE SCREEN, BUT JUST, UM, A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THOSE ACTIVITIES.
FIRST DISCUSSION, UM, WAS CENTERED AROUND INTERSECTIONALITY, AS SARAH MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
AND FOR THE SECOND ACTIVITY, UH, FACILITATORS REALLY FOCUSED ON PROVIDING ATTENDEES WITH REALLY REALISTIC SCENARIOS, UM, THAT COULD HELP DEMONSTRATE, DEMONSTRATE THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF POLICE ENCOUNTER AND HOW THOSE DIFFERENT PHASES CAN, UM, REPRESENT DIFFERENT CRITICAL POINTS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, AS YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN, HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL QUOTES THAT, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS PROVIDED AT THE FOLLOWING TOWN HALL OR AT THE SECOND TOWN HALL.
UM, THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THESE ARE UNEDITED.
UM, AND THEY WERE JUST SELECTED TO AGAIN, HIGHLIGHT THE NUANCE, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE QUOTES, UM, SPEAKS ABOUT WHEN I GET BAD MIGRAINES OR GET FEEL FEARFUL THAT AN OFFICER MIGHT PULL UP AND THINK THAT I'M UNDER THE INFLUENCE, UM, BUT I'M REALLY JUST NOT FEELING WELL.
UM, AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL, UM, LANGUAGE THERE IN THE FOLLOWING QUOTE.
UM, IT STATES THAT DISABILITY ISN'T JUST ONE THING.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT DON'T PRESENT THE SAME WAY.
UM, SO THAT JUST KIND OF ENCAP ENCAPSULATE SOME OF THE, THE FEEDBACK AS, AS IT PERTAINS TO INTERSECTIONALITY AND JUST UNDERSTANDING THERE.
UM, WE TOOK THIS FEEDBACK FROM THESE DISCUSSIONS AND WE AGGREGATED IT AND ANONYMIZED IT, UM, AND TURNED IT INTO QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK.
UM, AND THAT WAY WE TURNED IT INTO QUALITATIVE DATA THAT WE WERE THEN ABLE TO ANALYZE.
ONCE WE CONDUCTED THE DATA SYNTHESIS OF THIS FEEDBACK, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT FORTH SOME FINDINGS, UM, AND ALSO PUT FORTH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
MOVING INTO OUR TOWN HALL TWO FINDINGS.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE COULD BREAK DOWN THESE FINDINGS INTO THREE CATEGORIES, FEAR AND VULNERABILITY TRAINING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND UNDERSTANDING THE DIVERSITY OF DISABILITIES.
SO FOR FEAR AND VULNERABILITY, UM, THIS STRESS IS REALLY AMPLIFIED WHEN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE ALSO PART OF OTHER MARGINALIZED GROUPS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH DISABILITIES MAY FEEL VULNERABLE AND POWERLESS WHEN INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THIS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO AN OVERALL SENSE OF ANXIETY AND FEAR.
UM, AND THESE CONCERNS CAN ALSO OFTEN LEAD TO AN OVERALL AVOIDANCE OF POLICE INTERACTIONS ALTOGETHER, OR TURNING TO AL ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR TRAINING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WE SEE HERE THAT THERE IS A DESIRE FOR MORE SPECIFIED TRAINING AND INCREASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, JUST BECAUSE THAT THERE ARE EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT A PD TRAINING IS NOT NECESSARILY FULLY INCLUSIVE OF THE VARIOUS EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.
AND THAT COULD ALSO LEAD TO SOME NEGATIVE OUTCOMES.
FINALLY, FOR, UM, THE UNDERSTANDING PIECE AND UNDERSTANDING THE DIVERSITY OF DISABILITIES, UM, THESE MISUNDERSTANDINGS CAN LEAD TO MISCOMMUNICATIONS AS WELL AS UNNECESSARY ESCALATIONS, UM, IN SITUATIONS WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH DISABILITIES ARE INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED THE SECOND TOWN HALL MEETING, OPO DEVELOPED A FINAL SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SO OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS
[00:45:01]
CENTERED AROUND RESEARCH.UM, A PD SHOULD COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND OPO TO PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES ON THE IMPLEMENTED STATUS IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF VARIOUS, UM, CONSULTANTS AND REPORTS TO IMPROVE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND AP OFFICERS.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE NO SHORTAGE OF MANY STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CONSULTANTS FROM THE MEADOWS REPORT IN 2019.
THE CITY AUDITORS REPORT IN 2018, UM, OPO DID A USE OF FORCE REPORT IN 2021, AND OF COURSE, THERE'S, UM, MANY KROLL REPORTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY ONE OF THESE REPORTS PROVIDES EXCELLENT INSIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO THERE SHOULD BE AN ONGOING STATUS UPDATE ON HOW THESE ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE MANY OF THEM DO, UM, IMPACT DIRECTLY, UM, THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, A BD SHOULD EXAMINE, OR, SORRY, NEXT, OUR NEXT, UH, SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO FOCUS ON DATA.
UH, A BD SHOULD EXAMINE HOW IT DOCUMENTS, MEASURES, AND PUBLISHES DATA ON THE INTERACTIONS BRING OFFICERS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SPECIFICALLY HOW THE DATA IS GATHERED, CATEGORIZED, AND REPORTED TO THE PUBLIC.
SO CURRENTLY, THE, THE DATA THAT IS COLLECTED IS FOCUSED ON, UM, MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, AND, AND OF COURSE YOU GUYS KNOW THAT'S JUST ONE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SO IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE BROADER EXPERIENCE, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE DATA COLLECTED.
UM, THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, A PD SHOULD WORK WITH OPO TO REVIEW OUR COMPLAINTS SUBMITTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, THAT ARE EITHER BY SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY OR INVOLVING SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY.
UM, WE CAN DO THIS BY, UH, LOOKING AT KEY PHRASES OR, OR FOR EXAMPLE, US MENTIONING OF A SERVICE ANIMAL OR A WHEELCHAIR IN THE COMPLAINT.
THIS CAN BE, UH, REVIEWED AS GENERAL FEEDBACK, UH, ON HOW TO, IF THERE'S A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY OR PERHAPS A COMMUNICATION, UM, A MISCOMMUNICATION THAT'S HAPPENING, OR EVEN A PUBLIC, UH, AWARENESS CAMPAIGN THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
UH, SO FINAL DATA
SO THIS IS SOMETHING CONSISTENT AT EVERY SINGLE EVENT WE HAD, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS REPEATEDLY OFFERED TO PROVIDE INPUT, FEEDBACK, OR OTHERWISE HELP A PD, UM, IMPROVE ITS SERVICE DELIVERY.
UM, THEY WERE ENTHUSIASTIC, THEY WERE PASSIONATE, AND THEY WANTED TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
THEY WANTED TO AID A PD, THEY VOLUNTEERED TO DO WHATEVER.
UM, THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR A PD TO BUILD TRUST WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COLLECT MEANINGFUL DATA AND DEVELOP ACTIONABLE IMPROVEMENTS TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE, UM, BY WORKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HELP UNDERSTAND WHAT SHOULD BE MEASURED IN TERMS OF DATA, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND, UM, THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SO MOVING INTO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TOWN HALL.
UM, THE SECOND TOWN HALL, UM, A PD SHOULD IDENTIFY STAFF WHOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH FOCUS ENTAILS BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO PROMOTE A MORE INCLUSIVE PUBLIC SAFETY LANDSCAPE.
THE LIAISON SHOULD CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE AND THEIR SUPPORT NETWORKS, LIKE SERVICE PROVIDERS, CARE PROVIDERS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND OTHERS TO SEEK INSIGHTS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON HOW THEIR NEEDS COULD BE BETTER MET BY A PD AND AGAIN, PERTAINING TO SO, UM, TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OPO DOES RECOMMEND THAT A PD IDENTIFY STRATEGIES FOR OFFICERS TO INCREASE THEIR LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT, UM, TO REALLY JUST BUILD TRUST AND DEMONSTRATE RECEPTIVITY TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
UM, AGAIN, THIS CAN INCLUDE, UM, MEETING WITH, UH, NETWORKS SUPPORT NET NETWORKS LIKE SERVICE PROVIDERS, BUT IT COULD ALSO INCLUDE, UM, HOSTING EVENTS AND, UM, OTHER, OTHER ENGAGEMENTS TO RECEIVE DIRECT FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
UM, OPO ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT A PD SHOULD ATTEND AT LEAST THREE COMMUNITY EVENTS ANNUALLY THAT ARE HOSTED BY ORGANIZATIONS OR PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.
AND FINALLY, FOR TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, A PD SHOULD INTEGRATE RELEVANT MATERIALS INCLUDING SCHOLARLY RESEARCH, NEWS ARTICLES, AND WRITING BY PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE INTO THE A PD TRAINING ACADEMY MODULES RELATED TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.
NOW, FOR THIS FIRST TRAINING, UM, RECOMMENDATION, OPO IS REFERRING TO, UM, MATERIALS THAT WOULD AUGMENT THE EXISTING, UM, ACADEMY CURRICULUM BY PROVIDING MORE ANECDOTAL INSIGHTS, UM, FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING WITH VARIOUS DISABILITIES.
UM, AND WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT OFFICERS BE ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE, UM, AND VERY CLEARLY ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT DO STRENGTHEN THEIR ABILITY
[00:50:01]
TO BETTER INTERACT WITH COMMUNITIES LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.SO, WHILE THIS REPORT REC, UM, HIGHLIGHTS MANY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, WE THINK THERE'S EVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DEMONSTRATE A COMMITMENT TO, FOR SAFETY FOR ALL.
UM, OPO INTENTIONALLY CENTERED PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE IS LIVED EXPERTISE AT EVERY EVENT, COMMUNITY MEMBERS OPENLY AND HONESTLY SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCES, THEIR CONCERNS, THEIR CHALLENGES RELATED TO INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THIS FEEDBACK PROVIDED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS DATA, AND I'M GONNA PARAPHRASE WHAT I HAVE HERE ON THE, ON THE SLIDE, IT'S A QUOTE FROM THE POLICE, UM, EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM.
YOU, YOU CAN'T MANAGE WHAT YOU DON'T MEASURE.
UM, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
WE, AS CITY SERVICE PROVIDERS, WE CAN'T IMPROVE PROCESSES OR SERVICES IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED.
AND, UM, WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED IF WE DON'T ASK THEM.
DATA LIKE THIS CAN VALIDATE EXISTING EFFORTS, WHICH, UM, UH, CHIEF GREENWELL WILL BE TALKING ABOUT SOME GREAT STUFF THAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING.
SO IT CAN VALIDATE THOSE EFFORTS, BUT IT CAN ALSO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WOULD'VE NEVER CONSIDERED BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE, WE'RE NOT IN THAT SPACE.
SO THIS FEEDBACK INDICATES THAT THIS COMMUNITY FEELS UNDERSERVED, AND WE WANT TO FACILITATE A WAY FOR A PD TO CONNECT WITH THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND TO BUILD UPON THOSE EXISTING EFFORTS.
UM, BEFORE I WRAP UP, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO WORKED SO HARD WITH US TO DESIGN THIS EVENT.
UM, WE HAVE APAR, UH, APAR TEXAS.
YOU ARE, YOU ARE OUR HOPE SAFE AND THE SAFE ALLIANCE, UM, TEXAS PARENT TO PARENT.
UM, AND THE, UH, CITY'S A DA PROGRAM.
UM, THEY WORKED WITH US ON A PLANNING COMMISSION TO HELP DESIGN OUR SECOND EVENT.
UM, AGAIN, LIVED EXPERIENCES, LIVED EXER EXPERTISE.
THEY HELPED US UNDERSTAND OUR OWN BLIND SPOTS AND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO MAKE THIS A FULLY INCLUSIVE EVENT.
UM, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR TRUSTING US TO HOLD THAT SPACE FOR THOSE CRITICAL DISCUSSIONS, AND WE SINCERELY THANK THEM, UM, AND ALL THE PARTICIPANTS FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE.
I ALSO NEED TO THANK, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED US HOST THIS EVENT.
SO ONE THING I REALLY WANNA POINT OUT THAT I THINK IS INCREDIBLY UNIQUE ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROJECT IS THAT, OKAY, SO OPO IS A SMALL STAFF.
THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, THIS IS A BIG INITIATIVE, UM, TO HOST BOTH A HYBRID EVENT AND THEN, UH, IN 2022 AND THEN THE FULLY VIRTUAL EVENT IN 2021, WE UTILIZE VOLUNTEERS FROM HRD, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, FROM THE IT DEPARTMENT, FROM CODE WHO JUST WERE PASSIONATE AND INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT, WHO GAVE UP THEIR SATURDAY TO DONATE THEIR TIME TO WORK ON THIS.
AND I, WE HAD 20 PEOPLE WHO CAME OUTSIDE OF THEIR ROLE TO COME HELP US WORK ON THIS PROJECT.
AND I, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE HOW SPECIAL AND UNIQUE THAT IS AT THE CITY.
UM, SO I REALLY, REALLY THANK EVERY SINGLE VOLUNTEER WHO CAME OUT AND WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO ATTEND TRAINING, TO, UH, LEARN HOW TO INTERACT AND CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES, AND THEN GIVE UP A WHOLE DAY TO COME HELP ME AND LINDSAY AND MY COLLEAGUES, UH, HOST THIS EVENT.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE OFFICERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT.
UM, CHIEF KOEN CAME OUT HIMSELF, LIEUTENANT, UH, LAURA LAWRENCE DAVIS, OFFICER JOHN GABRIEL'S SON AND OFFICER FRANK CREE.
WE'VE ALSO HAD A LOT OF OFFICERS JUST ANECDOTALLY WHO ARE, WHO KNOW ABOUT THIS PROJECT, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS WORK AND INTEREST IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHEN WE WERE IN LIMBO WAITING TO GET OUR REPORT PUBLISHED, THEY ASKED US, THEY CAME UP TO OUR STAFF AND SAID, HEY, WHEN IS THAT REPORT COMING OUT? I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
I WANNA KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
THERE IS A HUGE POSITIVE ENERGY AROUND THIS AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW, HOW SPECIAL THAT IS.
THE COMMUNITY'S ASKING FOR THIS STAFF, IDENTIFY IT AS A NEED.
OFFICERS ARE, IDENTIFY IT AS A NEED.
SO I REALLY, UM, THINK THAT THAT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.
SO FOR, FOR ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN ACCESSING A READING THE REPORT, YOU CAN VISIT, UM, ATX POLICE OVERSIGHT.ORG TO ACCESS THE REPORT AND READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY.
AND THIS REPORT IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND IT'S ALSO SCREEN READER, UM, COMPATIBLE.
YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS, UM, BRAILLE COPIES OF THIS REPORT.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW ON HAND TODAY.
UM, BUT THOSE CAN ALSO BE, UM, THOSE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BEHIND REQUEST, UM, BY CALLING 5 1 2 9 7 4.
[00:55:01]
5 1 2 9 7 4 90, AND WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET YOU A COPY OF THE BRAILLE REPORT OR TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THIS WORK.AND OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF PROMOTION.
UM, OUR NEXT POLICE OVERSIGHT IMPLEMENTATION WORK GROUP MEETING WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 22ND OF THIS YEAR, UM, FROM 6:00 PM TO 7:30 PM AND THAT'LL BE TAKING PLACE AT THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER AT 84 0 1 CAMERON ROAD.
UM, AND BE SURE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED VERY SOON.
UM, AND AGAIN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THIS WORK GROUP OR THE WORK THAT THE WORK GROUP WILL BE, UM, EMBARKING UPON.
WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU, UM, JOIN US FOR THAT EVENT OR FOR FUTURE EVENTS.
UM, CHIEF GREENWALD, I KNOW, UH, I WAS, I WAS HOPING THAT YOU COULD SPEAK TO US, BUT BEFORE WE DO, I DID WANT, I, I HAD ONE STATEMENT THAT I WANTED TO READ OUT LOUD.
UM, ROBIN ORLOWSKI, WHICH IS A FORMER, UM, SHE SUBMITTED SOME COMMENTS.
SHE WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY AND SHE ASKED THAT WE READ HER COMMENTS INTO THE RECORD, SO I'M GONNA BE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SHE SAID HELLO, ALTHOUGH I'M UNABLE TO BE BE HERE IN PERSON DUE TODAY, I DO NOT WANNA THANK THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND FORMER OP DIRECTOR FARRA MUSIN PREVIOUSLY HAVING BEEN TICKETED AND TOLD TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE FOR HAVING A SEIZURE WHILE WALKING ON A SIDEWALK.
I WANTED MY LIVED EXPERIENCE AS A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES ADDRESSED AT A COMMUNITY BREAKFAST, WHICH THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE PROACTIVELY, UM, INVITED ME TO EXPECTING ONLY AN APOLOGY WHEN THE SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE AND CONCERNS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WERE EXCLUDED.
I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WHEN OPO STAFF PROACTIVELY SUGGESTED HOLDING A TOWN HALL ABOUT THE POLICE EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
I SUBSEQUENTLY SERVED ON A WORK GROUP WITH OPO STAFF TO SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESS COMMUNITY INTEREST.
THE SECOND EVENT WAS ALSO SCHEDULED BECAUSE OF OUR DISABILITIES.
WE ENCOUNTER POLICE MORE THAN OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND COLLEAGUES WITHOUT DISABILITIES.
A REPORT FROM THE TWO MEETINGS WAS LATER WRITTEN UP AND PRESENTED TO BOTH MC MAS COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL POLICE DO RECEIVE A COPY OF THE A DA AND LEARN FIRST AID FOR SEIZURES DURING TRAINING.
BUT THEY STILL MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY INTERACT WITH A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES.
THEY MAY ACCIDENTALLY BELIEVE SOMEBODY WITH ID.
UM, DD NOT FOLLOWING OFFICER INSTRUCTIONS IS DELIBERATELY REFUSING TO COMPLY.
AUSTIN IS HOME TO 20% OF THE STATE'S ENTIRE DEAF POPULATION.
AND A SL IS LINGUISTICALLY DIFFERENT THAN ENGLISH.
THE CITY HAD PREVIOUSLY DISCONTINUED BRAILLE AND LOST CARDS CAUSING BLIND PEOPLE TO HAVE PROBLEMS FIGURING OUT WHO IS A REAL COP VERSUS A SCAM.
I'M GRATEFUL THE OPO PROACTIVELY RECOGNIZED ABLEISM IS A VERY REAL FORM OF DISCRIMINATION AND WE CANNOT HAVE EQUITY UNLESS ABLEISM IS ACTIVELY ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND SUPPORT.
AND THIS IS, UM, ROBIN ORLOWSKI, UM, WHICH WAS A FORMER, UM, COMMISSIONER WITH THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND A DELEGATE ON THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE THEN.
SO, UM, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET THE PRINTED COPY OF THAT, UM, UPLOADED TO BACKUP AS WELL, SO THAT IT'LL BE WITH OUR MATERIALS.
UM, CHIEF GREENWALT, JUST IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO RECOMMENDATIONS AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHERE THE A PD IS WITH STUFF.
UM, JUST WANNA SAY THAT SINCE THIS REPORT CAME OUT, IT DID ALLOW US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE OUR DATA COLLECTION AND HOW WE WE MEASURE THAT AND COLLECT IT AND, AND UTILIZE THAT.
SO THERE'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH OUR RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT, AS WELL AS OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON TRAINING AT THE ACADEMY.
UM, HER NAME IS OFFICER JAMIE VON SELTMAN, AND SHE WAS GOING TO BE HERE TODAY TO SPEAK A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ORIENTED ON THAT, BUT SHE WAS, UH, FELL ILL YESTERDAY AND COULD NOT MAKE IT.
SO SHE'LL BE HERE IF THIS CONVERSATION CONTINUES AND IT COMES UP AGAIN, SHE'LL DEFINITELY BE INVITED BACK.
UM, BUT ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, I THINK THAT, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS I TOO HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WHERE WHEN WE INTERACT WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND TALK ABOUT USING THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES TO HELP GUIDE OUR, OUR TRAINING, THEY'RE EXCITED.
THEY WANT TO COME, THEY WANT TO OFFER, IF IT'S VOLUNTEER WORK, IF IT'S ON THEIR SATURDAY, JUST LIKE SARAH SAID, THEY ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I CAME THROUGH THE ACADEMY 23 YEARS AGO.
I REMEMBER ATTENDING THAT TRAINING EVEN 23 YEARS AGO WHERE WE TALKED TO SOMEBODY WHO WAS LIVING THAT EXPERIENCE AND TALKED TO US ABOUT HOW HE HAD SOME NEGATIVE INTERACTIONS WITH POLICE, AND IT INFORMED MY CAREER AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE DOING A LOT OF THESE THINGS ALREADY, AND I TALKED TO SARAH LAST WEEK THAT MAYBE THIS REPORT, UM, PROBABLY HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT BRAGGING ON OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT, UM, IN TERMS OF WITH THE TRAINING THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, BECAUSE IT, IT IS OBVIOUSLY PERCEIVED IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE NOT DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS AND THAT OUR ATTORNEY DOES NOT INVOLVE
[01:00:01]
A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAVE.SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE BEFORE THE NEXT ITEM COMES UP, BUT I DID BRING ANOTHER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.
UH, BRIANNE EDWARDS IS OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT AT THE ACADEMY ON HOW WE DO OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH, UM, OUR COMMUNITY CONNECT PROGRAM AND THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE DISABILITIES AND HOW WE USE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES TO TALK TO OUR, OUR CADETS AT THE ACADEMY BEFORE THEY GRADUATE.
SO IF WE HAVE TIME, I'D LOVE FOR HER TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY DO OUT THERE.
IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND WE'D LOVE TO HEAR.
HI, MY NAME IS BRIANS EDWARDS.
I'M A TRAINING SPECIALIST OUT AT THE A PD TRAINING ACADEMY.
UH, I RUN OUR COMMUNITY CONNECT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, ALSO MINDFULNESS AND RESILIENCE FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
SO THANK YOU CHIEF GREENWALD FOR ASKING ME TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS REPORT.
UM, WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO CONTINUE IMPROVING EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
WE ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND GETTING TO WORK FURTHER WITH, UH, VARIOUS POPULATIONS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE CURRENTLY WORK WITH AGE WHO COME OUT WITH THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION, SAFE ALLIANCE MARBRIDGE, THE DANNY MACBETH RECREATION CENTER.
WE HAVE TRAININGS FOR CADETS WITH LANGUAGE ACCESS, WHICH PROVIDES CADETS WITH RESOURCES TO CONTACT NOT ONLY VARIOUS SPOKEN LANGUAGES, BUT ALSO A SL.
WE WORK WITH ANY BABY CAN COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE, TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEATH.
AND WE ALSO HOST A COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR FOR EVERY CADET CLASS.
WE'VE HAD APPROXIMATELY 40 ORGANIZATIONS COME OUT FOR THE LAST TWO CLASSES, AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE INCLUDED THE VA, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AREA AGENCY ON AGING, UH, AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION.
ALL OF THESE TRAININGS ARE ABOUT FIGURING OUT HOW TO BE MORE EMPATHETIC, HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING COMMUNITIES, UH, OF DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE.
WE HAVE ALSO INCORPORATED IN OUR TRAINING SOME EXPERTISE FROM THE CENTER FOR NEURO SKILLS.
THEY'VE GENEROUSLY BEEN TEACHING OUR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY COURSE SO THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDER UNDERSTANDING AND, UH, THEY HAVE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH POPULATIONS WITH DISABILITIES AND, AND HAVE BEEN VERY GENEROUS IN THEIR TIME WITH US.
WE COULD ALWAYS HOST MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
I'M ON BOARD
UH, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE CAN'T DO THAT TOO OFTEN AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY JUST BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE.
WE DO TRY TO ATTEND SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
SO WE'VE GONE OUT TO TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF WITH AT LEAST THREE OF OUR CADET CLASSES.
THEY GENEROUSLY ALLOW US TO COME GO TO CLASSES WITH THEIR RESIDENTS.
UH, WE'VE DONE FIELD DAYS WITH MACBETH RECREATION CENTER.
WE ALSO GO TO COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT HOST BROAD SWATHS OF THE POPULATION.
AND OF COURSE, AS, UH, FORMER COMMISSIONER ROBIN WAS SAYING, THERE'S A, A MASSIVE POPULATION IN AUSTIN THAT IS, IS DIFFERENTLY ABLED.
SO LUCKILY GETTING TO GO TO EVENTS LIKE THE, WE ALL BELONG EVENT VIVA MEXICO, UM, AND THIS SPRING, THE RUNDBERG ALLIANCE MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT ONE-ON-ONE AND, AND ACTUALLY GET TO KNOW PEOPLE, BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS, UH, FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR OFFICERS TO BUILD MORE EXTENSIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS, UH, BY MODELING OUR CADET PROGRAM AFTER THE SAN ANTONIO PD, UH, CADET IMMERSION PROGRAM.
AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STILL LOOKING INTO, WE'RE IN THE VERY BEGINNING STAGES OF THIS, BUT WE THINK THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CADETS TO REALLY GET TO KNOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND BUILD LASTING RELATIONSHIPS.
LIKE CHIEF GREENWALT SAID THAT LAST 23 YEARS OR MORE, UH, OFFICER VON SELTMAN HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB INTEGRATING VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES INTO CIT AND SHE WOULD BE FAR BETTER THAN I, UH, TO SPEAK ON THAT.
SO I WILL NOT, BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE MADE A REAL EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT CADETS UNDERSTAND THROUGHOUT TRAINING THAT EMPATHY IS EXPECTED.
THIS IS, THIS IS PART OF THE JOB.
AND LEARNING HOW TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WE ARE OR NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM WE ARE OR NOT VISIBLY DIFFERENT FROM US IS, IS JUST A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE JOB.
WE ALSO TAKE FEEDBACK FROM THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THESE GUEST INSTRUCTORS WHO COME IN AND, AND JUST LIKE OPO HAS SAID, WE'VE NOTICED THE ENTHUSIASM AND WE WANNA BUILD ON IT.
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE TAKE FEEDBACK FROM THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS WRITING UP WHAT THEY BELIEVE ARE BEST PRACTICES AND, AND HAVE THEM EVIDENCE-BASED.
AND ONCE WE GET THOSE, WE PASS THEM UP THE CHAIN AND WE DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STAYING AT THE FOREFRONT OF BEING A PROACTIVE, SUPPORTIVE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO SORT OF GET GOING? UM, I'LL START WITH, UM, I,
[01:05:01]
I KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE SOMEBODY FROM PLANNING AND DATA HERE TODAY, BUT I'M, I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN WHAT KIND OF DATA WE ARE USING TO TRACK INTER LIKE WHAT KIND OF DATA WE'RE TRACKING WITH REGARDS TO INTERACTIONS AND POLICE ENCOUNTERS AND THE VARIOUS STAGES AND TYPES OF ENCOUNTERS THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHAT THOSE RESULTS ARE.I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN, IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT AND WHAT IS TRACKED.
UM, ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE, BUT ARE THERE ANY, AND WE DON'T RIGHT NOW, WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO START THAT CONVERSATION AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE FIND OUT THAT DATA? BECAUSE RIGHT OFF THE BAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE A FANTASTIC IDEA, BUT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS IF WE PULL SOMEONE OVER ON A TRAFFIC STOP OR RESPOND TO A HOUSE, ARE WE GONNA JUST ASK SOMEBODY, UH, WHAT THEIR DISABILITY IS SO THAT WE CAN PUT IT INTO THIS INFORMATION DATABASE? IT, IT CREATES AN OBVIOUS KIND OF UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION THAT MIGHT COME UP, WHICH THEN LEADS TO THE CONVERSATION OF, WELL, DO WE JUST NOT ASK AND MAKE OUR, UM, ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON INFORMATION THAT WE GOT WITH CONTEXT CLUES? AND THAT PRESENTS OBVIOUS CHALLENGES AS WELL.
SO THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON THIS PARTICULAR, UM, TOPIC IS JAMIE VON SELTMAN.
AND I THINK AS SHE TALKS WITH OUR DATA FOLKS AND THE OP MOVING FORWARD AND, AND WE CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT I DON'T THINK WE DO TODAY.
YEAH, I WOULD JUST, COMMISSIONER HOLMES QUICK COMMENT.
UM, ONE OF THE PIECES OF DATA IN THE BACKUP WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE SLIDES.
AND ONE OF THE PIECES, LITTLE CHARTS IN THE BACKUP DATA SAYS THAT IT SHOWS A CHART OF THE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING FORCE WHO WERE PERCEIVED TO BE MENTALLY IMPAIRED BY YEAR.
AND IT'S 2017, IT HAS IT LESS THAN A THIRD OF INTERACTIONS, AND IN 2020 IT HAS ALMOST HALF.
AND SO IT JUST RAISES A TON OF QUESTIONS.
WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE MENTALLY IMPAIRED? IS THAT INTOXICATED ALSO? UM, OR IS IT JUST MENTAL ILLNESS? AND, UM, IS THIS BECAUSE OF BETTER TRAINING AT IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS OR IS IT BECAUSE OF WORSE TRAINING AND, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO, AND HAVING TO RESORT TO FORCE.
SO IT JUST RAISES A TON OF QUESTIONS.
AND SO WHEN I SEE A CHART LIKE THAT, IF WE, I JUST WANT A SECOND THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE, UH, GET MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS THE TRAJECTORY OF THIS, WHAT IS HAPPENING THAT'S IMPACTING IT AND, AND A HUNDRED OTHER QUESTIONS PROBABLY.
YEAH, STICKING NOSE IN THERE, UH, FOR CONTEXT THAT EXCERPT THAT DATA WAS FOR THE CRAWL ANALYSIS OF USE OF FORCE AND MENTAL HEALTH, UM, RESPONSE.
AND SO, UM, THEY HAVE A WHOLE REPORT.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING, UH, READING, SO I RECOMMEND READING IT, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE PULL THAT DATA FROM.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO CURRENTLY, HOW MUCH TIME IS SPENT IN THE ACADEMY, UH, DOING TRAINING FOR THIS? SO IT DOES VARY BY ACADEMY CLASS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 16 HOURS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TRAINING AND SOMEWHERE AROUND 20 FOR COMMUNITY CONNECT TRAINING.
HONESTLY, IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF WHEN PEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE TO COME OUT AND WHEN WE CAN SCHEDULE TO GO OUT TO, TO SPEAK WITH THEM.
I KNOW THE CURRENT CLASS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WILL BE GOING OUT TO SEE MAR BRIDGE HERE IN APRIL, AND THE NEXT CLASS WILL BE GOING OUT IN SEPTEMBER.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SPEND AT LEAST PART OF EVERY CLASS WITH, WITH, WELL EVERY, EVERY COMMUNITY.
BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT GETS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY.
UH, CIT TRAINING IS UP TO 40 HOURS WITHIN THE ACADEMY, WHICH IS, IS IMPRESSIVE.
THAT'S, UM, KIND OF NATIONAL STANDARD IMPRESSIVE LEVELS RIGHT THERE.
SO WE'RE PRETTY PROUD OF THAT.
CAN YOU, UM, LET US KNOW WHAT CIT TRAINING IS JUST FOR YES, MA'AM.
UM, AND SO JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT QUESTION, UM, SO RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF INTERACTIONS WITH OUR DISABLED COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HOW TO BEST SERVE THEM, THE TRAINING AROUND THAT, IS IT CONFINED TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? ARE THERE, IS THERE TRAINING GOING ON OUTSIDE OF JUST EMPATHY? THERE'S ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
YEAH, THERE'S ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR THE CADETS AFTER THE FIRST TWO WEEKS.
RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE IS COMMUNITY CONNECT, WHERE THEY GET TO DO THESE KIND OF OFFSITE AND IN-SERVICE TRAININGS WITH, UH, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT THEN WE HAVE, LIKE THE CIT TRAINING IS THE 40 HOURS IN THE ACADEMY.
UM, AND THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER TRAININGS THAT WE DO.
UM, KIND OF PIGGYBACKING OFF OF WHAT THE FORMER COMMISSIONER MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, IS IN ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT ALSO HAPPENED IN THE OPO REPORT IS THAT IT CAN BE MISTAKEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER THAT SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVING WITH A DISABILITY IS EITHER NONCOMPLIANT OR INTOXICATED.
AND THAT'S THE OVERWHELMING THEME THAT WE TRY TO FORCE INTO OUR CADETS BEFORE THEY HIT THE STREETS, IS THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S NOT ACTING OR RESPONDING IN THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO, DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE BEING NONCOMPLIANT OR THAT THEY'RE INTOXICATED.
UH, THE FIRST THING WE TELL 'EM TO DO IS SLOW DOWN.
IF THERE'S NOT AN EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCE, UH, THAT'S CREATED RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SLOW DOWN, ASK MORE QUESTIONS, GATHER MORE
[01:10:01]
DATA BEFORE YOU MAKE A DETERMINATION.AND, AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THE MOST TWO IMPORTANT THINGS TO TALK ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANY TRAINING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, IS TO SLOW DOWN AND NOT JUDGE AND ASK MORE QUESTIONS, TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
I CAN, I CAN SIT HERE FOR HOURS AND ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, I, I, I HAVE A DAUGHTER WITH A MOBILITY DISABILITY, AND THAT ALSO HAS A COGNITIVE DISABILITY.
AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY MUCH ON THE BRAIN JUST WITH REGARDS TO HOW HER, UM, SLOW RESPONSE WOULD BE PERCEIVED.
UM, HER INABILITY TO GET PLACED AS QUICKLY OR COMPLY QUICKLY, PHYSICALLY.
UM, THOSE, THOSE, AND, AND ALSO, IF SHE DOESN'T HAPPEN TO HAVE HER CRUTCHES, UM, THE, THE, THE FACT THAT HER DISABILITY IS COMPLETELY INVISIBLE, UM, WHICH IS A HUGE, HUGE FACTOR.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY MUCH ON MY MIND ALL THE TIME, AND NOT JUST WITH REGARDS TO POLICE, BUT EMS FIRE JUST IN GENERAL, WHICH IS WHY I'VE BEEN WANTING TO TALK ABOUT THIS FOR SO LONG.
UM, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER, WE WILL ALL EXPERIENCE SOME LEVEL OF DISABILITY.
UM, UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE ON THE HOW SAFE THOSE INTERACTIONS ARE, DEPEND ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE AS DEPARTMENTS DO TO ENSURE THAT.
UM, SO I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT WHAT KIND OF DATA WE CAN BE TRACKING, UM, WHAT KIND OF SELF-REPORTING CAN BE TRACKED.
SELF-DISCLOSURE CAN BE TRACKED.
UM, AND JUST CONTINUING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
'CAUSE UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WE HAVE OA GROWING AGING POPULATION.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS ONLY GONNA GET TO BE A BIGGER AND BIGGER SORT OF ISSUE.
I THINK IT'S NOT GONNA, THIS IS NOT A, THIS IS NOT A COMMUNITY THAT IS SHRINKING IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
SO, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I'M, I'M GLAD WE FINALLY GOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS OUT LOUD,
[5. Discussion of Public Safety Wellness Center and potential formation of working group (Sponsors: Commissioners Nguyễn & Peña)]
NEXT WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WELLNESS CENTER, AND POTENTIAL FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP.THIS IS AN ITEM FROM COMMISSIONER N NEN AND COMMISSIONER PENA.
GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS, UH, AND CHAIRPERSON.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK WITH YOU GUYS TODAY ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER.
UH, SPECIAL THANKS TO COMMISSIONER WYNN FOR, UH, HIS INTEREST IN THE WELLNESS CENTER AND FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, SO THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER, AND IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF, OH, SORRY.
YEAH,
UH, MY NAME IS HEATHER RISBY AND I'M THE CLINIC ADMINISTRATOR, UH, FOR THE WELLNESS CENTER.
UH, SO THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER IS AN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICAL HEALTH CLINIC THAT IS RESERVED FOR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.
UH, SO THE CENTER PROVIDES SPECIALIZED HOLISTIC WORK, SPECIFIC WELLNESS SERVICES, AND OUR MISSION IS TO EMPOWER THE PUBLIC SAFETY WORKERS TO ACHIEVE LIFELONG WELLNESS.
WE HAVE A STAFF OF 15 FULL-TIME POSITIONS, AND THAT'S A COMBINATION OF EMPLOYEES FROM EACH OF THE THREE AGENCIES.
SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND EMERGENCY SERVICES.
WE HAVE FOUR ADMINISTRATIVE MEMBERS.
WE HAVE FIVE, UM, MEDICAL TEAM MEMBERS, UH, TWO STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND FOUR EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGISTS WHO MAKE UP OUR FITNESS TEAM.
THE SERVICES THAT THE WELLNESS CENTER PROVIDES INCLUDE, UH, MEDICAL EXAMS. THOSE ARE ABBREVIATED AND FULL MEDICAL EXAMS. ABBREVIATED EXAMS WOULD BE, UH, RETURN TO WORK, UH, EXAMS FOR INJURIES ON OR OFF THE JOB, UM, OR HEARING, UH, EXAMS. OUR FULL MEDICAL EXAMS WOULD BE OUR PROMOTIONAL OR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS. UM, AND THEN NEW HIRE EXAMS FOR ALL OF THE AGENCIES.
WE ALSO PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, UM, FITNESS CONSULTATIONS AND ACADEMY PHYSICAL TRAINING AND VACCINATIONS.
UH, ONE OF OUR BIGGER PROJECTS IS TO TRY TO GET ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS UP TO DATE ON THEIR VACCINATIONS SO THAT THEY'RE BETTER PROTECTED IN THE EVENT OF AN EXPOSURE.
ON THIS SLIDE, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT OUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS, BECAUSE THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE EXTENSIVE THAN WHAT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WOULD RECEIVE, UH, THROUGH THEIR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE BASICS, WHICH ARE VITALS AND LAB DRAWS ANNUALLY, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ALSO RECEIVE HEARING TESTS, VISION TESTS, UH, RESTING EKGS IS CLINICALLY INDICATED FOR THOSE 40 AND OVER IN EVERY THREE YEARS.
AND THEN ALSO THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK ASSESSMENT SCORES.
WE ALSO OFFER SPIROMETRY TESTS, UM, AND THEN OTHER HEALTH INTERVENTIONS AND HEALTH SCREENINGS.
SO IN THE CHART, YOU'LL SEE THE DATA FROM THE LAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE WELLNESS CENTER WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2012, UH, IT
[01:15:01]
STARTED AS A FIRE, UM, SPECIFIC, UH, DIVISION.BUT IN FY 19, WE SIGNED A MERGER WITH THE, UM, ALL THREE AGENCIES.
YOU'LL SEE A DIP, UH, IN FY 20.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF COVID, UM, TEMPORARILY HALTING SOME OF OUR SERVICES, BUT THEN YOU SEE A SPIKE IN FY 21.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE WELLNESS CENTER WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY PIVOT DURING THAT TIME TO PROVIDE, UM, CO SERVICES FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
SO WE HAD A, UM, DEDICATED SITE FOR THEM SO THAT THEY COULD RECEIVE TESTING AND, UM, RESULTS A LOT QUICKER THAN THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND THIS ENABLED THEM TO CONTINUE WORKING IN ADDITION TO CASE MANAGEMENT, UH, FOR COVID CASES AND THEN VACCINATIONS WHEN THOSE BECAME AVAILABLE.
AND THEN WE'VE RESUMED, UM, NORMAL OPERATIONS SINCE FY 21.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE INCREASE, THE STUDY INCREASE IN, UH, EXAMINATIONS.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES.
SO OUR STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS PROVIDE ANNUAL BEHAVIORAL, UH, CHECK-INS DURING SOME OF OUR, UM, ANNUAL EXAMS. THEY ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR ACADEMIES, UH, LEADERSHIP, AND THEN DIVISIONS AS REQUESTED, UH, COUNSELING SESSIONS FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, UH, AND COUPLES.
AND THEN ANOTHER BIG SUCCESS FROM OUR MERGER IS, UH, CONTRACTING A PSYCHIATRIST.
SO THAT IN THE PAST HAD BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT FOR SOME OF OUR MEMBERS TO OBTAIN THOSE SERVICES WHEN THEY NEEDED THEM.
BUT WITH THE MERGER, WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN A CONTRACT.
SO THE WELLNESS PSYCHOLOGISTS AND, UH, A PD PSYCHOLOGISTS MEET WEEKLY WITH THAT, UH, CONTRACTED VENDOR TO DISCUSS ANY ISSUES AND USAGE OF THE CONTRACT.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE WELLNESS CENTER PROVIDES.
UH, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
IF WE COULD GET THE COMMISSIONERS BACK UP ON THE SCREEN.
UM, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, UM, IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS, THERE ARE SOME WRITTEN RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS THAT WE GOT AS WELL, UM, FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER NEN? YEAH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
SORRY, I WAS HAVING AUDIO ISSUES.
YEAH, I, I JUST WANTED TO HEAR MORE.
I, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WAS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE CLARIFICATION ON, UM, HOW THE COMMISSION CAN SUPPORT IN TERMS OF, OF RECOMMENDATIONS WE CAN PROVIDE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I TALKED ON THE COMMISSION ABOUT IS POTENTIALLY PUTTING A WORKING GROUP TOGETHER.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE, UM, IS THAT WHERE ARE SOME OF THE, THE BIGGER CHALLENGES Y'ALL ARE HAVING? UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE HEARD IS THAT AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW, UM, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, SPACE IS, IS BECOMING A CHALLENGE.
AND THEN AS YOU ALSO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UH, ALL OF THE OTHER, UM, AGENCIES AS WELL, BECAUSE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THERE, THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, UH, AN INCREASE IN, IN POTENTIALLY AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY AND, AND, UH, A, UH, A PD ALSO, UM, DOING, UH, UTILIZING YOUR SERVICE MORE.
SO AS, AS WE EXPAND THAT, I KNOW THAT, UM, DURING, UM, I THINK IT WAS CHIEF VAERS, UM, UM, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE VACANCIES WAS A PHYSICIAN.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS IN YOUR PRESENTATION AS WELL, WAS THERE'S, THERE'S GOING TO BE A, A SEARCH FOR A SECOND, UH, PHYSICIAN, BUT I, I JUST WANTED MORE CLARIFICATION ON, ON WHAT THE NEEDS WERE AND, AND HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS OF, OF ENSURING THAT YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED, UM, AS, AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO, UM, SEE MORE EXAMS THROUGH THE CLINIC, PERSONNEL IS, UH, A NEED.
UM, SO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL FOR CLINIC, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON THROUGH THE A-P-D-F-Y 25 BUDGET ASK.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE SEE, UH, ADDITIONAL CLINIC STAFF IN THE FALL.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PAPER CHARTS, UH, WHICH MAKES IT REALLY HARD FOR DATA COLLECTION.
SO WE HAVE TO MANUALLY, UM, GO THROUGH CHARTS OR COLLECT DATA ON, ON EXCEL, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, BUT ISN'T THAT USEFUL ALL THE TIME? UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
UM, THE AGENCIES HAVE COMMITTED FUNDS TO, UH, A SOFTWARE SYSTEM, AND THAT SYSTEM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, UH, HOWEVER, THE STALLING POINT HAS BEEN IN TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE SYSTEM.
UM, SO FIGURING OUT IF THAT LIES WITH THE DEPARTMENT WHO CURRENTLY HOLDS THE CONTRACT FOR THAT SOFTWARE, OR WHETHER THAT WOULD BE WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN DECIDED.
UM, AND THEN, YES, WE DO HAVE A VACANT PHYSICIAN POSITION.
UM, WE ARE IN OUR SECOND ROUND OF TRYING TO FIND ANOTHER PHYSICIAN.
UH, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF POTENTIALLY HIRING SOMEBODY, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE IN HIRING
[01:20:01]
A PHYSICIAN, UH, HAS BEEN THE PHYSICIAN PAY SCALE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.UH, THAT'S FAIRLY LOW, AND THAT'S MADE IT A CHALLENGE FOR US TO, TO RECRUIT OR HIRE PHYSICIANS.
UM, AND THEN IN REGARDS TO SPACE, WE ARE GROWING, UM, SUPPORT STAFF, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, CONTINUES TO GROW AS OUR FIRST RESPONDER POPULATION GROWS AND AS THE, THE COMMUNITY GROWS.
UM, I DID ACTUALLY MEET WITH OUR FACILITIES MANAGER TODAY JUST TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL RENOVATIONS TO OUR SPACE.
UH, IT IS A FAIRLY OLD BUILDING, UM, SO TRYING TO MAKE BETTER USE OF IT AND, AND IMPROVEMENTS IF POSSIBLE.
UM, SO YES, THOSE ARE DEFINITELY ALL NEEDS THAT, THAT WE HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ENJOY PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT WE DO TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THOSE SERVICES, UH, WHERE POSSIBLE.
COMMISSIONER HOLMES, GO AHEAD.
UM, ARE THESE SERVICES FOR SWORN PERSONNEL ONLY, OR WOULD IT ALSO COVER PEOPLE LIKE VICTIM SERVICES? SO CURRENTLY IT IS FOR SWORN PERSONNEL ONLY.
UM, AGAIN, WE'D LOVE TO EXPAND SERVICES AS WE CAN.
AND, UM, I HAD A QUESTION JUST ABOUT HOW BUDGET IS, LIKE, HOW, HOW, LIKE, HOW IS BUDGET? LIKE, I KNOW THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS SORT OF CONTRIBUTE, BUT LIKE, IS IS IT EQUAL? IS IT, LIKE, HOW, HOW DO, HOW IS BUDGET ALLOCATED CURRENTLY AND HOW IS IT SHARED BY THE DEPARTMENTS AND HOW MUCH OF THE BUDGET IS YOURS EXCLUSIVELY VERSUS COMING FROM? YEAH, SO OUR CURRENT BUDGET PRIMARILY LIES IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, BUDGET.
AND THAT'S AGAIN, BECAUSE IT, IT STARTED AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT DIVISION.
UM, BUT, UH, EMS AND A PD PAY FOR SALARIES OF SOME OF OUR, UM, EMPLOYEES.
UH, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY THEY PROVIDE FOR TRAINING AND CONFERENCES, UM, EQUIPMENT ON OCCASION.
UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A, A SHARED BUDGET, SO WE JUST KIND OF HAVE TO, UM, WORK WITH THE THREE PROCESSES AND, AND DISCUSS WHAT WE NEED.
AND EVERYBODY'S MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP OUT AND PROVIDE WHERE THEY CAN.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY OUT LOUD THAT I EMPATHIZE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ELECTRONIC CHART SYSTEM.
YOU SAID EXCEL, AND THAT JUST MADE ME WANNA CRY.
UM, LITERALLY THAT JUST MAKES ME WANNA CRY.
UM, AND AS FAR AS SPACE I HAD, SO DO YOU OFFER YOUR SERVICES EXCLUSIVELY OUT OF THE WELLNESS CENTER RIGHT NOW, OR DO YOU GUYS OPERATE SORT OF REMOTELY AT ALL OUT OF THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS? FIRE STATIONS? SO FOR THE MEDICAL, UH, EXAMS, THAT'S PRIMARILY AT THE WELLNESS CENTER.
THAT'S WHERE WE CONDUCT ALL OF THOSE SERVICES FOR FITNESS SERVICES.
THOSE ARE CONDUCTED AT THE ACADEMY.
AND THEN, UH, OUR TEAM DOES DO STATION VISITS FOR FIRE AND EMS. UM, SO THOSE SERVICES ARE CONDUCTED REMOTELY.
UM, BUT THE MEDICAL EXAMS ARE JUST AT THE WELLNESS CENTER.
COMMISSIONER
I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS SOME ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGETARY ISSUES.
IS THERE AN ISSUE OF NOT GETTING THE PROPER BUDGET OR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE AS A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION CAN DO TO PUSH ALONG THAT EHR STANDPOINT? OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, FOR PERSONNEL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TAKEN IT TO, UM, UM, AND THE, IT'S BEEN INCLUDED IN BUDGET ASKS BEFORE AND, AND IT DIDN'T, UH, GET ACCEPTED.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE PUTTING SOMETHING FORWARD IN FY 25 THROUGH A PD AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL GET PUSHED THROUGH.
'CAUSE THAT WILL ENABLE US TO DO MORE.
UM, AS FAR AS CLINIC IS CONCERNED.
AND FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM, I THINK IT'S MORE OF, UM, FIGURING OUT WHERE THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT LIES, UH, BECAUSE THE, THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED, UM, AND EVERYONE'S COMMITTED TO THAT.
IT'S JUST THAT, THAT TECHNICAL PIECE OF SUPPORTING THE SOFTWARE.
AND IS THERE, IS THE EHR THAT YOU ARE ALL GONNA USE GONNA BE INTEROPERABLE WITH OTHER NETWORKS IN THE SYSTEM? LIKE IF SOMEBODY GOES INTO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND ASCENSION OR ST.
DAVID'S FACILITY? IT SHOULD BE, YEAH.
SO THE, THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ALSO UTILIZED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND SO THAT'S THE CONTRACT THAT WE'D LIKE TO PIGGYBACK ON IF WE CAN.
UM, I BELIEVE SO COMMISSIONER N NEN, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA DEFER TO YOU 'CAUSE YOU, UM, PLACED ON THE AGENDA ITEM, THE POSSIBILITY OF A WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT TO YOU TO SORT OF FRAME AND SEE IF THERE'S A MOTION TO DO THAT.
SO, UH, I WANTED TO EXPLORE THE IDEA OF A WORKING GROUP, BUT, BUT THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST PROPOSAL, UM, FOR WORKING GROUPS.
SO I JUST ALSO WANTED TO, UNDER THE STAND, THE PARAMETERS.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME AS TO WHAT, UM, WE WOULD WANT THAT WORKING GROUP TO BE, AS WELL AS, UM, WE WOULD WANT SPECIFIC, UM, UH, ASKS AFTERWARDS OR WE WOULD WANT SOMETHING RESULTING IN A RECOMMENDATION.
AT THIS POINT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I REALLY WANTED TO UNDERSTAND MORE WAS, WAS
[01:25:01]
CREATING THAT FORMATION, BUT ALSO, UM, DOING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF WHAT EXACTLY IS NEEDED OF THE, THE, UM, THE WELLNESS CENTER.UM, UH, I, ONE OF THE, THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT I HEAR, HEAR, OR NOT NECESSARILY FRUSTRATIONS, BUT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I, I, I SEE THAT THE WELLNESS CENTER MIGHT HAVE IS THAT, UM, IT, IT APPEARS THAT THEY, THEY'RE KIND OF IN LIMBO FROM, FROM DIFFERENT BUDGETS AND IT, IT COULD BE REALLY CHALLENGING 'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO, UM, ATTACH ONTO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF, OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
UM, AND I, I SENSE THAT'S ALSO A CHALLENGE AS THEY'RE ALSO JUST TRYING TO ALSO PROVIDE SERVICES.
BUT I, I, I GUESS MY PROPOSAL IS MAYBE TO START A WORKING GROUP TO, UH, START IN THE PROCESS OF, OF SEEING WHAT THEIR NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS, HAVING CONVERSATIONS A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY WITH THE, THE WELLNESS CENTER TEAM, UM, AND THEN IDENTIFYING SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CHALLENGES AND PROVIDING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS, UM, ENOUGH CLARIFICATION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND, AND I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU CHAIR.
THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE MY PROCESS IS.
WELL, I, I, I BELIEVE I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TAKE THAT AS A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER N NEN TO FORM A WORKING GROUP TO ESTABLISH NEEDS FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER AND POTENTIALLY DEVELOP A RECOMMENDATION OUT OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
DO WE, AND, AND THE ONLY, THE ONLY CONSTRAINTS ABOUT A WORKING GROUP IS THAT IT CANNOT BE A PERMANENT COMMITTEE.
WE, WE NEED TO HAVE A TASK THAT WE'RE SORT OF SETTING OURSELVES TO, AND IDEALLY A PRODUCT AT SOME TIME.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE A DEADLINE ON IT, TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, OR WHATEVER.
BUT THE, BUT WE DO NEED TO BE ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS THE END OF THE TASK IS REALLY, I THINK, THE ONLY REAL PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE.
IS THAT CORRECT? I'M LOOKING AT OUR LIAISONS.
I BELIEVE THAT'S, I I DO HAVE, UH, COMMENT HERE.
UH, WE HAVE A SMALL ISSUE BECAUSE, UM, COMMISSIONER WYNN, UM, WASN'T, UH, JOINED IN THE MEETING BY FOUR 30.
I DIDN'T, HE WAS, HE NOTIFIED ME BY FOUR, BY BY FOUR 18.
YES, HE DID JOIN US BY FOUR 18.
I JUST NEEDED TO CLARIFY THAT.
AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT I, I DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT ANYONE, BUT HE DID, HE NOTIFIED ME BY FOUR 18 THAT HE WAS PRESENT.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER NEN TO FORM A WORKING GROUP AROUND THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PENA.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE A VOTE.
I THINK THE ONLY REC ANYBODY CAN VOTE ON THE FORMATION OF THE GROUP.
WE WILL NEED A, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED PEOPLE TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP AND IT CANNOT GO OVER SIX PEOPLE.
UM, SO WE'LL VOTE ON THE FORMATION OF THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, NOW, COMMISSIONER RUTAN? YES.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THE WORKING GROUP.
I JUST DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN HAVING THE WORKING GROUP VERSUS AN AGENDA ITEM WHERE WE DISCUSS IT.
IS THIS SORT OF IDEA THAT THE WORKING GROUP WOULD CREATE THE, UM, RESOLUTION THAT WE WOULD THEN VOTE ON AS A BROADER COMMITTEE? IS THAT THE SORT OF IDEA YEAH.
I, THE IDEA THAT BROADER COMMITTEE, EXACTLY.
THE IDEA WAS THAT THEY WOULD SORT OF WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE WOULD VOTE ON IN THE FUTURE, I BELIEVE IS WHAT COMMISSIONER WOULD LIKE.
COMMISSIONER MEYER? APPROVE, APPROVE.
OH, COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN IS A YES.
UM, AND THEN I AM GOING TO WASH MY HANDS OF THIS WORKING GROUP, AND I'M GONNA COUNT ON COMMISSIONER NGUYEN TO REACH OUT, UM, TO ALL OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
IF WE HAVE ANY INTEREST IN THE GROUP, IF ANYBODY COULD JUST DO A SHOW OF HANDS FOR HIS SAKE.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE COMMISSIONER PENA.
UM, YOU GUYS CAN, WE CAN TALK MORE OFFLINE SORT OF AFTER THE MEETING TO JUST TALK ABOUT THE SORT OF LOGISTICS OF SETTING UP THOSE MEETINGS, MAKING SURE WE DON'T VIOLATE QUORUM AND WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE ANOTHER, UM, QUICK DISCUSSION.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE, OH, WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING GOOD TIME.
UM, WE HAD TALKED, THE NEXT ITEM ON
[6. Discussion and potential formation of Budget Recommendations Working Group (Sponsors: Commissioners Ruttan and Peña)]
OUR AGENDA IS THE DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL FORMATION OF A BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS WORK GROUP.UM, I FORWARDED EARLIER TODAY, I BELIEVE, THE TIMELINE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
[01:30:03]
FROM, FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS.I BELIEVE THE DEADLINE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COMMISSIONS IS MARCH 31ST, WHICH IS A WHOLE LOT SOONER THAN I REALLY WISH IT WAS.
UM, SO WE HAD TALKED LAST MONTH ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATING A BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS WORK GROUP WITH THE, THE SOLE TASK OF COMING UP WITH, UM, SORT OF A, SORT OF IN AN EFFORT TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN YEARS PAST, WHICH IS THE, THE DEPARTMENTS BRING US THEIR, THEIR, THEIR BUDGETS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING TO COUNCIL AND ALL OF THEIR UNFUNDED SORT OF ITEMS AND REQUESTS THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
AND WE SORT OF CHIME IN AND SAY YAY OR NAY ON ALL OF THOSE ITEMS. AND THE IDEA WITH THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION WORK GROUP WAS THAT WE WOULD SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME SORT OF REVIEWING POTENTIALLY OUR PAST AGENDA ITEMS, IDENTIFYING ANY ITEMS OF INTEREST LIKE THAT THE COMMISSION PARTICULARLY WANTS TO PUT THEIR ENERGY BEHIND, SO THAT WE CAN PROACTIVELY PUT TOGETHER A RECOMMENDATION IN ADVANCE OF WHAT WE USUALLY DO BY THE MARCH DEADLINE TO SORT OF LET THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS KNOW AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BUDGET RECOMMENDATION PROCESS A BIT MORE.
UM, SOME IDEAS THAT I HAD JUST TO SORT OF GIVE AN IDEA OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS WE'VE HAD, UM, WE GOT A PRESENTATION ON PAYROLL AND THE ONBOARDING OF ALL THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO THE PAYROLL SYSTEM AND SORT OF UNEARTHING WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD PUT TOGETHER, PUT IN OUR RECOMMENDATION, THE PRIORITIZING OF THAT PAYROLLING, THAT PAYROLL PROCESS AND THAT ONBOARDING, AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S MONEY IN THE BUDGET SO THAT THAT CAN ALL HAPPEN ALREADY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD REVISIT ITEMS IN THAT WAY.
WE CAN ALSO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME TALK TO US, LIKE SORT OF HAVE MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS DURING THAT PROCESS, UM, TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAS OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, SORT OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SURFACE AS WELL.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD A MOTION FOR A BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS WORK GROUP AND, UM, JUST ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION THAT WE MIGHT HAVE.
I WOULD SECOND THAT, BUT JUST UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINE.
SO IF THE, IT'S DUE AT THE END OF MARCH, JUST TO MEAN WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A PRODUCT READY FOR OUR COMMISSION TO APPROVE ON THE MARCH 4TH ONE.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO MARCH 4TH? YES.
SO WE COULD, UM, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING READY BY THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
BECAUSE MARCH 31ST IS THE DEADLINE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE BY OUR MARCH 4TH MEETING.
UM, AND IF YOU, AND IF WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S A NEED, WE COULD EVEN DO A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, BUT YES, IDEALLY BY THE MARCH 4TH MEETING, SO IT WOULD NEED TO MOVE RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, POINTS? DISCUSSION? OKAY.
WELL WITH THAT, WE HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND.
WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS WORKING GROUP AND THE FORMATION OF IT.
I'LL START FROM THE OTHER SIDE THIS TIME.
COMMISSIONER HERM MEYER APPROVE.
UM, AND AGAIN, JUST A QUICK INFORMAL SHOW OF HANDS FOR ANYBODY THAT'S POTENTIALLY INTERESTED.
SEE COMMISSIONER PENA, I WILL THROW MYSELF IN THAT ONE.
COMMISSIONER RUTTEN IS DOING THIS, UM, THE SOSO SIGN AND THEN I'LL, I, I'LL, I'LL DO AS WELL AND I'LL TOUCH BASE WITH ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT AREN'T PRESENT AS WELL TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL INTEREST.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE MAY GO DOWN, UM, ON THE RECORD AS THE MOST EFFICIENT MEETING WE'VE EVER HAD.
UM, I THINK WE'RE MIGHT WRAP EARLY.
UM, I DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE C-S-C-R-M JOINT WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE FOR THIS MEETING.
UM, WE HAVE OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING NEXT WEEK, UM, SO AT OUR MARCH MEETING I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM, AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN ALSO HAVE SOME INFORMATION FROM THEM, UM, WITH REGARDS TO ANY BUDGET, UM, REQUESTS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE THAT WE CAN ROLL INTO THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP.
BUT, UM, UM, I THINK THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE ON THAT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT HAS A BURNING QUESTION ITEM THAT THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE US GET TO COMMISSIONER SMITH?[01:35:01]
UH, YEAH.JUST BEFORE OUR NEXT, UM, INCLEMENT WEATHER SITUATION, MAYBE WE COULD GET ANY ADVISEMENT ON COMMUNICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE 9 1 1 OPERATORS.
I FIRST AND FOREMOST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO MY FIRST RESPONDERS.
UM, MY JOB FOR SOME REASON ALSO HAS ME VERY ACTIVE DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I'M, I'M VERY BLESSED AND FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO HELP.
UH, BUT IN THAT HELPING, I GET A LOT OF, UH, CORRESPONDENCE FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALSO ENGAGING WITH THE SAME ACTIVATION.
AND WE WERE GETTING SOME CONFLICTING INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THE ONE TEXAS CENTER AND THE WAY THAT, UM, ONE TAKES AN UNHOUSED PERSON TO THAT LOCATION AND WHEN THAT LOCATION IS OPEN.
UM, SO AGAIN, UH, I THINK IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, MISCOMMUNICATION.
BUT IF I COULD SEE MAYBE THE PROTOCOL OR THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE PERSON THAT MAKES THAT CALL ARTICULATES THAT INFORMATION TO THE 9 1 1 OPERATORS AND VIS-A-VIS THE 3 1 1 OPERATORS, UM, IT MAY HELP ON THE BACK END GETTING OUR IN-HOUSE NEIGHBORS TO SHELTERS.
DID, DID THAT MAKE SENSE? YES.
WE'LL DO AN INCLEMENT WEATHER UPDATE, MAKE SURE THAT IT UN THAT IT INCLUDES THE PROCESS FOR ONBOARDING THROUGH ONE TEXAS CENTER, AND WE'LL SORT OF EXPAND THAT ITEM TOO.
I THINK WE, WE, WE ARE OWED A, A SORT OF UPDATE ON JUST INCLEMENT WEATHER, ANY CHANGES IN PROTOCOL OVERALL.
AND ALSO JUST IN PREPARATION FOR, FOR SUMMER HEAT.
WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE WINTER AND WE HAVE SUMMER AND WE'RE, IT'S GONNA BE MARCH, SO WE'RE GONNA BE SANDWICHED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
SOMEONE ASKED ME, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL THEM.
SO JUST IF WE COULD MAYBE WORK THROUGH THOSE KINKS TOGETHER, I I THINK THAT CAN HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND I WILL ENTHUSIASTICALLY SECOND THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I HAD A RATHER UNSEXY ITEM, WHICH IS, UM, OH, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER NEN.
YOU, YOU CAN GO FIRST, UH, CAN GO AFTER.
UM, IT, IT IS ABOUT FLEET, UM, AND JUST, UM, TALKING ABOUT CARS AND VEHICLES AND SORT OF ANY PLANS THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS HAVE FOR MODERNIZING THEIR FLEET TO BE MORE FUEL EFFICIENT.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THAT ABOUT, UM, WE, WE ALSO HAVE VERY LARGE VEHICLES AND SORT OF ANY PLANS THAT THE ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS HAVE AROUND USING SMALLER VEHICLES AND REDUCING SORT OF OUR FOOTPRINT, UM, WITH OUR VEHICLES.
SO, AND WE CAN, IF WE CAN GET FLEET FLEET TO COME OUT AND TALK TO US AS WELL, JUST, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR CARS
I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING.
I, I THINK THAT IS A, A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND SOMETHING I I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT AS WELL, SO.
UM, COMMISSIONER NGUYEN, I THINK YOU HAD AN ITEM AS WELL.
UM, SO THERE WERE TWO, UH, THAT I, I I'D LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED.
UM, SO FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE, I'VE HEARD IS THAT, UM, WHENEVER THERE IS, UH, A BLOOD DRAW THAT IS, UH, REQUESTED, UM, AND, AND GET ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT, UH, I'VE HEARD THAT FOR A BLOOD DRAW FOR LET'S SAY A-A-D-U-I OR SOMETHING, UM, UH, THAT A UNIT GETS PUT OUT, A SERVICE, A-A-E-M-S UNIT GETS PUT OUTTA SERVICE AND I REALIZE THAT CREATES AN EXTRA STRAIN ON, UM, OUR EMS AGENCY.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS AND, AND SEEING IF THERE'S, THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN EXPLORE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GONNA TAKE AN ADDITIONAL UNIT OUT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND, AND TAKE THEM OUT OF THE FIELD, UH, FOR, FOR A BLOOD DRAW FOR, UM, FOR POLICE PURPOSES.
UM, CAN I, CAN I JUST ANSWER THAT NOW AND MAY EVEN NEED TO REPORT ON IT NEXT WEEK? SURE.
APDS GOING THROUGH THE TRAINING RIGHT NOW TO TAKE THAT OVER FROM EMS, SO WE WON'T BE TAKING ALL THE AMBULANCES OUTTA SERVICE.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY THAT AS, AS YOU GUYS ONBOARD THAT JUST TO SORT OF, SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE THE THREAD, IT WOULD JUST BE GREAT TO, LIKE, IN THE SAME WAY THAT I'M HOPING THAT THERE ARE SOME MIRACULOUS THINGS THAT HAPPEN WITH RESPONSE TIMES NOW THAT NOW THAT, UM, FIRE CAN CLEAR SCENES, UH, LIKE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, IF WE, I WOULD LOVE TO JUST SORT OF KEEP TRACK OF THAT THREAD SOMEHOW SO THAT WE CAN
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SORT OF SEE IF IT, IT, HOW, IF IT HELPS, LIKE HOW IT HELPS JUST IN RESPONSE TIMES AND CHANGES.I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT, BUT YEAH.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? ONE, ONE MORE THING.
UM, BESIDES THAT, UM, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING ALSO IS FOR UNIFORM SERVICES, UH, THE PARENTAL LEAVE IS LESS, UH, THAN THAT OF, UM, UH, THAN THAT OF A, A CITY EMPLOYEE.
UM, IF, IF I CAN GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT AS WELL AND, AND SEEING, UM, UH, WHAT EXACTLY THE REASONING BEHIND THERE BEING LESS PARENTAL PARENTAL LEAVE FOR UNIFORM SERVICES VERSUS, UM, NON-UNIFORM SERVICE, UH, EMPLOYEES.
UM, I, I'D LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT AND, AND SEEING IF WE CAN HAVE, UM, A LITTLE MORE PRESENTATION ON, ON THAT, HOW THAT PARENTAL LEAVE PROCESS IS WORKING.
AND THEN I SAW COMMISSIONER RUTAN GOING FOR HIS MIC BUTTON.
UM, I MEAN, KNOW WE'VE EMAILED ABOUT THIS AFTER THE LAST MEETING, BUT, UM, THE OPIOID, SOME OF THE RESPONSES AND EDUCATION COMPONENT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE DUE FOR AN UPDATE AND SORT OF WHERE WE ARE ON THAT.
AND THEN, UM, IN TERMS OF FOLLOWING UP ON THE MAGISTRATE, THAT WAS DISCUSSED LAST TIME.
UM, YES, WE, UM, I BELIEVE WE ARE WORKING ON A FOLLOW UP ITEM ON THE VIRTUAL MAGISTRATION SYSTEM THAT WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE CITY JUDGES AND THE CITY MAGIS, LIKE THE LOCAL MAGISTRATION, UM, AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
UM, AND YES, WE'LL GET A FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
THAT'S ON THE, THAT'S STILL ON THE, AND THEN WE ARE, UM, ALSO STILL WAITING ON AN UPDATE WITH REGARDS TO SB FOUR.
WE DID NOT GET AN UPDATE, UM, LAST MEET, UM, IN OUR BACKUP FOR ANSWERS TO HOW SB FOUR IS BEING IMPLEMENTED.
UM, AND THEN I WILL, I WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THIS UP BECAUSE AGAIN, WE USUALLY END UP WITH A LIST THAT'S LIKE MONTH.
IT'LL TAKE US MONTHS TO GET THROUGH.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS I, I TODAY JUST WITH REGARDS TO DISABILITIES.
WE HAD CADET TRAINING COME UP.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN AN UPDATE ON CADET TRAINING IN THE ACADEMY AND JUST HOW THINGS ARE GOING, ANY CHANGES.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, OUR NEW INTERIM POLICE CHIEF HAS BEEN ON BOARD FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS AND BE GREAT TO HEAR FROM CHIEF HENDERSON ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING, WHAT, WHAT CHANGES SHE'S PUTTING IN PLACE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, JUST WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR FROM OUR CHIEF.
UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS, I WILL GLADLY ADJOURN US A WHOLE 15 MINUTES EARLY.
UM,