Jun 03, 2024 Public Safety Commission

[00:00:05]

EVERYBODY'S WAITING PATIENTLY.

[CALL TO ORDER]

UM, WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE JUNE 3RD, REGULARLY SCHEDULED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING.

I WILL START WITH TAKING ATTENDANCE.

UM, COMMISSIONER REYES PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HOLMES.

PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HERMES MEYER PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER CILO PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER NGUYEN PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER RUAN PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HALL.

MARTIN PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER ORR IS NOT HERE YET, BUT I AM EXPECTING HER, SO WE'LL JUST KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT.

UM, AND COMMISSIONER SMITH WILL NOT BE JOINING US TODAY.

UM, OKAY.

SO WITH THAT, AND I'M ALSO PRESENT AS WELL, OF COURSE.

UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I JUST WANNA GIVE A BIG NOD TO SECURITY AND EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING THAT JUST SPENT ENERGY ROLLING CHAIRS IN TO HELP US HAVE SEATING AVAILABLE.

, , THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT WAS QUITE THE SCRAMBLE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

UM, AND WITH THAT, WE WILL GET STARTED.

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

CAN I HAVE STEPHANIE RYAN, COME ON UP.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD AFTERNOON.

OH, THANK YOU.

BETTER.

UM, AND TO ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF, UM, I HOPE THE, UM, STEPHANIE RYAN, DISTRICT SEVEN.

I HOPE THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE HAD TIME TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENT THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE SENT TO YOU ON FRIDAY.

THAT WAS INTENDED AS A LOT OF BACKGROUND ON THE VOLUME OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT A PD HAS RECEIVED OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

SOME OF THE NEWER COMMISSIONERS MAY NOT BE AS FAMILIAR WITH THAT AS SOME OF THE MORE SEASONED ONES.

UM, AND THAT WAS OFFERED AS A PARTIAL EXPLANATION OF WHY CULTURE CHANGE IN THE CADET ACADEMY HAS PROGRESSED MORE SLOWLY THAN SOME WOULD LIKE.

UM, AND A PD LIKE THE LARGER COMMUNITY EXPERIENCED PANDEMIC DISRUPTIONS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

WHILE THESE CHANGE DEMANDS WERE UNDERWAY FOR BOTH THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THE, UH, CADET ACADEMY.

UM, IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK, THERE IS A PHOTO OF A DOG THAT YOU RECEIVED WITH THE HANDOUTS TODAY, UH, ON A VERY TIGHT LEASH.

UM, AND I FOUND THAT IN AN ARTICLE READING ABOUT RESISTANCE TO CHANGE, TO CHANGE, I LOVE DOGS, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY HILARIOUS, AND I THINK MOST OF US ARE RESISTANT TO CHANGE, ESPECIALLY IF WE FEEL THAT IT'S NOT IN OUR SELF-INTEREST.

SO I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD ENJOY THAT.

UM, ONE OF THE LASTING CONCERNS POINTED OUT BY THE KROLL CONSULTANTS WAS A NEED FOR IMPROVED SWORN CIVILIAN COLLABORATION WITH TRUST BETWEEN THE PARTIES.

MARK ERS WITH KROLL DID POINT OUT, HOWEVER, THAT RESISTANCE TO CIVILIANS BY POLICE OFFICERS IS NOT UNIQUE TO AUSTIN.

AND SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL CHANGE TAKES BOTH TIME AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

AND DAN LINSKY, ANOTHER KROLL CONSULTANT AND FORMER CHIEF OF POLICE IN MY HOMETOWN BOSTON, ALSO STATED THAT POLICE OFFICERS DON'T LIKE CHANGE.

WELL, FIRST I WONDERED IF HE WAS CONFLATING THIS WITH WORKING WITH A BUNCH OF BOSTONIANS.

I SAY THAT WITH DEEP AFFECTION, BUT WE CAN BE SORT OF A TOUGH BUNCH.

UM, BUT IN SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING THIS, I THOUGHT ABOUT THE HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND THEN CAME UPON AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE BY A CHANGE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT WITH PRIOR YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

HERE ARE HIS THOUGHTS.

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IS UNDERSTANDABLE.

POLICE OFFICERS WORK IN EXTREMELY FLUID CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE UNEXPECTED AND UNANTICIPATED BECOME THE NORM.

TO BALANCE AGAINST THIS CONSTANT STATE OF FLUX OFFICERS DEPEND UPON AN ESTABLISHED SENSE OF STABILITY WITHIN THE AGENCY'S OPERATIONAL AND MANAGERIAL PHILOSOPHIES.

THE BUSINESS AS USUAL APPROACH NOT ONLY ENHANCES THAT FEELING OF COMFORT AND STABILITY, IT ALSO REINFORCES A CULTURAL RESISTANCE TOWARD CHANGE, UH, FOR LACK OF TIME.

I'LL JUST NOTE THIS AUTHOR COLETTE STATED THAT A COLLECTIVE SENSE OF PURPOSE, SO THAT IN INCLUDES CIVILIANS AND SWORN STAFF WILL IN ALL CASES, OVERCOME AN ESTABLISHED CULTURAL RESISTANCE TOWARD CHANGE.

UM, YOU SEE MY LAST PARAGRAPH? YES.

UM, ABOUT MY THOUGHTS ABOUT, UM, HOW THE ACADEMY IS MOVING FORWARD

[00:05:01]

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.

HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

AND WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE ON

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

YOU GUYS ALL RECEIVED THOSE? UM, THEY WERE POSTED TO BACKUP.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS CHANGES LOOKING ONLINE AS WELL? OKAY, WELL, WITH THAT, WE'LL JUST TAKE A VOTE ON THE MINUTES.

UM, COMM OH, A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES FROM THE FLOOR, PLEASE.

FROM ANYONE? ANYONE I MOVE TO ADOPT THE MINUTES.

OKAY.

A FIRST FROM SECOND, THEN A SECOND.

OKAY.

HERM, MS. MEYER AND BERNHARDT, AND A VOTE.

COMMISSIONER REYES APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER HOLMES APPROVED COMMISSIONER HERMES MEYER APPROVED COMMISSIONER CILO APPROVED COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT APPROVED COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN APPROVED.

COMMISSIONER RUTTEN APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER NGUYEN APPROVED.

AND I'LL APPROVE AS WELL.

UM, OUR FIRST, ACTUALLY BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I WANNA TAKE A SECOND BECAUSE, UM, I WANTED TO BRIEFLY INTRODUCE, UM, TO MY, TO MY RIGHT COMMISSIONER, MICHAEL CILO, WHICH IS BACK.

I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT INTRODUCING HIM.

LAST MEETING WHEN HE JOINED US AGAIN VIRTUALLY.

I WAS JUST HAPPY TO SEE HIM ON SCREEN AGAIN.

HE WAS WITH US, UM, PREVIOUSLY TOOK ABOUT A YEAR LONG BREAK, AND NOW HE'S BACK.

UM, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF BRIEFLY, THAT'D BE GREAT.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UH, MY NAME IS MICHAEL CILO.

I'M AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN.

I SERVED ON THE PSC FROM 2020 TO 2023.

UH, MY EXPERTISE RESTS ON THE STUDY OF POLICING, POLICE CULTURE, BEHAVIOR, AND TRAINING.

UM, AND I'M THE AUTHOR OF A NEW BOOK CALLED THE DANGER IMPERATIVE, UH, VIOLENCE, DEATH, AND THE SOUL OF POLICING.

UH, I'M HERE TO, UH, SERVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, PARTICULARLY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON POLICING AND PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, WE WILL GO

[2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Department.]

OUR FIRST UP IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY QUARTERLY REPORT FROM EMS. YES.

I'M GONNA ASK, UH, CHIEF ANGELA CARR TO COME UP AND JOIN ME.

AS PROMISED AND REQUESTED BY THIS COMMISSION, WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING THE OPIOID OVERDOSE RESPONSE AND THE SPIKE THAT OCCURRED ONE MONTH AGO.

UH, CHIEF CARR LEADS UP OUR INTEGRATED SERVICES DIVISION, WHICH ENCOMPASSES OUR C FOUR, OUR COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER, AND OUR CHP PROGRAM, COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS TO INCLUDE THE BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM.

SO GIVE IT JUST A SECOND AND LET THEM BRING UP THAT PRESENTATION AND IT'LL BE THE ONE TITLED OPIATE OVERDOSE RESPONSE.

AND JUST WHILE THEY'RE GETTING THAT READY, A REMINDER TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE MORE SORT OF ROTE STANDARD REPORTING DATA IS POSTED IN BACKUP FOR US.

IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT OR WOULD LIKE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.

THAT'S THE ONE.

AND DO YOU WANT US TO SAY NEXT SLIDE, OR COME AND GRAB THE CLICKER FROM YOU? UH, OKAY.

WHATEVER'S EASIEST.

OH, RIGHT THERE.

YEAH.

ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DIVISION CHIEF ANGELA CARR.

GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU.

CHIEF HOPKINS AGAIN.

ANGELA CARR.

[00:10:02]

I'M GONNA JUST CONFIRM I CAN MAKE MY CLICKER WORK.

I'LL JUST, THAT'S COOL.

, CAN I GO BACK? THANKS.

OKAY.

I'LL, YOU CAN BE MY CLICKER.

THANK YOU, .

SO, UM, I'M HERE TO DISCUSS, UH, THE OPIATE, UM, OVERDOSE OUTBREAK THAT OCCURRED OVER APRIL 29TH TO MAY 3RD THAT WE TRACKED, UM, BUT ADDITIONALLY SPEAK UPON ABOUT, UM, JUST KIND OF OUR RESPONSE TO THIS OPIATE, UH, CRISIS THAT WE'RE SITTING IN SEEING IN THE CITY.

SO, UH, THIS SURGE THAT OCCURRED, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO NOW, UM, STARTED ON APRIL 29TH, AND WE TRACKED IT THROUGH MAY 3RD.

SO THAT WAS A TOTAL OF FIVE DAYS.

UM, WE HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN INTO THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM RESPONSE AND ALSO INTEGRATED SERVICES RESPONSES BECAUSE WE HAVE KIND OF A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH AT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. SO THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM RESPONSES TOTALED 79 SUSPECTED OVERDOSES, NINE SUSPECTED DEATHS, AND 61% OF THOSE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH RECEIVED NARCAN PRIOR TO EMS ARRIVAL.

SO THAT'S GREAT.

UM, ADDITIONALLY, OUR INTEGRATED SERVICES RESPONSE, UM, WAS AFTER THE INITIAL 9 1 1 RESPONSE.

SO INTEGRATED SERVICES IS COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, AND AGAIN, THAT C FOUR LINE, AND WE ARE MORE OF A FOLLOW UP AND A CONNECTION TO SERVICES IN THE END.

SO 111 RESPONSES IN THE FIRST 48 HOURS.

JUST FOR CONTEXT, 48 HOUR, TYPICAL VOLUME WOULD BE 25, MAYBE 30 CALLS.

UM, SO 111 RESPONSES IN 48 HOURS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT UPTICK IN OUR, IN OUR, OUR BANDWIDTH.

UM, 74% OF THE PEOPLE, UH, THAT WERE EXPERIENCING THESE OVERDOSES, WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH, UM, WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS AFTER THAT INITIAL 9 1 1 RESPONSE.

ADDITIONALLY, INTEGRATED SERVICES WAS ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE NARCAN, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY, AND WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO, UH, RESTOCK NARCAN TO SOME OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES.

SO 292 NARCAN KITS WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, AND EACH OF THOSE NARCAN KITS CONTAINS TWO DOSES OF NARCAN.

SO, AGAIN, I DON'T MATH IN PUBLIC, BUT, UM, STANDBY.

I DID THE WORK PRIOR 584, SO 5 84 INDIVIDUAL DOSES.

IN ADDITION TO THAT 144 INDIVIDUAL DOSES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RESTOCK WAS A TOTAL OF 728 INDIVIDUAL DOSES OF NARCAN DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE HAD A 9 1 1 INITIAL RESPONSE, AND THEN WE HAD AN EXTENDED INTEGRATED SERVICES FOLLOW UP RESPONSE.

IN ADDITION, HERE'S A HEAT MAP OF THE GENERAL LOCATIONS OF THE CALLS, AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE I 35 THERE IN THE MIDDLE, NORTH TO SOUTH AS A REFERENCE.

UM, AND THEN THE LAKE, MAYBE EAST TO WEST, UM, IN THE MIDDLE, UH, AS REFERENCE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME HOT SPOTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, AND ALSO DOWN OFF OF EAST ULT WHARF, UM, BETWEEN I 35 AND PLEASANT VALLEY.

BUT WHAT'S ALSO OF NOTE IS THAT, UM, IT, THERE ARE NO GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES, AND IT DID EXTEND IN THROUGH, IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AFTER OUR INITIAL RESPONSE, WE WERE ABLE TO ANALYZE WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND WHAT SOME OF OUR STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS WERE.

SO OUR STRENGTHS STARTED WITH EARLY IDENTIFICATION, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH OUR C FOUR OVERSIGHT.

SO C FOUR AGAIN IS THE COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATION CENTER, AND THESE ARE PARAMEDICS THAT ARE ESPECIALLY TRAINED IN, UM, A FIXED LOCATION.

THEY ARE OUR EYES IN THE SKY, IF YOU WILL.

THEY WERE ABLE TO VERY QUICKLY IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE CALLS OCCURRING IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION WITH THE SAME PATIENT SYMPTOMOLOGY.

BECAUSE OF THAT EARLY IDENTIFICATION,

[00:15:01]

UM, OUR SINGLE UNIT RESPONDERS, THAT'S OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.

THOSE ARE OUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.

SO C FOUR IS THE EYES IN THE SKY.

UM, CHP IS THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

OUR SINGLE UNIT RESPONDERS ARE PARAMEDICS THAT ARE WORKING BY THEIRSELVES IN VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT AMBULANCES.

SO THIS ALLOWS US TO RESPOND TO CALLS POTENTIALLY MORE QUICKLY, UM, POTENTIALLY IN LOCATIONS THAT WE COULDN'T GET A TRADITIONAL AMBULANCE OR FIRE TRUCK INTO.

UM, AND IT ALLOWED US TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DYNAMIC WITH OUR, UM, PARAMEDIC TO PATIENT SIDE.

THAT EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND THAT DYNAMIC DEPLOYMENT ALSO ALLOWED US TO HAVE EARLY NOTIFICATION TO OUR PARTNER AGENCIES.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET ON THE PHONE AND, UM, MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES.

WE ALSO WORKED HARD TO, UH, REACH OUT TO THE PUBLIC VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, TRADITIONAL MEDIA, JUST TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SOME OF THE OBSTACLES THAT WE ENCOUNTERED WAS DATA COLLECTION IN REAL TIME.

THAT'S, UM, IT, IT'S A DYNAMIC SITUATION.

THERE'S LOTS OF MOVING PARTS AND PIECES, LOTS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED.

SO COLLECTING AND SHARING THAT DATA EFFECTIVELY AND IN REAL TIME CAN ACTUALLY BE A CHALLENGE.

SO WE WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, THAT WE WERE COLLECTING THE DATA EFFECTIVELY AND DISTRIBUTING IT AS BEST WE COULD.

WE ALSO HAD LIMITED BANDWIDTH AND A, A STRESSED SYSTEM THAT, UH, THERE THAT PARTICULAR WEEK.

UM, WE HAD MULTIPLE EVENTS GOING ON IN TOWN.

WE ALSO HAD SOME PROTESTS GOING ON DOWNTOWN, AND WE HAD, UM, ASSETS DEPLOYED TO, UH, BE PREPARED.

UH, IN THE EVENT THAT THERE WERE, UM, ANY ISSUES WITH HEAT RELATED INJURIES OR, YOU KNOW, ANY LARGE GATHERINGS MIGHT GENERATE 9 1 1 CALLS.

SO WE HAD SYSTEM, UM, ASSETS THERE.

AND THEN WHEN THESE ADDITIONAL CALLS CAME IN, OBVIOUSLY THAT THAT STRESSES OUR BANDWIDTH.

THIS WAS ALSO A PROLONGED EVENT THAT LAST OVER MULTIPLE DAYS IN OPERATIONAL PERIODS.

AND THAT, UM, TRACKING OF THE DATA, UM, AND MAINTENANCE OF, UH, THOSE ASSETS CAN, UM, BECOME A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED AS YOU DRAW OUT THE TIMELINE.

THAT EARLY NOTIFICATION, UM, AND EARLY IDENTIFICATION WAS A STRENGTH.

BUT, UM, IT ALL HA KIND OF HAPPENED, UM, TO FALL INTO PLACE ON THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, WE DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL PROCESS FOR NOTIFYING OUR PARTNER AGENCIES.

UM, WE DON'T HAVE A, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL LIST OF PARTNER AGENCIES THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO, I IDENTIFY OR NOTIFY.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE IDENTIFIED WE WOULD BENEFIT FROM.

ANOTHER, UM, WEAKNESS THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS POTENTIAL FOR DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHAT GROUPS ARE DOING WHAT ACTIVITIES, UM, TRACKING THOSE AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING ABOUT THAT.

THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED.

AGAIN, LOTS OF AGENCIES AND LOTS OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND JUST COORDINATING ALL OF THOSE EFFORTS.

UM, WE CAN, WE CAN PROBABLY DO BETTER THERE.

AGAIN, SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, AGAIN, IS THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS AND FORMALIZING THAT UNDERSTANDING WHO NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT AND IN WHAT, WHAT TIMEFRAME.

SOME, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS, UH, WE IDENTIFIED ON THAT MONDAY THE 29TH, AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS OPENED OUR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER, SO THAT'S THE DOC ACRONYM THERE.

OUR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER WAS INTERNALLY ACTIVATED DUE TO THE POTENTIAL, UM, FOR THE, THAT DAY TO, TO EXPAND AND TO, AND TO, YOU KNOW, BECOME A MAR A LARGER PROBLEM WITH THE PROTEST AND THE SURGE OF CALLS.

UM, OUR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER CONSISTS OF, UM, MEDICAL DIRECTION, EXECUTIVE STAFF ALL IN ONE ROOM TO KIND OF HAVE THAT CLOSED LOOP COMMUNICATION, HAVE

[00:20:01]

THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, WHICH IS THE EOC ACRONYM RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOC, MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SIT IN THE SAME ROOM WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND HAVE THAT SYSTEM WIDE OVERWATCH WITH, WITH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE AGENCIES AND PARTNERS.

IF WE'RE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND ESTABLISH THOSE ROLES, WE WOULD HAVE A, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE ELOQUENT RESPONSE, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NEXT SURGE.

ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIVERSIFY OUR DEPLOYMENT MODEL WITHIN OUR OWN SYSTEM TO INCREASE OUR SINGLE RESPONDER VEHICLES AND TO ASSIST WITH THOSE SURGE OPERATIONS, UM, AND TO, AND TO SUPPORT WITH THE EVENT PROGRESSION.

AGAIN, THIS WAS A LONG, UM, WEEK AND IT EXTENDED OVER MULTIPLE DAYS.

SO, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, MORE ELOQUENT WAYS TO, TO, TO, UM, DEPLOY OUR RESOURCES MORE EFFECTIVELY.

SOME OF THE THREATS THAT WE IDENTIFIED ARE KIND OF IN THAT SAME VEIN, BUT WE HAVE LIMITED ASSETS AND WE DON'T WANT TO IMPACT THE OVERALL MISSION OF PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY AND DELIVERING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TO EVERYONE IN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.

SO AGAIN, THERE WERE MULTIPLE ISSUES GOING ON THIS DAY, AND THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD OVEREXTEND OUR BANDWIDTH, UM, AND IMPACT OUR OVERALL MISSION.

ONE OF THE OTHER THREATS, AGAIN, I KIND OF MENTIONED THAT THINGS KIND OF FELL INTO PLACE FOR US ON THAT MONDAY, BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, C FOUR, OUR, UM, COMMUNATIVE, UH, COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATION CENTER IS NOT OPERATIONAL 24 HOURS.

WE DO HAVE A PLAN TO GET THERE, AND WE ARE WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT IF THIS SAME SITUATION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED ON, SAY, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON SATURDAY, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A MUCH DIFFERENT RESPONSE JUST DUE TO THE ASSETS THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE.

AND BECAUSE C FOUR IS NOT STAFFED, SO AGAIN, RESOURCE IT LIMITATIONS DEPENDING UPON THE DAY AND THE TIME.

SO WHAT I WANT TO DO NOW IS KIND OF WALK THROUGH, UM, A PIECE OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER REPORT THAT WAS JUST RELEASED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

UM, AND THIS MEDICAL EXAMINER REPORT REALLY KIND OF TO ME SPEAKS THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE, BUT WE ARE MAKING A CHANGE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, OVERDOSE DEATHS ARE CATEGORIZED AS ACCIDENTAL DEATHS AND THEY'RE THE NUMBER ONE ACCIDENTAL DEATH, UM, BY A HIGH MARGIN THERE YOU CAN SEE.

UM, BUT WHAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT IN FROM 2021 TO 2022, THERE WAS A 108% INCREASE IN OVERDOSE DEATHS.

AND AFTER THIS REPORT BETWEEN 2022 AND 2023, THERE WAS A 17% INCREASE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE MAKING A MARKED CHANGE.

IT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE BY ANY MEANS, BUT IT'S A MEASURABLE CHANGE.

UH, ADDITIONALLY, FENTANYL IS INVOLVED IN 50% OF OVERDOSE DEATHS.

95% OF FENTANYL RELATED DEATHS INVOLVED ONE OR MORE OTHER DRUGS.

SO WHAT THAT ALSO SPEAKS TO IS THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DANGER THAT THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING OVERDOSES ARE NOT SEEKING TO TAKE FENTANYL.

THEY'RE NOT SEEKING TO, UM, OBVIOUSLY OVERDOSE, BUT IT IS, UH, PREVALENT IN MULTIPLE DRUG SUPPLY CHAINS POTENTIALLY.

AND IT'S ALSO ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE TAKING MEDICATIONS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW CONTAIN FENTANYL.

SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM FOR US.

SO INTEGRATED SERVICES AND AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS HAVE MULTIPLE PROGRAMS AND ARE INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE ONGOING EFFORTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH TO HOPEFULLY MAKE IT A CONTINUED

[00:25:01]

OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM, UH, DOES DAILY OVERDOSE REVIEWS AND FOLLOW UPS.

SO EVERY SINGLE DAY THEY GO THROUGH THE CALLS THAT, UM, WERE OVERDOSE RELATED FROM THE DAY BEFORE AND FOLLOW UP INDIVIDUALLY WITH THOSE PATIENTS.

THEY REVIEW, UM, THE CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, INVOLVED IN THAT PATIENT'S, UM, PARTICULAR INSTANCE AND IDENTIFY ISSUES THAT CAN BE NAVIGATED, UM, AND UH, AND RESOURCES THAT CAN BE UTILIZED.

THAT CAN INCLUDE OUR BUPRENORPHINE BRI BRIDGE PROGRAM.

UM, THAT IS A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS MEDICATION ASSISTED, UM, BASICALLY WITHDRAWAL PREVENTION.

UM, AND THAT CAN BRIDGE YOU TO, UH, LONG-TERM CARE AT A MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, UM, CLINIC.

SO THAT BRIDGE PROGRAM AND THAT, AND THAT CONNECTION TO THOSE PATIENTS, UM, THAT ARE INTERACTING WITH THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO GO AND FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, WE HAVE A VERY, VERY, VERY HIGH SUCCESS RATE WITH GETTING THOSE PATIENTS TO MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE LONG TERM.

ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE DOING COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND NARCAN DISTRIBUTION, UM, WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.

UM, WE HAVE A SAMHSA GRANT AND BREATHE NOW NARCAN TRAINING PROGRAM.

WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE LAST MONTH TO, UM, DO A BIG KICKOFF EVENT AT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

WE HAD LOTS OF, UM, LOTS OF, UH, PEOPLE THERE AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, KICK OFF THAT TRAINING.

AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, TRAIN APPROXIMATELY 12 TRAINERS BETWEEN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.

AND OUR GOAL IS TO, UM, TO OUTREACH IN, WITHIN THE CITY, UM, GET NARCAN INTO CITY BUILDINGS, MUCH LIKE YOU WOULD SEE IN A ED, UM, ON, ON A WALL.

UM, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.

UM, WE ALSO ARE PARTNERING WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WITH THEIR OPIATE DASHBOARD.

WE'RE SHARING ALL OF OUR DATA WITH THEM.

AND, UH, AN ADDITIONAL, UH, PARTNERSHIP WOULD BE, UM, TECH COPE.

SO THIS IS, UM, TEXAS, I'M SORRY, LET ME PULL THIS UP.

TEXANS CONNECTING OVERDOSE PREVENTION EFFORTS.

AND THIS IS, UM, A NEW COLLABORATION FOR, UM, DATA SHARING AND NOTIFICATION.

SO WE ARE IN EARLY TALKS WITH TEX COPE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO TO SHARE OUR DATA AND, AND, UM, GET IT AS FAR REACHING AS POSSIBLE AND WITH WHAT I'D LIKE TO YEAH, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS EITHER.

DO WE HAVE ANY, THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE COMMISSIONERS BACK UP ON THE SCREEN.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I ACTUALLY DO HAVE NO ONE ELSE.

YEAH, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.

UM, THE DAILY, THE DAY AFTER FOLLOW UP, UM, ON AN OVERDOSE INCIDENT.

UM, DO YOU ALL HAVE PERCENTAGES ON HOW MANY FOLKS YOU'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE CONTACT WITH VERSUS LOSE CONTACT WITH? UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT IS GREATER THAN 80%.

THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

UM, AND I HAD A, A QUESTION JUST IN TERMS OF THE DATA COLLECTION AND THE DASHBOARD AND THE SHARING, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S A CHALLENGE.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A PRESENTATION NOT TOO LONG AGO ON INFORMATION FROM 2023, UM, AND JUST IMAGINING US SEEING THESE NUMBERS A YEAR FROM NOW, UM, AND HOW I WISH THAT TIME SPAN WAS A LOT SHORTER.

UM, WHAT, WHAT KINDS OF MEASURES HAS THE DEPARTMENT TAKEN TO, TO SHORTEN THAT TIME SPAN? LIKE HOW ARE YOU GUYS WORKING ON THAT? YEAH, SO I JUST HAD A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ON THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK TO GET THAT DASHBOARD UPDATED, UH, A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.

IT'S A MANUAL PROCESS ON THEIR SIDE, SO WE SUBMIT THE DATA AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO BREAK IT OUT.

IF YOU LOOK AT IT NOW, IT JUST HAS 2023 ON THERE, BUT THERE'S A SUBSECTION THEY CAN DO FOR 24 SO THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON OTHER AGENCIES FOR THAT MAY LAG BEHIND, WE CAN GET THAT PUSHED OUT SOONER.

SO THEY'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT.

OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMISSIONER SIERRA ? UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

UH, ONE BRIEF QUESTION AND THEN, UH, I THINK A A LITTLE BIT BROADER QUESTION.

THE FIRST IS, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE IN THOSE 61% OF CASES IN WHICH NARCAN WAS ADMINISTERED BEFORE EMS ARRIVED, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE ADMINISTRATIONS?

[00:30:03]

AND IT WAS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT SIGNIFICANTLY.

AND, UH, THE REST WAS BYSTANDERS.

SO IN TERMS OF A BROAD SPLIT, 80 20, 90 10 WITH OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS VERSUS THE PUBLIC, IT WAS ABOUT, UM, IT WAS ABOUT A 50 50 SPLIT BETWEEN BYSTANDERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WONDERFUL, THANK YOU.

AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, YOU MENTIONED ONE OF THESE KEY LIMITATIONS IN RESPONSE IS SOMETHING REALLY SIMPLE LIKE A LACK OF A LIST AND A LACK OF A PROCESS FOR WHO TO NOTIFY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENT SITUATION LIKE THIS OVERDOSE SURGE.

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT EMS WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO DO SOMETHING THAT SEEMS SIMPLE, LIKE CREATE A LIST AND A PROCESS, UM, BUT WHICH WOULD OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE RESOURCES AND TIME? WHAT WOULD EMS NEED IN YOUR OPINION TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? UM, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS, AND I THINK IT'S JUST AN UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER AGENCIES ABILITIES AND KIND OF COMING TOGETHER TO COLLABORATE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT EVERYONE'S BANDWIDTH AND AVAILABILITY IS.

SO, UM, A LOT OF THE, UH, AGENCIES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH HAVE A MORE OF A MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A, A, A TIMEFRAME.

AND, UM, SO JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE CAN EXPECT, UM, ALL OF THE TIME AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND JUST WHITTLING THROUGH THOSE DETAILS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UM, AT THIS MOMENT.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER N NEN.

I'LL BE LAST QUESTION 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.

AND ACTUALLY BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, I JUST WANNA RECORD THAT COMMISSIONER ORR DID JOIN US.

I SAW AS SHE, I DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT, BUT SHE JOINED US AT FOUR 30, SO, GREAT.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UH, CHIEF CARD.

GOOD SEEING YOU VIRTUALLY.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UM, UH, IN TALKING ABOUT THE OVERDOSES IS HOW MANY OF THOSE OVERDOSES END UP IN TRANSPORT, UM, BY EMS? I DON'T HAVE THAT COMMISSIONER WYNN AT THIS MOMENT, NOT FROM THE SURGE, UM, BUT I CAN ABSOLUTELY GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, OKAY.

ONE OF THE REASONS, JUST, JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, UH, CHAIR REAL QUICK, UM, IS, UH, I I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, WHEN THESE OVERDOSES HAPPEN, UM, DOES, UH, EMS AUTOMATICALLY GET, UM, DISPATCHED AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S BYSTANDERS AND THERE'S OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS THERE FOR EVERY SINGLE CALL, FOR EVERY SINGLE OVERDOSE THAT HAPPENS? YES.

TYPICALLY IF WE HAVE, UM, INFORMATION THAT THERE IS A PATIENT EXPERIENCING AN OVERDOSE, THEN AN YES EMS OR AN AMBULANCE WOULD BE DISPATCHED.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

UM, THANK YOU FOR PIVOTING TO GIVE US THAT PRESENTATION FOR THIS QUARTERLY REPORT.

THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.

UM, AND WITH THAT

[3. Public Safety Departments Budget Presentations with Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services, Austin Fire Department and Austin Police Department and union representatives.]

UM, WE HAVE UNION REPS JOINING US AS WELL, IF THEY WANNA COME UP AND JOIN US AT THE TABLE.

UM, IF WE NEED TO PULL UP MORE CHAIRS, I THINK IF WE CAN PULL UP ONE MORE CHAIR, WE CAN HAVE FIRE EMS AND POLICE UNION REPS JOIN US, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

AND I THINK WE'LL GO DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT AND THEN HAVE THE UNION REPS JOIN US FOR AFTER EACH DEPARTMENT.

SO WHOEVER WANTS TO START CAN START.

I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU GUYS.

POLICE.

OKAY, POLICE IS UP.

WE'LL GO.

GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.

MY NAME IS JAMES MASON.

I'M ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS WITH THE AUSTINVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UH, CHIEF GREENWALD IS OUTTA TOWN, SO I'LL BE GIVEN THE PRESENTATION TODAY ON THE BUDGET FOR THE POLICE.

THERE WE GO.

ALRIGHT, UH, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THIS IS OUR FORECAST FOR 20, UH, 24, 25.

AND IF WE TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT, EXCUSE ME, WE LOOK AT, UH, FY 24 AND LOOK AT THE TOTALS.

OUR

[00:35:01]

WE HAVE 18, 12 SWORN OR AUTHORIZED FOR AUTHORIZED FOUR.

AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, 500, JUST OVER 527 CIVILIANS, UH, PERSONNEL.

UH, THE LOWER LEFT, UH, LOOKS AT OUR BUDGET BY PROGRAM, AND OBVIOUSLY AS YOU, UH, WOULD EXPECT, 49% OF THAT IS BASED ON NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, BASED POLICING.

AND THAT'S A LOT OF IT TO DO WITH OUR PATROL OPERATIONS.

UH, AND THEN IT SPLIT SPLIT AMONGST, UH, OUR SPECIAL OPERATIONS, OUR INVESTIGATIONS, AS WELL AS, UH, OUR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS IN, UH, PAYING OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WE USE THEIR SERVICE FOR WITHIN THE CITY.

SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2024, UH, WE, FROM THE CORAL REPORT, UH, THEY RECOMMENDED, AND WE'VE HIRED ALL BUT ONE OF THE 11 NEW POSITIONS FOR OUR TRAINING.

AND THAT WAS BASED ON THE CORE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND LIKE I SAID, WE, WE HAVE EVERYBODY FILLED, BUT, UH, ONE OPENING STILL RIGHT NOW.

UH, 10 NEW VICTIM COUNSELOR POSITIONS, UM, THAT SUPPORT, UH, VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.

AND WE'LL KIND OF GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE IN THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, UH, $2.6 MILLION WAS USED, UM, FOR, UH, CADET RECRUITMENT INCENTIVES.

AND AS YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN AROUND TOWN ON THE BACK OF POLICE CARS, WE HAVE THE $15,000, UH, SIGNING BONUS THAT'S COME ON.

THAT'S PART OF THAT, THAT PLAN.

AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, A BIG ITEM AND I'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT THAT NEXT SLIDE IS THE CAREER PROGRESSION PLAN FOR OUR COMMUNICATION EMPLOYEES, UH, OVER, UH, AT CTEC.

SO, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

IF WE JUMP AHEAD TO OUR FORECAST, AND I JUST WANT TO, AS WE'RE ALL AWARE, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I, I MAKE, REMIND EVERYBODY, THIS IS OUR FORECAST TO THE CITY MANAGER.

UH, IN JULY, MID-JULY, HE WILL PUT HIS, UH, BUDGET TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

AND THEN OF COURSE, IN AUGUST, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DETERMINE THE FINAL, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THAT COME OUT OF THAT FOR THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR FOR, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UH, SO WE'VE, WE FORECASTED FOR 2025, UH, JUST OVER 490 MILLION.

OUR POSITIONS FOR SWORN AND CIVILIAN WILL, WILL REMAIN THE SAME.

UH, AND THEN IF WE BREAK IT DOWN, UH, AT, AT A HIGH LEVEL, LOOK AT THE FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2025, UH, THE MAIN INCREASES ARE PERSONNEL COST DRIVERS.

UH, THAT'S GOT TO DO WITH INSURANCE.

OF COURSE, THAT'S THE POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM THAT WAS MANDATED, UH, BY THE STATE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THAT FUNDING.

UH, INTER INTER FUND TRANSFERS.

UH, THAT'S FOR, UH, C-T-A-C-T-M LAW, UH, PAN SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY THAT WE USE FOR THE A PD TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF US.

AND THEN, UH, CONTRACTING AND OPERATING EXPENSES, UH, OF, OF COURSE, UH, THE BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE OCCUPIED IN, WE RENT THEM ACTUALLY FROM THE CITY.

SO OF COURSE, AS THINGS GOES UP, THEY CHARGE MORE.

AND, AND WE NEED MORE IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO COVER THOSE, THOSE TYPE OF ITEMS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, UH, IT WAS 400 AND 478 MILLION AND WE, WE, WE FORECAST THE FOUR 90 AND THAT'S A 2.7% INCREASE.

AND, UH, LAST SLIDE PLEASE.

IF WE LOOK AT OUR COUNCIL INITIATIVES AND OUR DEPARTMENT UNFUNDED PRIORITIES, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, SEVERAL ITEMS, UH, THAT WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE IN THIS NEXT BUDGET FOR 2025.

UH, THE, THE FIRST TWO BULLET ITEMS THERE ARE, UM, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, THAT JUST, UH, LEFT.

HE, HE WAS A BIG COMPONENT OF CTEC AND AS WE ALL KNOW, UH, THIS TIME LAST YEAR OR WE WERE ABOUT 60 INDIVIDUALS DOWN, THAT'S PART OF THE CAREER PROGRESS PROGRESSION PLAN THAT WAS IN THE, THE 24 BUDGET.

UM, HAPPY TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE, WE HAVE 19 VACANCIES ON THE CALL TAKER SIDE AND 12 VACANCIES ON THE DISPATCHER'S SIDE, OR THE 9 1 1 SIDE.

I'M SORRY.

SO WE WERE AT 60 THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

SO IT'S REALLY, UH, WE'VE REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB.

THE RECRUITING AS WELL AS HR HAS DONE AN AMAZING, AND OUR TRAINING HAS DONE A, A GREAT JOB OF BEING ABLE TO GET THEM BACK UP TO SPEED.

AND, AND I WILL, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD TO SAY WE'RE WELL ABOVE 90% FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF AFTERNOON CALLS WITHIN THE LAST 15 SECONDS.

ONE THING THAT THE CITY MANAGER WANTED US TO, TO DO IS TO ACTUALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK AT 9 1 1, UH, AND DISPATCHERS.

'CAUSE WE'VE NEVER INCREASED IT.

OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.

AND WHILE WE STILL HAVE VACANCIES, UH, TO FILL, IT TAKES TIME FOR THE VENTING PROCESS.

UH, THEY'RE ALL T COLE CERTIFIED.

UH, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS LIKE A PEACE OFFICER DOES, AND THEN IT TAKES SEVERAL MONTHS TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN THEM TO GET THEM ON THE FIELD.

SO WE JUST NEED ROOM TO GROW TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR OPERATION AT CEC TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S OKAY.

UH, THE NEXT THREE BULLET ITEMS WERE OUT OF A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AUDIT THAT WAS DONE, UH, THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS ARE A HUGE TASK.

I THINK, AS WE ALL KNOW, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, HIRING SIX PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS FOR OPEN RECORDS.

UH, FOUR OF THOSE WOULD BE USED, UH, TO WORK ON THE, UH, PULLING ALL THE DM A, THE BODY-WORN CAMERAS, THE CAR VIDEOS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND FINDING WHERE EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE'S HOURS AND HOURS OF TAPE, OF AUDIO AND, AND VIDEO OF FINDING WHERE EXACTLY THAT IS DURING AN OFFICER'S, UH, TOUR OF DUTY TO BE ABLE TO FULFILL

[00:40:01]

SO THAT'S THOSE THREE BULLET ITEMS. UH, THE NEXT BULLET ITEM, THIRD FROM THE BOTTOM IS THE, UH, SEX CRIMES RESPONSE MODEL, CSR, CM.

UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF, UH, ALL OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT HAS TO STEM FROM THE LAWSUIT.

BUT THAT WOULD GO FOR A, UH, SURVEY TOOL, UH, TRAINING PROJECT MANAGER AND AS WELL AS SOME, UH, SEX CRIME TEMP EMPLOYEES.

UH, THE NEXT, UH, ONE FROM THE BOTTOM IS OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND WEBSITE FOR OUR, SO RECRUITING, UH, AND THAT IS FOR OUR WEBSITE DESIGN.

UH, AND THAT'S BROKEN OUT THROUGH BILLBOARDS, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, ET CETERA, UH, FOR THE MARKETING AS WELL AS, UM, UP UPDATING AND, AND ALWAYS CONSTANTLY IMPROVING OUR WEBSITE TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT NEW PEOPLE HERE TO BE ABLE TO JOIN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS OUR LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM.

UH, THIS IS ALSO A CORAL RECOMMENDATION AND IT IS FOR, UM, ALL COMMANDERS AND ABOVE TO, TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND, UH, LEADERSHIP TRAINING THROUGH THE FBI LEAD AT SCHOOL, UH, AND, AND HAVE EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE.

IT'S DEFINITELY WHEN YOU PROMOTE, WE HAVE A, A PROGRESSION PLAN FOR, FOR OUR LEADERSHIP STYLE AND WHAT, HOW WE WANT PEOPLE TO LEAD WITHIN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

NO, UM, IF I DON'T SEE ANYBODY JUMPING OUT WITH A QUESTION, I MAY INVITE, UM, MR. BULLOCK TO GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE HIMSELF.

UM, AND WE CAN HEAR FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION WITH REGARDS TO ANY PRIORITIES THEY HAVE WITH REGARDS TO THE UPCOMING BUDGET.

SURE.

UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.

APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO GIVE INPUT.

UH, I AM MICHAEL BULLOCK.

I'M THE PRESIDENT FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION.

UM, OBVIOUSLY A, UH, IMPORTANT TIME OF THE YEAR HERE AS WE'RE DISCUSSING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT CHIEF BROUGHT UP COMING UP WITH OUR DEPARTMENT.

UH, OTHER THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ARE WAYS THAT I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS, UM, SOME OF THE COSTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT INCURS AND PROJECTS THAT MAY LOOK AT THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT MORE HOLISTICALLY AS WELL.

NOT JUST OUR BUDGET, UM, BUT THINGS AS FAR AS THE TYPES OF CALLS THAT WE RESPOND TO THAT CAN REDIRECT RESOURCES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING CONSUMED BY THE DEPARTMENT THAT COULD BE ABSORBED THROUGH OTHER ENTITIES.

IN PARTICULAR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WAYS TO ALLOW MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS TO TAKE ON MORE CALLS THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING, UH, WHERE AN OFFICER IS NOT NECESSARY, BUT YOU CAN RELY ON MORE MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS TO TAKE ON THOSE ROLES.

UH, THAT WOULD REDUCE THE NEED, UH, FOR PATROL TO RESPOND, UH, AND HOPEFULLY REDUCE SOME OF THE, UH, STRAIN THAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY FEELING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKING AND PATROL AS WELL.

UM, A LOT OF OUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW DOES HAVE TO BE ON PATROL JUST BY THE NATURE OF THE SHORTAGE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING AND THE DEMAND THAT THAT PLACES ON OUR DEPARTMENT OVERALL.

UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, I'VE JUST SEEN IS WE'VE, UH, DOWN AT THE SOUTH SUBSTATION, THERE'S CURRENTLY A PROJECT UNDERWAY THAT'S PART OF A LARGER $2.2 MILLION PROJECT TO INSTALL, UH, ELECTRICAL VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS INSIDE OF OUR SECURED AREAS OF, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UM, WHILE I THINK THIS MAY BE PART OF A, A LARGER GOAL PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE, A PD CURRENTLY DOESN'T OPERATE ANY PATROL VEHICLES THAT ARE ELECTRICALLY POWERED.

AND SO FOR US TO BE SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INSTALLING, INSTALLING, CHARGING STATIONS FOR, UH, VEHICLES THAT WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, SEEMS LIKE RESOURCES THAT COULD BE USED ELSEWHERE, UH, IN PARTICULAR WHEN WE HAVE A FLEET THAT IS STRUGGLING TO OPERATE THE LAG TIMES FOR GETTING VEHICLES IS THERE DUE TO MANUFACTURING ISSUES AS WELL AS WE'RE HAVING, UH, ISSUES EVEN ACCOMPLISHING JUST WRAPPING OUR VEHICLES AGAIN, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION PASSED TO HAVE ALL VEHICLES THAT WERE HAD CRACKED PEELING PAINT EFFECTIVELY FOR THEM TO BE REWRAPPED.

THAT STILL HAS NOT BEEN DONE.

I WAS UP AT THE NORTH SUBSTATION NOT THAT LONG AGO.

UH, MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TIMES WORKING DIFFERENT PATROL SHIFTS AND A NUMBER OF OUR VEHICLES ARE ABOVE EXCESSIVE MILEAGE, UH, AS WELL AS THEY ARE, UH, IN PRETTY POOR CONDITION.

AND SO OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE OFFICERS WITH THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO ACTUALLY DO THEIR JOB IS STILL LAGGING BEHIND.

AND PART OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH, I BELIEVE HOW, UH, OUR FLEET SYSTEM CURRENTLY OPERATES, WHICH HAS A LOT OF INEFFICIENCIES WITHIN IT THAT IS LACKING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COST SAVINGS.

OUR DEPARTMENT HAS TRIED ON NUMEROUS DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, UH, TO USE DIFFERENT VENDORS IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH CERTAIN TASKS THAT MAY BE ABLE TO BE DONE AT A, UH, COST SAVINGS TO THE CITY, BUT THE DECISION WAS MADE INSTEAD TO UTILIZE, INSTEAD TO UTILIZE FLEET, WHICH DOES THINGS AT A HIGHER COST.

SO THINGS COST OUR DEPARTMENT MORE IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH JUST BECAUSE WE DO THEM ALL THROUGH FLEET AND WE DON'T ALLOW OUTSIDE VENDORS TO BE USED.

WE DON'T ALLOW OTHER CONTRACTORS TO BE USED FOR SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

SO I THINK WE'RE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE MONEY COULD BE, UH, USED IN BETTER WAYS, PERHAPS THAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF THE NEEDS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

UH, ONE OF THE OTHER ONES THAT I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT I THINK BENEFITS ALL THREE OF OUR AGENCIES IS SOME OF THE JOINT TASK FORCE THAT WE HAVE THAT OPERATE ON WEEKENDS AND DOWNTOWN THAT

[00:45:01]

UH, AND THEY HAVE EQUIPMENT NEEDS BUT HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO BE FULFILLED THUS FAR.

UH, WE HAVE AN AGING FLEET, AGING BUILDINGS, UH, THAT ARE RESULTING IN A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.

WE HAVE DEALT WITH ASBESTOS MITIGATION, WE HAVE DEALT WITH SEWAGE LEAKS, WATER LEAKS, WE'VE DEALT WITH BROKEN AIR CONDITIONERS THAT HAPPEN ON A SEEMINGLY BIMONTHLY BASIS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I THINK DO NEED TO BE PRIORITIES THAT IN PARTICULAR ARE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.

OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT DEPARTMENT, DO WE HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR EITHER A PA OR A PD? I GOT ONE.

A QUICK ONE.

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

MR. WAS IT MR. OH, SORRY.

SOMEBODY WAS ON LINE.

OH, OH, COMMISSIONER NEN.

YEAH.

UM, THANK YOU, UH, MR. BULLOCK FOR BEING HERE.

UM, I DID WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR, UM, WITH YOUR CONCERN ABOUT, UM, THE CHARGING STATIONS.

UM, DO YOU KNOW IF, UH, I WAS TRYING TO GLAZE THROUGH THE, UM, THROUGH THE CLIMATE, UH, UH, EQUITY PLAN? DO YOU KNOW IF THE, UM, THE FUNDING FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, UM, WAS ALLOCATED, UH, OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND OR WAS IT OUT OF A, A GRANT OF SOME SORT? UH, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THAT FUNDING IS COMING FROM? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE EXACT NOTE.

I CAN TELL YOU IT'S, UH, IT'S PROJECT 6 6 0 1 1, I BELIEVE IS THE OVERARCHING BUDGET.

I CAN GET YOU THE EXACT REFERENCE FOR IT.

I HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR IT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT, UH, WHAT PART OF OR WHAT PROJECT NUMBER IT FELL UNDER, BUT I'M NOT SURE I, IT, IT MAY BE PART OF CAP METRO FUNDING AS PART OF THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT COULD BE, I, I'M NOT QUITE SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE SOURCE OF FUNDING IS.

I CAN JUST TELL YOU IT'S HAPPENING AT THE SOUTH SUBSTATION AND I CAN GET YOU THE PROJECT NUMBER FOR IT.

OKAY.

OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MM-HMM, .

AND THEN I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND PREFACE WITH, WE HAVE A LOT OF MATERIAL TO MOVE THROUGH.

UM, WE'VE GOT TWO MORE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS.

WE'VE GOT A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BUDGET, WE WANNA HEAR FROM ALL THE UNIONS.

I'M ACTUALLY GONNA WAIT ON QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN SANDWICH 'EM.

SO, UM, WE ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT DEPARTMENT.

UM, 'CAUSE THIS PART I CAN HELP MOVE ALONG QUICKLY SOMETIMES IN QUESTIONS WE GET.

SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO EMS NEXT IS WHAT I SEE COMING UP.

IS THAT RIGHT? YEP, THAT'S PERFECT.

UH, FOR EMS, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CARLOS LEDESMA.

THAT'S GONNA GIVE OUR BUDGET OVERVIEW.

HI, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

AS CHIEF HOFFMAN SAID, MY NAME IS CARLOS ESMO.

I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT EMS. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT, UH, $129.8 MILLION.

THIS IS, UM, UH, FOR OUR 24 POSITIONS.

WE'RE AT 6 89, SWORN CIVILIAN AT 1 62 0.5 FOR A TOTAL OF 8 51 0.5.

WE'RE FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH, UH, TO TAXES AT 63% WITH OUR FEES, PRIMARILY FROM OUR TRANSPORTATION FEE AT 37%.

OUR FY 24 REVENUE IS $48.2 MILLION.

WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 31 MILLION, ABOUT 64%, AND WE WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL ACHIEVE THAT TARGET.

UM, ON OUR BOTTOM LEFT, UH, PRIMARILY WE'RE OPERATION BASE AT 60.1% FOR OUR PROGRAM BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS.

I I DO HAVE A CORRECTION HERE.

IT'S 12 NEW FTES FOR THE GOODNIGHT RANCH.

WE GOT AHEAD OF OURSELF HERE.

CANYON CANYON CREEK IS FOR NEXT YEAR.

WE ALSO HAD A MERGER WITH, UH, 19 FTES, UH, FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER COMING TO EMS. WE DID RECEIVE NINE NEW SWORN FTES AND ONE CIVILIAN FOR OUR C FOUR PROGRAM.

THIS WERE, THIS WAS ONLY FOR THE FTES.

THERE WAS NO FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.

UM, AND THEN WE HAD THREE NEW FTES FOR THE, UH, AIRPORT PROGRAM.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

OUR FORECAST NUMBERS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 CONSISTS OF 139.9 MILLION.

FOR OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET ARE SWORN 7 0 1 CIVILIAN, 1 63 0.5.

THAT'S 864.5 TOTAL.

THAT IS, UH, 13 FT INC INCREASE.

AND 12 OF THOSE ARE FOR CON CANYON CREEK.

AND THEN WE HAVE ONE CIVILIAN FOR OUR INVENTORY.

UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, UM, WE HAVE OUR SUPPLY OFFICE THAT, THAT SUPPLIES 43 STATIONS AND AS WELL AS CONTINUE, WE NEED MORE RESOURCES.

SO WE WE'RE RECEIVING ONE ADDITIONAL FTE FOR THAT, AND OUR REVENUES INCREASING TO 51 POINT $51 MILLION.

THAT IS AGAIN, JUST, UH, INCREASE IN OUR

[00:50:01]