Dec 02, 2024 Public Safety Commission

UM, COMMISSIONER N NEN? UH, HE'S JOINING NOW.

OKAY, COOL.

I'LL COME BACK TO HIM.

UM, COMMISSIONER ORR IS NOT HERE.

MAYBE WILL BE DELAYED.

COMMISSIONER CILO.

AND COMMISSIONER N NEN, IF YOU CAN GET YOUR CAMERA ON.

PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? WE DO.

I THINK WE'RE GONNA GIVE HIM A LITTLE BIT TO GET SITUATED, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.

IF YOU COULD HELP ME KEEP AN EYE ON, ON, UM, COMMISSIONER AND JOINING US OFFICIALLY, BUT WE HAVE QUORUM, SO WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.

UM, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY

[ PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

STEPHANIE RYAN.

THREE MINUTES.

IS THIS ON? UM, JUST PRESS THE BUTTON THERE.

OH, RIGHT HERE.

NOW YOU'RE BETTER.

UM, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS AND PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF.

UM, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE TODAY'S PRESENTATION ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR SWORN STAFF.

UM, THAT'S BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

UM, AND THAT WAS UNDERSCORED WHEN WE LISTENED TO THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAM THIS SUMMER.

UM, THIS ALSO REMINDS ME THAT I HAD DISCUSSED TRAUMA EXPERIENCE BY OUR POLICE OFFICERS DURING AN EARLY SPRING PSC MEETING.

UM, BUT I NEGLECTED TO RECOGNIZE FIRE AND EMS STAFF BECAUSE YOU ALSO HAVE STRESSFUL ENCOUNTERS.

SO, MY APOLOGIES FOR THAT OVERSIGHT.

UM, BECAUSE A PD HAS BEEN HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, MY FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THAT DEPARTMENT.

AND FOR THIS REASON, I'VE ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF INTERACTING WITH A NUMBER OF APDS SWORN AND CIVILIAN STAFF OVER TIME, AND HAVE BEEN TRULY IMPRESSED WITH THEIR PROMPT AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIVENESS, AS WELL AS THE THOROUGH MANNER IN WHICH EACH STAFF PERSON REPLIED.

UM, IN PARTICULAR, DESPITE A P D'S SU SUSTAINED SWORN STAFFING SHORTAGE, OFFICERS RESPONSIVENESS TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND REQUESTS HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY IN MY OBSERVATION AND DEMONSTRATES THEIR SKILL IN AND BENEFITS OF RELATIONAL POLICING.

UH, BUT WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER APDS RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE THE PUBLIC PEACE THROUGH CRIME REDUCTION EFFORTS.

TOWARD THIS END, I OFFER THESE THOUGHTS BY A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CRIMINOLOGIST.

THE ONLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT REDUCES CRIME SEEMS TO BE PROACTIVE POLICING AND OFFENDER ACCOUNTABILITY.

IT'S NOT MY INTENT TO BE DISPARAGING OF ALL PROGRAMS OR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.

MOST OF US SUPPORT CHANGE WITH THE GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MOST DANGEROUS OFFENDERS ARE INCAPACITATED FOR AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME.

PROGRAMS ALSO OFFER A SENSE OF SANITY WITHIN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

THEY MAKE PRISON SAFER FOR EVERYONE.

THEY PROVIDE A SENSE OF HOPE TO OFFENDERS FOR THESE REASONS ALONE PROGRAMS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.

THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT TO INSTITUTIONAL AND EMPLOYEE SAFETY THAN MOST REALIZED.

AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH A HUMANITARIAN APPROACH TO PROGRAMS. JUST DON'T ADVERTISE THEM AS CRIME REDUCTION VENTURES.

BUT WE MUST DO BETTER AS TO FIGURING OUT THE BEST MODALITIES.

AND WE DESPERATELY NEED OBJECTIVITY, NOT ADVOCACY.

A PD MY, MY WORDS A PD ENGAGES IN MANY COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS RIGHT NOW.

BLUE SANTA.

WE NEED, ESPECIALLY FOR THE AT-RISK COMMUNITIES TO MORE FULLY JOIN IN.

UM, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYBODY.

UM, AND WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE ON TO

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

DO WE HAVE ANY NOTES, SUGGESTIONS? IF NOT, I'LL ACCEPT MOTIONS,

[00:05:02]

MR. PROOF.

DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? DO SECOND.

JUST TALKING BRIEFLY ABOUT A, UH, A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENTS IN 2025 AND THE HOLDOVER CAPACITY AND QUORUM FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.

AND WITH THAT WE'LL JUST TAKE A, IF EVERYBODY CAN JUST DO A RAISE OF HANDS TO VOTE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I APPRECIATE THAT, EVERYONE.

AND THEN WE, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE BULK OF OUR MEETING, WHICH IS, WE WILL START, OH, ACTUALLY CHRISTIE, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THIS? WE'RE GONNA BE, UM,

[2. Discussion of commissioner appointments in 2025, the holdover capacity, and quorum for the Public Safety Commission]

JUST KNOW WE JUST HAD AN ELECTION.

THERE'S STILL A RUNOFF FOR, FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.

UM, MANY OF OUR COMMISSIONERS MAY, MAY NOT BE BACK.

UM, SO JUST WANTED, I WAS HOPING THAT CHRISTIE, YOU COULD JUST GO OVER REALLY BRIEFLY ABOUT THE RULES SO THAT I WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONTINUE, CONTINUE ATTENDING FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE QUORUM FOR OUR MEETINGS.

BUT CHRISTIE HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON JUST THE RULES AROUND THAT.

UH, CHAIR.

SO, UM, BASICALLY THE TERM ENDS AT THE END OF FEBRUARY OF 2025 AND, UM, THERE IS A HOLDOVER CAPACITY IN ORDER TO KEEP BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS RUNNING.

AND THAT CAN LAST UP TO 60 DAYS OR UNTIL A NEW APPOINTEE.

AND SO THERE'LL BE INFORMATION SENT BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, CLOSER TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

IN FACT, I THINK THERE MAY BE EMAILS BEING SENT SOON.

UM, IN REGARDS TO TERMS AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SERVE, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS UPDATED ON THE GRANITE GUS PORTAL.

AND, UM, AND THEN YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE AS WELL.

AND THERE WILL BE SOME SWEARING IN CEREMONIES IN JANUARY, BUT THOSE OFFICES ARE NOT SET UP QUITE YET.

SO IT WILL JUST TAKE SOME TIME FOR EVERYTHING TO MOVE FORWARD AND EVERYBODY BE TRAINED AND OATHS OF OFFICE, ET CETERA.

I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS.

NO, THAT DOES.

I JUST, LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANNA, THIS, THIS TIME OF YEAR IS ALWAYS TRICKY POST-ELECTION 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE AREN'T ALWAYS CLEAR ON WHO CAN CONTINUE TO ATTEND MEETINGS.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME UNTIL YOU GET REPLACED OR UNTIL YOU HEAR OTHERWISE.

AND WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO KEEP PARTICIPATING FOR AS LONG AS THEY CAN.

MM.

I THINK THAT WAS IT.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT FROM ANYONE? OKAY.

ON TO OUR QUARTERLY REPORT.

UM, AND WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND MOVE

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

WE HAVE EMS UP THIS MONTH.

GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS WES HOPKINS.

I'M THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. I'LL BE GIVEN THE FISCAL YEAR 24 Q4 QUARTERLY REPORT AND WE CAN MOVE.

SO STARTING HERE WITH THE CURRENT STAFFING FOR THE EMS DEPARTMENT, AUTHORIZED STRENGTH IS A 698 FIELD SWORN IS 595, LEAVES OUR SWORN VACANCY AT 103.

THAT'S A Q4 AVERAGE OF 16.9%.

UH, WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CLINICAL SPECIALIST FIELD AT 51.

I SPOKE ABOUT THIS AT THE LAST QUARTERLY REPORT.

OUR INTERNAL PARAMEDIC PROGRAM IS SLATED TO TAKE THEIR FINAL EXAM ON JANUARY 7TH.

AND SO THAT'LL GRADUATE 23 PARAMEDICS THAT'LL BE ELIGIBLE TO TEST FOR THAT CLINICAL SPECIALIST.

SO, UH, SUBTRACT THAT 23 FROM 51.

AND THEN OF COURSE, IN FEBRUARY WE WILL RUN ANOTHER INTERNAL PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS SLATED TO HAVE 14 IN THAT PROGRAM.

SO THAT'LL FURTHER REDUCE THAT CLINICAL SPECIALIST FIELD VACANCY THERE.

AND I'M TALK MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN I TALK ABOUT UPCOMING ACADEMIES HERE IN JUST A SECOND.

UH, SWORN SEPARATIONS, UH, YEAR TO DATE, UH, I KNOW WE'RE COMING INTO THE FOURTH QUARTER, SO WE INCLUDED THE ENTIRE YEAR FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

WE'VE HAD 40 RESIGN AND EIGHT RETIRED.

THERE'S BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES OR CHANGES FROM THAT Q3 TO Q4 REPORT.

UH, THAT, THAT'S ABOUT AVERAGE OF, OF WHAT WE SEE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

THAT, UH, MOST OF THOSE SEPARATIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE THOSE RESIGNATIONS OCCUR WITHIN THAT LESS THAN ONE YEAR, FOLLOWED THEN BY THAT ONE TO FIVE YEAR RANGE.

AGAIN, MOST OF THESE SEPARATIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING THROUGH EXIT INTERVIEWS AND RESIGNATION LETTERS ARE, ARE SIMPLY FOLKS WANTING TO MOVE BACK HOME TO BE NEAR FAMILY.

UH, MAY NOT HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM HERE LOCALLY.

UH, PARENT GETS SICK OR THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO ATTEND SCHOOL OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.

UH, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, I KNOW THAT YOU WENT TO THE LAST ONE.

UH, VACANCY RATE, SWORN AND CIVILIAN.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT 16.9%, BUT WE BROKE IT UP BY THE MONTH FOR THE QUARTER.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT SWORN VACANCY RATE AND CIVILIANS VACANCY RATE.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON THAT.

A CIVILIAN VACANCY RATE.

IT, IT STAYS ABOUT THE SAME THERE.

UH, I WILL TALK ABOUT OUR ACADEMY CLASS 10 24, WHICH IS SLATED TO GRADUATE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13TH AT 5:00 PM AT THE TEXAS STATE CAPITOL.

[00:10:01]

UH, WE WOULD LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO ATTEND THAT.

UH, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO GET TO MEET THE ACADEMY CADRE, THE CADETS THAT WE'RE PRODUCING OUTTA THIS ACADEMY AND MEET THEIR FAMILIES AND JUST, JUST GIVE THEM THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE TO TAKE IN THE PLUNGE AND, AND WORKING WITH US.

UM, THIS WILL GRADUATE ON, UH, THIS ACADEMY CLASS 10 24 WILL GRADUATE 17 CADETS ALL AT THAT MEDIC, OUR ENTRY LEVEL POSITION.

UM, EXCITING TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR NEXT ACADEMY CLASS BEGINS IN JANUARY AND IT WILL HAVE A PERSONAL BEST FOR US OF 47 CADETS.

UM, I WAS TRYING TO GET IT TO 50, BUT THE ACADEMY STAFF ASSURED ME THAT I'D HAVE TO LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

UH, THE THOSE ACADEMY CLASSES ARE, ARE, ARE QUITE, QUITE, UH, CHALLENGING FOR OUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, TO JUST, JUST, YOU KNOW, GETTING THEM READY TO GO OUT AND GET ON THE AMBULANCE IS, IS A HEAVY LIFT FOR THEM.

BUT THEY DO AMAZING WORK.

THAT WILL BE 33 MEDIC OR THAT ENTRY LEVEL POSITION, NINE DIRECT TIRE PARAMEDICS.

SO A FURTHER REDUCTION OF NINE FROM THAT 51 AND TWO COMMUNICATIONS MEDICS.

SO THAT WILL BE A, THAT'LL BE A BIG ACADEMY CLASS FOR US.

SO WE'RE EXCITED.

AND THAT'LL START LONG ABOUT THAT, UH, JANUARY MARK.

UM, I WILL NOTE THAT WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT APRIL ACADEMY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO ABOVE OUR AUTHORIZED STRENGTH FOR THAT.

THAT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME IN, IN MY TENURE HERE, THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO THAT IN QUITE SOME TIME.

AND WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO DO THE DIRECT HIRE, BUT WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MEDIC VACANCIES TO FILL IN THAT, AND THAT COULD POTENTIALLY MEAN A, A WAIT LIST FOR US AT THAT MEDIC LEVEL.

UH, EMS TURNOVER RATE, UH, SWORN IS BELOW 1% IN AUGUST, IN SEPTEMBER, UH, NON-SWORN.

WE HAD NO TURNOVER IN JULY AND AUGUST.

HAVE 10 PARAMEDICS THAT ARE OVER IN OUR C FOUR, AND THEY TYPICALLY COVER THAT DAYTIME HOUR.

I WANT TO TALK REAL QUICK AND, AND I KNOW THAT WE TALKED IN OUR PLANNING MEETINGS ABOUT TALKING ABOUT KIND OF OPIOID OVERDOSES.

AND SO I DID KIND OF A WRAP UP HERE FOR THIS, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

I'LL START WITH THAT KIND OF UPPER LEFT BOX THERE.

UH, WE HAD 1,537 OVERDOSE ALERTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

UH, THAT IS A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST.

SO THOSE ARE DOWN, UH, IN OUR OPIOID DIVERSION PROGRAM.

WE'VE ENROLLED 227 PATIENTS IN THAT OPIOID BRIDGE PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

AND THAT'S A SLIGHT INCREASE FOR US.

UH, SO, SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS THERE.

UH, GOING TO THAT UPPER RIGHT, WE'VE DONE A TOTAL OF, UH, 768 BUPRENORPHINE, UH, DOSES ADMINISTERED FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

THAT IS UP.

AND THEN WE'VE NAVIGATED 150 PATIENTS SUCCESSFULLY INTO A LONG-TERM MEDICATION ASSISTED, UH, TREATMENT PROGRAM IN FISCAL YEAR 24.

AND THAT IS UP AS WELL.

UH, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THAT LOWER GRAPH THERE, YOU CAN SEE JUST THE NUMBER OF OPIOID ALERTS WE'VE HAD, UH, THE NUMBER OF, UH, NARCAN RESCUE KITS THAT WERE USED, YOU KNOW, UH, PRIOR TO EMS ARRIVAL.

SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAT, UH, CIVILIAN GAVE THEM OR ANOTHER FIRST RESPONDER GAVE THEM.

AND THEN YOU, THE GRAY LINE SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF NARCAN RESCUE KITS THAT WE'VE DISTRIBUTED INTO THE COMMUNITY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO I'LL, I'LL KIND OF START WITH SOME MORE OF THIS OPIOID DATA AND WE'LL START WITH OVER ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THIS MAP.

UM, THIS COMMISSION HAS REQUESTED IN THE PAST TO SEE HEAT MAPS.

AND SO I DID A WRAP UP HEAT MAP FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE VAGUELY THE CLUSTERS AROUND AUSTIN OF WHERE WE'RE SEEING THOSE OPIOID ALERTS.

UH, THEN I'LL MOVE TO THE UPPER RIGHT GRAPH, WHICH SHOWS, UH, THE NUMBER OF PILLS THAT WE'RE SEEING, AND THEN THE NUMBER OF ADOLESCENTS UNDER THE 18 FOR OVERDOSE ALERTS.

BOTH OF THOSE HAVE TICKED DOWN, SO WE'VE SEEN A DECREASE THERE.

AND THEN I'LL SHOW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LOWER RIGHT GRAPH THERE.

AND THAT TALKS ABOUT OUR BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM.

AND SO THE BLUE GRAPH LINE IS REPRESENTED BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE ARE, UH, INDUCTIONS INTO THE PROGRAM.

AND THEN THE ORANGE LINE IS THE NUMBER OF BUPRENORPHINE DOSES THAT WE GIVE.

WHAT YOU WANNA SEE IS THAT THE ORANGE LINE TRACKS ALONG THE TOP OF THE BLUE LINE WHEN YOU HAVE THE BLUE GRAPH BELOW THE ORANGE LINE.

WE ARE HAVING TO CARRY THOSE PEOPLE LONGER WITH BUPRENORPHINE DOSES TO NAVIGATE THEM TO A MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAM.

THE AVERAGE IS ABOUT FOUR DAYS, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE JUNE IN 24, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE WERE AVERAGED ABOUT ABOUT 10 DAYS THERE, NOT, NOT QUITE TWO WEEKS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, I WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE IN THIS QUARTERLY REPORT ABOUT OUR EXPANDED COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER GOING TO 24 7 OPERATIONS.

UH, THIS WAS AN UNMET NEED THAT WE BROUGHT, UH, BEFORE, UH, THIS COMMISSION FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS.

AND, AND WE, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE PERSONNEL AND FUNDING FOR THAT.

AND SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON THAT.

AND WE CURRENTLY

[00:15:01]

AND SO THIS WILL MOVE IN ADDITIONAL EIGHT OFF OF THE AMBULANCE AND, AND THAT EXPANDED PRACTICE OVER IN THE COMMUNICATION CENTER.

AND THEN WE WILL BACKFILL FROM THE AMBULANCE FROM THAT VACANCY.

WE'LL GET NEW PARAMEDICS THROUGH THAT DIRECT HIRE PROCESS AND GET THEM CLEARED ON THE AMBULANCE.

UM, AND WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THAT COMPETITIVE PROCESS, UH, JUST THIS PAST MONTH IN NOVEMBER OF, OF 24.

AND SO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH, IT'S A, IT'S A COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND THEY INTERVIEW FOR IT AND THEN IS EXPAND EXPANDED PRACTICE FOR THEM.

UH, WE HAVE ALSO, IN PREPARATION TO MOVE THESE, UH, PRIORITY FIVE CALLS TO C FOUR FOR 24 HOURS A DAY.

UH, WE'VE STARTED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE PRIORITY FIVE CALLS AND MOVING THE ENTIRE SUBSET OVER TO C FOUR FOR THAT EXPANDED SCREENING.

AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING GOING LIVE IN JANUARY OF 2025 WITH THAT COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATION CENTER STAFFED AND OPERATING 24 7.

AND THEN I WANTED TO TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY OF THE C FOUR.

NOW THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THE DATA ON THOSE LOW PRIORITY CALLS, REMEMBER PRIORITY ONE IS THE MOST SEVERE CALL WE RUN, AND PRIORITY FIVE IS, IS THE LEAST CALL.

AND SO WE REALLY HAVE BEEN UTILIZING THIS, UH, C FOUR LINE TO SKIM THOSE, UH, LOW ACUITY CALLS OFF THE TOP OF THE 9 1 1 CENTER AND, AND WITH THE HOPES OF NOT SENDING AN AMBULANCE FOR THOSE THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO.

AND SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN ON THIS C FOUR CALL IS THAT ONLY ABOUT 0.3% OF THE PATIENTS FROM THOSE EXPANDED TRIAGE ARE TRANSPORTED WITH LIGHTS AND SIRENS FROM THE SCENE.

AND WHAT YOU MIGHT SAY IS, YOU KNOW, 0.3, WHILE THAT'S A SMALL NUMBER, EVEN 0.1%, YOU MIGHT WANNA LOOK AT THAT.

BUT THAT IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU RUN A CALLER THROUGH A NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER FOR MEDICAL PRIORITY DISPATCH, IT'S UH, DESIGNED TO OVER TRIAGE.

AND SO WHEN THOSE, UM, AMBULANCES ARE GETTING THERE, OCCASIONALLY THE PATIENT MAY NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM.

AND WE GET THERE AND WE FIND THAT THEY WEREN'T FEELING RIGHT AND THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE.

AND SO BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING THESE LOW PRIORITY CALLS AND YOU'RE SENDING THEM TO THAT, UH, UH, PARAMEDIC OVER IN THE COMMUNICATION CENTER, YOU'RE IN ESSENCE DOING THAT ASSESSMENT OVER THE PHONE.

AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO CATCH SOME OF THOSE, UH, VAGUE SYMPTOMS THAT MIGHT TRIAGE OUT A LOW PRIORITY THAT THAT ACTUALLY COULD, COULD BE A HIGHER PRIORITY.

UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LOWER LEFT GRAPH, YOU CAN JUST SEE THAT'S THE NUMBER OF, UH, PRIORITY FIVE CALLS THAT WE'RE SENDING OVER.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, JULY GOING UP, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT JUST SPIKE UP AS WE PUT MORE STAFFING OVER THERE AND THEN PIVOT IT TO 24 HOURS.

UH, JUST WHEN I WALKED IN HERE, I JUST LOOKED AT THE DATA AND WE'RE, WE'RE WELL ABOVE 6% 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST MOVING THAT CALL TYPE OVER.

UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIGHT HAND SIDE AND YOU LOOK AT THAT CIRCLE GRAPH THERE, THESE ARE THE NUMBER OF TRANSPORTS BY AMBULANCE FROM THE SCENE OF THIS EXPANDED TRIAGE.

SO WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS THAT, UH, ON THIS BLUE PART OF THE CIRCLE GRAPH, THIS 54%, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, WE SENT AN AMBULANCE, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TRANSPORT 'EM.

WE COULD DO TELEHEALTH, WE COULD NAVIGATE THEM, WE COULD HELP THEM FILL THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, AND THEN, UH, THIS, UH, YELLOW IN THE CIRCLE PART OF THE GRAPH IS THIS, ABOUT 45%.

WE DID END UP TAKING 'EM TO THE HOSPITAL.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE 'EM, YOU KNOW, LIGHTS AND SIRENS, WHICH IS GOOD, UH, THAT, THAT'S BETTER FOR THE MEDICS AND THE PATIENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THE ROADWAYS.

AND THEN WE JUST NOTATED THIS VERY SMALL 0.3% WHERE WE GOT THERE AND FOUND THERE WAS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT GOING ON WITH THEM.

AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LOWER RIGHT BOX, UH, WITH THIS C FOUR ADVANCED SCREENING OF THESE PARTY FIVE CALLS, WE WERE ABLE TO NOT SEND AN AMBULANCE TO THE SCENE 30.3% OF THE TIME.

SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER FOR US.

LIKE YOU WOULD IN A REAL WORLD, UH, UH, SCENE.

AND THEN I, I KIND OF WANTED TO BRING US HOME HERE AND TALK ABOUT, UH, ANOTHER UNMET NEED THAT THIS, UH, COMMISSION HAS, UH, RECOMMENDED IN THE PAST THROUGH THE BUDGETARY PROCESS.

AND THAT'S A IMMERSIVE SIMULATION LAB.

WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THAT IN A WHILE, BUT YOU MAY RECALL THAT, UM, WHAT THIS IS, IS THIS IS A SIMULATION LAB.

WE'RE WE'RE ABLE TO RECREATE A KIND OF REAL WORLD ENVIRONMENT IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND SO KIND OF MY, MY GOAL HERE WAS THAT I GAVE YOU ABOUT A THREE SLIDE HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.

AND IF YOU FOUND IT USEFUL, I COULD BRING IN THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WHO RUN THIS LAB AND WE COULD TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.

SO JUST KIND OF WANTED TO TEASE THROUGH SOME OF THE STUFF WE'RE DOING WITH THIS.

OUR FIXED LAB IS IN PLACE, UH, IT IS OVER AT TECHNO CENTER.

IT IS BUILT IN THE MASTER AGREEMENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE IT TO THE NEW PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS WHEN IT COMES ONLINE.

BUT IT'S BASICALLY A CLASSROOM THAT YOU COULD CONTROL, UH, THE GRAPHICS IN THE BACKGROUND VISUALLY.

UH, YOU CAN ADJUST SOUND, YOU CAN ADJUST, UH, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, WHAT THEY'RE FEELING, WHAT THEY'RE SMELLING.

YOU CAN, UH, SIMULATE TRAFFIC OR WIND IN WHICH YOU CAN DO ON THESE CALLS IS TO, TO RAMP UP THE STRESS

[00:20:01]

AND SO THAT'S BEEN HELPFUL FOR SOME OF OUR TRAINING THERE.

AND SO WE HAVE TWO COMPONENTS FOR THIS.

WE HAVE THE FIXED LAB, BUT THEN WE ALSO UTILIZE THIS FUNDING TO DO MOBILE TRAILERS, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A SECOND.

BUT ON THE FIXED LAB USES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN HELP WITH THIS, UH, WITH OUR EXPLORER YOUTH PROGRAM AND RUNNING THROUGH 'EM THROUGH DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND TRAINING TO KIND OF GET THEIR, THEIR APPETITE, UH, INCREASED FOR PERHAPS A CAREER IN, IN EMS, OUR INTERNAL PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.

UH, NEW HIRE, INITIAL TRAINING AND TESTING.

UH, WE CERTAINLY TALK A LOT ABOUT THE P FIVE OR THIS CLINICAL SPECIALIST THAT OUR PARAMEDICS OUT ON THE FIELD, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A SUBSET KNOWN AS PL SIX, AND THEY HAVE AN EXPANDED SCOPE.

AND SO ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE ADVANCED SKILLS AND PUT THEM IN A REAL WORLD LIFE SIMULATOR IS HELPFUL.

UM, MAINTENANCE OF, OF CREDENTIALS FOR STAFF.

UM, I'LL USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE.

I'M A PARAMEDIC AND I DO GET OUT AND ROUND WITH CREWS, BUT, BUT I MAY NOT SEE ALL THE PATIENT TYPES THAT I NEED TO DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCY.

SO THIS ALLOWS ME TO COME IN TO THIS LAB AND KIND OF SHOW MY, MY SKILLS VERIFICATIONS AND ASSESSMENT SKILLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, IT ALSO IS ALLOWING US TO, IN THIS FIXED LAB, TO INCORPORATE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT DATA THAT WE SEE IN CHART REVIEWS AND THEN TRAIN FOR THAT FOR THE MEDICS.

IF WE'RE SEEING SOMETHING ON THEIR CHARTS THAT THEY, WE MAY WANT THEM TO DO DIFFERENTLY OR BETTER, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TRAIN FOR THAT IN THIS, UH, INCLUDING WHOLE BLOOD.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PLACES THAT GIVE, YOU KNOW, WHOLE BLOOD IN THE COUNTRY.

WE'RE, WE'RE ONE OF THE FIRST.

AND SO, UH, HAVING THAT WHOLE BLOOD, UH, SIMULATION IN A SCENARIO PRIOR TO DOING THAT OUT ON THE FIELD IS HELPFUL TO US.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STRUGGLE WITH IN EMS IS THIS HIGH STRESS, LOW FREQUENCY TRAINING WHERE YOU MAY HAVE A SITUATION THAT'S VERY, POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS OR LIFE THREATENING TO THE PATIENT, BUT THEY OCCUR VERY INFREQUENTLY.

AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO TRAIN FOR THOSE.

UM, AND, AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WITH THIS FUNDING, WE UTILIZED, UH, THESE MOBILE SAPS TOO.

AND SO WE CERTAINLY HAVE ONE OVER OFF TECHNA CENTER, BUT OUR CADETS TRAINER OVER AT PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CENTER.

AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE THOSE TRAILERS OVER THERE AND RUN CADETS THROUGH THOSE SCENARIOS.

THESE TRAILERS ARE, ARE SELF, UH, SUPPORTING.

THEY HAVE A GENERATOR ON BOARD AND YOU CONTROL THE AIR IN THE HEAT AND THE WIND AND THE SOUND AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

THE OTHER THING THAT THESE TRAILERS WILL ALLOW US TO DO IS TO NOT MOVE AMBULANCES OUT OF DISTRICT TO DO ON-DUTY TRAINING, WHICH IS HELPFUL.

UM, IT WILL ALSO ALLOW US, A LOT OF TIMES IF WE'RE IN A STATION, WE WILL JOINT TRAIN WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND SO WE COULD MOVE THIS EVOLUTION INTO THAT DISTRICT OR BATTALION TRAINING TO INCLUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS HELPFUL.

AND THEN AS WE GIVE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THIS SIM LAB, THE NEXT TIME WE DO A QUARTERLY REPORT, UH, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL HAVE THOSE TRAILERS IN BY THEN.

UH, THEY'RE COMING OUTTA FLORIDA.

THEY'VE HAD SOME DELAYS WITH SOME OF THE HURRICANES OVER THERE, BUT WE'RE EXPECTING THEM TO COME, UH, HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.

AND SO, UH, WE COULD ACTUALLY BRING ONE SO THAT AFTER WE GOT DONE WITH THIS COMMISSION, YOU COULD ACTUALLY TOUR ONE IF YOU WANTED TO, UH, TO INCLUDE BRUSHING UP ON YOUR SKILLS FOR HANDS-ONLY CPR, STOP THE BLEED, OR HOW TO ADMINISTER NARCAN.

UH, SO IF YOU FIND THAT USEFUL, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.

UM, JUST SOME STATS ON THIS FIXED USE AS I COME TO A CLOSE HERE, UH, IN THE SPRING SEMESTER CE WHEN THIS FIXED LAB WAS IN PLACE, WE DID 162 SCENARIOS DURING OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION CYCLES.

UH, WE'VE DONE 108 SCENARIOS IN THE FALL OF 24 CONTINUING EDUCATION CYCLE.

UH, WE'LL TAKE OUR PL SIX, OUR ADVANCED PRACTICE PARAMEDICS OF THIS MONTH ACTUALLY IN 2024 AND RUN THEM THROUGH SOME SKILLS VERIFICATIONS.

UM, IT WILL BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO CREDENTIALING OUR PL FIVE, OUR CLINICAL SPECIALIST IN THIS MONTH AS WELL.

AND THEN OUR INTERNAL PARAMEDIC PROGRAM, THIS, THIS, UH, NEWLY TESTED 14 THAT'LL GO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

WE EXPECT THOSE TRAILERS TO ARRIVE IN JANUARY, UH, HOPEFULLY TO GO LIVE BY ABOUT MARCH OF 2025.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT THESE MANNEQUINS THAT COME WITH THESE TRAILERS ARE INCREDIBLY LIFELIKE AND VERY REAL, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE.

SO WE'RE EXCITED TO TO ROLL THAT OUT.

IF YOU GO SCOUR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE SOME BUZZ ABOUT THIS COMING UP.

UM, AND THEN THE LEAD TIME FROM THAT JANUARY TO MARCH IS THAT THESE ROOMS ARE PRETTY COMPLEX AND SO WE HAVE TO TRAIN STAFF ON HOW TO USE THEM SO THEY CAN TEACH THE OTHER MEDICS KIND OF WHAT SCENARIOS THEY WANNA RUN.

UH, SO WITH THAT, THAT'LL CONCLUDE MY QUARTERLY REPORT AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT? UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, THE BRIDGE PROGRAM AND GETTING FOLKS INTO MAT CARE.

ON RESOURCES IS ON THAT END.

, UM, IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EASY TO SORT OF SUMMARIZE, UM, WHY THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN PLACING FOLKS AND SORT OF WHAT THE CONSTRAINT

[00:25:01]

I JUST KNOW THAT AUSTIN RECOVERY KIND OF SHUT DOWN THEIR INPATIENT PROGRAM, KIND OF DID SHUT DOWN THEIR INPATIENT PROGRAM DURING THE PANDEMIC.

AND THAT, UH, GETTING ACCESS TO ECONOMICALLY AFFORDABLE, UM, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY TREATMENT IS REALLY A CHALLENGE.

I THINK THAT OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE A SPIKE, THEN WE MAY HAVE AN INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT, AND SO THERE MAY NOT BE BEDS AVAILABLE.

SO THERE'S A PIPELINE THERE.

BUT WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS BRIDGE PROGRAM IS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THEM WHILE NOT IDEAL LONGER MM-HMM.

WITH THAT MEDICATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONNECT THEM.

UM, BUT CERTAINLY, LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WHEN WE COME BACK AND DO A KIND OF A, A RECAP OF WHERE WE'RE AT ON ON OPIOIDS, I CAN CERTAINLY HAVE OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS HERE.

THEY CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES.

I, THAT'S ABOUT THE EXTENT OF OF THAT'S FINE.

WHAT, WHAT I KNOW RIGHT NOW.

YES, MA'AM.

ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER RUAN? UM, TWO QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AS EXCITED TO SEE SOME OF THE STAFFING, UM, IMPROVEMENTS.

I'M CURIOUS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EXIT INTERVIEWS.

SO PAY DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A CONCERN ANYMORE AFTER SOME OF THE CONTRACT CHANGES AND WHATNOT.

IN MY EXIT INTERVIEWS AND WHAT I SEE, I'VE NEVER HAD A MEDIC THAT I'VE SEEN SITE PAY FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY HAVE A LABOR CONTRACT.

UM, I DO SEE FOLKS THAT MAKE THE PLUNGE AND DECIDE TO COME TO AUSTIN, TEXAS, BUT THEIR, THEIR FAMILY'S BACK HOME AND SO THEY HAVE A PARENT GETS SICK OR THEY NEED TO GO CARE FOR SOMEBODY.

AND THEN I SEE A LOT OF SCHOOL, A LOT OF THEM WANT TO GO BE PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANTS OR DOCTORS OR NURSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

I I DO SEE THAT.

AND DO YOU GET ANY SENSE, IS THAT RELATED TO LONG-TERM COMPENSATION TRAJECTORY OR MORE TO LONG-TERM JOB SATISFACTION COMPONENTS? MY HUMBLE OPINION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IN IN HEALTHCARE, UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FOLKS THAT GRAVITATE TOWARDS HEALTHCARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN YOUR HOME.

AND THEN THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT JUST GET A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF SUPPORT THROUGH LIKE A BRICK AND MORTAR FACILITY.

AND SO FOR, FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY DECIDE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU MIGHT, COULD EXTRAPOLATE THAT THEY'RE CLIMATE CONTROLLED WITH GREAT LIGHTING AND, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

AND SO I HAVE HAD SOME FOLKS IN EXIT INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW, NOTATE THAT TO ME.

DI HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, UM, ON THE, THE HEAT MAP.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INCLUDING THAT.

UM, I'D BE CURIOUS, AND THIS MIGHT BE FOR A FEATURE PRESENTATION, IT WAS SORT OF INTERESTING TO ME JUST ROUGHLY LOOKING AT THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION, IT WAS MAYBE NOT WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT.

UM, SO IT COULD BE INTERESTING, POTENTIALLY SEE A BREAKDOWN IN TERMS OF SOME SOCIOECONOMICS AND WHAT PREVENTION EFFORTS MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE TARGETED THERE.

UM, THERE SEEM TO BE A LITTLE MORE WEST, UM, AND KIND OF IN THAT NORTH WEST AREA MM-HMM.

UM, THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THINKING ABOUT HOW TO TARGET POPULATIONS THAT MIGHT BE UNEXPECTEDLY HIGHER THAN SOME OF THE COMMON PERCEPTIONS.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

AND I'M JUST GONNA CHECK ONLINE ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I CLOSE THIS OUT FOR QUESTIONS.

WELL THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO DOING A MORE IN-DEPTH OPIOID SORT OF, UM, DEEP DIVE, UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS.

THAT WILL BE REALLY GREAT.

AND I, I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THE C FOUR UPDATE.

THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THAT.

THAT WAS AWESOME.

WE ARE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR SWORN STAFF.

UM, UP NEXT

[4. Presentation regarding Public Safety Department mental health services and support for sworn staff.]

IF I CAN HAVE EVERYBODY UP TO COME JOIN US.

UM, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY WORKED, WORKED OUT AMONGST YOURSELF, LIKE IN ORDER, UM, OR HOW YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT.

UM, SO IF YOU COULD JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.

UM, THANK YOU.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE EVERYBODY FROM A PD.

UH, WE, WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR HERE WITH US, UH, KACHINA CLARK, UH, AND OUR SERGEANT JEN SMITH, AS WELL AS OUR VICTIM SERVICES.

UH, CONNIE GEARHART IS WITH US HERE TODAY AND AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE ALL THREE OF 'EM WORK FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO I THINK, HEATHER, YOU'RE GONNA START CORRECT.

AND THEN WE WILL GET INTO THE A PD UH, SUPPORT SERVICES.

YES.

HI, UH, HEATHER RISBY.

I'M THE CLINIC ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER.

UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, UH, SO THAT WE CAN TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.

SO, UM, AT THE WELLNESS CENTER, UH, THIS IS A, JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE PHYSICIANS THAT WE HAVE.

SO WE HAVE A CLINIC ADMINISTRATOR, WE HAVE MEDICAL PHYSICIANS, UM, WE HAVE STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND THEN WE HAVE SUPPORT STAFF FOR ALL OF THAT.

SO SUPERVISORS, MANAGERS, AND THEN MEDICAL AND, UM, FITNESS STAFF.

AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH, UM, FIRE PEER SUPPORT AND CHAPLAIN PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'RE LOCATED IN THE SAME BUILDING, UM, AS US.

[00:30:01]

WE WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.

JUST AS A REMINDER OF SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE MEDICAL AND FITNESS SIDE, WE DO ANNUAL PHYSICALS, UM, OUR RETURN TO WORK EXAMS. AND IN THAT CAPACITY WE OFTEN WORK WITH PEER SUPPORT TO SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS WHEN THEY'RE OUT FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME FOR AN INJURY.

UH, HIRING EXAMS FOR ALL THREE AGENCIES.

UM, THE CARDIOVASCULAR ASSESSMENTS, VACCINATIONS.

AND THEN FOR THE FITNESS SERVICES, WE DO THE INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS, UM, FITNESS ASSESSMENTS, AND THEN ACADEMY PT SESSIONS, AS WELL AS THE INFECTION CONTROL PROGRAM.

AND SO SPECIFICALLY FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE THROUGH OUR STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS, UH, THAT'S CONFIDENTIAL AND EVIDENCE-BASED, UH, THERAPY FOR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.

AND SO THAT TAKES DIFFERENT FORMS THAT CAN BE INDIVIDUAL COUPLES AND FAMILY SESSIONS, AS WELL AS, UM, CONSULTATIONS AND REFERRALS FOR OUTSIDE TREATMENT.

AND THEN, UM, MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS INTERVENTIONS.

WE, UH, ALSO HAVE THEM CONDUCT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHECK-IN.

SO AS PEOPLE COME IN FOR THEIR ANNUAL EXAMS, UM, THEY SPEAK WITH ONE OF THE PSYCHOLOGISTS JUST AS A, A CHECK-IN.

AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE EDUCATION FOR CADETS ALL THE WAY UP TO MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP LEVEL AND THE CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE DEBRIEFINGS AFTER ACTIONS AND THEN, UM, PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS FOR NEW HIRES.

SO THAT'S JUST A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER FOR ALL OF THE AGENCIES, FOR ALL THREE AGENCIES.

AND I'LL UH, PASS IT ALONG TO KACHINA.

ALRIGHT.

GOT IT.

ALRIGHT.

AGAIN, I'M, UM, KACHINA CLARK.

I AM THE DIVISION MANAGER OVER VICTIM SERVICES AND EMPLOYEE WELLNESS AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND I WILL GET, IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SORRY, I'LL LET, AND YOU, YOU ALREADY INTRODUCED SERGEANT , JEN SMITH OF PEER SUPPORT AND THEN CONNIE GEARHART IS THE EMPLOYEE, UH, WELLNESS PROGRAM MANAGER, WAS WITH VICTIM SERVICES FOR A VERY LONG TIME, BUT SAME UMBRELLA.

SO THIS IS, UH, JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE WELLNESS TEAM.

SO THERE'S THE, MY POSITION AND THEN CONNIE GERHARD WHO HANDLES THE, AS THE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS MAN PROGRAM MANAGER, HANDLES THE DAY TO DAY, UM, OPERATIONS OF THE WELLNESS PROGRAM.

WE HAVE A FITNESS AND WELLNESS PROGRAM COORDINATOR, TWO POLICE PSYCHOLOGISTS ON STAFF AT A PD, UM, PET TEAM HANDLERS.

AND SO WE HAVE TWO PET TEAM HANDLERS AND MULTIPLE VOLUNTEERS.

UM, WE HAVE VOLUNTEER CHAPLAINS, 10 10 VOLUNTEER CHAPLAINS.

AND THEN UNDER PEER SUPPORT, THE PEER SUPPORT SERGEANT, FOUR PEER SUPPORT OFFICERS, UH, PEER SUPPORT RETIREE COORDINATOR, AND THEN ABOUT 25 PEER SUPPORT RETIREE VOLUNTEERS.

IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT, JEN? THAT'S OKAY.

ALRIGHT, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE TERM WELLNESS, WE HEAR IT A LOT, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT IT MEANS OR SOME OF US DON'T.

AND SO IT'S NOT JUST REFERRING TO FITNESS, LIKE PHYSICAL FITNESS, BUT ALSO, UH, EMOTIONAL WELLNESS.

UM, FINANCIAL WELLNESS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT COMES UP A LOT.

AND SO WE DO HAVE OUR FITNESS AND NUTRITION COORDINATOR, KELLY SEARS, SHE'S AVAILABLE TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HEATHER ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO OFFICERS TO SWORN.

UM, SHE DOES THIS FOR POLICE SWORN AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.

THEY CAN GET A HEALTH CONSULT WITH HER.

THEY CAN, SHE HAS THIS MACHINE, IT'S CALLED LIKE AN INBODY 2000.

IT'S BASICALLY A ROBOT THAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOUR BODY'S MADE OF AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO IN THERE, YOU CAN GET IT DONE, THEN YOU CAN GO WORK OUT FOR A WHILE AND GO BACK, SEE IF YOU DO BETTER ON THE TEST.

UM, EDUCATIONAL CLASSES, WE HAVE MONTHLY WEBINARS.

WE CALL THEM WELLNESS WEDNESDAY FOR THE ALLITERATIVE AMONG US.

AND THOSE CAN INCLUDE, LIKE, WE SOMETIMES USE THE COMP, COMP PSYCH, UH, EMPLOYEE ASSISTANT PROGRAM.

AND THEN, AND THAT CAN COVER A HUGE VARIETY OF TOPICS.

BUT WE ALSO DO SOME OF THOSE IN-HOUSE BECAUSE WE WANNA CATER THEM TO WORKING WITHIN A POLICE ENVIRONMENT.

UM, AND THERE WILL BE, AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS YOU CAN LOOK AT THE TOPIC AHEAD OF TIME AND BE LIKE, OH, I REALLY WANNA LEARN ABOUT THIS FINANCIAL WELLNESS PIECE, UM, THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH.

IT TENDS TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF MOST BY OUR, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE OFFICE.

'CAUSE IT IS WEDNESDAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER EXPANDING.

UM, THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE GYM FACILITIES AT ALL OF OUR SUBSTATIONS.

AND, UM, THEN WE HAVE, WE USE, UH, INSTAGRAM, DUNNO IF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD OF IT, BUT THE KIDS ARE REALLY INTO IT.

AND WE HAVE THIS SPORTS U APP AS WELL, UM, WHICH I DON'T THINK IT'S ENTIRELY TAKEN OFF, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS BECAUSE EMAIL IS SO, UM, PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, AND SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE.

CONNECT THEM WITH THOSE THAT ACCEPT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD.

UM, IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH, UM, SUPPORT WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE, WE PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING.

SO WE HAVE TWO PSYCHOLOGISTS, AS I MENTIONED, ON STAFF THAT PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING TO, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SWORN AND TO CIVILIAN STAFF.

WE ALSO REFER OUT, AS HEATHER MENTIONED AS WELL, WE REFER OUT TO, UM, A THERAPIST IN THE COMMUNITY AND

[00:35:01]

OCCASIONALLY THE EAP, UH, OUR PSYCHOLOGISTS WILL PROVIDE PSYCHOLOGIST AND THEN SOME OF OUR, UM, VICTIM SERVICES STAFF, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AS WELL, WILL SOMETIMES PROVIDE SOME PSYCHED PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL SESSIONS OR THE, UM, FOR, UH, JUST ABOUT THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF TRAUMA, UM, AND THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA.

SO THEY PROVIDE THOSE TO SPECIALIZED UNITS OR, AND INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS.

UH, DEBRIEFINGS ARE OFFERED GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL, UM, GROUP DEBRIEFINGS ARE OFFERED AFTER CRITICAL INCIDENTS.

AND SO WE WORK CLOSELY WITH PEER SUPPORT TO PROVIDE THOSE.

UM, AND THEN INDIVIDUAL DEBRIEFING.

SO WHEN AN OFFICER IS INVOLVED IN AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING, THEY ARE MANDATED TO SEE THE PSYCHOLOGIST FOR AN INITIAL INDIVIDUAL DEBRIEFING AS WELL AS, UH, THREE FOLLOW UPS AFTER THAT.

UM, AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS MANDATORY.

UM, AND THEN ALSO THERE, I MENTIONED THERE, I MENTIONED VICTIM SERVICES BECAUSE VICTIM SERVICES ARE 50 SOMETHING, UM, COUNSELORS ON STAFF, THEY'RE AVAILABLE, THEY TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMAL SUPPORT.

IT JUST HAPPENS NATURALLY.

THEY WORK, UM, CALLS AND CASES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND SO THEY END UP PROVIDING, UM, SOME, UH, INFORMAL SUPPORT THROUGH AFTER, AFTER DIFFICULT CALLS.

UM, THEN WE PROCESS BACK AT OUR SUBSTATIONS AS WELL.

SO, UM, SO I ALSO, UH, SUPERVISE OUR FAITH-BASED, UH, GROUP OF CHAPLAINS.

THEY'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS, ALTHOUGH ONE OF OUR CHAPLAINS IS ACTUALLY A CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE AS WELL.

AND, UH, THEY PROVIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, SPIRITUAL SUPPORT, MINISTERIAL SERVICES.

UH, THE, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OF OUR CHAPLAINS ARE THOSE WHO ACTUALLY COME AND, YOU KNOW, DO RIDE OUTS OR SPEND SOME TIME WITH, WITH THE UNITS.

AND THAT IS SOMEWHAT SO THAT, UM, PEOPLE CAN BE PEOPLE, PEOPLE CAN BE A LITTLE GUN SHY OF ANYBODY COMING IN WHO THEY DON'T KNOW.

UM, BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HEAR THAT SOMEBODY IS OF FAITH, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE OTHER F WORD.

AND WE JUST WANT THEM TO GET REASSURED THAT IT'S ALL OKAY.

IT'S ALL CONFIDENTIAL AND ALL THAT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW AND IT'S OUR PET COMFORT PROGRAM, A PD PET TEAM.

WE HAVE, UH, TWO TEMP EMPLOYEES.

ONE IS A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER, AND THE OTHER, UH, IS JUST HUGE.

DONE A LOT WITH ANIMALS.

AND THEY HAVE, AND THEN WE HAVE, OH MY GOSH, I THINK 10 VOLUNTEERS AND, UH, WHICH AMOUNTS TO LIKE MAYBE 27 DOGS.

'CAUSE NOBODY HAS JUST ONE RIGHT? .

UM, AND ONE OF OUR, ONE OF OUR, UH, THE PAID STAFF HAS, SHE HAS LIKE FOUR GREAT DANES AND TWO OF THOSE COME AND DO THIS, THIS THERAPY, ONE OF THEM WHO WANTS TO BE ON SWAT? ANYWAY, THAT'S A WHOLE THING.

IF YOU EVER TALK TO ABOUT YOUR PETS.

HAVE YOU EVER TALKED TO PEOPLE IN THE VOICE OF YOUR PETS? I'M GOING TOO FAR.

UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER TEMP EMPLOYEE, SHE HAS A CHIHUAHUA NAMED PINTO BEANS.

SO IT'S GREAT WHEN THEY WORK TOGETHER, THE, THE GREAT DANE AND THE CHIHUAHUA.

AND IT IS, UM, WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THESE ANIMALS HAVE A TREMENDOUS, UM, ABILITY TO HELP PEOPLE, UM, SELF-REGULATE AND CALM WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO USE WORDS.

UM, AND OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO, WHO AREN'T INTO TO ANIMALS, BUT YOU, YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL, YOU'LL SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST GET ON THE FLOOR AND THEY HUG THEM AND THEY, THEY WILL JUST REPORT THAT IT, IT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR DAY AS FAR AS CALMING THEIR NERVOUS SYSTEM IF THEY'RE HAVING A ROUGH TIME.

SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY, UM, REALLY REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.

YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THE, THE TWO TEMP EMPLOYEES THROUGH A GRANT, THROUGH FIRST RESPOND MENTAL HEALTH FOCA GRANT.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE TO, UM, RECEIVE FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM.

IT'S BEEN, YEAH, LIKE CONNIE SAID, TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL.

OH, YEAH, UH, INITIATIVES.

SO, UH, WELLNESS SERIES FOR SPECIALIZED UNITS.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE WE HAVE, UH, DIFFERENT UNITS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THAT EXPERIENCE, UM, SORT OF A UNIQUE KIND OF, OF EXPOSURE TO, TO TRAUMA AND TO CRIME OR EVEN TO, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SCRUTINY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON THEM.

AND SO SOMETIMES IT'LL BE THAT ONE OF THEIR LEADERS, THEIR LIEUTENANT OR SERGEANT WILL REACH OUT AND SAY, HEY, WHAT, WHAT CAN Y'ALL HELP US WITH? AND THEN SOMETIMES WE MIGHT REACH OUT TO THEM.

AND SO WE'VE HAD THAT ON THE, UH, OUR STAFF PSYCHOLOGIST WILL SOMETIMES GO OUT AND DO SORT OF AN EDUCATIONAL, BUT IT TURNS KIND OF INTO A DEBRIEFING, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A, WITHIN A TIGHT-KNIT UNIT.

UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST A WELLNESS SERIES.

SO IT'S KIND OF THE IDEA OF THE WELLNESS WEDNESDAY, BUT REALLY BRINGING IT DIRECTLY TO THEM IN THEIR, IN THEIR, UH, IN

[00:40:01]

THEIR UNIT.

AND, UM, FOR, I THINK THAT, I THINK ONLINE AND ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN A, A GREAT THING TO COME OUT OF COVID IS THAT WE HAVE THAT CAPACITY, BUT I THINK IT ALSO LACKS THAT CONNECTION THAT REALLY, REALLY CAN DRAW PEOPLE IN.

SO TRYING TO DO, UH, THIS WELLNESS SERIES WHERE IT'S IN PERSON IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.

WE ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS WORK.

AND WE'VE UM, OH, THAT, SORRY.

YEAH, SORRY.

UM, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OFFER ONSITE YOGA.

THIS WAS SOMETHING NEW.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER A SERIES OF IT OVER THE SUMMER USING A STUDENT, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT.

SO FREE OF CHARGE AND ABLE TO BRING YOGA TO THE VARIOUS, UM, UNITS, SO TO DIFFERENT SITES SO PEOPLE CAN RECEIVE YOGA, UM, AT THEIR, AT THEIR, WE'RE WE'RE THEIR PLACE OF WORK, SO WHERE THEY WORK.

AND THAT'S BEEN GREAT.

WE, THEY HAVE, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING A STUDENT BACK FOR I THINK DECEMBER.

UM, AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE THIS.

WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO KEEP THAT, UM, GOING.

AND THEN, NO, WE'RE STILL, WE STILL HAVE TWO MORE POINTS.

STAND DOWN.

ALMOST THERE.

UM, THESE CIVILIANS, THEY TAKE SO MUCH ANOTHER POSITION, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, FILL THROUGH THE FIRST RESPONDER MENTAL HEALTH GRANT THAT, SO THIS VOCA GRANT IS SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN AND PROVIDES CLINICAL SUPPORT AND CONSULTATION.

THIS HAS BEEN GREAT.

UM, SO THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO USED TO WORK WITH VICTIM SERVICES.

SHE'S A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER.

SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, UM, MOSTLY TO THE, THE LEADERS WITHIN VICTIM SERVICES AND, UM, WITHIN THE WELLNESS TEAM.

SO IT'S ABLE TO MEET WITH THEM AND HELP THEM PROCESS THE, THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE PROVIDING, UM, THE SUPPORT AROUND THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND THAT HAS, THAT'S ANOTHER POSITION WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE.

SHE'S ALSO ASSISTING WITH SOME OF THE WELLNESS SERIES, THE, FOR THE SPECIALIZED UNIT.

SO SHE'LL BE WORKING WITH US ON THAT AS WELL.

AND LAST THING, THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

SO THIS IS OUT AT THE POLICE ACADEMY.

THERE ARE, IT'S FOR CURRICULUM REVIEW AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE ON THAT COMMITTEE LOOKING AT IT FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW AND INCLUDING SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.

AND SO I'M THERE AS THE, THE WELLNESS, LOOKING AT IT FROM THE WELLNESS PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS REALLY WEIRD BECAUSE I WAS IN VICTIM SERVICES FOR SO LONG.

SO I HAVE TO SORT OF SHIFT MY MINDSET AND THINK ABOUT THESE CADETS AS, UM, ADULT LEARNERS.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO THEM AND WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.

UH, AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, TO WORK ON.

CAN I ADD ONE MORE THING THAT WE DIDN'T INCLUDE? I'M SORRY.

WE'LL BE THERE TO YOU SOON.

WE ALSO, WE HAVE, AND I MENTIONED THIS WHEN WE CAME IN BEFORE AND TALKED ABOUT VICTIM SERVICES.

WE HAVE A VICTIM SERVICES COUNSELOR ASSIGNED TO THE, UH, ACADEMY TRAINING ACADEMY.

SO IN ADDITION TO LOOKING AT TRAINING CURRICULUM, SHE ALSO PROVIDES SUPPORT AND COUNSELING TO CADETS, UM, OR, OR WILL, UM, REQUEST THAT A PSYCHOLOGIST COME OUT WHEN A CADET MIGHT BE STRUGGLING OR AT RISK OF POTENTIALLY, UM, DROPPING OUTTA THE PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN, UM, WE'VE NOT HAD THAT BEFORE AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE EVEN EXPAND AT SOME POINT.

IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

OH YEAH, JEN, I THINK IT'S MY TURN NOW.

UM, SO I, AGAIN, AM JEN SMITH.

I'M SERGEANT OVER THE PEER SUPPORT TEAM AT A PD.

UM, WE HAD SOMEBODY VISIT OUR DEPARTMENT RECENTLY, AND HE WAS SAYING THE PROBLEM WITH PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS IS THAT NOBODY EVER REALLY USES THEM.

AND I SAID, WOO, THAT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM HERE AT A PD.

LIKE, THE WORD IS OUT THAT, THAT, UM, WE CAN HELP PEOPLE AND WE'RE TRUSTED, UM, BY ALMOST EVERYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND WE WORK WITH, UH, WE WORK WITH ANY A PD EMPLOYEES, SO THAT'S GONNA BE SWORN AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF.

UM, SO WE BASICALLY CAN HELP WITH WHATEVER ISSUE AN EMPLOYEE'S HAVING.

UM, MANY TIMES IT'S WORK RELATED OR TRAUMA RELATED, BUT MANY TIMES IT'S GONNA BE RELATIONSHIP ISSUES OR, UM, A CHILD THAT IS HAVING ISSUES, UM, IN SCHOOL OR, UM, PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE WE'VE DEALT WITH.

UM, I'VE JOTTED DOWN SOME OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE, UH, SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE, OR ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING OR, UH, RELATIONSHIP ISSUES, ISSUES AT WORK, UM, PROBLEMS WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UH, DEALING WITH TRAUMA, ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES SUCH AS LIKE BEING IN TROUBLE, BEING HAVING AN IA CASE, UM, FAMILY EITHER SPOUSE OR CHILD ISSUES.

AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER BIG ONE IS GRIEF.

UM, AND SO ANYTIME ANY OF THESE THINGS GET ON OUR RADAR, WE HAVE A SMALL TEAM AND WE DO THESE CHECK-INS ON PEOPLE.

UM, AND THEN FROM THERE WE TRY TO GET THEM WHATEVER HELP WE THINK, UH, THERE IS THAT MIGHT HELP THEM.

SO, UM, BEING IN THIS JOB, WE'VE, WE'VE DEVELOPED ALL THESE RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS THAT WE KNOW ARE VETTED.

THEY'RE GOOD WITH TRAUMA, THEY'RE GOOD WITH FIRST RESPONDERS.

AND SO WE HAVE LIKE A LIST OF, OF PEOPLE THAT TAKE INSURANCE THAT WE CAN REFER OUR A PD EMPLOYEES TO, UM, WHEN THEY NEED HELP.

UM,

[00:45:02]

I COULD TALK ABOUT IT FOR HOURS, BUT I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT.

UM, SO, UH, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE HAPPY OFFICERS THAT ARE, LIKE WITH ANY PROFESSION, THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE PRODUCTIVE, THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE PATIENT, THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE BETTER AT THEIR JOBS.

SO, UM, WE TAKE WHAT WE DO, UH, VERY SERIOUSLY AND, AND WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE HAPPY, HAPPIER OFFICERS.

AND THE LAST SLIDE, WE JUST PUT A LITTLE SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE JUST CITY WELLNESS RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY.

UM, THAT EAP OF COURSE, UH, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, AND THEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, HEALTHY CONNECTIONS DIVISION.

UH, THEY OFFER LIKE PE SO PEOPLE CAN TRY OUT.

I TOOK BASKETBALL, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR.

THAT WAS A MISTAKE, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS ALL THESE LIKE 30-YEAR-OLD MEN WHO HAD OBVIOUSLY PLAYED COLLEGE BALL.

I MADE ONE UH, BASKET THE WHOLE TIME, BUT FUN, YOU STRETCH YOUR LIMITS.

SO, NEXT SLIDE.

ANY QUESTIONS? UM, IF WE COULD GET THE COMMISSIONERS BACK ON FOR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THIS.

I THINK WE JUST, I KNOW THAT, UM, OUR OFFICERS OPERATE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS.

UM, OFFICERS THAT ARE WELL, UM, SWORN OFFICERS ACROSS ALL THE DIVISIONS THAT ARE WELL ARE GONNA DELIVER BETTER SERVICE, UM, AND ARE GOING, ARE GOING TO BE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE, UM, INCIDENTS THAT ESCALATE.

UM, THERE'S LESS USE OF FORCE, UM, IF YOU'RE INTERACTING WITH A HAPPIER, YOU KNOW, UM, SWORN OFFICER.

THERE'S JUST A LOT OF REASONS WHY MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT ACROSS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

UM, I JUST NOT, I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

I NOTICED THAT FIRE IS SERVED OUT OF THE WELLNESS CENTER AS WELL, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD, FIRE AND EMS ARE SERVED OUT OF THE WELLNESS CENTER.

A PD ALSO HAS THEIR OWN ADDITIONAL SERVICES.

THAT'S CORRECT, YES, CORRECT.

WITH EPD, UM, AND I, I, I HAVE ONE QUESTION TO START, START US ALL OFF.

AND IT'S IS ACCESS TO THESE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, UM, DICTATED, REGULATED LIMITED BY INSURANCE AND THE SWORN OFFICER'S ACCESS TO INSURANCE AND LIKE WHATEVER THE INSUR INSURANCE APPROVAL? I GUESS.

SO IN-HOUSE, IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT REGULATED BY INSURANCE.

SO OUR STAFF, PSYCH PSYCHOLOGIST, STAFF PSYCHOLOGIST, UH, WITH THE MS FIRE PEER SUPPORT, ALL OF THAT IS COMPLETELY WITHOUT INSURANCE.

IT'S FREE, YOU KNOW? YEAH.

THEY CAN ACCESS AS MANY, YOU KNOW, SESSIONS AS THEY WANT.

UM, WHEN IT COMES TO YEAH.

IF THEY WANT TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE DO WANT.

DON'T WANT TO GO IN-HOUSE, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE.

UM, THEN, THEN PEER SUPPORT, I MEAN, WE COULD GO ON TO WHERE WE GET OUR LISTS FROM, BUT WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF REFERRALS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO AND GET, GET THE, UM, YOU KNOW, GO SEE A CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER AND LPC ON IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THAT IS, THAT IS THROUGH INSURANCE AND SOMETIMES IN SOME, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS WITH FIRE AND EMS, I KNOW SOME, THERE'S SOME SORT OF COMMON BELIEF THAT POLICE OFFICERS DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH INSURANCE LIKE THAT.

THEY, THEY WANT TO GO OFF BOOK.

UM, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR EXPERIENCE WITH OUR OFFICERS.

THEY DO WANT TO USE INSURANCE.

, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EMS. YES.

I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT THE, UM, STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR, UH, THAT WORK AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER AND FOR A PD MEET WEEKLY, I BELIEVE, TO DISCUSS A MM-HMM.

PSYCHIATRIC CONTRACT THAT WE ALSO HAVE.

SO THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT WE'VE PROVIDED TO ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHEN THEY'RE IN NEED OF THOSE.

UM, BUT YES, TO, TO REITERATE, THEY ARE ALL OF FREE OF CHARGE ALL THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED THROUGH EITHER THE WELLNESS CENTER OR, OR A PD WELLNESS.

UM, AND I HAD ANOTHER POINT TO THAT AND I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.

I, WELL, SO IN ADDITION TO THE POLICE, UH, PEER SUPPORT, I KNOW WE HAD SOME PRESENTATIONS FOR BOTH EMS AND, AND A FD WHO ALSO HAVE PEER SUPPORT GROUPS THAT, THAT, UM, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND, AND RESOURCES AND, UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, SO IT'S INSURANCE WITH A COPAY OR EAP, THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOT COPAY, BUT IT'S SESSIONS ARE LIMITED.

THEY'RE ALSO LIMITED WITH INSURANCE AS WELL.

SO, AND I THINK WE'VE SEEN MORE OF AN OPENNESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS OUR, AS OUR GROUPS GET YOUNGER.

MM-HMM, , WHAT WAS THAT LINE FROM MATH MCCONAUGHEY? I GET OLDER, BUT THEY SAY THE SAME AGE.

ANYWAY.

UM, THESE, THESE, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE FOR EMS AND FIRE, BUT I JUST SEE THIS YOUNGER GENERATION OF GROUPS ARE MORE EMBRACING OF MM-HMM.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.

ABOUT WHETHER, UM, FIRE AND, AND, UH, EMS PERSONNEL FEEL HESITANT TO USE THEIR INSURANCE, I I THINK IT JUST KIND OF VARIES.

I WOULD, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.

AND I WAS GONNA SAY THAT, UM, TO YOUR QUESTION

[00:50:01]

SOMETIMES I THINK, UM, SOMETIMES THERE IS A HESITANCE BECAUSE NOT A LOT OF PSYCHOLOGISTS TAKE INSURANCE THAT, UM, THEY WANT TO DO OUT OF POCKET.

SO THAT, THAT IS KIND OF A BARRIER.

FOR SOME OF OUR FOLKS.

WE'VE ALSO HEARD A FEW, UH, A A FEW FOLKS TALK ABOUT HIGH DEDUCTIBLE INSURANCE PLANS AND HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLANS ENDING UP COSTING THEM A LOT MORE IF THEY'RE SEEKING THIS TYPE OF CARE.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT INTERNALLY.

START, MAYBE START SHARING THAT INFORMATION THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEEK MENTAL HEALTH CARE, MAYBE THE HIGH COST INSURANCE OR THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE INSURANCE, UM, IS NOT THE BEST PLAN FOR YOU.

SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ARE KIND OF COMING TO LIGHT NOW AS PEOPLE ARE USING THE SERVICES MORE.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT? .

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS.

AND I, I, I THINK I JUST WANT TO, UM, KIND OF FOCUS ALL MY QUESTIONS ON, UH, A BIG QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD WE BE DOING BETTER, UM, FOR PEACE OFFICER WELLNESS? UM, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, UM, STUFF THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS WORKED ON, I THINK HAS COME ACROSS AS REALLY, UM, ADVERSARIAL WITH A PD.

UM, AND, UH, AND I AM SPEAKING ABOUT MYSELF A LOT OF THE TIME.

UM, I'M SORRY IF I SENT ANYBODY TO WELLNESS BECAUSE I WAS MEAN TO THEM AT A MEETING.

UM, I'M WORKING ON IT.

UH, BUT, UH, BUT I REALLY DO THINK THAT EVERYBODY WANTS OUR SWORN AND FOR THAT MATTER, OUR UNSWORN STAFF AT A PD, UM, UH, TO BE DOING WELL AND BE, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY AND IN EVERY WAY, UM, HEALTHY.

SO, UM, I GUESS I'M WONDERING IF, IF YOU ALL TRACE OR KEEP STATISTICS ON SORT OF WHAT PERCENTAGE OF SWORN AND UNSWORN STAFF ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CERTAIN SERVICES, UM, IF THERE'S A, AND IF THERE'S A WAY FOR Y'ALL TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHO'S, WHO'S NOT COMING TO Y'ALL, WHO SHOULD BE, UM, AND HOW, HOW DO WE REDUCE BARRIERS OR INCREASE OPENNESS OR JUST WORK ON WELLNESS FOR EVERYBODY AND IT'LL TRICKLE DOWN, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.

SO AS FAR AS THE PERCENTAGE OF STAFF THAT USE OUR SERVICES, WE DON'T REALLY KEEP THAT NUMBER.

AND IN FACT, THE NUMBERS THAT WE DO KEEP ARE VERY LIKE VAGUE AND GENERALIZED.

SURE.

BECAUSE ONE OF OUR LIKE CORNERSTONES OF WHAT WE DO IS CONFIDENTIALITY.

SURE.

AND SO, UM, WE DON'T EVER WANT TO DO ANYTHING LIKE ON THE BOOKS THAT WOULD EVER COME OUT, I GUESS.

UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT IS FUNNY AND WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS OF LIKE, WHY IS IT SOMETIMES THAT THE PEOPLE THAT NEED US THE MOST ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE MOST RESISTANT? WE DO FIND THAT.

UM, AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, PERSON BY PERSON JUST TRYING TO BREAK DOWN SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS IN THOSE WALLS.

, I WOULD SAY THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE AT A PD HAVE REAL BUY-IN WITH OUR TEAM.

AND INCLUDING, I THINK THE CHIEFS WOULD WOULD SAY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY COME TO US SOMETIMES AND SAY, HEY, SO AND SO SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME.

CAN YOU CHECK IN? SO YEAH.

I FEEL LIKE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TOP, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FOR THE MOST PART, YOU KNOW, ARE WILLING TO SEEK OUR ASSISTANCE.

UH, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE THOSE FEW THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO, TO GET THROUGH TO.

AND WE JUST KEEP WORKING.

WELL, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH MENTAL HEALTH IN GENERAL.

THE DEPARTMENT LEARNED, UM, BASICALLY SUICIDE RECOGNITION SKILLS.

THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CERTAIN, UM, CONCERNS THAT FOLKS HAVE OR, UH, CONDITIONS THAT JUST MAKE IT A LOT LESS LIKELY, UM, THAT THEY'RE GONNA ASK, UM, FOR HELP.

I WONDER IF Y'ALL HAVE DONE ANY, AND I'LL STOP AFTER THIS.

NO, THAT'S FINE.

YOU'RE FINE.

I WONDER IF Y'ALL HAVE DONE ANY, UM, I KNOW I LOVE THE PEER SUPPORT, UM, BUT IN, UH, SORT OF TRAINING EVERYBODY AT A PD IN HOW TO TALK ABOUT LIKE HARD STUFF, UM, I MEAN, I DIDN'T, I LEARNED ALL THIS STUFF SORT OF AD HOC BECAUSE I WAS LIKE RANDOMLY IN AN ORGANIZATION THAT DID A LOT OF DV WORK OR DID A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, SEXUAL VIOLENCE WORK.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I LEARNED LIKE HOW TO REACH OUT TO SOMEONE WHO'S, YOU KNOW, HAVING LIKE A FAMILY VIOLENCE SITUATION AND NOT BE JUDGY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE SUPPORT.

BUT LIKE, IS THAT THE KIND OF STUFF THAT FOLKS CAN ALSO LEARN? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

AND, AND, UM, UH, PRIOR TO MY COMING TO THE TEAM, UM, IT WAS LED BY A MAN NAMED TIM CRETA.

HE IS ALSO SERGEANT.

UM, AND HE, UH, WE HAD LIKE AN IN-SERVICE TRAINING THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR EVERY OFFICER IN THE DEPARTMENT.

AND I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST LIKE BENEFICIAL AND, AND, UM, POWERFUL TRAININGS EVER BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN

[00:55:01]

RIGHT.

AND IT WAS HUGE.

AND IT, AND IT, I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS KIND OF THE MOMENT WHERE PEER SUPPORT REALLY GOT ITS LEGS AND EVERYBODY WAS LIKE LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER.

AND SO, UM, MORE RECENTLY WE'VE TALKED, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED THE PEER NETWORK THAT, UH, TEXAS LAW ENFORCEMENT PEER NETWORK.

AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT IF WE TRIED TO PUSH THIS OUT TO ALL A PD OFFICERS, JUST SO THAT, JUST AS A REFRESHER TO THAT TRAINING, THAT WAS YEARS AGO AND SOME OF THE NEWER OFFICERS HAVE NOT HAD NOW.

SO THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A PROACTIVE THING THAT WE COULD DO.

OH, SORRY, GO.

SORRY.

I COULD JUST ADD TO THAT WE ALSO ARE MANDATED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE RESOLUTION FROM COUNSEL TO TAKE ICAS AND, AND ABEL, UH, WAS IS OUR DEAL ESCALATION, UH, TRAINING AND, AND, AND PART OF THAT DEESCALATION IS SEEING OTHER OFFICERS AND SAYING SOMETHING WHEN, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO THEM OR TELLING, LETTING THEIR SUPERVISORS KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT SOMETHING MAY BE GOING ON AND TRY TO GIVE THAT PERSON HELP.

I'LL ALSO TELL YOU THAT THE STATE HAS MANDATED IN OUR T COLE TRAINING THAT WE DO EVERY TWO YEARS FOR OUR LICENSING.

THERE'S A BIG PORTION ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THERE TOO.

SO IT'S ALSO COVERED IN THERE.

UH, AND I ALSO TELL YOU THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT JUST PUT OUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THEY LOST SOMEBODY TO SUICIDE.

THEY PUT OUT TRAINING.

IF YOU TOOK THE TRAINEE, ACTUALLY YOU GOT MY RED T-SHIRT 'CAUSE I DID IT, SO I'D PROBABLY WEAR MY RED T-SHIRT.

UH, BUT ALSO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS CONCERNED WITH THAT TOO.

SO THERE'S, THERE IT IS.

IT WENT UP TO ALL A PD EMPLOYEES, ACTUALLY ALL FIRST RESPONDERS AVAILABLE TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE TRAINING'S AVAILABLE.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT TRAINING OUT PROGRAMS OUT THERE AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO EMBRACE AND, AND GET TO KNOW THIS PROGRAM.

UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT'S, UM, REALLY GREAT.

I JUST, I KNOW, AND A LOT OF THIS IS ANECDOTAL, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW COMMON IT IS, UM, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH THERE IS LIKE A THING CALLED A TACTICAL PAUSE, THERE IS ALSO A CULTURE OF LIKE GIVING PEOPLE A HARD TIME FOR NOT BEING TOUGH ENOUGH.

RIGHT.

AND THAT, UM, THE SITUATIONS THAT I THINK I WORRY ABOUT THE MOST ARE THE ONES WHERE, UM, FOLKS DON'T SLOW DOWN AND BREATHE AND CONTROL THEIR ADRENAL RESPONSE, UM, BEFORE MAKING CHOICES.

UM, AND I WONDER, UM, DO Y'ALL TEACH THAT AT THE CADET ACADEMY OR DOES SOMEBODY ELSE, AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT GETS, THAT'S ALL PART OF I CS ENABLE? YEAH.

BECAUSE I, I, YEAH.

I, I, YEAH.

AND, BUT IT IS TAUGHT TO ALL THE CADETS.

YES, MA'AM.

WE ALSO HAVE ONE OF OUR, SO BOTH OF OUR PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE TRAINED IN, UH, EMDR.

AND YEAH.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE FOUND, UM, WITH THE EMDR IS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE FOUND THAT OVER THE YEARS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS IT'S BEEN, BUT PEOPLE WHO USE IT AND THEN ARE IN THE, THESE HIGHER RANKS.

LIKE, I MEAN, I RECENTLY WAS ON A CALL WITH AN OFFICER AND I MEAN, HE WAS SAYING IT TO THE PERSON HE WAS TRYING TO HELP.

LIKE, OH, I HAD EMDR.

IT WAS GREAT.

LIKE MM-HMM.

SO IT'S BECOME MUCH MORE ACCEPTED IN THE CULTURE MM-HMM.

, UM, INTERNALLY, BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL GO, THEY'LL HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF IT BEING HELPFUL TO THEM.

SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'VE SEEN.

I THINK THAT CULTURE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS FAR AS GETTING THAT WORD OUT.

, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.

UM, THANK YOU.

AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD ALSO, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE WE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT INSURANCE.

SO EVERYBODY HAS REALLY GOOD INSURANCE WITH THE CITY, BUT THERE IS THE COPAY.

UM, FOR COUNSELING, WE HAD, UM, THROUGH THE, THAT GRANT I TALKED ABOUT THE FRMH GRANT, THE GRANT THAT WE'RE USING NOW TO PAY FOR THE PET HANDLERS, WE, UM, AT ONE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO USE FUNDING TO, UM, CONTRACT WITH THERAPISTS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE SUPPORT JUST TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

SO WE'RE TRAINED UP TO PROVIDE TO OR SUPPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

I DON'T THINK OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS, I THINK IT WAS JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND THAT WAS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL.

WE, WE SPENT EVERY PENNY OF THAT.

UM, AND SO HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THERAPISTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD PROVIDE, UM, COUNSELING THERAPISTS THAT WERE TRAINED TO WORK WITH, WITH FIRST RESPONDERS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, WOULD SEE, UM, FOLKS FREE CHARGE WOULD BE HELPFUL.

AND WE, ON THE VICTIM SERVICES SIDE, WE HAVE FUNDING, UH, TO TRAIN THERAPISTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE PROVIDE, WE PAY FOR THE EMDR TRAINING FOR THEM, AND IN EXCHANGE THEY PROVIDE, UH, PRO BONO SESSIONS TO VICTIMS OF CRIME HOPING TO DO THAT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TOO.

AND SO WORKING ON THAT, YEAH.

I HAVE TO SAY I UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC PRESSURES, UM, AND THAT LIKE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE.

THAT GET ATTACHED TO GREAT THERAPISTS AND THEN THEY SAY, SORRY, YOU KNOW, COME JANUARY 1ST, I'M NOT TAKING INSURANCE ANYMORE.

UM, AND I'M REALLY HOPING SOMEONE'S WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, STRATEGIES THAT, UM, IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH THAT AREN'T MM-HMM.

ONE-ON-ONE THERAPY, BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE THE MOST EXPENSIVE MODALITY.

UM, BUT IT WOULD, IT MAKES ME WORRIED IF THERE ARE ANY OFFICERS WHO DON'T GET LIKE, INDIVIDUAL THERAPY WHEN THEY WANT IT BECAUSE THERE'S A COPAY OR THERE'S A, AN ISSUE.

SO, MM-HMM.

AND I CAN JUST, UH, ALSO SPEAK ON, ON THERAPISTS AND TAKING INSURANCE IS THAT MANY THERAPISTS, UM, THEY TAKE INSURANCE INITIALLY, BUT THEN EVENTUALLY THEY USUALLY STOP.

AND SO WE HAVE OFFICERS

[01:00:01]

SO THAT, WE SEE THAT A LOT.

SO THAT'S WHERE SOMETHING LIKE THE FIRST FIRST RESPONDER MENTAL HEALTH GRANT WHEN IT CAME IN AND SAID YOU COULD HAVE 15 FREE SESSIONS.

IT WAS, IT, I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH HOW BENEFICIAL THAT WAS TO OUR OFFICERS.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? COMMISSIONER NGUYEN? UH, I JUST HAD A, A FEW QUESTIONS.

I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, MORE SO CONTINUOUS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGIES, BUT DO, IS CISM STILL USED LIKE CRITICAL INCIDENT, UH, STRESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM? IS THAT STILL RELEVANT? OR IS THAT KIND OF, AM I DATING MYSELF? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THERE'S, SO I'VE BEEN TRAINED ON IT.

I KNOW THAT OUR STAFF PSYCH AND PEER SUPPORT ARE TRAINED ON IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S MIXED UH, FEEDBACK ON THAT AS FAR AS, UM, THERE, THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE THAT SAYS THAT DOING THAT KIND OF A DEBRIEF CAN END UP POTENTIALLY HARMING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S NOT DONE RIGHT BECAUSE OF THE SECONDARY TRAUMA.

AND SO PEER SUPPORT IS REALLY GREAT ABOUT VETTING SORT OF WHAT WAS THE SITUATION, WHAT DOES THE, THE PARTICULAR UNIT WANT AND NEED? WHO SHOULD BE IN THAT ROOM WITH THEM? AND I'D SAY, IT'S NOT THAT YOU ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T BE A HUNDRED PERCENT ON WHO, WHO IT'S GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON, BUT WE DO A MODIFIED CISM, SO WE DON'T FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER.

UH, WE, AND THAT CISM IS CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT DEBRIEFING.

UM, SO WE MODIFY IT TO, UH, MATCH OUR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE GROUP IS.

AND MY EXPERIENCE WITH IT HAS BEEN REALLY POSITIVE WITH THE SHIFTS LATELY.

BUT YOU GUYS ARE ON ALL OF THEM.

SO YEAH, I WAS GENERALLY, WE DO TRY TO DO THEM.

THEY'RE ALWAYS VOLUNTARY SO PEOPLE CAN COME ATTEND THEM OR DECIDE TO NOT.

UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT ATTEND THEM AND PARTICIPATE HAVE POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM.

AND WE'RE VERY CAREFUL THAT WE TRY TO STAY WITH THEM LIKE CERTAIN PARAMETERS.

UM, AND, AND SO WE FOLLOW, BASICALLY WE HAVE A SET OF RULES AND WE, UH, ALWAYS HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL PRESENT AT WHEN WE DO THEM.

UM, AND YES, ANYTIME THAT WE HAVE THE INTEREST AFTER OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING, WE TRY TO DO THEM.

AND, AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP TO THAT, SO, UH, I'M GUESSING YOU RECEIVED A TRAINING, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT CMS A LITTLE BIT EXPENSIVE.

SO, UH, IS IT NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE EXPLORING WITH TRAINING OTHER PEOPLE IN, IN IMPLEMENTING CISM SINCE YOU'RE DOING A MODIFIED VERSION OF IT? AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT, IT'S THE FIVE TEAM MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE THAT DO THEM.

SO WE HAVEN'T PUSHED IT OUT TO ALL OF THE PEER SUPPORT VOLUNTEERS.

UM, SO IT'S JUST THE FEW OF US, LUCKILY WE'RE FORTUNATE IN AUSTIN THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS, SO IT'S, IT'S MANAGEABLE FOR OUR TEAM TO HANDLE.

UM, BUT YEAH, UH, I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE COST OF THE TRAINING IS, BUT I, I'VE NEVER, I DON'T, I DON'T FORESEE THAT BEING AN ISSUE IN OUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO, TO DO THEM ON OUR TEAM.

AND THEN ONE MORE THING, UM, I'M SURPRISED IN THE WAY I TALKED ABOUT THE DOGS.

UM, I, I HEARD HOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DOGS.

I REALLY LOVE PROGRAM.

DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? , .

I DROOLED OVER THE DOGS .

I KNOW, BUT I'M SURPRISED NOBODY ELSE MENTIONED IT.

UM, BUT I, I'M INTERESTED BECAUSE I, I, I HEARD THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CONTINUATION OF THAT, UH, FUNDING, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GROWN AND, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THERAPY.

UM, I'M WONDERING IF, UM, IF YOU THINK THAT THAT FUNDING IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE, UH, AVAILABLE NEXT YEAR, OR, OR WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO LOOK FOR, UM, DIFFERENT FORMS OF FUNDING? UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT WAS A GRANT THAT'S REOCCURRING.

IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY WE'D HAVE TO LOOK FOR DIFFERENT FORMS OF FUNDING BECAUSE THAT FIRST RESPONDER MENTAL HEALTH GRANT REQUIRES A DIFFERENT ITERATION EACH TIME.

SO THAT'S WHY EVEN WHEN WE HIT ON SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY SUCCESSFUL, LIKE THE FREE 15 SESSIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, OR WITH, WITH THERAPISTS, WE CAN'T DO THEN DO THAT AGAIN.

THEY'RE LIKE, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHEN YOU TRY TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD, IT WILL NOT TAKE THAT SAME ONE AGAIN.

YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.

AND SO WE HAVE TO GET CREATIVE WITH IT.

SO I'M NOT SURE I, IT'S A VERY POPULAR PROGRAM AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, WITH THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, MAKE SURE THAT WE WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP IT 'CAUSE IT IS SO POPULAR.

IN SUPPORTING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

OR, OR EXPLORE DIFFERENT, YEAH.

MIGHT BE EXPLORING DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR FUNDING.

WELL, I, I'D LOVE TO EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE MORE OF SEEING IF THERE'S SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WE CAN CONSIDER IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, IN,

[01:05:01]

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WAS JUST GONNA CLOSE OUT WITH ONE THING, WHICH IS, I, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU GUYS DON'T KEEP A WHOLE LOT OF DATA.

AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, THE NEED TO ANONYMIZE DATA, UM, AND PRIVACY AS AN ISSUE, BUT UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE SCALE AT WHICH YOUR SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY USED.

UM, WHAT PERCENTAGES OF OUR SWORN OFFICERS ARE ENGAGING IN SERVICES, UM, REPEAT USE, UM, ALL THE, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE I THINK, REALLY IMPORTANT TO, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S NEEDED, WHAT'S NOT NEEDED, WHAT NEEDS TO SCALE.

UM, AND SO IS THERE, DO YOU GUYS TRACK ANY SORT OF DATA? Y YES.

WE, WE, WE, WHAT WE DO TRACK IS WE TRACK EVERY CONTACT THAT WE HAVE.

UM, AND SO WE JUST, WHAT WE DON'T TRACK IS, AND WE TRACK EVERY CONTACT WE HAVE AND THEN LIKE THE, THE CATEGORY.

SO LIKE, UM, WORK, TRAUMA, WORK STRESS, UM, THOSE TYPES OF CATEGORIES.

AND THEN WHETHER WE REFER THEM TO SOMEBODY OR NOT INTERNALLY OR EXTERNALLY.

SO THAT, THAT'S THE DATA THAT WE KEEP.

UM, AND AS FAR AS LIKE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UH, WHO THE PERCENTAGE OF OFFICERS AND, UH, CIVILIAN STAFF THAT ARE USING OUR, OUR SERVICES, THAT WOULD BE A LOT TRICKIER TO DO OTHER THAN MAYBE THROUGH A SURVEY.

I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD KEEP THAT TRACK, THAT DATA.

UH, SO FOR THE WELLNESS CENTER, WE DO TRACK SOME OF THAT.

AND SOME OF THAT IS ALSO BECAUSE WE'RE OVERLAPPING WITH THE AGENCIES AND WE'RE TRYING TO TRACK USAGE OF, OF THE, UM, PSYCHOLOGISTS.

UH, BUT WE DO KEEP INFORMATION ON WHETHER IT'S SWORN OR IF IT'S SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OR IF IT'S FAMILY MEMBERS, UM, OR IF IT'S CIVILIAN STAFF.

AND THEN ALSO I KNOW THAT PEER SUPPORT TRACKS THEIR INTERACTIONS, UH, SIMILARLY TO WHAT, UM, A PD PEER SUPPORT DOES AS WELL.

I JUST ENCOURAGE AS WE MOVE INTO AN INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING FISCAL ENVIRONMENT AND RIGHT, ONE GRANT FINISHES UP AND THEN NEED TO TRY TO FILE THE FUNDING, THE MORE THAT WE CAN JUSTIFY, UM, THE GOOD SERVICE THAT ARE PROVIDED, I THINK THE BETTER WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CASE.

YOU GUYS WILL BE, MAKE THAT CASE TO COUNCIL IN TERMS OF INCREASING OR EVEN JUST MAINTAINING THE BUDGETS THAT WE HAVE.

SO WHATEVER CAN BE DONE FOR MAINTAINING THAT DATA, I THINK IS A GOOD THING TO DO MOVING FORWARD.

AND THEN, UM, I THINK MY LAST CLOSING QUESTION IS JUST AS WE TRANSITION TO NEW PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS, WILL THERE BE OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF UNIFY ALL OF YOUR SERVICES FOR ALL SWORN OFFICERS? OR WILL THERE CONTINUE TO BE THIS SORT OF SEGMENT? THE, THE, THE SEGMENTATION.

I LOVE THE IDEA OF SOME UNIFYING, JUST SO THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES TO GO, SORT OF GIVES MORE CHOICE, UM, FOR PEOPLE.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE ALL EMS, FIRE, A PD, THEY'RE ALL SPREAD OUT AT SUBSTATIONS.

SO EVEN THOUGH THERE WILL BE THIS ONE SPOT, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE ABLE TO GO THERE.

SO THAT WOULD BE MY THOUGHTS.

AND I WAS GONNA SAY, KACHINA AND I, UH, MEET PRETTY REGULARLY TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE, UM, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING A PD, UM, PERSONNEL TO UTILIZE THE STAFF PSYCHOLOGIST AT THE WELLNESS CENTER, OR VICE VERSA.

UM, SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PROVIDE, UH, SERVICES ACROSS THE BOARD.

AND I DO THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IS GREAT.

UM, BUT I, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE PERSONNEL ARE, UM, VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE CONFIDENTIALITY.

AND AS ARE ALL THE PSYCHOLOGISTS AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, WE TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.

HAVING SOME SEPARATION BETWEEN MANAGEMENT, UM, I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO, TO GIVE, TO HELP EMPHASIZE THAT, THAT THERE IS SOME CONFIDENTIALITY THERE AS WELL.

THANK YOU ALL.

UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I HOPE WE CAN TALK SOME MORE.

UM, SOUNDS LIKE WE WANNA TALK ABOUT DOGS MORE FOR SURE.

, SO SORRY I TALKED SO MUCH AND PROBABLY SAID INAPPROPRIATE THINGS.

YEAH, DO WE, THERE'S THE ES PORTION OF IT.

OH, DID YOU? YES.

, I HAVE THE MISFORTUNE OF FOLLOWING THAT PRESENTATION, SO NO, NO, NO.

SO MYSELF AND FIRE ALSO PREPARE.

OH, OH BOY.

JUST SEVERAL SLIDES ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE OTHER, AND I, I APOLOGIZE.

I WAS ON THE TAIL END OF THEIR PRESENTATION, SO IF THAT'S EASIER THAN I APOLOGIZE.

YES.

[01:10:01]

DOGS .

SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO, SO WE WERE ASKED TO, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY SPEAK TO DIFFERENCES THAT THE DEPARTMENTS DO.

AND SO I'LL SPEAK FOR, FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A PD AND THIS GROUP DO THE HEAVY LIFTING.

'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES IN WHAT WE DO, BUT THERE'S SOME DIFFERENCES, AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT THOSE.

UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS SUPPORTS, UH, AT LEAST ONE OF THE STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SOME OF THE FTES OVER AT PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS, UH, MYSELF AND FIRE HAVE DEFINITELY HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT CONSOLIDATING PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS INTO THE NEW HEADQUARTERS WOULD LOOK LIKE.

JUST THINKING THROUGH WHAT CONFIDENTIALITY LOOKS LIKE IF YOU'RE GOING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, THAT, HOW YOU APPROACH PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS AS A WHOLE, WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANNA NAVIGATE THAT.

'CAUSE THAT COULD BE A BARRIER TO, TO SPEAKING OR SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS THAT WE UTILIZE AT PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE'VE DONE IN MY EXPERIENCE IN UTILIZING THEM.

UM, AS WE TALK ABOUT NAVIGATING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND HIGH INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THEY'RE A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IS WHAT THEY TELL ME BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE FREE.

UH, AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY EASY TO, TO GET INTO.

UH, THEY DEFINITELY TALK WITH OUR FOLKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ACUTE STRESS, UH, PTSD, THEY'LL DO COUNSELING.

UM, THE OTHER THING THAT EMS DOES, UH, DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER AGENCIES IS WE HAVE A PROVIDER, DONYA, UH, DR.

TANYA GLENN AND ASSOCIATES ON CONTRACT WITH US.

AND SO IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE STIGMA OF GOING, SEEING A STAFF PSYCHOLOGIST THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SHE HAS A A HAS A SEPARATE GROUP AND WE DO A BLIND PAYMENT WITH HER.

SO WE CAL WE, WE, WE MINE IT DOWN TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GO SEE HER, BUT WE NEVER SEE THE NAMES OF THOSE THAT, THAT GO SEE HER.

IF YOU HAVE A RELUCTANCE OF SEEING A STAFF PSYCHOLOGIST THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SHE ALSO SERVES AS OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM, CLINICAL ADVISOR.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, BOTH THE STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS AT WELLNESS AND DR.

TANYA GLENN CAN DO IS TO FAST TRACK CONFIDENTIAL ADMISSIONS INTO INPATIENT REHABILITATION FACILITIES, UH, WHEN THAT OCCURS.

SO YOU HAVE A, A SEPARATE DOOR THAT YOU GO INTO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT IN THE WAITING ROOM, AND THEY'VE DONE SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS HAS BEEN HUGE FOR US.

UM, NOT COMMON IN EMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND SO HAVING, UH, PHYSICAL TRAINING PROGRAM FACILITATORS AT OUR ACADEMY CLASSES TO TALK ABOUT WELLNESS WHEN THEY FIRST COME IN THE DOOR IS GREAT.

UM, EXERCISE, UH, PHYSIOLOGISTS, NUTRITIONISTS, THEY'LL COME OUT TO THE STATION, TALK ABOUT NUTRITION AND EXERCISE, WHICH DEFINITELY HELPS WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU PLAN YOUR DAY FOR A LONG 24 HOUR SHIFT, INCLUDING SLEEP HYGIENE, UH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, HUGE FOR, FOR SHIFT WORKERS.

HAVE PEER SUPPORT TEAM, ALTHOUGH IT HAPPENS INFREQUENTLY RIGHT THERE TO START TALKING THROUGH 'EM AND CONNECTING WITH THEM FROM A MENTAL HEALTH STANDPOINT.

AND I'LL TALK JUST REAL QUICK ABOUT OUR PEER SUPPORT, WHICH I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THEY HAVE, UH, SHIRTS THAT THEY WEAR WHEN THEY'RE WORKING PEER SUPPORT, AND THEY DESIGN THAT.

WE THINK OF PEER SUPPORT IS THE, THE ROOTS IN THE, IN THE TREE AND HOW THEY, THEY ANCHOR TO OUR, OUR, OUR MEDICS.

YOU KNOW, WORKING SOMETIMES THESE VERY DIFFICULT CALLS.

I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE PEER SUPPORT TEAM SINCE 2015.

SINCE ITS IN INCEPTION, WE HAVE ABOUT 35 TO 40 MEMBERS.

UH, WE ARE DUE FOR ANOTHER PROCESS.

WE'VE SEEN SOME RETIREMENTS.

TYPICALLY OUR OUR TENURED MEDICS GRAVITATE TOWARDS THAT PEER SUPPORT TO HELP THE YOUNGER MEDICS COMING IN THE DOOR.

BUT IT'S FOUR TEAMS AND EACH TEAM HAS A LEAD.

THEY AVERAGE A LITTLE OVER 2,500 CONTACTS A YEAR.

THEY'RE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, UH, VIA CELL PHONE, TEXT, OR IN PERSON.

THEY'LL COME OUT TO YOUR STATION.

UH, WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE NOT ON AN AMBULANCE, BUT ON SYN UNIT RESPONDERS THAT WE CAN ROUTE OVER TO AMBULANCES.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CISM, UH, CRITICAL INCIDENT, WE, WE CALL IT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

UM, THAT CISM KIND OF NAME HAS KIND OF GROWN OUT A FAVOR.

UM, WHAT WHAT IT HAS TURNED INTO IS NOT SO MUCH SITTING IN A CIRCLE AND VERY, AND NOT, IT'S NOT STRUCTURED ANYMORE.

IT'S MORE OF AN ORGANIC CONVERSATION WITH OUR SUPPORT TEAM WHERE WE TYPICALLY PROVIDE FOOD AND JUST TRY TO RAMP DOWN THE ENERGY FROM THAT.

AND WE'VE HAD REALLY GOOD SUCCESS WITH THAT.

OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM CAN GET REFERRALS FROM COWORKERS OR SUPERVISORS.

WE SEE THAT, UH, WE DO AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATIONS TO OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM FOR ANY, YOU KNOW, LARGE F QUAY EVENTS, LEAVE OF ABSENCE, UM, VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE, ANYTIME A MEDIC GETS ASSAULTED AND WE PLUG THEM IN WITH OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE DOING OKAY.

UH, THEY ALSO STAFF A CONFIDENTIAL PEER LINE, UH, SPONSORED BY DR.

TANYA GLENN.

AND THAT'S ANSWERED VIA TEXT OR VOICEMAIL, YOU KNOW, 24 HOURS A DAY.

UH, AND THEN THEY DEFINITELY WILL WORK ON A LARGE CRITICAL INCIDENT.

SO INCIDENTS THAT, THAT TAKE A LONG TIME AS WE ROTATE MEDIC MEDICS IN AND OUT OF THAT CALL, WE CAN

[01:15:01]

AND THEN ALL OF OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM HAS THE ABILITY TO REFER TO ANY OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS, WHETHER THAT BE DR.

TANYA GLENN'S GROUP OR SOME OF THE STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WE DO HAVE AN IAFF CERTIFIED WELLNESS TEAM OR, UH, WELLNESS TEAM, UM, PEER SUPPORT TEAM, UH, THROUGH THE WELLNESS CENTER.

WE DO HAVE 52 MEMBERS CURRENTLY ON THE TEAM.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, SOMEBODY ON DUTY ON SHIFT EVERY DAY, UH, READY TO TAKE CALLS.

SO WE DO MONITOR CALLS 24 7.

WE KIND OF LOOK AT IT, THE WELLNESS PIECE AND THE RECRUITING PIECE AND RETENTION PIECE OF OUR EMPLOYEES IS ALL ONE THING.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS RECRUITING AND RETENTION.

AND SO WE SEE THE WELLNESS AND THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND THE PEER SUPPORT AS, AS A TOOL OF, OF, UH, EMPLOYEE RETENTION DOWN THE ROAD.

SO WE STARTED, UH, UH, ASSIGNING SOMEONE FROM PEER SUPPORT TO THE CADETS AS THEY COME INTO CADET CLASS.

SO THAT MAKES THAT INITIAL CONTACT.

SO THEIR WHOLE CAREER, THEY'VE BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE SYSTEM OF HAVING PEER SUPPORT.

UM, AND AT THAT TWO YEAR MARK IN THEIR CAREER, WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A CHECK IN AND THEN A JOB SATISFACTION SURVEY TOO.

SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT, AND THIS IS NEW AND SOMETHING WE JUST STARTED DOING THE LAST COUPLE CLASSES, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALLOWING US TO KIND OF GET, UH, A FEEL OF, OF WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE OUR FOLKS LOOKING AT DOWN THE ROAD AND WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING AT AT A PART OF THEIR CAREER WHERE THE FIRST TWO YEARS THEY SPEND JUST LEARNING EVERYTHING.

OKAY, SO NOW WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS DOWN THE ROAD? WHERE CAN WE HELP YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE? AND SO WE, WE DO ALL THOSE THINGS WITH OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL THAT'S A REQUIREMENT FOR FIREFIGHTERS.

AND SO PART OF THAT IS THE MENTAL HEALTH CHECK-IN THAT HEATHER MENTIONED EARLIER.

SO THAT FORCES OUR FOLKS TO AT LEAST ENGAGE FOR ONE MINUTE TO LOOK AND GO THROUGH THE CHECK-IN.

OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T MAKE THEM DO ANYTHING, BUT IT DOES GIVE US, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY EVERY YEAR TO HAVE THAT SHORT CONVERSATION, GATHER A LITTLE BIT OF DATA, LET 'EM KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE, AND MAYBE HAVE A CONVERSATION.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S A KEY THING IS, IS HAVING THAT IMPORTANT CHECK-IN THAT WE, THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR.

UH, SPEAKING OF, OF THE, OF THE DOG PIECE, WE, UH, DO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR WITH DIVINE CANINES, WHICH IS A, A LOCAL GROUP.

AND SO WE'VE HAD 55 VISITS THIS YEAR AT STATIONS WITH DIVINE CANINES.

WE COMBINE THAT WITH OUR CHAPLAINS USUALLY.

SO IT'S KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, A SOFT WAY TO BRING THE CHAPLAINS TO THE STATIONS AS WELL.

AND SO BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS, I THINK IT'S BEEN A, A REALLY, A REALLY GOOD WAY FOR US TO, TO INTRODUCE PEER SUPPORT IN A WAY THAT'S, THAT'S NON-THREATENING THAT EVERYBODY LOVES.

AND, AND FOR US IT'S REALLY EASY BECAUSE IT'S THEIR PROGRAM AND WE'RE JUST THEIR PARTNERS.

SO, UH, IT'S REALLY NO COST FOR US.

SO, UH, THAT'S, UH, A REALLY GOOD WAY FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GET INTO THE STATIONS, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE A, A SOFT OPENING WITH A, WITH A REALLY CUTE DOG TO PET.

SO EVERYBODY REALLY LOVES THAT.

SO OVERALL THOUGH, I THINK THAT OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, BEEN WORKING AT IT REALLY HARD FOR SEVEN YEARS NOW, HAVING THE I-F-I-A-F-F, UH, STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT IS HELPFUL.

WE'VE ALSO HAD GRANT FUNDING THAT ALLOWED US TO DO, YOU KNOW, OVER 500 HOURS OF TRAINING LAST YEAR FOR OUR PEER SUPPORT MEMBERS.

AND THEN WE PROVIDE ANNUAL TRAINING ALSO TO THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR ON SOMETHING THAT'S PEER SUPPORT RELATED.

SO I THINK EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE ALREADY SAID, PLUS STATS KIND OF WHERE I'LL STOP.

SO GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE, THE, THE PHYSICAL THAT FIRE HAS TO DO.

DOES, DOES E DO EMS AND FIRE HAVE SIMILAR ANNUAL CHECK-INS THAT THEY DO? AND I'M ASKING BECAUSE WHEN WE DID OUR PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WAS, I DON'T KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT, UM, ON THE COUNCIL TO SORT OF FOLLOW UP ON THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION, WE HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THERE BE ANNUAL MENTAL HEALTH CHECK-INS, UM, FOR ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO I KNOW IT'S PART OF FIRE, BUT WHAT ABOUT FOR EMS AND A PD? SO FOR EMS, WE DO, UH, SUPPORT MEDICS GOING FOR A WELLNESS EXAM.

IT IS NOT REQUIRED.

MOST OF OUR WORKFORCE IS, IS PRETTY YOUNG.

UM, I HAVE A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, BUT I GO EVERY YEAR TO MY WELLNESS EXAM BECAUSE IT'S JUST ANOTHER TOUCH POINT WHERE I CAN TALK THROUGH KIND OF PHYSICAL AILMENTS THAT I'M SEEING, TALK THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH STUFF.

UH, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO, TO IMPROVE THAT AMONGST OUR WORKFORCE AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, FOLKS TO, TO GO DO THAT.

UH, WE, WE DO COMPENSATE THEM TO GO DO THAT.

UM, WE ARE A PRETTY BUSY SYSTEM, AND SO WE'VE TRIED, YOU KNOW, SENDING AMBULANCES OVER THERE AND MOVING OTHER AMBULANCES AROUND TO COVER THEM WHILE THEY DO THAT, THAT HAD MARGINAL SUCCESS.

UM, BUT REALLY GETTING THEM

[01:20:01]

TO GO OFF DUTY AND, AND PAYING FOR THAT, UH, TO ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT.

BUT, BUT THERE IS A RELUCTANCE OF OUR, WHAT I WOULD ARGUE TO BE OUR YOUNG WORKFORCE TO GO ON THEIR OFF TIME AND, AND GO AND, AND, AND DO THAT.

BUT WE CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, TALK IT UP EVERY CHANCE WE GET.

AND IF, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT.

YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH EMS TO TRY TO, UM, EASE THAT GAP.

AND SO WE ACTUALLY STARTED THIS WEEK AT THEIR CONTINUING EDUCATION TO DO KIND OF A MOBILE CLINIC.

SO THE NURSES, UM, AND SOME OF THE STAFF FROM THE WELLNESS CENTER ARE GOING OUT DOING THE ACTUAL BLOOD DRAW SO THAT WE CAN THEN, UM, PUT THE, UM, OR GET THEIR RESULTS AND THEN OUR PHYSICIAN CAN DO A FOLLOW UP TELEMEDICINE VISIT WITH THEM.

SO AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY'RE HAVING SOME KIND OF CHECKUP.

AND IN ADDITION TO THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN PERSON, THEY'RE ALSO DOING A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHECK-IN FOR JUST THE QUESTIONNAIRE.

SO, UM, THEY KIND OF ANONYMOUS ANONYMOUSLY, FILL IT OUT, AND IF THEY WANT ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP, THEN UM, ONE OF OUR STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, UM, TO TALK TO THEM FURTHER.

BUT ALSO JUST GIVES US A SENSE OF KIND OF WHERE THEY'RE AT AND LETS THEM KNOW THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM, UH, SHOULD THEY WANT SOMEONE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN INITIATIVE THAT WE'VE STARTED THIS YEAR THAT, UM, JUST ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO, TO HAVE THAT PHYSICAL CHECK-IN.

UM, AND WE'VE STARTED SOMETHING SIMILAR WITH A PD AS WELL, UM, WITH SOME OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS UNITS.

UM, SO THOSE ARE, IF I COULD JUST CHIME IN ON THAT REAL QUICK.

I, THAT IS DEFINITELY A CONVERSATION THAT, THAT HEATHER AND I HAD.

AND CERTAINLY WHAT WE CAME TO WAS THAT WE GOT OUR WELLNESS FOLKS WITH HER AND, AND WE KIND OF STEPPED OUTTA THE WAY.

BUT HAVING THAT TOUCH POINT AT CONTINUING EDUCATION WHERE THEY'RE THERE, WE BELIEVE THAT WHAT THAT'S GONNA DO IS TO SHOW THEM KINDA WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS, AND, AND GET THAT BUY-IN FROM THEM AT WHAT WE CALL A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE AMONGST THEIR COLLEAGUES.

AND SO THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE APPROACH WE TOOK, WHICH I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE IF WE CAN MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THAT.

AND, AND IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THE ONLY THING WE DO HAVE, OBVIOUSLY EVERY, ALL THE HEALTH SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE HERE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.

UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING IS, WHICH IS GOVERNED BY CIVIL SERVICE FOR ALL OF US, IS THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU ARE, UH, PROMOTING YOU HAVE TO GO GET A PHYSICAL, UH, THAT'S REQUIRED BY CIVIL SERVICE.

SO THAT, THAT IS ONE THING THAT IF, IF YOU ARE IN THE PROMOTION PROCESS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO FULFILL.

SO, OKAY.

NO, AND, AND, AND I ASKED BECAUSE ONE, IT WAS, IT WAS PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT TWO, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE, HOW DO WE CATCH PEOPLE RIGHT.

THAT, UM, THAT AREN'T BEING PROACTIVE.

SO IT'S JUST, IT WAS THAT.

BOOTH OUT THERE THIS YEAR.

DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THIS WAS ALL REALLY HELPFUL.

UM, AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR

[5. Presentation regarding Public Safety Department demographics and diversification efforts.]

LAST ITEM.

UM, AND IT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE HADN'T DONE IN QUITE SOME TIME.

I THINK THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS, REBECCA GONZALEZ WAS STILL CHAIR.

UM, AND IT IS JUST KIND OF TO CHECK IN WITH THE DEPARTMENTS ON DEMOGRAPHICS AND DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS.

UM, AND I THINK MY HOPE IS THAT THIS WON'T BE A SUPER, I THINK WE CAN CRANK THROUGH THIS ONE, JUST KIND OF A CHECK-IN.

SO IF YOU GUYS WANNA GET STARTED.

SURE.

UH, SO I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO, UH, CHIEF HENDERSON AS WELL AS CHIEF DAVIS ARE UNAVAILABLE THIS EVENING, SO I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU.

UM, SO WE BROKE IT UP INTO DIFFERENT PROF.

OUR PROFESSIONALS SWORN AND OUR CADET, OUR PROFESSIONAL AND SWORN, UM, ARE PRETTY MUCH, UH, THE PERCENTAGES, UH, THAT THE WAY WE BREAK ARE BROKEN OUT RIGHT NOW IS MOST OF OUR, UH, SWORN AND PROFESSIONAL ARE CAUCASIAN, UH, NEXT FOLLOWED BY OUR, UH, HISPANIC AND THEN, UM, BLACK.

AND THEN IT'S DIVIDED AMONGST EVERYBODY ELSE.

UH, THE OTHER DOM, UH, DOMINATIONS, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CADETS, WE ARE ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER.

WE HAVE 40 PEOPLE IN THE CADET CLASS RIGHT NOW, UH, SLIGHTLY HIGHER ON OUR, UM, HISPANIC RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND THEN OUR, UM, CAUCASIANS ARE NEXT AND THEN FOLLOWED BY EVERYBODY ELSE.

UM, AND THEN OF COURSE AT THE BOTTOM, WE, WE BREAK IT UP BY GENDER, UM, NO SURPRISE HERE, BUT WE'RE MOSTLY DOMINANT ON THE SWORN SIDE ON FOR MALE, UH, THAN FEMALES.

AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN A, IN, IN, IN AT A MOMENT.

UH, BUT ON OUR PROFESSIONAL SIDE, UM, MOST, MOST OF OUR, UH, CIVILIAN STAFF IS, UH, LARGELY, UH, FEMALE IN NATURE.

SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SOME OF OUR DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS, UM, ARE OUR CHIEF HAS DEDICATED A COMMANDER TO BE OVER OUR RECRUITING, UM, TO BE DEDICATED TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH RECRUITING NEW, NEW QUALIFIED RECRUITS, AS WELL AS DIVERSIFICATION.

UH, SOME OF THE TRIPS THAT WE'VE GOT PLANNED, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT NOW THAT WE'RE BACK INTO, INTO CONTRACT.

UH, BUT OUR RECRUITERS GO ALL OVER THE PLACE.

UH, THEY'RE ALSO INTO SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING NEW THINGS BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT EMAILS, LIKE IT WAS TALKED ABOUT HERE, JUST DON'T WORK, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THE NEW GENERATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ET CETERA LIKE THAT.

UM, SO, UM, WHEREVER AND ANYTIME WE CAN GET INTO IT, UM, A JOB FAIR, WE'RE THERE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.

UH, ACL WAS GENEROUS ENOUGH TO GIVE US A, A SMALL

[01:25:01]

WE'RE OUT THERE TRYING TO RECRUIT PEOPLE, UM, WITHIN THAT GENERATION TO BE ABLE TO COME AND, AND JOIN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UM, BUT IT, IT'S ENDLESS.

UH, THEY LIST US SOME HERE, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT WHERE WE CAN AND POSSIBLY RECRUIT.

WE, WE DO THAT.

UM, IF WE LOOK AT DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS, UM, YOU, YOU NAME IT, WE'RE ALL IN THE, THE COLLEGES AND TRADE SCHOOLS, UH, AS WELL AS HIGH SCHOOLS, ET CETERA, BE ABLE TO, UH, DIVERSIFY OUR FORCE NO MATTER IF IT'S MALE, FEMALE OR DIFFERENT TYPE OF RACE.

UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF COLLEGES THAT WE, WE LOOK FOR ALL THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TRY TO TRY TO GET NEW RECRUITS THAT WILL BE, BE BE GREAT PERSONS TO BE ABLE TO COME JOIN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND, AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO, TO TARGET AND TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT LOCAL PEOPLE THAT, THAT UNDERSTAND AUSTIN, UNDERSTAND THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, EMBRACE THE AUSTIN, KEEP IT WEIRD TYPE OF POLICY, UM, THAT THE SOCIETY IS, IS ADOPTED HERE.

AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, SOCIAL MEDIA, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO LOOK AT NEW THINGS.

HANDSHAKE APPARENTLY IS A, UH, NETWORK ONLINE, UH, NOT JUST FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE LOOK FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UM, MAJORS.

UM, BUT THEY CAN ASK ANY QUESTIONS AND, AND OUR RECRUITER WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT QUESTION TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM TRY TO RECRUIT THEM TO AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO, UM, WE, IF ANYBODY KNOWS OF ANYTHING THAT THERE'S, IS A DIFFERENT APP OR SOMETHING THAT'S POPULAR OR DEFINITELY INTERESTED FOR RECRUITING TO BE ABLE TO EM EMBRACE THAT AND BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT FOR SURE.

SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THEN, UH, TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR FEMALE SWORN, UM, CHIEF CHIKA SEVERAL YEARS AGO HAD, UH, IT'S KINDA LIKE A CONTRACT OR A RESOLUTION, SO TO SPEAK, THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD PUT OUT, BUT IT'S ALSO PART OF OUR DI DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS IS 30 BY 30.

AND BASICALLY THE COMMITMENT IS BY 20 20 30, THE YEAR 2030, 30% OF OUR DEPARTMENT WILL BE FEMALES.

UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, OUR CADET CLASS RIGHT NOW, 20% OF THE CADET CLASS IS, IS FEMALES.

UM, AND THEN THAT'S VERSUS 11% OF THE DEPARTMENT.

SO, UH, CONSTANTLY HOW WE CAN GET THINGS OUT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA IS OBVIOUSLY THE HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW.

UH, WE DO PHOTO SHOOTS AND, AND SHORT STORIES WITH OUR FEMALE OFFICERS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO RECRUIT OTHER FEMALES, UH, FROM OUTSIDE TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SO WE AT LEAST TALK TO 'EM AND GET A CONVERSATION GOING TO GET 'EM INTERESTED TO BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY JOIN.

AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT TO TEXAS WOMEN UNIVERSITY, UH, WE GOT TRIPS PLANNED IN 2025 TO BE ABLE TO HELP RECRUIT MORE INDIVIDUALS.

SO, UM, CHIEF CHICON AND ALL OF US AGREED.

AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR, OUR, UH, FEMALE SWORN.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THEN, NOW THAT WE'RE BACK IN CONTRACT, UM, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HOST OUR, BEFORE WHEN WE WERE OUTTA CONTRACT, THE CIVIL SEARCH REQUIRED TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OUR TESTING DONE HERE.

UH, SO EVERYBODY HAD HAD TO COME HERE.

NOW WE GO TO THEM, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TRIPS PLANNED FOR, YOU CAN SEE THE THREE THERE IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, AS WELL AS PUERTO RICO TO BE ABLE TO HELP RECRUIT, UH, ANYBODY TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO IT, IT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THEM AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MASS TEST TESTING THERE INSTEAD OF THEM SPENDING MONEY, YOU KNOW, FOR A PLANE TRIP, HOTEL, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

THAT COSTS ON US.

WE DO IT UP THERE, GET THEM INTERESTED IN, AND THEN HOPEFULLY, UH, AND IT'S WORKED IN THE PAST.

SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN A GREAT, GREAT RECRUIT RECRUITING TOOL FOR US.

ALRIGHT.

AND THEN THAT'S OUR, OUR WEBSITE, UM, THAT'S OUT THERE.

AND I THINK WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEN MAYBE DO QUESTIONS.

SO, OKAY.

LOOKS LIKE FIRE'S.

NEXT DEALER'S CHOICE.

, WE WIN.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, REAL QUICK, I'LL GO THROUGH THE, OUR SLIDES FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

WE BROKE IT UP BY SWORN ETHNICITY.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, DIFFERENT FROM POLICE AND FIRE.

UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A AN EMT CERT AT THE MINIMUM COMING IN THE DOOR.

SO WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RECRUIT FROM THE COMMUNITY OFF THE STREET.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION COMING IN THE DOOR.

SO, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING FOR US, UM, ON OUR, UH, SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WORKING DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK YOU WOULD SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, ASIAN, WE'RE HAVING ABOUT 2% THE BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICANS ABOUT 2% HISPANIC, OR LATINOS AT 23%.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PROMINENTLY, YOU KNOW, WHITE AT OUR SWORN RANKS AT 71% MM-HMM, .

I ALSO BROKE IT UP, A GENDER SWORN AS WELL.

AND SO ABOUT 27% OF OUR WORKFORCE IS FEMALE ON THE SWORN SIDE, AS 72% IS MALE.

YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT RANKS OF THE, UH, COMMANDER IN COMMUNICATIONS, CAPTAIN IN COMMUNICATIONS, THAT CLINICAL SPECIALIST IN COMMUNICATIONS, OR THAT MEDIC IN COMMUNICATIONS BY ETHNICITY, BY RANK.

I WON'T GO THROUGH AND READ ALL THESE NUMBERS, BUT I ALSO BROKE IT UP BY COMMUNICATIONS AND THEN THE OVERALL FIELD AS WELL.

'CAUSE THERE'S TWO KIND OF TRACKS TO COME INTO EMS AND THE COMMUNICATION SIDE OR THE FIELD SIDE.

AND SO IN COMMUNICATIONS, WE BROKE IT UP BY,

[01:30:01]

UM, AND THEN AGAIN, ON THE COMMUNICATION SIDE, BROKE THAT GENDER UP BY RANK AS WELL FOR YOU TO SEE.

HIGH SCHOOL AGE INTERNS, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT ALSO IN LIKE WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND HAYES COUNTY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN THE FIELD AS A WHOLE.

AGAIN, BREAKING UP ETHNICITY BY RANK, UH, STARTING WITH, UH, EMS FIELD COMMANDER, UH, EMS, CAPTAIN IN THE FIELD, CLINICAL SPECIALISTS IN THE FIELD, AND THEN MEDIC IN THE FIELD, NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN ALSO BROKE THAT UP BY GENDER, BY THE DIFFERENT RANKS TOO, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT.

AND THEN KIND OF LASTLY ON THE STATS HERE, WE, UH, PUT IN A SLIDE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH RE RECRUITING IN APPLICANTS.

AND SO BROKEN UP BY THAT, UH, EMS FIELD, EMS COM MEDIC OR CLINICAL SPECIALIST IN THE FIELD, UH, BY, UM, APPLICANTS THAT WERE A FEMALE OR A DIVERSE APPLICANT, AND THEN HIRED OVERALL, WE PUT THAT PERCENTAGE IN THERE FOR YOU TO SEE.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL TALK VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS ON THE DIVERSITY FRONT.

IF YOU REMEMBER, IT WAS AN UNMET NEED.

UH, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS TWO BUDGET CYCLES AGO.

YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE RECRUITING FTES AND A TEAM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT FUNDING.

UM, AND SO WHAT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO RUN THESE FOUR ACADEMIES OR THESE HIRING PROCESS YEAR ROUND.

WE WOULD TYPICALLY HISTORICALLY DO THAT ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR.

SO DOING THOSE FOUR TIMES A YEAR HAVE BEEN A, A, A GAME CHANGER FOR US.

IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, OUR RECRUITERS AS WE HIRED THEM, SAID THAT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WORK FOR AN INCLUSIVE DEPARTMENT INITIATIVES AND CULTURE BY STARTING WITH A DIVERSE RECRUITING TEAM.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PICTURE ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND SIDE, THOSE ARE THE RECRUITERS OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. AND SO THEY ARE DOING JUST TREMENDOUS WORK.

IT'S WHY WE'RE FIXING TO HAVE AN ACADEMY THAT HAS 47 PEOPLE IN IT, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.

UM, AND THEY STARTED SMALL.

UH, THEY DO, UH, COFFEE WITH A RECRUITER, ICE CREAM WITH A RECRUITER GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, YOU'LL SEE 'EM AT ALL MAJOR, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS LIKE AUSTIN PRIDE IN JUNETEENTH.

WE HAD A RECRUITING GROUP BOOTH RIGHT NEXT TO A PD AT AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL.

UH, DEFINITELY BROADENING OUR, UH, RECRUITING PLATFORMS BY LINKEDIN, UH, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, ATTENDING VETERANS CAREER FAIRS.

UM, AND DEFINITELY DOING A LOT OF OUT THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX TYPE CAREER FAIRS.

UH, THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS, THINK ABOUT TECH.

IF YOU'RE ANSWERING IN A CALL CENTER SOMEWHERE, THEN, THEN MAYBE THAT CORRELATES TO AN EMT COURSE AND YOU WANT TO GO WORK IN A 9 1 1 CENTER.

SO DOING SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, THEY ALSO ATTEND MANY, MANY OF THE MAJOR EMS CONFERENCES AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE WE SHAMELESSLY RECRUIT FROM OTHER SERVICES, UM, INCLUDING PRIVATE SERVICES.

AND, UH, GETTING THE SLIDE DECK PUT TO THEM WAS A CHALLENGE 'CAUSE THEY WERE ACTUALLY UP IN FORT WORTH AT THE TEXAS EMS CONFERENCE.

UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO DID AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM WHERE THAT IS AN ACTUAL SWORN MEDIC THAT, UH, COUPLES WITH A RECRUITER TO GO AT AT SOME OF THESE EVENTS.

SO YOU REALLY GET THAT KIND OF REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE.

YOU HAVE A RECRUITER WHO KIND OF KNOWS THE PIPELINE AND HOW TO GET IN AND THE STEPS, BUT ALSO SOMEBODY THAT WORKS FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, PITFALLS THERE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, THE OTHER THING WE DO IS TO GO TEACH AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

THEY HAVE A AN EMS PROFESSIONS PROGRAM.

AND SO YOU'LL A LOT OF TIMES ON THEIR INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK PAGE, SEE OUR MEDICS TEACHING 'EM THERE, UH, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE WHOLE BLOOD, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S A PRETTY NEW THING IN, IN EMS, UH, BUT ALSO A GREAT RECRUITING TOOL FOR, FOR US ON THAT AS WELL.

AND THEN, UH, MY LAST SLIDE HERE, I, I WANNA TALK THROUGH OUR EXPLORER POST, OUR YOUTH PROGRAM.

AND WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT A LOT.

UH, IT IS, IT IS VERY A PIVOTAL, I THINK, TO OUR SUCCESS WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING AND RETENTION.

UH, WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 50 EXPLORERS NOW.

UH, WE HAVE TICKED INTO THE 60 OR 70.

IT'S NOT A SMALL NUMBER.

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PICTURE ON THE UPPER LEFT HAND SIDE, THOSE ARE NARCAN RESCUE KITS THAT OUR EXPLORER POST ASSEMBLED DURING A WEEKLY MEETING.

SO YOU TAKE THE BAG, YOU PUT THE NARCAN IN THERE, THE GLOVES IN THE CARD WITH THE QR CODE.

UM, AND SO WE FIND THAT THAT IS A, A GREAT PIPELINE.

THERE ARE MANY OF OUR MEDICS WORKING TODAY THAT STARTED AS AN EXPLORER.

I CAN, I CAN NAME THEM, I SEE 'EM ON THE AMBULANCE.

UM, TYPICALLY GO AROUND TO LOTS OF THE, YOU KNOW, UH, COLLEGES AND CAREER FAIRS, THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

THEY DEFINITELY WANNA EXPAND INTO TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES A LOT IN THE HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTIONS.

UM, DO A LOT WITH THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, UH, WITH, WITH

[01:35:01]

UH, IF YOU GO TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE, YOU WILL SEE A, A, A MINI WIDE VARIETY OF POSTS ABOUT RECRUITING AND PROCESSES AND WHEN THEY OPEN AND WHEN APPLICATIONS ARE DUE.

'CAUSE WE, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT PIPELINE TO HIT THE YOUTH.

UM, AND THEN ALSO A LOT OF THESE, UH, SCHOOL CAREER FAIRS.

AND THEN ALSO WE'RE STARTING TO PARTICIPATE IN AIS D'S AVID PROGRAM.

I ACTUALLY GO SPEAK ON FRIDAY TO A GROUP OF MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, SO Y'ALL WISH ME LUCK WITH THAT.

IT'S MY FIRST TIME DOING IT, SO GOOD LUCK.

UM, WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE.

OF, OF HOW, HOW FOLKS ARE BEING LOST IN THE PROCESS AND WHAT OUR FINAL NUMBERS LOOK LIKE.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DO YOU WANNA DO FIRE? OH YEAH.

FIRE.

SORRY, I, I A IN ADVANCE FOR ADVANCE FOR MY BRAIN.

I REALLY DO APOLOGIZE.

I'M SORRY.

YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THIS, UH, SHOWS WHAT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE RIGHT NOW.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, WE'RE 92% MALE AND, AND YOU CAN SEE THE REST OF THE NUMBERS.

UM, YOU KNOW, OUR FEMALE, UH, EMPLOYEES ON THE SWORN SIDE STAYED KIND OF STAGNANT AS THE DEPARTMENT HAS GROWN.

SO THAT'S REALLY A POINT OF EMPHASIS AND I'LL TALK ABOUT A PROGRAM IN JUST A MINUTE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND SOME NEW IDEAS WE HAVE RELATED TO THAT.

YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, AND THIS IS OUR RECRUITING AND, AND OUR EQUITY STATEMENT.

AND SO I THINK IT KIND OF STATES WHERE WE ARE.

I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND READ IT TO YOU, BUT IT'S SOMETHING FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE.

AND, UH, AS YOU READ THROUGH THE BACKUP, WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO, RE RECRUITING IS, IS A BIG DEAL FOR US.

UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, WE'VE NOTICED THAT RECRUITING HAS CHANGED.

SO TYPICALLY WHERE WE WOULD HAVE, UH, 5,000, UH, CANDIDATE INTEREST CARDS AND FOUR OR 5,000 APPLICANTS, WE'RE NOW DOWN TO, UH, YOU KNOW, 1500 APPLICANTS AND MAYBE SIX OR 700 PEOPLE SHOWING UP TO OUR TESTS AS OPPOSED TO, TO 2,500 LIKE WE HAD IN THE PAST.

SO WE'VE DEFINITELY SEEN A CHANGE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND SO FOR US, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG CHANGE AS WE'VE NEVER HAD TO FOCUS THAT MUCH ON JUST GETTING PEOPLE IN THE DOOR.

AND SO IT'S, IT'S A DIFFERENT DEAL.

WE, WE STARTED REALLY, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL CANDIDATE INTEREST CARDS, WHICH IS A WAY FOR US TO REALLY TRACK EXACTLY HOW, UH, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHO'S INTERESTED.

AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOTICED OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IS WE HAVE VERY LITTLE INTEREST, UH, OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FILLING OUT INTEREST CARDS ARE FROM LIVE EVENTS.

AND SO WE FOUND THAT OUR, OUR MAIN SUCCESS IS WORD OF MOUTH.

SO FAMILY AND FRIENDS IS, IS ABOUT 40%.

AND, UH, ABOUT 55% IS, UH, IS VERY TARGETED, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA.

AND SO THE TARGETED SOCIAL MEDIA AND ADVERTISING COMPANIES THAT WE ADD WHERE THEY CAN PUT AN AD IN, IN THE, THE LIVING ROOM OF THE PERSON THAT WE WANT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AGE 20 TO 35, UH, THAT'S PHYSICALLY FIT IS, IS PRETTY AMAZING THE THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO.

AND SO THAT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE, THE MAIN WAYS THAT WE'RE GETTING FOLKS IN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.

UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.

WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS MOVING OUR TESTS TO A SATURDAY, DOING DIFFERENT THINGS WHERE WE CAN MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR FOLKS TO ARRIVE.

'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL ONLY HAVING, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 50% OF OUR FOLKS THAT SIGN UP AND FILL OUT THE ENTIRE APPLICATION, WHICH IS A, A LENGTHY PROCESS ACTUALLY SHOWING UP FOR THE EXAMS. AND SO, AND FROM THERE, THE NUMBERS OF FOLKS THAT ARE MAKING IT THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, ARE EVEN, UH, ARE EVEN LOWER.

AND SO REALLY AT, AT THIS POINT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRO GONNA PROCESS PROBABLY 350 OR 400 FOLKS TO FILL THE 150 PEOPLE THAT WE WILL HIRE OUT OF THIS GROUP.

SO IT'S, UH, IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD AND IT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE USED TO.

UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, OR A COUPLE OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, WES MEN MENTIONED THE, THE, THE EXPLORER POST.

AND SO OUR EXPLORER POST IS, IS DOING GREAT.

BUT BETTER THAN THAT, THE, WHAT I THINK IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE BEST RECRUITING TOOL WE GOT RIGHT NOW IS TO PASS THE TORCH ACADEMY.

AND SO THE PASS, THE TORCH ACADEMY IS A SIX WEEK AND A SIX WEEK ACADEMY WHERE WE BRING FOLKS IN FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT ACTUALLY WANT TO TRY OUT THE JOB.

SO IT'S 20 TO 35 YEAR OLDS THAT WE BRING IN.

AND, AND ON SATURDAYS WE RUN 'EM THROUGH A SERIES OF THINGS THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE JOB.

UH, I KNOW FROM THIS LAST GROUP OF 41, WE HAVE 18 THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS, THAT ARE GOOD QUALITY CANDIDATES AND, AND DIVERSE CANDIDATES.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.

AND I THINK RUNNING THAT A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR IS, IS REALLY GONNA BENEFIT US.

'CAUSE IT REALLY ALLOWS, ALLOWS FOLKS TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO.

'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WITH A LOT OF THESE PUBLIC SAFETY JOBS, WHEN PEOPLE APPLY AND THEY WANT TO GET INTO THE ACADEMY AND THEY WANT TO DO THESE THINGS, THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S TRUE ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT, UH, ON THE FRONT END IS, IS VERY HELPFUL.

AND SO YOU CAN CLICK ONTO THE NEXT ONE.

UM, SO THAT SHOWS KIND OF WHERE WE WERE.

YOU CAN SEE FROM OUR, OUR NUMBERS THERE, YOU KNOW, JUST OVER 1400 PEOPLE, UH, FILLED OUT THE CARDS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE DIVERSITY STAYED THE SAME EVEN WITH THE FOLKS THAT SHOWED UP.

SO WE DIDN'T, WE LOST PEOPLE EQUALLY ACROSS ALL THE GROUPS, UH, SEEMINGLY.

UM, AND SO AS THIS PROCESS, UH, PLAYS OUT, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA

[01:40:01]

UM, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST AS FAR AS RECRUITING AND HIRING AND EVERYTHING.

AND SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, FOR ANYTHING WE CAN DO.

WE STARTED A PROGRAM, OR WE'RE TRYING NEW PROGRAMS. THIS PAST WEEKEND WE HAD A, WE HAD A PROGRAM WHERE WE BROUGHT IN ST.

EDWARDS, UH, WOMEN'S SOFTBALL TEAM TO COME IN AND, AND TRY OUT FIREFIGHTING.

AND SO THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE WE CAN REALLY GET TARGETED AND REALLY LOOK AT SPECIFIC GROUPS WE KNOW, WE KNOW COLLEGE ATHLETES ARE, ARE GREAT, UH, GREAT PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT AND, AND TRYING TO GET MORE CREATIVE WITH GETTING FOLKS IN THE DOOR BECAUSE JUST THE, THE REGULAR RECRUITING THINGS JUST DON'T SEEM TO BE WORKING FOR US ANYMORE.

UM, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY, REALLY WORKING ON TARGETING OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND TARGETING OUR, OUR ADVERTISING, UH, SEEMS TO BE PAYING OFF.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON.

UH, LOOKING FOR WAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE WE MENTIONED WITH THE WELLNESS THING EARLIER IS, IS KIND OF TYING, TYING RECRUITING AND RETENTION TOGETHER.

UM, SO THAT WE HAVE KIND OF A FOCUS ON NOT JUST GETTING YOU IN THE DOOR, BUT, YOU KNOW, SEEING YOU THROUGH YOUR CAREER.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE BIGGER THINGS AND BIGGER PICTURES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SELL.

UM, BUT IT'S A, IT'S DIFFERENT.

DIFFERENT FOLKS LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.

UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT IS, IS CAREER LIFE BALANCE.

AND SO, UM, AS WE SET IT, AS, AS WE CAME UP THROUGH, BUT NEVER DID IT, THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE DEPARTMENT NOW, THEY SAY IT AND THEY MEAN IT.

AND SO WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROVIDE BETTER WORK LIFE BALANCE FOR OUR MEMBERS TOO, SO THAT, SO THAT THEY, THEY'RE WILLING TO STICK AROUND WITH THIS FOR 25 YEARS.

ONE MORE SLIDE, I THINK.

NOPE, THAT'S IT.

I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, GENERAL QUESTIONS? I DO, BUT I'LL HOLD BACK.

THAT THEY HAVE THAT, THAT OWNERSHIP AND A, AND A SUPPORT NETWORK, UH, AS THEY'RE PREPARING FOR THOSE SHIFTS AND AS THEY'RE RUNNING THROUGH THAT CLEARANCE.

I MEAN, I THINK, UM, I THINK ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS THAT, UM, I APPRECIATE HEARING ABOUT EVERYBODY'S, UM, RECRUITING EFFORTS.

UM, AND I THINK FY TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT, AND IT'S JUST ALSO HITTING AT THE RETENTION, RIGHT? MAKING SURE THAT ALL THESE APPLICANTS AND THESE CADETS THAT SORT OF MAKE IT INTO THE ACADEMY, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT LOSING THEM THROUGH THE TRAINING.

UM, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHAT KIND OF SORT SUPPORTS BEYOND DIVERSITY, BEYOND THE RECRUITING END, DO WE HAVE TO SORT OF ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT SORT OF, THAT THAT DIVERSITY THAT'S COMING IN THE DOOR? SO FOR US, IN THE, IN, IN OUR CADET CLASSES, WE HAVE A MENTORSHIP.

SO, UH, IT STARTED WITH OUR, WE WERE LOSING OVER TIME, AND THIS, THIS IS SEVERAL CLASSES AGO, UH, FEMALE CADETS.

SO, UH, THE FEMALES THAT WE DO HAVE SWORN, THEY STARTED A PROGRAM OF MENTORSHIP THAT THEY BASICALLY WOULD START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS.

THEY'D BASICALLY BE ASSIGNED A MENTOR, A A CURRENT POLICE OFFICER, A FEMALE OFFICER.

AND THAT WOULD HELP 'EM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY GOT DISCOURAGED OR SOMETHING, THEY HAD A BAD DAY, THEY'D BE ABLE TO GO TO THAT PERSON TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM AND HELP THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

AND HOPEFULLY NOT HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE PROGRAM.

UH, THAT, THAT PROGRAM IS NOW EXPANDED.

SO ALL OFFICERS OR ALL CADETS RATHER, ARE, UH, ACCEPTABLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A, A SPONSOR OR A MENTOR.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HELP WITH THE ACADEMY TO TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE ENCOURAGED OF, YEAH, THEY HAD A BAD DAY OR THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH SOME TOUGH THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WAY THAT THE CURRENT OFFICERS CAN SAY, YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS, OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING I USED OR WHATEVER.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO FOR OUR, UH, OUR CURRENT CADET CLASSES TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM MENTORSHIP.

AND I'LL JUST ADD ON WITH A FD WE HAVE A SIMILAR PROGRAM.

WE HAVE TEAM LEADERS THAT WE SEND DOWN WITH EVERY CLASS.

AND SO THEY HAVE, IT'S TYPICALLY SIX, SIX OR SEVEN TO ONE RATIO.

WE HAVE A TEAM LEADER THAT'S AN OPERATIONS FIREFIGHTER THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THE CADET ACADEMY FOR THE LENGTH OF THE ACADEMY, AND THEY PROVIDE DIRECT MENTORSHIP.

THEY PROVIDE, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL HELP THAT'S NEEDED AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR DIRECTION IS TO DO, UH, WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO, TO HELP THE CADETS BE SUCCESSFUL.

AND SO THAT PROGRAM IS, IS, WORKS REALLY WELL FOR US, AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL OVERALL.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO EVERYTHING FROM, FROM STUDY SESSIONS TO EXTRA HANDS-ON TRAINING TO MORAL SUPPORT AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE THAT HAS, HAS SHOWN SOME BENEFIT TO US.

YEAH, AND I'LL JUST ECHO THE SAME SENTIMENT FOR EMS. WE CERTAINLY IN A LARGE ACADEMY, WE BREAK THEM UP INTO TEAMS AND HAVE A LEAD THERE SO THAT THEY'RE KIND OF COM COMPARTMENTALIZED IN THAT ACADEMY SO THAT THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE JUST ONE SMALL FISH IN A VERY BIG POND.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL THING WE'VE INSTITUTED IS THAT WHEN THEY GET READY TO GRADUATE THE ACADEMY, WE MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT ASSIGNING THEM TO A SHIFT AND WE BRING IN THEIR SHIFT CHIEF AND THEIR SUPERVISOR AND THEIR CAPTAIN OR THEIR FTO, SO THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE THE ACADEMY AND GO OUT INTO THE FIELD, THEY AGAIN, DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF A VERY SMALL, YOU KNOW, FISH IN A VERY BIG 9 1 1 SYSTEM SO

[01:45:01]

SO VERY, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE AS WELL.

COMMISSIONER, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER BERNHARD ? UM, YOU KNOW, NOW I'M LOOKING BACK AT THIS AND I, I, I DID THIS IN OCTOBER.

I WAS TRYING TO, UM, LOOK AT, UH, RETENTION IN A PD CADET CLASSES, WHICH I THINK WAS EASIER BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CADET CLASSES IN, UH, OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I, I FOUND THAT, UM, KNOW, BUT FOR CADET CLASSES THAT HAD, THAT WERE TRANSITIONAL, WHICH SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT LESS RETENTION OR RETENTION PROBLEMS, UM, THAT MOST CADET CLASSES OR CADET CLASSES HAD BETWEEN 26.5% AND 44%, UM, DROPOUT RATES.

AND THAT'S OVER THE 145TH TO THE 153RD, UM, CADET CLASS.

AND I GUESS THIS IS LEADING UP TO, LIKE, I THINK I, I WOULD LIKE TO DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THAT DATA AND IF Y'ALL COULD PROVIDE US WITH, UM, AND MAYBE HAVE WE ALREADY GOTTEN THIS DEMOGRAPHICALLY THE, THE RETENTION NUMBERS? I, I DO THINK WE HAVE THEM IN THE ACADEMY.

RE REPORTS.

I'LL TRY TO LOOK THAT UP.

UM, SO WE CAN LOOK AT THOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY.

YEAH, I JUST, I WORRY THAT WE PUT SO MUCH ENERGY IN RECRUITING FOLKS, UM, AND THEN WE LOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, A THIRD OF THEM, UH, AT LEAST IN THE A PD ACADEMY AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE NUMBERS, UM, LOOK LIKE.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THAT NEEDS SOME WORK.

AND WE TRY, WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO LET THEM KNOW ALSO LIKE, UH, EMS AND FIRE, UH, DOES THE SAME THING OF WHAT ARE THEY GONNA GET INTO.

SO SURE.

ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS IS TO RIDE OUT WITH AN ACTUAL POLICE OFFICER, UH, WHICH OUR RECRUITING SETS SET UP TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE POTENTIAL THEY'RE GONNA GET INTO, AS WELL AS WHEN THEY'RE IN THE ACADEMY, TRY TO EXPOSE THEM TO, UH, RIDE OUTS, TO BE ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHEN, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH AS A CADET, WE HAD TO RIDE WITH A POLICE OFFICER.

UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY A GOOD BREAK BECAUSE WE GOT BE AWAY FROM THE ACADEMY FOR A WEEK, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA SEE WHAT IT WAS REAL LIFE.

AND WE HAD PEOPLE COME BACK AND SAY, THIS IS NOT FOR ME.

I'M, I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT.

SO, UM, BUT THERE'S A WIDE RANGE.

I MEAN, WE DO AN EXIT INTERVIEW ON EVERY SINGLE CADET THAT LEAVES.

UH, A LOT OF 'EM ARE, UM, JUST NOT FAILING TO TEST.

UM, AT THAT ACADEMIC WISE, UH, THEY'RE GIVEN SUPPORT.

THEY'RE GIVING CH STUDY GROUPS, THEY'RE GIVING EVERY CHANCE THAT WE CAN THINK OF.

IF THERE'S SOMETHING MORE, WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

BUT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO PASS.

UH, SOME PEOPLE I'VE SEEN, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE 30 YEARS OLD AND THEY DON'T WANNA BE YELLED AT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA GET YELLED AT ON THE STREET, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FACT.

SO THEY'RE EXPOSING YOU TO A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS.

WHAT, WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN THIS JOB? BUT YEAH, WE DO HAVE ALL THAT DATA AND WE, WE CAN PROVIDE IT WHAT, WHAT YOU NEED.

SO THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.

BUT WE DO TRY TO KEEP EVERY SINGLE PERSON, IT'S JUST, SOME PEOPLE, IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT FOR ME OR ACADEMICS OR, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, OR PHY, THEY'RE JUST NOT PHYSICALLY FIT, UH, THAT, THAT HAPPENS TO.

AND WE HAVE PROGRAMS BEFORE THEY COME IN TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE, HOPEFULLY GET 'EM UP TO SPEED PHYSICAL WISE, TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA EXPERIENCE IN THE ACADEMY TO BUILD ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THAT WHEN ONCE THEY GET IN.

'CAUSE YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S A LOT OF WORK NOT ONLY FOR THE PERSON THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT ALSO THE RECRUITERS TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMEBODY, GET 'EM READY AND THEN THEY, THEY DON'T MAKE IT, WHICH IS NOT THEIR GOAL, YOU KNOW, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO MAKE IT.

SO HOWEVER WE CAN HELP, WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE LOOK AT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MALE TO FEMALE RATIOS, IT, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT, IT, IT, I THINK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EMS, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GETTING CLOSE TO THAT 30, BUT I DO WANNA TAKE A SECOND TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND COMPARE TO PREVIOUS YEARS.

AND THESE NUMBERS ARE BETTER THAN THEY WERE WHEN WE LAST CHECKED IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

I THINK THAT WAS THE CASE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN WE CHECKED IN.

SO THERE IS, THERE, THERE IS SOME IMPROVEMENT.

UM, UM, I THINK A PD WAS LAST AT 92% AND NOW YOU GUYS ARE AT 87, 88 ISH PERCENT.

SO THERE, THERE, THERE IS SOME, SOME MOVEMENT HAPPENING.

IT'S JUST SLOW, SLOW MOVING.

AND, UM, AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I I KNOW THAT CHIEF DAVIS, UM, WHEN SHE WAS AT ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS, SAID THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK AT AS WELL, AND, AND DIVING DOWN I LIKE.

AND SO, UM, I THINK THESE REGULAR CHECK, A REGULAR CHECK IN ON THIS, JUST TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE TRACKING AND SO THAT WE CAN COMPARE TO PREVIOUS YEARS IS HELPFUL.

UM, AND JUST A GOOD REMINDER, UM, OF THE SORT OF DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS THAT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN I ADD TO THAT REAL QUICK? YEAH, OF COURSE.

UM, SO I THINK IT'S REAL IMPORTANT AND WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE

[01:50:01]

CHIEF DAVIS WITH US.

I MEAN, SHE'S FORWARD FACING TO, FOR THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S OBVIOUSLY A FEMALE AND I THINK THAT, UM, HELPS US IN, IN RECRUITING, YOU KNOW, ALONE.

UH, CHIEF HENDERSON WAS THE INTERIM RIGHT BEFORE THAT, OBVIOUSLY A BIG HELP CHIEF, CHIEF CASSETTE.

UM, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR FIFTH FLOOR, UM, TWO OF OUR LIEUTENANTS ARE ALSO FEMALES, UH, IN HIGH LEVEL POSITIONS.

SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE DIVERSITY, UH, AT LEAST ON THE FIFTH FLOOR, FORWARD FACING.

SO I THINK THAT ALSO ENCOURAGES MORE WOMEN THAT, HEY, YOU, YOU CAN BE INVOLVED IN THIS, YOU CAN BE DOING THIS AND SEE, YOU KNOW, SEE CHIEF DAVIS OUT THERE AND, AND DOING THIS JOB OF A MAJOR CITY.

I THINK THAT'S, THIS IS A POSITIVE RECRUITING FOR, FOR ALL ALL CITIES, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.

SO, OKAY.

COMMISSIONER URA.

WELL, UH, MY QUESTION, I GUESS TO WHAT WE'RE SAYING ABOUT THEM GETTING TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, IS THAT A SYMPTOM OF RECRUITING EFFORTS OR JUST A SYMPTOM OF, OR, OR YOU HAVE JUST PEOPLE BEING INTERESTED? WE CAN'T FORCE LIKE FEMALES TO JOIN A-P-D-I-I, JUST FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION, IT, IT'S A, IT WAS A, A NATIONWIDE, UH, PROGRAM THAT STARTED, UM, IN 20, UH, 30 BY 30.

AND SO A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS, ALTHOUGH THE UNITED STATES TOOK ON THIS INITIATIVE AND THIS GOAL TO BE ABLE TO HIT 30% BY 2030.

SO IT'S, IT'S A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT.

UM, JUST LIKE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

UM, BUT A LOT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS BOUGHT ONTO IT AND SAID, YEAH, THIS IS A GOOD THING.

I WANNA BE INVOLVED WITH IT.

AND, AND, UH, WE DID TOO ALSO HERE IN AUSTIN.

SORRY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M GONNA LOOK AT TIME.

A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER TO SERVE ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AS A NON-VOTING MEMBER.

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN.

UM, AND I THINK WITH THAT WE WILL, OH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO GET THROUGH.

UM, OUR NEXT ITEM IS TO APPROVE

[6. Approve a Public Safety Commissioner to serve on the Downtown Commission as a non-voting member per City Code 2-1-140-C]

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY TAKERS? UM, I'M GONNA DO A THING, UM, IN HOPES THAT IN THE COMING MONTHS AS WE GET OF MORE NEW FULL SLATE, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND VOLUNTEER MYSELF TO BE, UM, THE APPOINTEE TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

UM, THEY TALK ABOUT PUBLIC, AND THE REASON I REALLY WANT SOMEONE AT THE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED BY THEIR CHARTER, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I REALLY LIKE HAVING SOMEBODY ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IS THAT THEY TALK QUITE A BIT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.

UM, THE DEPARTMENTS ARE THERE PRETTY OFTEN, AND IT'S JUST, I THINK A REALLY NICE, IT'S A VERY SORT OF REGIONAL APPROACH TO, LIKE, THEY TALK ABOUT DOWNTOWN, OBVIOUSLY.

SO I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT HAVING SOMEBODY THERE.

SO I'M GONNA VOLUNTEER MYSELF FOR NOW, AND I'M HOPING THAT AS WE GET SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS ON THAT, PERHAPS THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT'S INTERESTED THAT IS MORE TIED TO DOWNTOWN THAN I AM CURRENTLY.

UM, I USED TO WORK DOWNTOWN EVERY DAY, AND SO, UM, BUT I DEFINITELY AM A LITTLE BIT MORE DETACHED FROM THAT, THESE AT THIS POINT.

UM, SO I, I'M NOMINATING MYSELF.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR MY NOMINATION? UH, SECOND.

A SECOND.

AND THEN A QUICK VOTE FOR A YES.

NUMBER SEVEN IS JUST AN UPDATE FROM THE C-S-C-R-M WORKING GROUP.

I THINK THAT'S UNANIMOUS ON SCREEN AS WELL.

UM, AND MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS TEMPORARY AND WE CAN GET SOMEBODY ELSE, UM, TO TAKE THAT.

SO I WILL DO MY BEST TO REPORT BACK ON STUFF THAT'S GOING ON IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.

UM, AND I THINK OUR LAST ITEM

[7. Update from the Collective Sex Crimes Response Model (CSCRM) Working Group on the plan for sexual assault data reporting.]

UM, WE MET FAIRLY RECENTLY AND WE'VE BEEN TOUCHING BASE WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, STAKEHOLDERS, A PD SAFE, UM, AND THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING A DATE FOR THEM TO COME PRESENT THEIR SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE DATA TO US.

WE BELIEVE THAT'S GONNA BE IN FEBRUARY.

AT THIS POINT, WE WERE HOPING JANUARY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE FEBRUARY WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO DO A MORE, UH, A NEATER DATA SET THAT WRAPS UP AT THE END OF DECEMBER, UH, WITH THE END OF, THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST.

UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE THEM COME REPORT TO US QUARTERLY.

UM, AND WE WILL BE A REPOSITORY FOR THAT DATA, UM, UNTIL A MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION IS FUNDED AND FOUND.

UM, AND SO AT SOME POINT WE'LL ALSO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR, WITH SUGGESTIONS, HOPEFULLY FOR WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT PLACE SHOULD BE.

UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.

UM, I'LL

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

JUST TOUCH BASE BRIEFLY

[01:55:01]

TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEM SUGGESTIONS.

UM, I HAD THIS PULLED UP.

UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE, UM, NEXT MONTH WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

UM, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THEIR GUN VIOLENCE PROBLEM ANALYSIS.

UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMMISSIONER CILO BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION SOME TIME AGO.

UM, SO WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO TALKING TO THEM.

UM, WE WILL ALSO BE, UM, TALKING TO HESSAM ABOUT THEIR INCLEMENT WEATHER RESPONSE AND JUST THEIR COMMUNICATION PLAN FOR THE WINTER.

WE'RE HOPING FOR A MILDER ONE, BUT I THINK A BIANNUAL CHECK IN WITH THEM FOR ANY CHANGES IN PLANS SEEMS WARRANTED.

UM, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH A LONG LIST TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHAT ELSE COMES.

BUT IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR AGENDA ITEMS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT VIA EMAIL, UM, TO REQUEST A SECOND.

WE'RE CIRCULATING THOSE AS WE NEED THEM, SO WE DON'T NEED TO MAKE THEM PUBLICLY TO START THINGS OFF.

I MEAN, IF SOMEONE HAS ONE, YES, OKAY.

OF COURSE.

BUT IF NO, IF, IF YOU GUYS CIRCULATE IT VIA EMAIL, WILL CHRISTIE HAS BEEN HELPING WITH DISTRIBUTING THOSE REQUESTS IF WE NEED A SECOND FROM SOMEONE.

UM, AND SO WE, WE HAVE BEEN ADDING ITEMS TO THE AGENDA THAT WAY AS WELL.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS NEEDS TO BE A FULL ITEM, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL, UM, MAYBE TO GET AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY OR SOMEONE IN PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GFI ACCESS YES.

OR LACK OF ACCESS .

UM, AND MAYBE THAT IS A BETTER, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.

UM, WE DO HAVE A, A REQUEST IN FOR THE OPO TO COME IN.

UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'VE REQUESTED FOR FEBRUARY, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN CONFIRMATION.

BUT YEAH, MAYBE THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE THAT WE NEED TO BE.

I DON'T KNOW IF, YEAH, SO I, I, I'LL I'VE MADE NOTE OF THAT.

YEAH, THAT MIGHT BE, THAT MIGHT BE CITY LEGAL OR SOMEBODY IN THE, IN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.

YEP.

IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, I AM GONNA CALL US ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

UM, I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A GREAT HOLIDAY.

UM, I DO WANNA TAKE A SECOND TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN DEATHS THIS YEAR IN THE DEPARTMENTS SUICIDES, DEATHS DURING, WHILE PEOPLE ARE SERVING, UM, A VERY RECENT ONE IN FIRE.

UM, IT'S JUST EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS TOUGH.

IT'S HARD.

UM, IT'S GRUELING MENTALLY.

UM, AND I WILL BE THINKING ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES, UM, IN THIS COMING DECEMBER.

SO THANK YOU EVERYONE AND EVERYBODY HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY.