Feb 02, 2026 Public Safety Committee

UM,

[00:00:01]

I WILL CALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO ORDER.

IT IS FEBRUARY 2ND, 2026, AND THE TIME IS 2:00 PM UH, THIS MEETING IS, IS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.

WE'RE MEETING AT CITY HALL, LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

AND WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT VICE CHAIR LANE.

UH, WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KARI WILL BE ABSENT.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.

UH, FIRST WE HAVE PUBLIC

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

WE'LL BEGIN WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DANIELLE.

LOVE TO, UH, CALL ANY SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS REMOTE, LAUREN EARTHMAN.

AND BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, UH, COLLEAGUES WITHOUT, UM, IF, UNLESS THERE'S AN AN OBJECTION, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, BECAUSE, UH, CHIEF LUCK IS ASKING FOR FAVORS ALREADY, AND WE'RE JUST GETTING INTO THE YEAR.

BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GRANT 'EM THAT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTION TO THAT.

THANK YOU.

GO AHEAD, LAUREN.

OKAY.

UH, HI.

MY NAME IS LAUREN EARTHMAN.

I'M SPEAKING ON THE PROPOSED NOR NOISE ORDINANCE.

ITEM NUMBER THREE.

UH, WE MOVED TO AUSTIN ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO FROM OUR HOME CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.

WE WANTED A MORE PEACEFUL, QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE HILLS OF AUSTIN.

AND THIS IS WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT OUR HOME IN CAT MOUNTAIN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OFF 2222, ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, THE NOISE FROM 2222 SLOWLY BEGAN TO INCREASE SPECIFICALLY THE SOUND OF REVVING AND HIGH SEAT ACCELERATION AND MOTORCYCLES.

IT WAS GRADUAL AND IT FIRST TOLERABLE TO ME, BUT AS THE FREQUENCY OF THE NOISE INCREASED, WHAT USED TO BE AN ANNOYANCE BEGAN TO TRIGGER A PHYSICAL STRESS RESPONSE.

FOR ME TO BE CLEAR, NOISE IS SOMETHING I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH.

I RAISED THREE KIDS AND WE LISTEN TO A LOT OF LIVE MUSIC, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT.

IT'S REPETITIVE AND IT'S HIGH PITCHED FROM WHAT I'VE READ.

NOISE SOLUTION CAN CAUSE ELEVATED CORTISOL CAUSE SLEEP DEPRIVATION, TRIGGER CONDITIONS LIKE MISOPHONIA, RAGE, PANIC AND SPECIFIC RAGE, PANIC AND SPECIFIC SOUNDS, AND NOISE SENSITIVITY ANXIETY.

I WAS SURPRISED IF THESE REPETITIVE LOUD SOUNDS WOULD CREATE SUCH DISCOMFORT FOR ME, BUT THEY DID IN RESPONSE.

I NOW SPEND MUCH OF MY TIME BACK IN HOUSTON TO GET SOME REPRIEVE UNTIL THE NOISE ORDINANCE HOPEFULLY PASSES AND ALLOWS ME TO SPEND MORE TIME.

BACK IN AUSTIN, THERE ARE MOTORCYCLE GROUPS HOSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

THEY BRAG ABOUT THE THRILL OF RUNNING FROM THE POLICE, DRAGGING ME ON 2222, WHICH HAS TAKEN A TURN SO FAST THAT YOUR KNEE ALMOST TOUCHES THE PAVEMENT.

THE COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR SAFETY OF OTHERS IS DISTURBING.

I'VE HAD A MOTORCYCLE RIDER COME UP TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR AND HIT MY SIDE MIRROR WITH HIS CLOSED FIST BECAUSE I WAS GOING TOO SLOW FOR HIM TO GET AROUND.

THIS IS A TWO-PRONGED ISSUE, THE NOISE AND THE SAFETY ELEMENT.

WE CAN TAKE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO AVOID THE DANGEROUS ROADS, BUT WE CANNOT ESCAPE THE EXCESSIVE NOISE.

ANOTHER NEGATIVE ASPECT OF THIS EXCESSIVE NOISE IS THE IMPACT ON PROPERTY VALUES.

IT'S EASY TO IMAGINE A POTENTIAL HOME BUYER BEING DISSUADED FROM PURCHASING A HOME WHERE CONSTANT MOTORCYCLE NOISE IS EVIDENT WHEN COMPARED TO SIMILAR PROPERTIES.

WITHOUT SUCH NOISE ISSUES, REAL ESTATE SPECIALISTS COULD LIKELY SHED ADDITIONAL LIGHT ON THIS.

SPEAKING FROM MY FAMILY, WE HAVE LIVED IN FIVE DIFFERENT HOUSES OVER 20 YEARS, AND I CAN SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE AGREED TO PURCHASE A HOME THAT HAD INCESSANT CONSTANT NOISE PROBLEMS LIKE WE HAVE DEVELOPED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THIS WOULD RESULT IN LOWER PROPERTY VALUES RESULTING IN LOWER AMOUNTS OF PROPERTY TAXES COLLECTED.

PLEASE HELP BRING SOME PEACE AND QUIET BACK TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BY PASSING THIS NOISE ORDINANCE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THANK YOU.

UP NEXT, WE'LL HAVE LORI O'LEARY.

HI, MY NAME IS GLORIA O'LEARY AND LOVED THE PRESENTATION.

THE LADY BEFORE ME JUST GAVE, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING SHE SAID.

UM, I'VE HAD A MOTORCYCLE PULL UP BETWEEN ME AND A CAR TO THE RIGHT OF ME, JUST SO THEY COULD GO FIRST THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.

SO BESIDES THE NOISE, SAFETY IS AN ISSUE.

THANK YOU.

UP NEXT WE'LL HAVE MARISA LIPER OPENING WITH THE VIDEO.

OH MY GOD.

[00:05:30]

OKAY, SO THAT WAS OUR LOVELY SCENIC AUSTIN HILL COUNTRY NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT THERE.

AND I'D LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO HOW MANY NEIGHBORS ARE BEHIND ME TODAY.

ARE HERE FOR THE NOISE ORDINANCE.

IF Y'ALL COULD PLEASE JUST STAND SO THE DS CAN SEE.

THANK YOU.

UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE TO US, AND WHAT YOU HEARD ON THE VIDEO IS NOWHERE NEAR NOWHERE CLOSE TO BEING AS LOUD AND AS DANGEROUS AS WE FEEL AND EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY.

AND THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE STARTED WORKING ON FIVE YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO, WITH A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, ALLISON ALTER AND A PD IN EARNEST.

AND NOW THE BATON HAS BEEN PASSED TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBER MARK UCHIN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND, UM, WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE CONCERTED EFFORTS OF ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.

THANK YOU.

IF WE CAN HAVE LISA CAPS.

THANKS.

HELLO, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.

MY NAME IS LISA CAPS AND I'M A RESIDENT OF NORTHWEST HILLS, ALSO SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED NOISE ORDINANCE.

I LIVE ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM 2222 IN AN AREA WHERE HOMES AND TREES SHOULD BUFFER THE SOUND, BUT THEY REALLY DON'T.

INDOORS, EVEN WITH SOUND MACHINES ON AND YOUR TV ON YOUR FAMILY IS REGULARLY DISTURBED BY MOTORCYCLES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

WITH MODIFIED EXHAUST SYSTEMS OUTDOORS, THE NOISE IS EVEN MORE NOTICEABLE AND INTRUSIVE.

AS YOU SAW IN THE VIDEOS, THE PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED FOR YEARS AND CONTINUES TO WORSEN.

THE FRUSTRATION EXPRESSED BY RESIDENTS IS REFLECTED IN THE PETITION THAT I STARTED ABOUT 10 MONTHS AGO.

I THINK I GAVE YOU GUYS A HANDOUT SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT IN MORE DETAIL.

UM, BUT IT'S NOW GATHERED MORE THAN 800 SIGNATURES THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH AND THROUGH A COUPLE YARD SIGNS THAT WE PUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE COMMENTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, REPEATED LAPS RACING AT NIGHT, EARLY IN THE MORNING, FRUSTRATION THAT OUR CURRENT LAWS OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE DOCUMENTED NUMEROUS NEAR MISSES, RECKLESS DRIVING ROAD DAMAGE, EVIDENCE OF ACCIDENTS THAT AREN'T EVEN REFLECTED IN OUR IN OFFICIAL REPORTS.

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS SHOW DRIVERS MEETING UP TO RUN LAPS, PRACTICE TURNS, FILM ONE ANOTHER, AND EVEN RECOMMEND 22, 22 TO OUT OF TOWNERS LOOKING FOR A THRILL RIDE.

I'VE SEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS ADVERTISING TO SET UP ON THE ROADSIDE AND CAPTURE THE HIGH SPEED PASSES.

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS EFFECTIVELY BEEN TURNED INTO AN INFORMAL PRACTICE TRACK, SOMETHING NO HOMEOWNER WANTS OR EXPECTS.

WE UNDERSTAND THE ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGES.

MANY PROBLEM VEHICLES HAVE MODIFIED OR ILLEGAL EXHAUSTS AND PLATES THAT AREN'T VISIBLE OR AREN'T THERE AT ALL.

RIDERS FLEE AND OFFICERS CANNOT SAFELY PURSUE CONSTANT PATROL COVERAGE IS UNREALISTIC.

THIS IS WHY AN UPDATED NOISE ORDINANCE REALLY MATTERS TO US.

IT CREATES A PRACTICAL ENFORCEMENT TOOL ALLOWING OFFICERS TO ACT, UM, ON DEFINED NOISE THRESHOLDS.

IT SHOULD IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY BY DISCOURAGING THE HIGH SPEED RACING AND RECKLESS

[00:10:01]

PROTECT CITIZENS FROM CHRONIC SLEEP DISRUPTION, SUPPORT OUR PROPERTY VALUABLE, UH, SORRY, VALUES AND OVERALL LIV LIVABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND IT'LL REINFORCE THAT OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS PRIORITIZE OUR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING.

WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR PERFECTION, WE'RE ASKING FOR A PRACTICAL, ENFORCEABLE SOLUTION THAT HELPS RESTORE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BACK TO PEACE AND SAFETY.

IT'S NOT DIRECTED AT RESPONSIBLE DRIVERS, MOTORCYCLE OWNERS, OR CAR ENTHUSIASTS.

IT TARGETS THE VERY SMALL GROUP WHOSE BEHAVIOR IS DISRUPTING ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS.

ON BEHALF OF MY NEIGHBORS AND THE 800 PLUS RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN, I URGE YOU TO MOVE THIS ORDINANCE FORWARD AND GIVE THE, THE POLICE THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE.

IF WE CAN HAVE CHERYL BROWN.

THANK YOU.

I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN RESIDENT SINCE 1984, AND I HAVE LIVED IN MY HOME SINCE FOR 30 YEARS.

OUR HOME IS AT THE VERY END OF CAT MOUNTAIN DRIVE.

WE LOOK OUT TOWARD THE INTERSECTION OF 22, 22 AND 360.

SO WE HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING.

WE'RE ON THE RIDGE UP ABOVE COUNTY LINE ON THE LAKE, AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS IS NOT JUST A 2222 PROBLEM.

IT IS ALSO A 360 PROBLEM.

AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PRIMARILY, UH, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAY MORNINGS STARTS AS EARLY AS 7:00 AM AND IT'S INCREASED PRIMARILY OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

AND WE, WHAT WE SEE IS THAT WHEN THE POLICE COME OUT AND EN AND ENFORCE THE SPEED, UH, REGULATIONS, IT DROPS.

AND THEN WITHIN ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO OF WHEN THE POLICE STOP ENFORCING IT, IT COMES BACK AND WE SEE THE, UM, WE SEE THE, THE RACERS MEETING AT DRY CREEK.

EVERYBODY KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE THEY MEET AND WHAT THE PATTERNS ARE.

AND I'M HOPING, AS EVERYBODY ELSE HAS MENTIONED, THAT THE NOISE ORDINANCE WILL ALLOW SOME KIND OF TOOL FOR ENFORCING AT LEAST THE NOISE.

ALTHOUGH SPEED IS DEFINITELY AS MUCH OR MORE OF AN ISSUE FOR SAFETY, THE, THE THE WAY IN WHICH THESE DRIVERS OPERATE IS DANGEROUS.

IT'S DANGEROUS FOR THEM, IT'S DANGEROUS FOR OTHER MOTORISTS.

BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE ROAD ON 2222 WITH MOTORCYCLISTS DRIVING IN AND OUT OF CARS, TOUCHING CARS.

UM, AND IT MAKES US ALL RECALL THE HORRIBLE, TRAGIC ACCIDENT OF, UM, CEDRIC BENON, WHICH WAS IN THAT SAME AREA.

UM, I'M HOPING THAT THIS WILL BE A ORDINANCE THAT'S ENFORCEABLE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PENALTIES ARE PROPOSED TO GO ALONG WITH IT.

THAT'S THE ONE, THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT'S NOT CLEAR WITH THIS ORDINANCE.

UM, IF, IF IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY, UM, REAL SUBSTANTIAL PENALTY, IT MAY NOT BE, UH, IT MAY NOT HAVE THE TEETH TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

UM, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING VERY ORGANIZED, BUT I WAS JUST ADDED THIS MORNING.

BUT ANYBODY IS WELCOME TO COME SET UP CAMERAS OR SOUND MACHINES IN MY BACKYARD BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE A VERY, VERY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE FOR BOTH ROADS.

AND I HOPE THIS ORDINANCE PASSES.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THAT IS EVERYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

WE HAVE ONE FOR THE MINUTES.

UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL THEM KATHY MITCHELL.

HI, I AM SPEAKING BRIEFLY ON THE MINUTES TODAY BECAUSE MY COMMENTS ARE RELEVANT TO THE ITEMS THAT YOU SAW IN YOUR BRIEFING LAST TIME, PARTICULARLY THE BARRY DUNN, A PD ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY.

UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE PUT THE ENTIRETY OF THAT STUDY AND

[00:15:01]

UH, READILY AVAILABLE HERE FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, AS YOU ARE, UM, THINKING ABOUT REORGANIZING A PD, I WANTED TO PROPOSE THREE THINGS VERY QUICKLY.

REVISE THE GENERAL ORDERS TO REQUIRE SUPERVISOR APPROVAL FOR ANY A PD OFFICER TO STOP TAKING 9 1 1 CALLS IN ORDER TO ASSIST ICE, MAINTAIN AND RELEASE THE LIST OF CASES IN WHICH SUPERVISOR APPROVAL HAS BEEN GRANTED WITH THE CRIMINAL CHARGE APPLICABLE TO ANY PERSON DETAINED, A PD SHOULD NOT BE PULLING OFFICERS OFFLINE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE JOB OF DOING THINGS LIKE MONITORING TRAFFIC ON 2222 IN ORDER TO DETAIN PEOPLE.

AND THREE, MANAGEMENT MUST IMMEDIATELY REVISE PROCEDURES FOR OFFICERS TO SELF ASSIGN THEIR TIME WHEN THEY ARE ON PATROL.

I JUST FINISHED POSTING IMAGES FROM TODAY WHERE A GAGGLE OF A PD OFFICERS ARE STANDING NEARBY AS ICE DETAINED SOMEBODY IN THEIR FRONT YARD.

THIS IS NOT WHAT WE NEED OUR POLICE TO BE DOING.

WE HAVE ALL HEARD PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE HIRE THEM TO DO.

AND THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED WITH ORGANIZATIONAL REFORM.

WE NEED THE CHIEF TO PUT IN PLACE STRICT LIMITS ON OFFICERS SELF ASSIGNING THEIR TIME WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ANSWERING 9 1 1 CALLS.

SO I WOULD ASK THAT AS YOU CONSIDER THE BARRY DUNN STUDY THAT WE, YOU LOOK, YOU GOT BRIEFED ON LAST TIME, THAT WE NOT LET THE DELAY TACTIC PERSIST.

THIS BURIED DONE STUDY HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, AND THERE IS A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY THAT WE NEED TO DO IMMEDIATELY, NOT JUST TO BE ABLE TO BETTER POLICE THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HIRE POLICE TO DO, BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES AND OUR CIVIL RIGHTS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, UH, COLLEAGUES.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, SECONDED BY, UH, VICE CHAIR LANE, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTIONS.

THESE, THESE MINUTES, UH, THESE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

UH, COLLEAGUES,

[4. Briefing on Austin -Travis County Emergency Medical Services’ (ATCEMS) Recruiting Model. [Robert Luckritz, Emergency Medical Service Chief- Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services]. ]

THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER TWO OR FOUR, PREVIOUS TWO, PREVIOUSLY FOUR, BRIEFING ON THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES RECRUITING MODEL.

UH, AND NOW WE INVITE UP CHIEF LUCK.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

APPRECIATE YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UM, I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL, UM, ABOUT THE RECRUITING PROCESS THAT WE HAVE AT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, UH, BOTH THE, SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON, UM, VACANCIES AND OTHER THINGS IN TERMS OF HOW IT IS THAT WE GOT, UH, TO THE CURRENT SITUATION WE'RE IN, AS WELL AS WHAT OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGY IS IN ORDER TO OVERCOME THE VACANCIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

SO, TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE, UM, WHAT I'VE SHARED HERE IS THAT THE HISTORICAL VACANCY RATE FOR THE DEPARTMENT, AS YOU CAN SEE, FISCAL YEAR 1920, WE WERE AT A RELATIVELY STABLE, UH, LESS THAN 10% VACANCY RATE.

AND AS WE ENTERED INTO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, UH, WE DID SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR VACANCY RATE.

AND I'LL SHARE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES SOME OF THE BACKGROUND AND REASONS WHY, UH, THAT DID CONTINUE TO INCREASE UNTIL THE MIDDLE OR TO END OF FISCAL YEAR 2022, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE ALSO WHEN, UH, I JOINED THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD SINCE THEN TO BRING DOWN OUR VACANCY RATE.

AND WE HAVE BROUGHT IT DOWN FROM A 25.4% PEAK, UH, TO A 15.1 PERC PER, UH, 15.1%, UH, VACANCY RATE CURRENTLY.

UH, TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE BACKGROUND, SOME OF THE REASON, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOK AT IS THE TURNOVER RATE.

UM, AND THAT GIVES US A SNAPSHOT OVER OUR RETENTION.

AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THAT, UH, OVER TIME WE DID SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN OUR TURNOVER, BUT IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FISCAL YEAR 21 TO 22, UH, WHERE WE DID SEE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT LEFT THE DEPARTMENT IN, UH, INTO, NEAR THE END OF THE, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

WE ALSO SAW A NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS AS WELL.

UH, FOR PERSPECTIVE, ABOUT 30% OF OUR SEPARATIONS ARE RETIREMENT.

IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, I THINK YOU GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF A BETTER PICTURE AS TO WHAT IS DRIVING OUR VACANCY RATE.

AND THAT IS THE, THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE

[00:20:01]

AND FOR THAT, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE VERY GRACIOUS TO THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND THE GROWTH OF OUR DEPARTMENT.

UM, BUT WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IS LESS OF A RETENTION ISSUE AND MORE OF OUR ABILITY TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, THE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES, AND THE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE SEEN ADDED.

UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 20, UH, ALONE, WE HAD 67 NEW POSITIONS ADDED TO THE DEPARTMENT.

AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD NO LESS THAN 20 EVERY YEAR ADDED TO THE DEPARTMENT.

AND WITH THAT, UH, IT DOES CREATE FOR US A NEED FOR US TO RETHINK A LITTLE BIT AS TO HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY GONNA KEEP UP WITH OUR RETENTION, YOU KNOW, TO CONTINUE THOSE WHO LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT AND REPLACE THEM, BUT ALSO A GROWTH STRATEGY.

SO LOOKING BACK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE, UH, FISCAL SINCE 2022, UH, WE DID WORK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF A PLAN IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO TO ADDRESS THAT.

UM, WE DID BRING IN A NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM MYSELF, AS WELL AS NEW ASSISTANT CHIEFS AND OTHERS.

UH, WE REDUCED OUR HIRING TIMELINE SIGNIFICANTLY, AND WE REALLY WORKED TO SIMPLIFY THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

IT WAS A VERY LONG AND AOUS PROCESS, UM, AND WE SAW A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE DISQUALIFIED FOR TECHNICAL REASONS.

WE ALSO UPDATED SOME OF OUR DISQUALIFIERS TO BE MORE REFLECTIVE OF THE CURRENT JOB MARKET.

UM, AND WE STREAMLINED OUR ACADEMY TO MAKE, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT SHORTER, WHILE STILL PROVIDING THE SAME HIGH QUALITY TRAINING THAT WE HAD ALWAYS HAD.

UH, WE LAUNCHED THIS, THIS PLAN.

UH, WE ALSO BEGAN HIRING PARAMEDICS DIRECTLY FROM, UH, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH WAS NEW TO THIS DEPARTMENT.

HISTORICALLY, WE ONLY HIRED FOLKS AT THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN LEVEL, WHICH REALLY BROUGHT, UM, LIMITED OUR ABILITY TO BRING ON EXPERIENCED TALENT.

WE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF ACADEMIES FROM TWO TO FOUR ANNUALLY.

UH, WE SECURED ADDITIONAL RECRUITING FUNDS FROM, UH, FROM THE COUNCIL AND FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE, WHICH ALLOWED US TO HIRE A DEDICATED MANAGER AND TWO COORDINATORS HISTORICALLY AS A DEPARTMENT.

UH, WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE, WHAT WE DID WAS OUR RECRUITING DEPARTMENT WAS MORE OF A HIRING PRO DEPARTMENT AND LESS OF A RECRUITING DEPARTMENT.

AND THIS ALLOWED US TO HAVE DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS THAT TRAVELED, THAT REALLY WORKED TOWARDS, UM, BRINGING INDIVIDUALS IN, GENERATING INTEREST IN THE DEPARTMENT, WHILE OTHERS IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT COULD FOCUS ON THE ACTUAL ONBOARDING AND PROCESS.

UH, WE CONTINUED THE FOUR ACADEMIES AS WELL AS TWO DIRECT HIRE PROCESS ANNUALLY THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2024.

AND THEN A COUPLE OPERATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS.

WE INC ADDED ADDITIONAL STIPENDS, EXPAND THE NUMBER OF FIELD TRAINING OFFICERS, UM, AND WE ALIGNED OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION WITH THE FIELD, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAS WHERE WE SAW OUR LARGEST VACANCY RATE, UPWARDS OF 80 PLUS PERCENT.

UM, AND THAT HAS HELPED US BRING THAT VACANCY RATE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.

THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF KIND OF WHAT I HAD JUST DESCRIBED, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FISCALLY, UH, UM, FISCAL YEARS, 21 AND 22 OUTPACED, UH, SEPARATIONS WITH HIRES WITH THE GREATEST ONE BEING IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, UH, WHERE YOU CAN SEE WE HAD 109 IN VERSUS 53 OUT.

UH, AND WE'VE CONTINUED THAT ABILITY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

THE CHALLENGE BEING THAT THAT IS NOT KEPT UP WITH THE RATE OF GROWTH THAT WE ARE SEEING IN THE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO, TO GROW AND ADD THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.

WE DO CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

UH, DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE DID SEE A REDUCTION IN OUR PIPELINE.

WE DELAYED AN ACADEMY REDUCED BY ONE ACADEMY, WHICH, UM, RESULTED IN SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN HIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

MOVING ON TO OTHER POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WE DID DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TRAVEL THAT WE WERE DOING, UH, WHICH, UH, AGAIN, UH, REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF RECRUITING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO FROM OTHER PLACES WITHIN THE COUNTRY.

I THINK I'VE SAID HERE A FEW TIMES, THE BULK OF OUR APPLICANTS ACTUALLY COME FROM OUT OF STATE.

UM, AS A RESULT, WE DO SEE SOME RETENTION CHALLENGES.

WE DO HAVE AN INCREASED WORKLOAD ON OUR STAFF, UH, AS A RESULT, STAFF, UH, INCREASED UTILIZATION OF OVERTIME.

UM, WHAT WE'RE ALSO SEEING IS AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE.

UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NEW AGE EMS AGENCIES THAT HAVE SPROUTED UP IN THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA TO ADDRESS THE, THE GROWTH OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, BASTROP COUNTY, HAYES COUNTY BEING VERY NOTABLE, UM, WITH THEM, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES THAT THEY'RE PUTTING ON, UH, WHICH MAKES IT MORE CHALLENGING FOR US, UH, TO RETAIN OUR STAFF, UH, AS THEY LOOK AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITH A, WITH A LOWER WORKLOAD, UH, AND OF COURSE THE CHANGING WORKFORCE AS WELL.

UH, FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE, AS I MENTIONED DURING THE BUDGET, WE DO HAVE A LIMITED TRAINING CAPACITY.

AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS YEAR ON WHAT THAT PLAN WILL LOOK LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN ONBOARD, AS WELL AS THE LENGTH OF THAT ONBOARDING PROCESS.

A FEW NEXT STEPS FOR US, UH, REALLY FOCUSING IN ON THOSE THREE CHALLENGES.

THE FIRST BEING ON RECRUITING.

UM, AND THAT WOULD BE TO RESUME OUR NATIONAL FOOTPRINT TO BE GETTING BACK OUT THERE WITH THE VARIOUS NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONFERENCES TO TRY TO DRIVE MORE INDIVIDUAL TO OUR ORGANIZATION.

UH, CONTINUING THROUGH AND, AND OUR RECRUITING POSITIONS, EXPANDING OUR RECRUITING DIVISION, UM, REVIEWING AND OPTIMIZING OUR PREREQUISITES, THE REASONS THAT WE, UH, ALLOW PEOPLE TO WORK FOR US.

WHAT ARE THE DISQUALIFIERS, WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? UM, AS WELL AS THE ACADEMY, UH, PROCESS ALREADY, I CAN TELL YOU IN UPCOMING ACADEMIES, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FURTHER RE UH, STREAMLINE

[00:25:01]

UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT SCHEDULE, UH, IN THE CURRICULUM.

WE'RE EXPANDING THE FREQUENCY, UH, LOOKING AT OUR CREDENTIALING PROCESS.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY ON THE RETENTION SIDE, REALLY, UH, CONTINUING TO FOCUS IN ON PROVIDER MENTAL HEALTH, UH, REALLY DIVING INTO OUR PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT CONTINUES TO BE ROBUST ENOUGH.

UM, WE DO HAVE A RETIREMENT AT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, THAT WAS, UH, PART OF THE LAST LABOR AGREEMENT.

AND SO WE DO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT.

UM, BOTH WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE ASSOCIATION, AND THE DEPARTMENT.

UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE OPEN ACCESS TO OUR DATA, WHICH WILL BE COMING UP SHORTLY.

WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.

UM, JUST SO THAT THE, BOTH THE PUBLIC, BUT ALSO THE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT, UM, THE REALITIES AND, UH, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE FACING AND, AND WHAT OUR WORKLOAD LOOKS LIKE.

AND THEN CONTINUING ON OUR EFFORTS AGAIN, UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS THE INCREASED WORKLOAD ON OUR STAFF FROM NON-CRITICAL EMERGENCIES.

UH, AND TRYING TO UTILIZE THINGS LIKE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS TO DIVERT THAT, UH, THOSE, UM, THOSE NON-EMERGENT CALLS TO OTHER RESOURCES BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE COME REALLY LOOKING TO FOCUS IN ON SAVING LIVES AND FOCUSING IN ON THOSE CRITICAL CALLS, UM, IT CAN BE, UH, PUT A STRAIN ON THEM AS WELL AS GONNA BE DISENCHANTING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE TYPES OF CALLS.

AND SO IF WE CAN FIND OTHER RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN FOCUS IN ON THOSE MORE CRITICAL CALLS, IT DOES HELP MORALE OVERALL.

WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, CHIEF, UH, COLLEAGUES, ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER .

THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

UH, VERY QUICKLY, YOU MENTIONED THAT TRAVEL HAD DECREASED AS FAR AS THE RECRUITING STRATEGY, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.

25.

SO LAST YEAR AS WE LOOKED TO REDUCE, UH, TO, UH, WITH OUR BUDGET CONSTRICTING A LITTLE BIT AND REALLY FOCUSING WHERE ARE WE GONNA SPEND THOSE DOLLARS, UH, ON, UM, OTHER RESOURCES, ADDITIONAL ACADEMIES.

UH, WE DID REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRAVEL AS A DEPARTMENT.

WE PUT A TRAVEL FREEZE ON FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR.

UM, AND SO WE DID REALIZE THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS.

AND SO ALREADY THIS YEAR WE HAVE, WE HAVE UPPED THAT.

UM, WE ARE LOOKING, UH, COMING UP, UH, IN OUR NEXT ACADEMY.

UH, WE ALREADY HAVE 35 INDIVIDUALS TEED UP, WHICH WILL AGAIN, BE BACK TOWARDS ONE OF OUR LARGEST ACADEMIES EVER.

I'D BE CURIOUS TO WORK WITH YOU OR GET SOME DATA FOR HOW YOU CAN CONNECT THE TRAVEL DOLLARS TO THE IMPACT OF RECRUITING.

ONE OF THE SURPRISES I HAD WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET LAST TIME WAS, I THINK I SAW EMS WAS SPENDING MORE THAN BOTH POLICE AND FIRE ON TRAVEL.

AND I'M WONDERING WHETHER THEY'RE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY THERE IN TERMS OF THE SUCCESSES THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED, OR, UH, AT THE VERY LEAST, BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY THOSE DOLLARS IF THEY ARE PRODUCING THE RESULTS YOU HOPE FOR IN THE RECRUITING SPACE.

SO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I WOULD LOVE TO, TO DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT, UM, AND, AND SHOW SOME OF THE SUCCESSES WE'RE HAVING.

UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW HERE, WE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME RECRUITING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

WE'D REALLY TAPPED OUT WITH MOST OF OUR RESOURCES.

UM, BUT THE UNIQUE NATURE OF OUR DEPARTMENT HERE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

OUR DELIVERY MODEL IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

UM, SO BY GOING TO SOME OF THOSE REGIONAL CONFERENCES, UM, AND BRINGING ATTENTION TO THOSE AREAS THAT MAY NOT HAVE DEPARTMENTS LIKE OURS, UM, WE GOT A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, EXPRESSED INTEREST, UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF FOLLOW THOSE INDIVIDUALS THROUGH AND INTO THE DEPARTMENT.

SO LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING WITH YOU SOME OF THOSE SUCCESSES AND WHAT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS.

THAT'D BE GREAT.

'CAUSE MORE BROADLY, THE LAST QUESTION I'LL ASK IS RELATED TO THIS AS WELL, WHICH IS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UH, KNOWING THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AREAS ARE ALSO HAVING THE SAME CHALLENGES WITH RECRUITMENT.

UH, AND KNOWING THAT FROM THE DATA YOU JUST SHARED, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING AN ADMIN JOB.

IF YOU'RE GROWING A DEPARTMENT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'RE PULLING BACK ON THE VACANCY RATE.

WHAT LESSONS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY LEARN FROM THERE THAT COULD BE, UH, THAT THOSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE GOOD CANDIDATES FOR ALSO USING? SO WE WE'LL FOLLOW UP.

ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH.

AND, AND AGAIN, UM, AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A MINUTE, THE COLLABORATION THAT WE'RE SEEING BETWEEN THE THREE DEPARTMENTS AND THE DATA WE'RE SHARING AROUND OVERTIME, UTILIZATION, RECRUITING, AND OTHERS.

SO, UM, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

THANKS CHAIR.

UH, CHIEF, I HAD ONE QUESTION ON SLIDE NUMBER SIX.

IT STATES, UH, CHANGES IN EXPERIENCES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE INCOMING WORKFORCE HAVE RESULTED IN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, UH, RESULTED IN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, EARLY DE UH, HIRED AND INSPECTED EARLIER DEPARTURE RATE.

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT? UM, SO I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE EXAMPLES.

UM, AS WE LOOK AT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE JOINING THE DEPARTMENT NOW, UM, PARTICULARLY AS FOLKS WENT THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW IS A WORKFORCE THAT, UM, THAT WAS THEIR, THEIR THEIR EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? SO THEY, SO THEY, THIS IS THE WORKFORCE THAT WENT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE, KIND OF THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

UM, WE SAW,

[00:30:01]

SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FROM AN EXPERIENCE PERSPECTIVE, WE FOUND IT VERY HELPFUL, UH, IN THE INDUSTRY FOCUSING ON REALLY, UH, HOME GROWING INDIVIDUALS.

SO SOMETIMES BRINGING SOMEONE IN WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE COULD BRING BAD HABITS.

AND SO IF YOU WERE ABLE TO TRAIN SOMEONE IN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, YOU COULD REALLY FOCUS IN ON STARTING THEM WITH GOOD HABITS.

AND SO WE REDUCED OUR JOB REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, HOWEVER, IS THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING IN, UM, REALLY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE HAVING PUBLIC INTERACTION.

UM, AND MUCH OF THEIR WORKFORCE HAS BEEN REALLY DIGITAL.

UM, AND SO WE'RE CHALLENGED WITH, UH, UM, INTERPERSONAL INTERACTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME FOCUSING IN ON THAT OF, UM, TEACHING INDIVIDUALS ABOUT HOW TO INTERACT, PARTICULARLY IN CONFINED SPACES IN AN AMBULANCE.

HOW DO YOU BREACH THOSE CONVERSATIONS? THAT WAS A UNIQUE ONE FOR US.

UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE RECENTLY CHANGED WAS A REQUIREMENT OF, UH, SOME FORM OF JOB EXPERIENCE OR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT REQUIRED, UH, TWO YEARS OF INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC.

UM, SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY BE IN THE EMS SPHERE, BUT WHETHER YOU ARE A SERVER OR A WAITER OR, OR SOMETHING WHERE YOU HAD TO INTERACT WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS, UM, WE FOUND THAT TO BE HELPFUL.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE'RE SEEING QUITE A FEW LESS INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING IN WITH DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

SO WE DO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL GET THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR THIS JOB.

UM, AND SO WE HAD TO LOOK AT DRIVING EXPERIENCE WHERE WE WANT FOLKS WHO HAVE DRIVE DRIVEN A PERSONAL CAR OR SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE THEY COME TO THE DEPARTMENT.

UH, THANK YOU CHIEF, I, AND I WASN'T SNICKERING AT YOU.

I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING.

ONE, UH, ONE THING THAT I'VE ALWAYS SAID IS THAT IT WOULD BEHOOVE MOST PEOPLE TO GO AND WORK FAST FOOD FOR A, FOR A YEAR.

SO SOME, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES OF LEARN, YES.

LEARNING HOW TO DEAL WITH FOLKS IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY.

YES.

UH, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, UM, UH, ON THE SAME SLIDE, IT STATES, UH, THE ONE TO TWO YEARS IN ONBOARDING.

WHAT STEPS IN THE CURRENT HIRING AND ONBOARDING PROCESS ARE RESULTING IN THOSE LONGER WAIT TIMES? SO, UM, THE VARIOUS PHASES THAT WE HAVE IN THE HIRING PROCESS ARE PART OF IT, RIGHT? SO WE RECEIVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO PUT AN APPLICATION BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURES OF CIVIL SERVICE AND OTHERS, WE THEN NEED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT OPENING OF APPLICATIONS, UM, WHICH WE THEN FOLLOW UP WITH THE VARIOUS SCREENING PROCESS, STRUCTURED ORAL INTERVIEWS, THE, THE, THE MEDICAL CLEARANCE, THE PSYCHIATRIC CLEARANCE AND OTHERS.

AND SO IT CAN BE AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE BY THE TIME SOMEONE PUTS IN AN APPLICATION UNTIL THE ACTUAL ACADEMY STARTS.

AND FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A JOB, UM, WE LOSE PEOPLE TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE IT TAKES US SO LONG TO DO THAT.

SO WE WANNA CONTRACT THAT.

THEN THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING IN ON IS, UM, ONCE SOMEONE IS HIRED, UM, OUR TRADITIONAL HIRING PRACTICE WAS REALLY FOCUSED AROUND BRINGING EMTS ON BOARD.

UM, AND SO WE HAD AN ACADEMY PROCESS AND AN ONBOARDING PROCESS, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT THE BULK OF OUR VA VACANCIES ARE AT THE PARAMEDIC LEVEL, AND THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THIS DIRECT HIRE PROCESS, UM, WE'RE WORKING HARD ON FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN CONCURRENTLY BRING PEOPLE ON AS PARAMEDICS, UM, RATHER THAN, UH, IN SEQUENCE.

SO RATHER THAN BRINGING SOMEONE ON AS AN EMT AND THEN A PARAMEDIC, IF THEY'RE ALREADY A PARAMEDIC, HOW DO WE BLEND THOSE TRAINING PROCESSES TOGETHER IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE THOSE PROCESSES? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND THE KNOWLEDGE FOR THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CLINICAL MEDICAL OPERATION THAT WE HAVE.

THE SKILL SETS OF AN AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, UH, CLINICAL SPECIALIST PARAMEDIC IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, UM, THAN A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

THE THINGS THAT, THE KNOWLEDGE BASE, WE ASK THEM TO HAVE THE SKILLSET AND, AND THE DIFFERENT PROCEDURES THAT THEY DO.

UM, AND SO WE, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FULLY COMPETENT BEFORE WE PUT THEM OUT IN THE FIELD, AND THAT CAN TAKE EXTRA TIME.

AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW IT IS.

WE COULD TIGHTEN THAT UP A LITTLE BIT.

THANK YOU, CHIEF, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, COLLEAGUES, NEXT WE'LL

[2. Briefing on Public Safety Dashboards. [Lisa Davis, Chief of Police - Austin Police Department; Joel Baker, Fire Chief - Austin Fire Department; Robert Luckritz, Emergency Medical Services Chief-Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services].]

THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER TWO, UM, THAT IS A BRIEFING ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY DASHBOARDS.

WE'RE WELCOMING CHIEF DAVIS, CHIEF BAKER, AND OF COURSE, UH, CHIEF LUCK IF HE WANTS TO HANG OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER WITH US HERE.

ALRIGHT, YEP.

ALRIGHT.

I'LL ALSO BE KICKING THIS ONE OFF.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN FOR, FOR HAVING US HERE TO OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE WORK OF THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, UM, TOWARDS DEVELOPING SOME ADDITIONAL TRANSPARENCY AND PROVIDING YOU ALL CONSISTENT, UM, AND CONSISTENT REPORTING AROUND BOTH, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, OVERTIME UTILIZATION IN OUR

[00:35:01]

UM, DURING THE BUDGET, UH, THERE WAS A CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT DIRECTED US TO PROVIDE PUBLICLY POSTED MONTHLY DATA DETAILING A NUMBER OF THINGS, INCLUDING THE USE OF OVERTIME, UH, BY SWORN STAFF, AS WELL AS LEAVE USE.

UM, AND SO WE TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY HERE TO NOT ONLY, UH, BUILD SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY AROUND OVERTIME AND LEAVE USE, BUT ALSO TO TAKE SOME OF OUR EXISTING DATA THAT WE HAVE INDIVIDUALLY WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT REALLY LOOKS AT THE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND PROVIDE IT TO YOU IN A CONSISTENT, UM, AND SOMEWHAT UNIVERSAL METHOD, UM, TO, TO GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS.

UH, THE DEVELOPMENT THIS WE'VE, WE'VE COME TOGETHER TO PROVIDE, UH, TO, TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS AND AS I SAID, TO ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE METRICS, INCLUDING THINGS AROUND OVERTIME, STAFFING INDICATORS, WORKLOAD VOLUME, RESPONSE PERFORMANCE, GEOGRAPHY, UM, AND OTHER DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS.

I'LL ALSO SHARE WITH YOU AS I, KIND OF, BEFORE I SWITCH TO THE ACTUAL, UM, DASHBOARDS, BUT THIS IS A LIVING, UH, PROJECT FOR US.

SO, UM, WE'VE REALLY COME TOGETHER TO PROVIDE REALLY A FIRST GLIMPSE AT THE TYPES OF DATA AND THE TYPES OF INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PROVIDE YOU ALL.

UM, WE REALLY HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL, UM, OF, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS THE TYPE OF INFORMATION YOU WANNA SEE, WHETHER OR NOT THAT THIS IS THE, UH, METHOD IN WHICH YOU WANT TO SEE IT.

UM, AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AS WE CONTINUE TO COME TO, TO YOU, WE WILL SEE A REFINEMENT TO THESE DASHBOARDS, UH, TO TRY TO BE, UH, MORE IN LINE WITH THOSE, THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

AND SO WE DO ASK, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE COMING THROUGH HERE, UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A FIRST, UH, FIRST PASS AT THIS, UM, AND IT'S MOST LIKELY NOT GOING TO BE THE FINAL DOCUMENT.

UH, WE'RE ALL ALSO WORKING, UH, TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO LOOK AT WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR THIS, HOW DO WE TAKE, UH, SNAPSHOT DATA, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY, UM, BUILD OUT INTERACTIVE DASHBOARDS AND OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE BOTH YOURSELVES AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC, UH, ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO MINE DOWN AND SUPPLEMENT THE OPEN DATA PORTALS THAT WE ALL HAVE, UH, THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TECHNICAL SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE IT IN A METHOD THAT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.

SO, KICKING THIS OFF, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, UM, THIS IS OUR SNAPSHOT DASHBOARD OF, UM, OUR ORGANIZATION.

UM, AND I'LL JUST WALK YOU THROUGH REAL BRIEFLY.

ONE THING YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THE TOP RIGHT IS THIS DATA COMES FROM NOVEMBER OF 2025.

SO THIS HAS BEEN, UH, A WORK IN PROGRESS.

UM, THIS IS A GOOD SOLID, UM, VETTED, UH, DATA SET FOR YOU.

WE OBVIOUSLY OVER TIME WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS, UH, MORE UP TO DATE, MORE RECENT, UM, BUT THIS DOES GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT.

SO JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A COUPLE MONTHS OLD, BUT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS IN ORDER TO, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIMELY.

ON THE TOP LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A SNAPSHOT OF OUR BUDGET, UM, OUR OVERALL BUDGET FOR THE MONTH.

UM, THAT IS A MONTHLY SNAPSHOT FOR US.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, WE ARE, UH, DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, WE WERE BELOW BUDGET, UM, FOR OURSELVES FROM OUR EXPENSES.

UH, TO THE RIGHT OF THAT, YOU'LL SEE KIND OF A METER THAT'S, UH, LOOKING OVER THE ENTIRE YEAR WITH THE 151 MILLION REPRESENTING OUR ENTIRE 25, EXCUSE ME, OUR ENTIRE 2026 BUDGET.

AND SO AT THAT POINT, WE'RE AT 25 MILLION FOR THE YEAR.

UH, TO, TO THE RIGHT OF THAT, YOU'LL SEE A SNAPSHOT OF OUR OVERTIME.

UH, THIS IS ONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO FOR US.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE MONITORING OVER TIME, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, JUST TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A DATA LIMITATION, DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, THERE WERE THREE PAY PERIODS.

AND SO THE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT HERE WILL BE SLIGHTLY INFLATED.

UM, SO ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE COMING IN OVER BUDGET ON OUR OVERTIME, IT REPRESENTS SIX WEEKS OF DATA INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL FOUR AND A HALF TO FIVE WEEKS OF DATA.

AND SO THAT'S ONE AREA AS, UH, AS ENTITIES WE'RE WORKING THROUGH HOW WE CAN BETTER REPRESENT THAT FOR YOU.

TO THE RIGHT OF THAT, YOU'LL SEE THE OVERALL YEAR TO DATE OVERTIME EXPENSES AS WELL AS THE HOURS, UM, AND SO FORTH BELOW THAT YOU'LL SEE SOME OPERATIONAL DATA.

NUMBER OF, TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS AND TRANSPORTS THAT WE HAD.

UM, THOSE NUMBERS ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND SO FOR MY DEPARTMENT, UM, THAT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF OUR TRAVIS COUNTY DATA.

UM, LIKEWISE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THOSE AMBULANCES THAT WE CAN, OR THOSE CALLS THAT WE CAN DIRT DIVERT AWAY FROM AN AMBULANCE.

UM, THAT'S ABOUT OUR, OUR COLLABORATIVE CARE LINE AND HOW EFFECTIVE WE ARE AS KEEPING THOSE AMBULANCES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE EMERGENCIES.

AND SO AT 8.9%, CLOSE TO 10% OF OUR CALLS, WE'RE NOT EVEN SENDING AN AMBULANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AND SO THAT MEANS THAT THOSE AMBULANCES REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR THOSE LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCIES.

YOU'LL SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COMMUNITY HEALTH RESPONSES AS WELL AS COMMUNITY HEALTH RES, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH, UH, INCIDENTS OR, OR PROCEDURES THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE FIELD, THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT THEY'RE TOUCHING, UH, JUST SHY OF 1000 FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.

AND TO THE RIGHT OF THAT, YOU'LL GET A SNAPSHOT OF OUR, UH, RESPONSE TIMES, UH, BOTH, UH, ME, UH, MEDIAN AT 50TH PERCENTILE AS WELL AS 90TH PERCENTILE.

AND FINALLY, OUR OVERALL COMPLIANCE WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL

[00:40:01]

BELOW THAT, YOU'LL SEE A SNAPSHOT OF OUR STAFFING.

UM, SO THAT'S 602 FILL POSITIONS OUT OF 715 SWORN POSITIONS, WHICH IS A 15.8% VACANCY RATE.

YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBER OF SEPARATIONS IN MONTH OF NOVEMBER.

WE HAD SIX SEPARATIONS THAT IS HIGH FOR US.

UM, AND TO TIE THAT BACK TO WHAT I DISCUSSED EARLIER, FOUR OF THOSE WERE GOING TO ANOTHER, UM, LOCAL EMS AGENCY HERE IN THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA.

UM, TWO OF THEM RESIGNED FOR PERSONAL RE REASONS, INCLUDING A RELOCATION HOME FOR FAMILY REASONS.

YOU'LL SEE THE AVERAGE NU LEAVE HOURS PER PERSON.

UM, WE DID, RATHER THAN GIVING YOU TOTAL HOURS IN THE SENSE TO GIVE YOU BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS SIZE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, IT'S A SNAPSHOT HERE.

UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE ON AVERAGE ABOUT 20 HOURS OF VACATION AND 10 HOURS IS SICK PER PERSON, UH, PER MONTH.

SO, UH, IN OUR CASE WITH 24 HOUR SHIFTS, THAT'S JUST SHY OF ONE SHIFT A MONTH THAT THEY'RE TAKING OFF OUR LEAVE HOURS BY DAY OF WEEK.

UM, UNSURPRISINGLY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BEING THE HIGHER THE HIGHEST DAYS, UH, AS WELL AS OUR INCIDENTS BY PRIORITY GROUP.

UM, THIS GIVES YOU A SNAPSHOT REALLY OF, FOR US THE NUMBER OF NON-EMERGENCY CALLS THAT WE ARE ANSWERING VERSUS THE NUMBER OF TRULY LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCIES.

UH, THE TRULY LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCIES BEING AT JUST 705 CALLS.

UM, AND YOU CAN SEE AS WE WORK OUR WAY DOWN, UH, FOUR, UH, 4,500, IF I'M LOOKING AT THAT CORRECTLY, UH, BETWEEN FOUR AND 5,000 CALLS ARE, AREN'T EVEN GETTING A LIGHTS AND SIRENS RESPONSE.

AND SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO RECONFIGURE HOW IT IS THAT WE THINK ABOUT THINGS.

AND WE BROKE THAT DOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOR YOU.

AND BELOW YOU'LL SEE OVERALL TRENDS, UM, FROM A BUDGET AND OVERTIME THAT STARTED OCTOBER 1ST 'CAUSE OUR BUDGET CHANGED.

UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, AS WE GO MONTH TO MONTH, YOU'LL SEE THAT INCREASE.

UH, INTO THE RIGHT OF THAT YOU'LL SEE THE OPERATIONS TRENDS, WHICH, UH, TRANSCEND BUDGET YEARS, AND SO YOU GET A FULL SNAPSHOT THERE.

AND WITH THAT, BEFORE I HAND THIS TO CHIEF DAVIS, I'LL SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO MY DEPARTMENT OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONTINUE ON.

COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UH, QUICK QUESTION, CHIEF.

UM, I WAS CURIOUS, UH, IF YOU HAVE AN EXPLANATION FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL OF CALLS BY DISTRICT, UM, DOES THAT RELATE TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS? ARE THERE OTHER FACTORS THAT KIND OF, UH, KIND OF POINT TO THAT DISPARITY? UH, YES.

UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THE LIKELY THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS CERTAINLY HAS AN IMPACT.

UM, ALSO LOOKING AT JUST THE GEOGRAPHY OF THOSE AREAS IN TERMS OF, UH, NUMBER OF VISITORS THAT MAY COME.

OBVIOUSLY DISTRICT NINE REPRESENTS NOT JUST RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO THE OFFICE FACILITIES AS WELL AS ANY VISITORS THAT MAY COME TO TOWN.

UM, BUT THAT IS ON PAR WITH WHAT WE SEE, UM, THAT THOSE DOWNTOWN CORES TEND TO BE BUSIER, UM, THAN SOME OF THE MORE RURAL SUBURBAN AREAS.

UM, I WOULD SAY SOCIOECONOMICS PLAYS A PIECE, BUT AS I SAID, REALLY ALSO HOW RESIDENTIAL IS A NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALSO GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT, UM, ON, ON VOLUME.

COLLEAGUES.

ANYBODY ELSE? I I HAVE ONE CHIEF.

UM, UM, C CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT TYPES OF INCIDENTS CHPS RESPOND TO AND HOW MANY CHPS, UH, DO WE HAVE ON BOARD AND TRAINED RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY? SURE.

SO OUR, OUR COMMITTEE HEALTH PARAMEDIC DIVISION IS REALLY DIVIDED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES, AND WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TEAMS THAT ARE PUT TOGETHER.

UM, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE SOME OVERLAP, BUT PRIMARILY WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, A TEAM THAT'S DEDICATED TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE, A TEAM THAT'S DEDICATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, A TEAM THAT IS, EXCUSE ME, A TEAM THAT IS DEDICATED TO HOMELESSNESS AS WELL AS A TEAM THAT'S DEDICATED TO OTHER HIGH UTILIZERS, SO OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE UTILIZING THE, THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM SIGNIFICANTLY.

UM, AND SO THOSE PROGRAMS ARE A COMBINATION OF, UM, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH RESPONDERS, WHICH CALL OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC RESPONDERS.

WE STAFF FIVE OF THOSE, UM, AND THEY REALLY FOCUS IN ON MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE AND, AND THEY WORK ALONGSIDE ALL THE AUSTIN FIRST PROGRAM.

UM, AND OUR, AND OUR PARTNERS AT A PD AND INTEGRAL CARE.

UM, AND THEN ON THE, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH SIDE, WE ALSO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DOING THINGS LIKE, UH, FOLLOW UPS ON OPIATE OVERDOSES.

SO WITHIN, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, IF YOU OVERDOSE ON AN, UH, ON AN OPIATE, UH, WE MAKE ALL EFFORT TO FOLLOW UP WITH A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC THE NEXT DAY, UM, TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO, UM, AGAIN, PUT YOU INTO A PROGRAM IF YOU COULDN'T GET INTO A PROGRAM DURING YOUR VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL, UM, TO SEE IF WE CAN BRIDGE YOU WITH SOME OF OUR MEDICATIONS TO HELP YOU GET INTO A PROGRAM.

UM, SO THAT'S ONE PIECE THAT WE DO.

UH, LIKEWISE ON THE, UH, HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH, UM, WE REALLY TRY TO, UH, LOOK AT, AND IT IS REALLY, I, I CALL OUR EMS PREVENTION PROGRAM.

UH, BUT WE LOOK AT AS WE GO INTO THESE, UH, UH, ENCAMPMENTS OR VISITING WITH INDIVIDUAL OR PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, HOW CAN WE ANTICIPATE FUTURE 9 1 1 CALLS AND CONNECT 'EM TO THE CORRECT SERVICES? SO IF WE ARE THERE AND WE'RE TREATING SOMEONE FOR ONE EMERGENCY, UM, WE MIGHT IDENTIFY