Mar 02, 2026 Public Safety Commission

IF EVERYBODY CAN JUST TAKE A GLANCE AT THE MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING.

AND WITH THAT, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? YES, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER.

OKAY, GREAT.

UM, FOR ITEM, OH, NEVERMIND, THAT'S FOR ITEM FOUR.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

UM, AND IF I CAN GET A MOTION FROM THE FLOOR FROM ADOPTION, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY CHANGES OR CONCERNS, MOVE TO ACCEPT.

WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH EM.

CAN I GET A SECOND? SECOND? AND A QUICK SHOW OF HANDS FOR A VOTE.

[2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Presentation by Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services.]

S'S QUARTERLY REPORT.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS WES HOPKINS.

I'M THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.

I WILL BE GIVING OUR FISCAL YEAR 26 Q1 REPORT.

SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME, SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS IN HERE, AND SO I'M GONNA KIND OF WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED, BUT BE COGNIZANT OF, OF ACRONYMS AND SOME EXPLANATIONS ON SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WITH AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UM, I WANNA DISCUSS OUR RECRUITING PROCESS HERE AT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, AND PROVIDE BOTH KIND OF SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON VACANCIES IN TERMS OF HOW WE GOT TO THE CURRENT SITUATION, AS WELL AS OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGY TO OVERCOME SOME OF THE VACANCIES.

SO, STARTING ON THE UPPER LEFT, OUR AUTHORIZED STRENGTH IS 714, FIELD SWORN PUTS IT AT 609.

THAT LEAVES US WITH 105 VACANCIES.

THAT ENTRY LEVEL POSITION, WHICH IS MEDIC, THAT EMT POSITION, UH, WE HAVE 33 FIELD OPENINGS AND TWO COMMUNICATIONS OPENINGS.

IT BRINGS OUR Q1 AVERAGE TO 15.1%, WHICH EXACTLY WHAT WE SAW IN 25 OF Q4.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

LOOKING AT SWORN SEPARATIONS, OUR MEDIC FIELD AND CLINICAL SPECIALIST IN THE FIELD OPERATIONS, THOSE ARE THOSE FIRST TWO ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS.

SO MEDIC FIELD AND THEN CLINICAL SPECIALIST, WHICH IS THE PARAMEDICS ON THE AMBULANCE THAT PROVIDE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.

AND WE'LL TALK MORE IN SOME LATER SLIDES REGARDING SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THESE SEPARATIONS.

BUT WE DO SEE THAT IN THAT ENTRY LEVEL MEDIC POSITION, FOLLOWED BY THAT CLINICAL SPECIALIST OR THAT PARAMEDIC POSITION, LOOKING AT SWORN TENURE AT SEPARATIONS, THAT'S HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT.

WHEN THEY SEPARATE, UH, WE STILL SEE THE LION'S SHARE OF THOSE NUMBERS BEING AT LESS THAN ONE YEAR, AND THEN THAT ONE TO FIVE YEAR MARK.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

WE ALSO SHOWED YOU IN THIS, UH, BAR GRAPH HERE, VACANCY RATES SWORN IN, CIVILIAN BROKEN OUT BY MONTH.

AND THEN OUR EMS TURNOVER RATE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES TO BE THE LOW, THE BELOW THE INDUSTRY TURNOVER RATE, UH, ACROSS THE NATION.

AND SO SOME OF OUR SEPARATION DATA, UH, SHOWS THAT, UH, WE HAVE SEPARATIONS DUE TO RETIREMENTS, UM, UNPREDICTABLE LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES, SUCH AS A SICK PARENT OUTTA STATE THAT YOU'RE MOVING BACK HOME TO TAKE CARE OF.

AND THEN, UM, ALSO CAREER CHANGES.

PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW TO THE INDUSTRY IN EMS AND THEY TRY THIS FOR A YEAR OR THAT ONE TO FIVE YEAR MARK AND REALIZE THAT THE JOB IS CHALLENGING AND THAT IT'S IT'S NOT FOR THEM.

UM, I WILL POINT OUT THAT WE HAD NO CIVILIAN TURNOVER RATE IN Q1.

THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES, I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE BACKGROUNDS AND REASONS WHY WE DID CONTINUE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN VACANCIES UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 22, WHICH INCIDENTALLY WAS THE YEAR THAT CHIEF LUCHAR STARTED AND HE APPOINTED A FULL EXECUTIVE TEAM.

SO I WANTED TO TALK THROUGH SOME OF OUR HISTORICAL VACANCY RATE FOR THIS COMMISSION.

YOU KNOW, FOR PERSPECTIVE IN FISCAL YEAR 2019, WE HAD A RELATIVELY STABLE VACANCY RATE OF, OF LESS THAN 10%.

AND AS WE ENTERED INTO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR VACANCY RATE.

OVER

[00:05:01]

YOU KNOW, SINCE THEN WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO BRING THAT VACANCY RATE DOWN FROM ITS 25.4% PEAK DOWN TO WHERE IT CURRENTLY STANDS AT THAT 15.1%.

A LOT HAPPENING AT THIS SLIDE.

SO I'M GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH IT, TURN A NOTE TALKING ABOUT OUR TURNOVER AND GROWTH AS WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE BACKGROUNDS AND REASONS.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOK AT IS OUR TURNOVER RATE, WHICH GIVES US A SNAPSHOT OVER OUR RETENTION.

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

YOU KNOW, WE ALSO SAW A NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS AS WELL.

SO JUST FOR PERSPECTIVE, ABOUT 30% OF OUR SEPARATIONS ARE DUE TO RETIREMENTS.

UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, YOU GET A LITTLE BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT'S DRIVING OUR VACANCY RATE.

UM, AND THAT IS THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR AUTHORIZER SWORN STAFF, UM, FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR COUNCIL FOR GROWING OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS LESS OF A RETENTION ISSUE AND MORE OF OUR ABILITY TO KEEP UP WITH GROWTH OF OUR DEPARTMENT.

UH, WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES, ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS, AND IN FISCAL YEAR 20, WE HAD NO LESS THAN 67 POSITIONS ADDED.

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

UM, WITH THAT, IT DOES CREATE A NEED FOR US TO RETHINK HOW WE KEEP UP WITH OUR RETENTION, UM, NOT ONLY WHEN FOLKS LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT AND HOW WE REPLACE THEM, BUT ALSO JUST A GROWTH STRATEGY FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.

SO KINDA LOOKING BACK AT THE PLAN THAT WE ENACTED IN FISCAL YEAR 22, I WANT TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH THAT PLAN AND SOME THINGS THAT WE'LL DO IN, IN THE FUTURE HERE IN, IN THIS YEAR.

AND NEXT, YOU KNOW, WE DID APPOINT A, A NEW CHIEF AND A NEW EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM.

WE'VE ALSO REDUCED OUR HIRING TIMELINE TO FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS AND SIMPLIFIED OUR APPLICATION PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, WE DID DETERMINE THAT WE HAD A PRETTY LONG AND ARDUOUS, UM, HIRING PROCESS, AND SO PEOPLE WERE DISQUALIFIED FOR, FOR TECHNICAL REASONS.

UH, WE ALSO UPDATED SOME OF OUR DISQUALIFIERS AND SOME OF OUR ACADEMY CONTENT.

WE NEEDED THAT TO BE MORE REFLECTIVE OF THE CURRENT JOB MARKET, BUT ALSO JUST, UH, SHORTEN OUR ACADEMY BY A COUPLE WEEKS, BUT STILL KEEP THAT KIND OF HIGH QUALITY.

UM, WE LAUNCHED OUR VACANCY PLAN AND A DIRECT HIRE PROCESS WHERE, AS PART OF OUR LABOR AGREEMENT, INSTEAD OF COMING IN AT THAT EMT LEVEL, YOU CAN COME IN AT THAT PARAMEDIC LEVEL OR THAT SECOND LEVEL JUST TO RETAIN AND, AND HIRE SOME PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE FROM, FROM OTHER AGENCIES.

UH, WE DID EXPAND TO FOUR ACADEMIES A YEAR, AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE HIRING PROCESS THAT GO ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

UH, WE DID SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING AS WELL FOR A RECRUITING MANAGER AND TWO COORDINATORS.

HISTORICALLY, OUR RECRUITING DEPARTMENT WAS MORE OF A HIRING DEPARTMENT AND LESS OF RECRUITING.

AND SO HAVING DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS THAT TRAVEL AND BRING IN TALENT TO THE ORGANIZATION ALLOWS OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO FOCUS IN ON THE ONBOARDING AND THAT PAPERWORK PROCESS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE'VE MAINTAINED FOUR ACADEMIES A YEAR WITH TWO DIRECT HIRE PROCESSES.

IN FISCAL YEAR 24, WE'VE ADDED SOME STIPENDS FOR OUR FIELD TRAINING OFFICERS AND CAPTAINS.

THE OTHER THING WE'VE DONE IS ALIGN OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR FIELD OPERATIONS ON THAT 24 72 WORK SCHEDULE, WHICH IS WHERE WE SAW THE GREATEST VACANCIES, WHICH IN COMMUNICATIONS WAS SOMETIMES UPWARDS TO 80%.

AND SO THIS APPROACH HAS HELPED US BRING DOWN THAT COMMUNICATIONS VACANCY, LOOKING AT HIRING AND SEPARATIONS.

THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 22, WE'VE OUTPACED SEPARATIONS WITH HIRES WITH THE GREATEST ONE BEING IN FISCAL YEAR 23, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ONBOARDED OR BROUGHT IN 109 PEOPLE WITH ONLY 53 OUT.

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

THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS THAT WE'VE NOT KEPT UP WITH THE RATE OF GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO GROW AND ADD ADDITIONAL SERVICE THAT THE COMMUNITY DESPERATELY NEEDS.

SO THERE'S SOME CONTINUING CHALLENGES THAT WE'LL FACE OVER THE NEXT, UH, THIS YEAR AND, AND THE YEAR AFTER, POTENTIALLY, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME RECRUITING CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF THE BUDGETARY SHORTFALLS WE'VE HAD TO REDUCE THE PIPELINE IN 25.

AND SO THIS REDUCED OUR ACADEMY COUNT.

SO WE DELAYED ONE ACADEMY.

UH, WE ALSO REDUCED OUR ACADEMY BY ONE.

AND SO THIS PROBABLY CAUSED SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO LEAVE THE ORGANIZATION.

UM, WE DID

[00:10:01]

SEE THAT RECRUITMENT DECLINE AS WELL, SO WE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF TRAVEL THAT WE WERE DOING AND THAT REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF RECRUITERS THAT WE COULD SEND TO CONFERENCES TO BRING FOLKS IN FROM OTHER PLACES.

AND AS WE MENTIONED HERE, THERE'S A FEW TIMES THE BULK OF OUR APPLICANTS ARE FROM OUTTA STATE IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, SOME RETENTION STRATEGIES.

WE'VE, UH, INCREASED THAT WORKLOAD ON OUR STAFF BECAUSE OF BUDGET SHORTFALLS.

AND SO WE'VE HAD AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN RELIANCE ON OVERTIME.

UM, YOU KNOW, PARAMEDICS ACROSS THE NATION ARE A HIGH COMMODITY ITEM, AND SO BEING A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE, UM, WE'VE SEEN SURROUNDING AGENCIES GROW THEIR EMS SERVICES AS WELL.

UH, NEW AGENCIES HAVE SPROUTED UP IN AND AROUND THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA, BASTROP AND HAZE BEING THE MOST NOTABLE.

AND SO THEN OUR STAFF LOOKS AT THOSE PLACES BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DECREASED WORKLOAD.

AND SO THEY'VE PULLED SOME PEOPLE AWAY FROM OUR ORGANIZATION AS WELL.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S JUST SOME INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPACITY CHALLENGES AT PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CENTER.

JUST BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED SPACE.

OUR ACADEMY CLASSES ARE CAPPED AT 35, SO WE COULDN'T HAVE LARGER ACADEMY CLASSES IF WE WANTED TO.

UH, BUT WE HAVE WORKED TO KIND OF SHORTEN SOME OF THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.

THERE'S NOT ONLY THE ACADEMY, BUT THEN THE CLEARANCE TO PRACTICE WHERE THEY'RE OUT WITH AN FTO OR A FIELD TRAINING OFFICER OR CAPTAIN.

AND SO JUST HOW WE'RE SHORTENING AND STREAMLINING THAT, THAT PROCESS IS, IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH.

SO JUST KIND OF A FEW, UH, ACTION PLANS AND NEXT STEPS.

THOSE NEXT STEPS.

UH, THE THREE ACTION STEPS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, WE WANNA RESUME OUR TARGETED RECRUITING.

UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EXPANDING OUR APPLICANT POOL AND HOLDING AS MANY ACADEMIES AS WE CAN A YEAR, WHICH SEEMS TO BE ABOUT FOUR.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT ALONG WITH, UH, THE ADDITIONAL DIRECT HIRE PROCESSES.

WE DID SHORTEN OUR ACADEMY CLASS FROM 10 WEEKS DOWN TO EIGHT WEEKS.

AND JUST FOR THIS ORGANIZATION, YOU DON'T GET TO COME IN OFF THE STREET AS A, AS A CIVILIAN, YOU HAVE TO ALREADY HAVE AN EMT OR A PARAMEDIC CERT, WHICH IS AGAIN, ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR US BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT SCHOOLING AND HAVE TO HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO WANNA REVIEW OR CONSTANTLY REVIEWING OUR ACADEMY SCHEDULE AND, AND CONTENT AND COLLABORATING WITH THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR TO STREAMLINE AND SHORTEN THAT, THAT CREDENTIALING PROCESS.

UM, WE ALSO, AS WE TALK ABOUT RETENTION STRATEGY CS YEAR, AND I SPOKE IN FISCAL YEAR 25 Q4 REPORT ABOUT HOW WE ONBOARDED OUR, OUR PEER SUPPORT.

AND SO MAKING SURE THAT IF YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE NEW TO THE INDUSTRY AND THEY'RE STARTING ON AN AMBULANCE, THAT THEY HAVE THAT MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT RESOURCES.

AND YOU KNOW, WHAT I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT IS EVEN SUNDAY MORNING, 45 MINUTES INTO THAT INCIDENT DOWNTOWN, OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM WAS ALREADY SPINNING UP AND MAKING CONTACT WITH AMBULANCE CREWS THAT WERE AT THE HOSPITAL.

AND WE'LL CARRY THAT MANTRA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS JUST TO BRIBE THEM, THOSE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

UM, OUR LABOR AGREEMENT HAS A RETIREMENT AT OBTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, AND THAT'S HELPFUL TO US BECAUSE, UM, WE WANT OUR RETIREMENT TO BE AS APPEALING TO NEW HIRES AS IT CAN BE.

AND SO, UH, THAT IS COMPRISED OF THE ASSOCIATION, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND, AND FINANCIAL SERVICES.

ANOTHER STRATEGY WE HAVE THIS YEAR IS TO DO AN OPEN PORTAL, UM, ACCESS TO METRICS AND PERFORMANCE DATA FOR THE ORGANIZATION THAT NOT ONLY HELPS THE MEDICS SEE HOW THE SYSTEM IS PERFORMING AND WHAT THEIR WORKLOAD LOOKS LIKE, BUT ALSO FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE A LOT OF OUR RESPONSE TIMES.

AND SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT OUTWARD FACING DASHBOARD, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, VERY DILIGENTLY.

AND THEN THESE CONTINUED EFFORTS THAT I TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT REDIRECTING OUR NAVIGATING NON-URGENT CALLS TO THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, TO OUR COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATION CENTER.

SO HAVING THAT COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATION CENTER THAT SAVES AMBULANCES FOR CRITICAL PATIENTS, AND THEN ALSO OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS WHO GO OUT AND DISPOSITION AND TREAT THOSE LOW ACUITY CALLS.

IF YOU'RE A MEDIC ON AN AMBULANCE, WE WANT TO SAVE YOU FOR THOSE HIGH ACUITY ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CALLS THAT YOU'VE TRAINED FOR.

AND IF WE SEND YOU ON A LOT OF THOSE LOW ACUITY CALLS THAT DON'T NEED AN AMBULANCE, THAT DOES HAVE AN EFFECT ON MORALE, ESPECIALLY WORKING THE SHIFTS AND THE, THE LONG HOURS THAT THEY WORK.

AND, AND THEN THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT, THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS SUPPORTED THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY USING THAT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.

AND THAT IS OUR HIGH FIDELITY EMERGENT, UH, IMMERSIVE SIMULATION LAB.

SO THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO IN THE CLASSROOM, AND THEN THERE ARE HIGH FIDELITY TRAINING THAT YOU DO WHERE WE HAVE A STATIC, A BRICK AND MORTAR FACILITY, AND THEN THESE MOBILE TRAILERS.

AND WHAT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO CHANGE THE LIGHTING AND THE SOUND AND THE SMELL AND THE INTENSITY SO THAT YOU CAN SIMULATE REAL WORLD SCENARIOS.

SO WE'RE USING THAT NOT ONLY AT OUR ACADEMIES AT PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING, BUT ALSO OUT IN THE, IN THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM WHERE WE CANNOT STRIP AMBULANCES AT A DISTRICT TO COME DO TRAINING, BUT THEY CAN TRAIN AT THEIR

[00:15:01]

STATION.

THEN THE NEXT ITERATION OF THAT IS JUST PARTNERING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, SO WE CAN CONDUCT THESE, THESE JOINT TRAININGS AS WELL.

SO THAT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL TO US.

AND, AND, AND THE WORK OCCURRED THIS THIS WEEKEND.

UH, NASCAR OUT AT C THE AMERICAS, WE HAD A VERY ROBUST FOOTPRINT THAT WAS KIND OF A, A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH OUT THERE.

IT WAS NUMBER ONE, A FIRST RESPONDER APPRECIATION WEEKEND FOR POLICE FIRE AND EMS, BUT IT ALSO HAD AN INCREDIBLY ROBUST RECRUITING DRIVE WHERE POLICE, FIRE AND EMS WERE OUT THERE IN THE FAN ZONE.

UM, WE HAD LARGE STATIC DISPLAYS OF ALL THE APPARATUS, AND YOU COULD CONNECT WITH AN AMBASSADOR FROM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, WHICH IS AN ESSENCE A MEDIC.

SO IF YOU COME TO AUSTIN TO COME TO THE NASCAR EVENT AND YOU'RE AN EMT OR A PARAMEDIC IN ANOTHER SERVICE, YOU CAN TALK TO ONE OF OUR MEDICS IN THIS RECRUITING AREA AND GET KIND OF SOME ASK THOSE REAL QUESTIONS TO SEE WHAT IT LIKES TO WORK HERE IN, IN HOPES THAT WE CAN RECRUIT FOLKS HERE INTO AUSTIN.

AND THEN THE LAST THING WE DID OVER THE WEEKEND WAS JUST CELEBRATING, UM, AND HONORING HEROES.

AND SO IN 2025 AWARD-WINNING FIRST RESPONDERS, WHICH INCLUDED OUR VERY OWN, UH, CAPTAIN AMBER PRICE, WHO IS A NATIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR, SHE WAS RECOGNIZED AS WELL.

SLIDE.

SO AT THIS POINT, WHAT WE'RE GIVEN THIS QUARTERLY REPORT, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE NINE ONE SY 1 9 1 1 SYSTEM REGARDING OPIOID OVERDOSES.

AND SO TALKING ABOUT OUR FISCAL YEAR Q1 DATA AND FISCAL YEAR 26 Q1 82 PEOPLE WERE ENROLLED IN WHAT WE CALL OUR BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM.

AND I'LL TAKE A SECOND TO TALK THROUGH THAT.

WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1, THAT'S THE FIRST OPTICS WE HAVE THAT YOU MAY BE ADDICTED TO AN OPIATE.

AND SO WE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT THEN WE GATHER A LOT OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON YOU BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARA PARAMEDICS NEED TO GET IN FRONT OF YOU AND TOUCH YOU AND, AND SEE IF YOU'RE SEEKING TREATMENT.

AND SO BECAUSE IT'S PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STAVE OFF CRAVINGS OF, OF OPIATES, UM, IT TAKES ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO GET INTO A TREATMENT PROGRAM.

WHAT WE SEE IN THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM IS THAT PEOPLE TYPICALLY OVERDOSE AGAIN AND AGAIN.

AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY HAVE VERY HORRIBLE OUTCOMES AND, AND THEY PASS AWAY.

AND SO WE GO OUT AND WE BRIDGE YOU WITH A MEDICATION THAT'S NOT ADDICTIVE AND IT STAVES OFF CRAVINGS TO GET YOU INTO THAT TREATMENT PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S BEEN WILDLY SUCCESSFUL FOR, FOR THE PATIENTS THAT WE'RE SEEING.

SO 82 PEOPLE WERE ENROLLED IN THAT PROGRAM IN Q1, UH, TALKING ABOUT OPIOID, UM, INTERVENTIONS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN JUST A SECOND.

UH, THAT 929 IS JUST A YEAR TO DATE.

SO WE IN INQ AND WE INCLUDED SOME OF THE DATA INTO JANUARY JUST BECAUSE THE, THE NUMBERS WERE SO HIGH.

AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BREAKING DOWN JUST Q1, BUT JUST FOR REFERENCE, 44% OF ALL OPIOID ALERTS WERE PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE STAT GRAPH ON THE BOTTOM, THAT LIGHT GREEN AT THE BOTTOM ARE OPIOID ALERTS.

THOSE ARE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CALLED 9 1 1 FOR OVERDOSES.

THAT LIGHT BLUE IS NARCAN RESCUE KITS THAT WERE USED.

AND SO WE FLOOD THE COMMUNITY WITH THOSE.

BUT THAT NUMBER DOES INCLUDE FIREFIGHTERS THAT GIVE NARCAN AND POLICE OFFICERS THAT GIVE NARCAN.

AND THEN THAT TOP OF THE STOCK STACK GRAPH, THAT DARK GREEN IS JUST THE NUMBER OF KITS DISTRIBUTED.

AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE IN THAT GRAPH IS THAT IT GOES OFF THE CHART IN THIS LAST COUPLE MONTHS.

THAT'S 'CAUSE WE FLOOD THE COMMUNITY WITH NARCAN.

UM, A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH SOME OF THE GRANTS THAT WE WERE USING.

AND ONE OF THOSE GRANTS WAS GOING AWAY.

SO WE BOUGHT A LOT OF NARCAN AND FLOODED THE, THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD FUNDING STREAM FOR NARCAN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN.

AND THEN THAT KIND OF UPPER RIGHT CHART JUST SHOWS THE NUMBER OF OF PILL OVERDOSES WE DO TYPICALLY AS WE GET INTO THE SPRING AND SUMMER, SEE A SPIKE.

ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY THAT'S BEEN A LITTLE LESS OVER THE LAST YEAR, BUT WHAT WE ARE GONNA SEE SOME SORT OF A SPIKE.

UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARING FOR THAT AS WELL.

AND A LOT OF THAT SEEMS TO CORRELATE ANECDOTALLY TO THE WEATHER AND PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT.

YOU KNOW, I I WILL SAY TOO THAT WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESSES OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT UH, WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THE WORK.

AND JUST FRIDAY MORNING DRIVING INTO WORK, WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH MY IN-CAR COMPUTER AND SCANNING CALLS, THERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT STOPPED BREATHING.

HE DIDN'T USE ALONE.

HE HAD A FRIEND WITH HIM, BUT THEY CALLED 9 1 1.

BUT I COULD SEE IN THE CALL TEXT THAT THEY HAD NARCAN AND THEY GAVE NARCAN PRIOR TO US GETTING THERE.

SO THAT, THAT GOES TO THE SUCCESS OF THAT PROGRAM.

EXCELLENT.

SO JUST BREAKING DOWN THOSE OPIOID INTERVENTIONS, UH, FOR Q1, IT WAS ACTUALLY 708.

AND SO WE TALK ABOUT RESCUE KITS DISTRIBUTED THREE HUNDRED TWENTY A HUNDRED SEVENTY NINE BUPRENORPHINE DOSES GIVEN 36 PEOPLE CONNECTED TO MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, 116 PEOPLE WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER EDUCATION.

WE CONNECTED THREE PEOPLE TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, WHICH WAS NOT MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT BRIDGED FIVE PEOPLE TO ALCOHOL, UH, BRIDGE AND THEN CONNECTED

[00:20:01]

ONE TO PEER SUPPORT.

AND SO SOME OF THESE NUMBERS, IF YOU WERE TO TOTAL UP THOSE NUMBERS AT THE BOTTOM, IT, IT DOESN'T GET YOU TO 708.

AND THAT DISCREPANCY THERE IS SOMETIMES A LOT OF WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS DO IS THEY MAY HAVE A PATIENT THAT WANTS HELP, BUT THEY LACK THE SUPPORT SYSTEM.

AND SO JUST TRACKING DOWN FAMILY MEMBERS TO GET MORE PEOPLE IN THE FIGHT AT THEIR REQUEST IS ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DO.

AND YOU CAN TELL FROM THE HEAT MAP JUST WHICH THIS COMMISSION, UM, HAS ASKED FOR IN THE PAST, JUST WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSING THOSE INTERVENTIONS ON.

OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE QUARTERLY REPORTS I'VE TALKED ABOUT EMS, AMBULANCE, AUTO AID, AND SO I'LL JUST TAKE A SECOND TO TALK THROUGH THAT.

IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME PLACES WHERE THE CITY OF OF AUSTIN JAUNTS INTO WILLIAMSON COUNTY.

AND SO BECAUSE WE TEND TO WORK IN OUR OWN GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES, WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO SEND THE AMBULANCE TO THE CLOSEST HIGH EMERGENCY CALL ACROSS JURISDICTIONAL LINES.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD AUTO AID FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THERE'S A LOT OF SMALL FIRE DEPARTMENT.

ESD IS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, SO THEY HAVE ENACTED AUTO AID.

WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON WILLIAMSON COUNTY FOR THEIR COMPUTER AID DISPATCH SYSTEM.

IT'S CALLED CAD AND THAT'S WHAT DISPATCHES THE AMBULANCE.

THEY NEEDED TO UPGRADE TO A DIFFERENT CAD SYSTEM.

BUT WHAT THIS DOES IS, IN A CLOUD ENVIRONMENT, CONNECT THE TWO CAD SYSTEMS SO THAT THEY CAN DROP AGENCY AND JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES TO SEND THE CLOSEST AMBULANCE TO THOSE HIGH PRIORITY CALLS.

AND SO THIS IS A FIRST FOR, FOR AMBULANCES, AND THIS IS, UH, AN EXCITING TIME, BUT WHAT THIS WILL DO IS CONNECT AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMSD ONE LAGO VISTA FIRE DEPARTMENT, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMST, TO PFLUGERVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY EMS, AND JUST DROP THOSE JURISDICTIONAL LINES.

AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS GONNA HAVE A REDUCTION IN RESPONSE TIMES ON THE HIGHEST PRIORITY CALLS WE'VE SPENT THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY DEVELOPING POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND TRAININGS AND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS AMONGST THE AGENCIES.

UM, YOU'LL NOTICE IF YOU WERE TO COMPARE THIS TIMELINE NOW WITH WHAT I PRESENTED IN Q4, WE'VE HAD A LITTLE SLIP ON THE TIMELINE.

UH, WE WILL DO SOME EXTENSIVE TESTING MARCH INTO APRIL, ALTHOUGH THAT WILL PROBABLY EXTEND INTO THE SUMMER.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT IS YOU'RE SENDING THE AMBULANCES IN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS TO THE HIGHEST PRIORITY CALLS.

SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE SUMMER TO DO A VERY EXTENSIVE TESTING ON THAT BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THAT IS RIGHT.

AND WE'VE DONE EXTENSIVE TESTING.

THERE'S, THERE'S A LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR ON THAT, BUT WE ARE TARGETING A TENTATIVE GO LIVE DATE OF AUGUST OF, OF 2026.

WHEN, WHEN I FIRST STARTED PRESENTING THIS, I SAID MAY, BUT IT'S, IT'S GONNA GO TO AUGUST A LITTLE BIT JUST FOR AUSTIN TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO TAKE THAT ADDITIONAL TIME TO DO THAT TESTING SLIDE.

AND BRINGING US TO A CLOSE HERE AT THE END OF Q1 ON JANUARY 1ST, 2026, IT MARKS OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY AS A DEPARTMENT.

WE TURNED 50 YEARS OLD.

AND SO, UH, WE ARE HAVING A GRAND REOPENING AT OUR EMS STATION ONE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 7TH.

AND I WOULD LOVE FOR ANYONE THAT COULD ATTEND FROM THIS COMMISSION TO COME OUT AND MEET THE MEDICS AND, AND COME TO THIS, THIS, THIS RIBBON CUTTING AND, AND TALK ABOUT OUR 50 YEARS THAT STATION BOASTS A TIME CAPSULE.

AND SO THAT'S EMBEDDED IN THE STATION THAT WILL WILL OPEN IN IN 50 YEARS.

UM, I'LL, I'LL BE RETIRED BY THEN, .

UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING, AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY HERE AS AN ORGANIZATION, UM, LOOK FOR OUR EXECUTIVE STAFF DOING VOLUNTEER ACTS OF SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY ALL YEAR.

SO I'VE PICKED MY ACT OF SERVICE AND MORE TO FOLLOW ON THAT.

UM, I WOULD LOVE FOR ANYONE IN THIS COMMISSION TO COME OUT AND JOIN ME WITH THE MEDICS TO DO SOME ACTS OF SERVICE, UM, AND MEET THE MEDICS.

AND THAT THAT IS HOW WE'RE GONNA APPROACH THIS FOR OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY.

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

UM, YEAH, IF YOU CAN OPEN THE FLOOR UP FOR QUESTIONS.

GO AHEAD.

UH, WELL I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND I THINK HOPELY THE OVERVIEW IS HELPFUL FOR SOME OF THE NEWER MEMBERS BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH SOME OF THE, UH, RECRUITING AND RETENTION FOR A WHILE AND THINK, BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GROWTH IS, IS VERY HELPFUL.

UM, AND THOSE CHALLENGES, I'D BE CURIOUS ABOUT A COUPLE OF, UM, ASPECTS.

WHEN YOU TALK TO NA NATIONAL BENCHMARKS AND THE 30% AVERAGE YOU MENTIONED, IS THAT IN PEER SIMILAR PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS OF SIMILAR SIZES VERSUS PRIVATE AMBULANCES? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A BIG GAP THERE, UM, BETWEEN WHAT THOSE, WHAT THOSE RATES ARE CERTAINLY NOT APPLES TO APPLES OR CERTAINLY A LOT OF FIRE BASED EMS OUT THERE THAT, THAT MAY HAVE LARGER PENSIONS OR SOME DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, UH, SALARIES AND THINGS.

BUT AS WE LOOK AT AGENCIES ROUGHLY ABOUT OUR SIZE AT OUR THIRD SERVICE, SO THAT'S HOW WE ARE, WE ARE COMPARING THAT AND ACROSS THE NATION, YOU HAVE SEEN EMS AGENCIES, WHETHER YOU'RE LARGE OR SMALL OR FIRE BASED OR THIRD SERVICE JUST COMING OUT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC OF JUST PEOPLE LEAVING THE

[00:25:01]

INDUSTRY.

WE ATTRIBUTE A LOT OF THAT TO COMPASSION FATIGUE AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

AND HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGE WITH THE EXIT INTERVIEWS? I MEAN, THE RATES SEPARATIONS SEEM SIMILAR, BUT FEEDBACK EITHER ON SEPARATION INTERVIEWS OR FROM DISCUSSION WITH, UH, UH, UNION REPRESENTATIVES, LIKE WHERE THE PAIN POINTS ARE, HAVE THOSE SHIFTED OVER TIME OR IS THAT PRETTY CONSTANT? I THINK THEY'RE PRETTY CONSTANT.

I KNOW THAT A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH, WITH, WITH THE RETIREMENT, WHICH IS WHY WE ADDED RETIREMENT ATTAINABILITY INTO OUR LABOR AGREEMENT.

AND THEN, UM, AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY AND HAVING TO TRAVEL INTO THE CITY TO COME TO WORK WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.

SO WHETHER YOU'RE LIVING IN BASTROP OR HAYES OR SAN MARCOS OR SAN ANTONIO OR HOUSTON, IF YOU CAN FIND A SMALLER AGENCY WITH COMPARABLE PAY, BUT YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO DRIVE IN, THAT'S ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT DRIVER FOR US.

AND IT IS NOT WITHOUT SAYING THOSE AGENCY ARE GROWING THEIR EMS SERVICES BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE SEEING THAT CALL VOLUME INCREASE OUT THERE IN THOSE AREAS, NOT OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN GROWING AS WELL.

SO THAT, THAT'S DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE FOR US.

AND ONE MORE A RECRUITING RETENTION QUESTION.

UH, I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST LANGUAGE STIPENDS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CHANGE IN THE FRACTION OF STAFF THAT ARE BILINGUAL, WHETHER THAT'S SPANISH OR ANOTHER LANGUAGE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRACKING AND LOOKING AT? WE DO TRACK IT.

I DON'T HAVE THE HARD NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY COME TO HEADQUARTERS RIGHT OUTSIDE MY OFFICE TO DO THAT TESTING, UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS ORGANIZATION, UM, IF YOU WERE ON THE BUBBLE OF FAILING THE TEST, THE DEPARTMENT CAN PAY EXTRA TO HAVE THEM GIVE YOU A TUTORIAL ON WHAT YOU MISSED ON THE EXAM.

AND WE ATE THAT COST ON THAT TO GET THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE VERY CLOSE TO DO A LITTLE EXTRA PRACTICE AND STUDY IN HOPES OF GETTING MORE PERSONS OR MORE MEDICS HAVE THAT LANGUAGE STIPEND AS WELL.

UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S A NOMINAL FEE, BUT IT, IT ADDS UP.

BUT JUST BECAUSE WE WANT THE MOST PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES IS HELPFUL TO US.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE? AND I SEE COMMISSIONER SMITH JOINED US.

ACTUALLY, I HAVE ONE SORT OF ADJACENT QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, EMT RECERTIFICATION MM-HMM .

LIKE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEIR CERTIFICATIONS, YOU KNOW, FALLOUT, LIKE THEY HAVE GAPS IN, UM, HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR PEOPLE TO RECERTIFY? LIKE DO THEY HAVE TO REENTER? LIKE IS IT JUST A TEST? IS IT TRAINING ALL OVER AGAIN? ? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND, UH, HAVING RE-CERTIFIED MY PARAMEDIC LAST YEAR, UM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS AND WHAT THE EMT IS.

SO, SO WE DO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, THAT MAKE IT AS, AS AS EASY FOR THE MEDICS AS POSSIBLE.

OUR MEDICS ARE PROVIDED CONTINUING EDUCATION BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE, AND THAT GIVES THEM CONTINUING CRE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS WITHIN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS DIFFERENT FOR EMT AND PARAMEDIC TRAUMA, MEDICAL, SPECIAL PATIENTS, PEDIATRIC, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO THERE, THE STATE MAKES IT EASY.

YOU CAN DO THE STATE REGISTRATION OR NATIONAL REGISTRY, WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING.

AND SO YOU DO THOSE CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS AND THEN YOU MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE NUMBER OF HOURS IN THOSE CATEGORIES AND THEN YOU SUBMIT THAT FOR RENEWAL AND THEN WE REIMBURSE THE MEDIC FOR THE COST OF THAT RENEWAL AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THEIR JOB.

SO I, I FOUND IT TO BE CHALLENGING TO GET THE NUMBER OF HOURS IN THE CATEGORY.

YOU HAVE TO WORK ON IT OVER TIME.

I, I DON'T RECOMMEND WAITING TILL THE LAST MINUTE.

UM, BUT THEN ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD AROUND THAT, THE RECERTIFICATION PROCESS IS SIMPLE AND OUR CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION, THEY, THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB.

THEY KNOW IT FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP YOU AND TELL YOU, HEY, TAKE, TAKE THIS TRAINING FOR THIS, IT'S WORTHWHILE.

'CAUSE NOT ALL, NOT ALL ONLINE TRAINING YOU FIND USEFUL.

SO WE TRY TO MAKE IT NOT ONLY JUST NOT CHECKING A BOX, BUT USEFUL IN GERMANE TO THEIR JOB IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE EXERCISE.

SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE AMAZING AT THAT.

OKAY, GREAT.

AND I, I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE QUESTION.

YEAH.

SO YOU INVITED US TO JOIN YOU GUYS IN THE MEDICS, UM, FOR SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, .

SO YOU MENTIONED, UM, OR YOU INVITED US TO JOIN YOU, UH, AND THE MEDICS FOR ACTS OF SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

SO HOW WOULD WE FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT? DEFINITELY, UM, I'LL GIVE YOU MY CARD AFTER THE MEETING AND WE CAN CONTACT AND THERE WON'T BE JUST ONE, WE'LL DO MULTIPLE ACCESS SERVICES.

AND SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN PULL THAT TOGETHER AND THEN YOU CAN PICK, PICK WHICH ONE YOU WANNA DO.

BUT SELFISHLY, I'D LIKE YOU TO, TO, TO JOIN MINE.

PERFECT.

HEY, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THAT AND, AND SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN AMBULANCE.

YOU ACTUALLY, THAT DOES REMIND ME, UM, WITH ALL THE NEW MEMBERS, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, ACTUALLY ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS DO OFFER RIDEALONG OPTIONS FOR NEW MEMBERS.

YES.

UM, WHETHER EMS POLICE, FIRE, SO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY WHO'S NEW TO CONSIDER DOING THOSE.

I KNOW THEY'RE VERY INFORMATIVE FROM SOME THAT I HAVE DONE, SO JUST REACH OUT, I'M ASSUMING TO YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

UM, AND, AND WE'RE, AND INTERVIEW,

[00:30:01]

UM, WE CAN CRAWL, WALK, RUN THIS.

MAYBE YOU WANNA RIDE WITH A SUPERVISOR TO GET A, A LARGE SWATH OF CALLS AND SEE THE SYSTEM AND SEE THE 9 1 1 CENTER, THEN, THEN MAYBE YOU DO THE AMBULANCE.

THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE CAN FACILITATE A RIDE OUT, BUT IT'S INCREDIBLY HELPFUL JUST TO SEE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND JUST THE, THE PRESSURES AND THE TECHNOLOGY.

AND I WILL SAY JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE'VE ONBOARDED AND BEING OUT SUNDAY MORNING AND, AND SEEING 'EM, UM, DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST IN A PRETTY HORRIFIC SITUATION.

UM, IT WAS INSPIRING TO ME TO SEE HOW THE FOLKS WE'VE ONBOARDED CAME TOGETHER AND, AND TOOK CARE OF BUSINESS AND TREATED A LOT OF PEOPLE.

UM, SO SEEING THEM IN ACTION IS, IS DEFINITELY WORTH, WORTH DOING.

AND MOST CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE THE SAME WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL TO RIDE ON THEIR COATTAILS A LITTLE BIT.

ALRIGHT.

AND MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT TOPIC, WHICH IS, UM, A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONSE SYSTEM.

WITH THAT, THANK YOU.

AND WE'LL GO AHEAD

[3. Discussion regarding the mental health first response system with Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services and Integral Care.]

AND WE HAVE BOTH EMS AND INTEGRAL CARE JOINING US.

I BELIEVE, UM, YOU GUYS JUST WANNA COME ON UP TO THE TABLE, INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, AND WE WILL JUST KIND OF TAKE THIS AS ORGANICALLY AS POSSIBLE, YOU GUYS.

SO, OKAY.

SO FOR MY ORGANIZATION, I HAVE, UH, CHIEF, UH, STEVEN WHITE AND CHIEF ANGELA CARR.

AND I'LL LET THEM INTRODUCE THEIR PARTNERS.

I WILL GET OUTTA THE WAY.

HI EVERYBODY.

ANGELA CARR.

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR PARTNERS FROM INTEGRAL CARE.

WE HAVE MARISSA MALICK AND KERA PRIEST.

SO I THINK WE WERE JUST, WHAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS JUST WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SERIES OF CHANGES AND, UM, UPGRADES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

SOME, SOME FUNDING THAT'S BEEN DIRECTED AT OUR MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONSE SYSTEM.

SO WE WERE JUST HOPING THAT WE COULD CHAT A BIT.

AND IF YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE EFFORTS, SOME OF THE NEW EFFORTS, AND HOW THAT'S COMPLEMENTING EXISTING EFFORTS.

UM, AND AGAIN, JUST MY, MY MY, MY CALL TO ACTION IS ALWAYS, I, I LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT'S GOING WELL, UM, WHAT KIND OF RISKS YOU GUYS ARE EXPERIENCING AND, UM, AND ANY CONCERNS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE.

SO YEAH, JUST KIND OF START BIG.

IT'S KIND OF BIG PICTURE.

I THINK , I'M THE TALKER IN THE GROUP.

GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN.

UH, SO SITTING AT THIS TABLE REPRESENTS, UH, A LARGE PORTION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS FIRST RESPONSE IN AUSTIN.

UH, THESE TWO AGENCIES, WHICH, UH, INTEGRAL CARE IS THE LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY AND, UH, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS AT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. WE WORK TOGETHER IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, ALSO WITH OUR OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UM, OUR TWO TEAMS, THE TWO TEAMS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE MOST ARE OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS AND THEN THEIR, UH, EMCO TEAM.

UH, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY RESPOND TO 9 1 1 CALLS THAT INVOLVE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

UH, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN WE RESPOND TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

AND SO HERE IN A MINUTE WE'LL TALK ABOUT ONE OF OUR NEWER PROGRAMS THAT'S IN A PILOT PILOT PROGRAM PHASE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'LL BE WRAPPING UP SOON, CALLED AUSTIN FIRST.

UH, WE ALSO WILL PROBABLY TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT C3, WHICH IS THE, UH, IN-HOUSE CLINICIANS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNICATION CENTERS THAT CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER 9 1 1 CALLS AND TALK TO PEOPLE IN CRISIS ON THE PHONE.

SO, UH, TO KIND OF KICK IT OFF, LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR AUSTIN FIRST PROGRAM, WHICH IS KIND OF, UM, AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

UH, TRADITIONALLY, EM COT HAS THE ABILITY TO RESPOND TO 9 1 1 CALLS BY THEMSELVES.

AND OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESPOND BY THEMSELVES.

AND OUR, UH, PARTNERS AT AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN RESPONDING TO CALLS BY THEMSELVES.

SO YOU HAVE THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING FROM THREE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WITH THREE DIFFERENT, UH, ETS .

SO EVERYONE'S GETTING THERE AT A DIFFERENT TIME.

UH, THE FIRST THING THAT WE DID WITH AUSTIN FIRST IS WE PUT A CLINICIAN, A PARAMEDIC, AND A POLICE OFFICER IN ONE VEHICLE TOGETHER SO THAT WHEN THEY ARRIVE ON SCENE, YOU PRETTY MUCH HAVE ALL THE TOOLS IN YOUR TOOLBOX THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED, UH, TO RESPOND TO THAT CALL.

THAT TEAM HAS A VERY SPECIFIC FOCUS.

UM, WE KIND OF BREAK MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS DOWN VERY, WE OVERSIMPLIFIED IT, BUT

[00:35:01]

IT, WE HAVE LOW ACUITY AND HIGH ACUITY, AND WE FELT LIKE FOR THOSE HIGH ACUITY CALLS, HAVING ALL THREE OF THOSE PROVIDERS THERE AT THE SAME TIME WOULD BE, UH, A PRETTY GOOD APPROACH.

SO FOR THE PAST, IT'S, UH, ALMOST BEEN SIX MONTHS NOW.

WE'VE BEEN PILOTING THIS PROGRAM, GATHERING AS MUCH DATA AS WE CAN.

PRETTY SOON THAT PILOT, UH, SESSION WILL COME TO AN END AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO START MAKING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO PROCEED FORWARD AND HOW EFFECTIVE THAT CONCEPT WAS.

UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT E EMCO NEXT.

SURE.

UM, SO EM COT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2013, AND SO THEY WERE PRIMARILY RESPONDING TO, AS STEVE SAID, UM, TO E-M-S-A-P-D, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL, BUT TWO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CALLS, UM, WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY.

SO THEY'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

UM, AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO THAT IN DECEMBER, 2019.

WE ADDED C3, WHICH THOSE ARE THE CLINICIANS EMBEDDED IN THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.

UM, AND THAT TEAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN TAKING MENTAL HEALTH CALLS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CALLING 9 1 1 AND DIVERTING POLICE, UM, FROM THOSE CALLS THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO GO TO OVER 85% WE HANDLE, UM, ON THE PHONE.

AND WE CAN ALSO PAGE OUT OR SEND OUT OUR CLINICIANS AS NEEDED AS WELL.

SO IF SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT IN-PERSON RESPONSE, BUT IT'S SAFE TO SEND CLINICIANS, UM, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.

AND SO, UM, WE ACTUALLY, THERE'S A STUDY COMING OUT THAT'S HAS SHOWN ITS EFFICACY, SO WE'LL BE SHARING THAT SOON.

BUT AS SHOWN, YOU KNOW, A REDUCE IN POLICE TIME, A REDUCE OF ARRESTS, UM, AND A REDUCE OF EMERGENCY DETENTIONS THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.

UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, Y'ALL CAN TALK MORE ABOUT SHIP, BUT MORE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS HAVE COME ONLINE.

AND SO WE WILL ALSO AS AVAILABLE WITH OUR CLINICIANS PAIR A CLINICIAN AND THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC.

SO WE ARE TRYING IN ALL AVENUES, IN OUR VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, THE CAD SYSTEMS ARE ALL KIND OF SEPARATED, BUT THROUGH THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO COORDINATE, UM, ACROSS THOSE LINES TO GET THE MOST APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THAT 9 1 1 CALL.

UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO ADDING, COMING ONLINE SOON, YOU KNOW, A PD WE SIT UNDER THEM WITHIN THE NINE ONE ONE CALL SYSTEM.

THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRANSFER CALLS TO OUR CLINICIANS THERE.

UM, TRAVIS COUNTY HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT, AND WE'RE ADDING EMS COMING SOON.

SO THOSE, AGAIN, THOSE LOWER ACUITY CALLS THAT MAY NOT NEED AN IN-PERSON RESPONSE, THOSE CALLS CAN GET TO A CLINICIAN TO PROVIDE SUPPORT THERE.

AND JUST TO ADD, UM, THE MOST RECENT, UM, EXPANSION THAT THE EM COT TEAM HAS SEEN, UM, WAS APPROVED IN THE BUDGET, UH, THIS LAST WEEK, SORRY.

UM, WE'RE ON A MONDAY LAST THURSDAY, THURSDAY, UM, LAST THURSDAY.

AND THAT REALLY IS TO EXPAND, UM, OUR CAPACITY AND SCALE, UM, CONTINUE TO SCALE.

WE, WE ARE STILL NOT AT SCALE, UM, FROM THE CALLS THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE COMING IN THROUGH THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER, UM, TO, TO FURTHER ENHANCE OUR SERVICES.

SO THAT WILL, UM, PROVIDE, UM, ADDITIONAL PEER SUPPORT SERVICES.

UM, OUR EXPANDED MOBILE CRISIS TEAM ISN'T JUST AN INITIAL RESPONSE TEAM.

WE'RE ABLE TO SEEK, UM, INDIVIDUALS FOR UP TO 90 DAYS COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES, UM, WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING THAT WE STABILIZE THEM IN THE COMMUNITY AND LINK THEM TO ONGOING SERVICES.

UM, SO WITH, SO THAT WE REDUCE, UM, CRISIS EPISODES FROM REOCCURRING AGAIN.

UM, AND THEN WE, UM, ARE NOW GOING TO BE 24 7, UH, FIELD RESPONSE.

SO PARTNERING WITH, UM, EMS AND THEN ALSO, UM, OUR ABILITY TO GO OUT TO CALLS IDENTIFIED BY POLICE IN EMS IF NEEDED 24 7 PRIOR TO THIS EXPANSION, UM, WE WERE ONLY AVAILABLE DURING PEAK HOURS, UH, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 6:00 AM TO 10:00 PM SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS 10:00 AM TO 8:00 PM AND THEN OUTSIDE OF EM, COD IS THE LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.

I THINK, UM, WHAT WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE IS THAT ONGOING CARE.

UM, WE KNOW THAT THE INITIAL RESPONSE ISN'T ALWAYS GOING TO STABILIZE THAT PERSON, UM, THAT'S EXPERIENCING A CRISIS.

AND SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO FACILITATE,

[00:40:01]

UM, ADMISSIONS TO INPATIENT HOSPITALS IF A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE IS NEEDED, WORK WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDER PARTNERS TO PLACE SOMEONE ON, ON AN EMERGENCY DETENTION IF THAT'S WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THEIR SAFETY.

UM, OR WE HAVE SEVERAL CRISIS RESIDENTIAL RESPITE FACILITIES AND OUTPATIENT SERVICES AS WELL, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE, HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICES.

AND SO THAT'S NOT JUST, UM, OFFERED THROUGH THE TEAM.

UM, BUT WE ALSO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR PARTNERS.

UM, IF THEY ARE ENCOUNTERING THOSE REFERRALS, UM, THEY KNOW THAT WE HAVE THESE SERVICES THAT IF THEY ENCOUNTER THEM ON A FIRST RESPONSE, THEY CAN REFER, UM, TO OUR AGENCY SO THAT WE CAN HELP WITH THAT ONGOING CARE.

SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IS, UM, EMS STAYS SOMEWHAT IN ITS LANE IN FIRST RESPONSE.

THE ONGOING CARE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE BUILT FOR OR EVEN GOOD AT.

AND SO WITHOUT THEIR PARTNERSHIP, WE WOULD HAVE VERY FEW CHOICES ON WHERE, WHEN WE ENCOUNTER MENTAL, UH, PATIENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, WE HAVE VERY FEW OPTIONS ON WHERE TO HAND THEM TO DO THAT WARM HANDOFF, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT LONGER TERM CARE, THAT IT'S THE LONGER TERM CARE THAT ACTUALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.

, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO KIND OF HELP GUIDE SOME DIRECTION HERE? ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE IN PARTICULAR? SO I, UM, I THINK I'LL KICK OFF WITH JUST SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SCALE, I GUESS.

UM, SO THE, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC AND CLINICIAN TEAMS, HOW MANY OF THOSE TEAMS ARE YOU, ARE YOU, DO YOU GUYS HAVE OPERATING ON A DAILY BASIS AND ? UM, I CAN HELP YOU WITH SOME OF THE SCALE, UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.

SO INITIALLY, UM, THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION IS TYPICALLY, UM, WE WILL HAVE APPROXIMATELY FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ON FOR 24 HOURS, UM, A DAY.

UM, AND THEN THEY WILL BE PAIRED WITH AN EM COT PROVIDER, UM, JUST BASED UPON, UM, THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT DAY.

SO IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO THREE, JUST DEPENDING UPON UPON THE SCHEDULE, RIGHT? UM, BUT I THINK FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SCALE THAT IS, THAT IS ONE OF THE, UM, PROBLEMS THAT WE ENCOUNTER ON A REGULAR BASIS.

I THINK JUST AS A CITY, UM, WHEN SOMEONE CALLS 9 1 1, UM, THEY'RE GIVEN FOUR OPTIONS.

DO YOU NEED FIRE POLICE, EMS OR MENTAL HEALTH? AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS THROUGH THIS, UM, PILOT AND PREVIOUS TO THAT IS KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE SCALE IS.

BECAUSE IF SOMEONE CHOOSES MENTAL HEALTH, UM, AND THAT GETS, YOU KNOW, SENT TO C3 OR INTEGRAL CARE, UM, THAT'S ONE AVENUE.

IF THEY CHOOSE EMS BUT HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, UM, MAYBE INTERACT WITH INTEGRAL CARE ON ON THE SCENE AND THEN DO A WARM HANDOFF AND KIND OF HAND, YOU KNOW, TO, FOR THE LONG-TERM CARE, THAT'S ANOTHER AVENUE.

UM, IF SOMEONE CALLS A PD, UM, AND THERE IS AN ISSUE THAT IS DETERMINED TO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT, WELL THEN IT MIGHT BE DEALT WITH IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY.

SO I THINK THAT WHAT THE SCALE IS IS PART OF, OF, OF THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER, UM, FOR OURSELVES BECAUSE, UM, AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND HOW CAN WE IDENTIFY THESE CALLS EARLY, UM, WHAT KEY WORDS ARE PEOPLE USING, UM, HOW ARE CALLS TRIAGED AND WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT, UM, EACH OF THOSE, UM, IS DIFFERENT WITH EACH AGENCY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO WHAT WE'RE TRACKING AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, IS DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK TO, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ALIGN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVELY.

DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, NO, IT, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS ASKING BECAUSE I WAS IMAGINING THE CALL, LIKE NOT EVERYBODY THAT CALLS 9 1 1 KNOWS TO ASK FOR MENTAL HEALTH ABSOLUTELY.

ASSISTANCE.

AND SO, UM, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT, LIKE HOW DO WE WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND THE SCALE OF THIS AND, UM, AND NOT JUST THE SCALE, LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE WE NEED, BUT, YOU KNOW, FINE TUNING, UM, THE HANDOFFS YES.

THAT HAPPEN.

HOW TIME CONSUMING ARE THOSE TRANSITIONS FROM ONE, YOU KNOW, FROM ONE TEAM TO THE NEXT? AND SO IN YOUR TRIAL PERIOD THAT YOU GUYS WENT THROUGH, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WERE THERE ANY, ARE ARE THERE, ARE YOU GUYS READY TO SHARE ANY LESSONS LEARNED? WHEN WILL YOU BE READY TO

[00:45:01]

SHARE SOME LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT ALL THAT STUFF? YEAH, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY LEARNING A LOT OF LESSONS AND WE'RE GONNA COMPILE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION AND WE'LL HAVE THAT.

UM, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC TIMELINE, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA GET IT ON Y'ALL'S AGENDA, UM, AND CITY COUNCIL.

UM, BUT I THINK THAT WHAT'S INTERESTING FOR ME IS, UM, LEARNING, UM, FROM THE A PD PERSPECTIVE, UM, KIND OF HOW THEY TRIAGE THEIR CALLS AND HOW THEY RECEIVE THEIR CALLS AND, UM, KIND OF LEARNING HOW WE CAN, HOW WE CAN JOIN TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVE, UM, ON BOTH ENDS.

UM, FROM THE A PD PERSPECTIVE, A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY'RE ASKING AND THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE ELICITING, IT'S FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, REASON, RIGHT? OR FOR A SAFETY REASON.

AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ELICITED, UM, THAT END UP IN A MENTAL HEALTH CALL OR AN EMERGENCY DETENTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ARE MAYBE NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD TRADITIONALLY THINK ABOUT.

SO MAKING THOSE CORRELATIONS AND CONNECTIONS, UM, AND FINDING TRENDS AND LOOKING AT THE DATA, I THINK IS, IS ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, UH, THINGS THAT WE'RE KIND OF IN THE THICK OF RIGHT NOW.

BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR US AS A CITY AND, AND IN THE FUTURE, UM, AS WE UNDERSTAND HOW TO, HOW TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE ELOQUENT.

I, I HAVE A QUESTION, AND YOU MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED THIS IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT.

UH, HOW LONG HAS THIS PARTNERSHIP BEEN BEEN GOING ON? SO SINCE, I MEAN, WHEN WE STARTED EM COD IN 2013, WE WERE, UM, WE HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH EMS AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.

SO SINCE THAT TIME OH, OKAY.

SO IT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR A LONG TIME.

MM-HMM .

AND THE ONLY REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WELL I, FOR THREE YEARS I WAS HANDLING THE, UM, ACTUAL, THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENTS FOR TRAVIS COUNTY AND I KNOW I TALKED TO PEOPLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO SAID THEY WOULD CALL 9 1 1 'CAUSE SOMEONE WAS HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND IT WOULD TAKE FOUR HOURS TO GET ANY TYPE OF RESPONSE.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THAT IS STILL HAPPENING, IF THAT'S STILL THE TURNAROUND TIME.

I, I, I MOVED AWAY FROM THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, SO I HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, BEEN IN THAT, UH, IN THAT ARENA FOR A WHILE.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THAT, IF THAT'S CHANGED AND IF, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSE TIMES HAVE IMPROVED SINCE THEN.

'CAUSE I WAS ALWAYS VERY CONCERNED WITH THAT.

UH, I CAN SPEAK FROM THE EMS PERSPECTIVE AS FAR AS HOW LONG IT TAKES, UH, FOR US TO RESPOND TO A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

UH, IT IS NOT FOUR HOURS , UH, MY CHIEF OF STAFF WOULD BE VERY UPSET IF IT WAS FOUR HOURS .

UM, WE TREAT OUR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CALL RESPONSE JUST LIKE WE TREAT EVERY OTHER, UH, NINE ONE ONE CALL COMING IN FOR A REQUEST FOR SERVICE.

SO, UH, IT IS, UH, OUR GOAL ALWAYS TO GET THERE WHERE, UH, INSIDE THE CITY OF BOSTON UNDER 10 MINUTES, UH, WHETHER THAT'S A MENTAL HEALTH CALL OR NOT.

AND WE TEND TO STAY ABOUT THAT TIMEFRAME IN THERE, BUT DEFINITELY NOT FOUR HOURS, BUT DEFINITELY LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR.

AND I CAN SPEAK FOR THE, UM, INTERVAL CARE AND THE OTT RESPONSE.

UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE E OTT TEAM THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY ARE GOAL SINCE WE ESTABLISHED THIS PROGRAM WAS A 30 MINUTE ETA.

UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY AVERAGING ABOUT 20 MINUTES.

UM, WHEN WE GET A REFERRAL FROM A FIRST RESPONDER PARTNER TO ARRIVE ON SCENE.

UM, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER MCO TEAM WITH AN INTEGRAL CARE THAT IS DEPLOYED OUT THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY HELPLINE, UM, AND OUR NINE EIGHT AND GET CALLS FILTERED IN FROM 9, 8 8.

THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT TRIAGE MECHANISM BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT'S COMING IN AND THE LEVEL OF RISK TO THE PERSON.

SO THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT INTENSITY TYPES AND TIMELINES THAT WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY REQUIRED TO MEET, BUT VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT, UM, CHIEF WHITE IS SAYING IS THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIMELINE, AS LONG AS WE CAN GET, UM, A TEAM OUT, WE'RE DOING THAT AS AS FAST AS WE CAN.

UM, SO IT'S VARIABLE DAY TO DAY DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF DISPATCHES COMING IN.

UM, AND THEN TRAFFIC PATTERNS IN, IN THE CITY, UM, WHERE THE DISPATCHES ARE COMING OUT, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT, UM, INTO THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, UH, OF THE COUNTY, UM, THEY, WE DO SEE LONGER TIMES.

UM, SO JUST WANNA GIVE UM, SOME CON CONTEXT TO TO THAT, THAT WE DO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS THAT DO, DO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT, UM, RESPONSE TIMES.

BUT WE ARE MAKING EVERY EFFORT ON BOTH TEAMS TO GET OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

TO A CALL, DETERMINE THAT IT'S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THEN TRY TO BRING THE RIGHT RESOURCE TO THE CALL.

THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.

MM-HMM .

AND I THINK IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND 'CAUSE THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX SYSTEM AND THE MORE WE DIVE INTO IT, THE MORE COMPLEX IT GETS, BUT IT'S KIND OF A LAYERED RESPONSE.

SO A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC OR JUST AN AMBULANCE MAY RESPOND

[00:50:01]

IT'S NOT ALWAYS RIGHT OFF THE BAT FROM THE CALL TAKING PERSPECTIVE.

SO YOU MAY HAVE A PARAMEDIC THERE, BUT THEN YOU HAVE, UM, INTEGRAL CARE COMING, RIGHT, AN EM CO MEMBER COMING.

SO THE FIRST RESPONSE IS HERE AND THEN THE SECOND RESPONSE IS COMING.

AND THAT'S THE SAME WAY WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER SOMEONE, THEN A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC CAN COME OR AN EM COT PERSON CAN COME.

UM, BUT SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE THERE WITHIN A, A PRETTY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

I JUST REALIZED I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE ME EM COT DEPLOYS OUT OF WHEN YOU GUYS ARE RESPONDING TO CALLS.

SO WE HAVE SEVERAL LOCATIONS WE DEPLOY OUT OF OUR NORTH OFFICE OFF OF ST.

JOHN'S, WE'LL ALSO HAVE CLINICIANS AT ASH.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SOUTH LOCATION, UM, DEAF SPRINGS AREA SO WE'LL DEPLOY FROM.

SO WE TRY AND SPREAD THEM OUT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN AVOID 35 AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE I WOULD IMAGINE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEP, GO AHEAD.

YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A FORTHCOMING STUDY SHOWING THE EFFICACY OF THE PROGRAM AS IMPLEMENTED.

DO YOU HAVE ANY, CAN YOU POINT ME OR UH, VIEWERS TO RESOURCES ON THAT PARTICULAR STUDY? YES, WE CAN SEND IT TO YOU.

IT'S NOT PUBLISHED YET, BUT IT'S COMING OUT SOON AND WE GOT WORD THAT IT IS, SO WE'LL BE SURE AND SEND IT TO YOU.

PIECES, WHEN I THINK ABOUT A COUPLE DIFFERENT SUBSETS, RIGHT, IS FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBER CALLING FOR SOMEONE FOR AN EMERGENCY DETENTION AND THEY MIGHT HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION.

AND I KNOW A PD ISN'T UP HERE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF HE WANTS TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTION, TO YOUR QUESTION AROUND, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM, I DO KNOW THAT THEY MADE A SHIFT WHERE THEY USED TO HAVE, UM, IDENTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS THAT WOULD COME AND WRITE THE EMERGENCY DETENTION AND THEY HAVE SHIFTED AWAY SO THAT ALL OFFICERS CAN WRITE THAT SO THAT THERE'S NOT THAT DELAY, UM, IN THAT RESPONSE BECAUSE PEACE OFFICERS ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO INITIATE, UM, THAT EMERGENCY DETENTION TO THEN GET SOMEONE TO THAT SUPPORT.

SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S A SHIFT.

UM, AND I DON'T OBVIOUSLY HAVE THOSE TIMES, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THEY'VE BEEN GREATLY REDUCED WITH THAT SHIFT.

PLEASE DO COME ON UP.

YEAH, I'M SORRY.

I'M ACTUALLY REPLACING CHIEF ROGERS.

OH NO, YEAH, CHAIR.

ANYWAYS, I'M SORRY IF THE IN THE INVITATION WAS NOT IMPLIED.

I APOLOGIZE.

I WAS DOING MY BEST TO HIDE IN THE BACK THERE.

UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS.

YOU SAID IT WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO THAT YOU WERE DOING THAT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO? ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.

AND SO OBVIOUSLY STAFFING WAS A MAJOR ISSUE.

OUR RESPONSE TIMES, UM, CITYWIDE FOR ALL PRIORITY CALLS HAVE DROPPED DRAMATICALLY.

AND SO, UM, EVEN ON THE LOWEST PRIORITY CALLS, NOW WERE UNDER 30 MINUTES ON THOSE RESPONSE TIMES.

SO YES, THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT A CALL HOLDS FOR A LOT LONGER, UM, BUT IT'S NOT THE NORMAL THAT WOULD BE A, UH, OUTLIER, UH, BY FAR.

UM, AND AS FAR AS MAKING ALL OF OUR OFFICERS MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS, WE DID REALIZE THAT WITH THE STAFFING CRISIS THAT WE WERE, UH, TAKING LONGER TO GET OFFICERS TO CALLS BECAUSE WE HAD LESS.

AND SO WE DID GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE CHANGE OVER TO HAVING EVERY SINGLE POLICE OFFICER CERTIFIED AS A MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER.

AND SO THEY ALL GO THROUGH THE STATE'S MANDATE THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, BUT ALSO WE HAVE DEPARTMENT, UM, TRAINING FOR MENTAL HEALTH TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S UP TO SPEED AND CAN HANDLE THOSE CALLS.

OH, THAT'S GREAT.

THANKS.

JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A PROCESS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND.

SO JUST TO MAKE IT EXPLICIT AND YOU GUYS CAN QUALIFY, SO WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS IN CRISIS, THAT'S NOT THE SAME AS SOMEBODY WHO'S BEING PLACED ON A-P-O-E-D, WHICH COULD ONLY BE DONE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.

I KNOW THAT'S A GAP THAT SOMETIMES IS, IS A LITTLE BIT MISUNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S RESPOND TO CRISIS.

SO I THINK MAYBE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SUMMARIZE THAT BETTER THAN I DID FROM YOUR WORKFLOW PROCESS FOR THE FOLKS WHO AREN'T IN THAT SYSTEM.

BUT THEN I THINK THE SECONDARY QUESTION IS HOW OFTEN IS THAT SORT OF MIS TRIAGED IN THAT YOU SEND SOMEBODY FOR A CRISIS RESPONSE WHERE YOU DON'T THINK IT'LL NEED LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PLACE 'EM ON A-P-O-E-D? ULTIMATELY IT DOES, AND THEN THERE'S SOME GAP THERE OF, OF TIME BECAUSE OF THAT INITIAL ATTEMPT TO NOT INVOLVE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE RESPONSE FROM OUR RESPONSE.

I DON'T HAVE THE DATA IN FRONT OF ME, BUT TYPICALLY IF WE ARE TRIAGING THE CALL, RIGHT, LIKE OUR C THREES ARE TRIAGING THAT CALL AND THEN SENDING OUT A RESPONSE.

UM, AND SOMETIMES WE'LL EVEN REQUEST IF, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR CLINICIANS IS PAIRED WITH CHIP FOR THEM TO GO, YOU KNOW, RESPOND TO THAT CALL THAT THAT POED IS PRETTY LOW OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TRIAGING THAT CALL FROM THE ONSET.

UM, AND AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DEFINITELY GET TO KIND OF DISTILL THAT DOWN.

UM, IN TERMS OF, I THINK ONE OF THE

[00:55:01]

WHEREAS A LOT OF CALLS THAT ACTUALLY DON'T COME TO C3 BYPASS BECAUSE IT'S A THIRD PARTY CALLER AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION OF WHO YOU KNOW IS THE COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, RESPONDING TO THOSE I THINK ARE THE OBVIOUSLY MORE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A LOT OF THAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION, UM, UNTIL SOMEONE RESPONDS AND, AND KIND OF ENGAGES WITH THAT PERSON.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS FEAR THAT, UH, PEOPLE WILL CALL OUR FAMILY MEMBERS OR BYSTANDERS, UH, FOR SOMEONE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THEN WE MAY SEND A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC OR WE MAY SEND, UM, SOMEONE BY THEMSELVES AND THAT THAT MAY UH, BE, UH, SENDING THEM INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

UM, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, CALL TAKING SYSTEM AND TRIAGE SYSTEM, UH, UP AT CTECH AND THAT JUST HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE OF SENDING THEM IN INTO DANGEROUS WAY.

UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE TOOK INTO HEAVY CONSIDERATION WHEN BUILDING OUT THE AUSTIN FIRST, BECAUSE WITH THE AUSTIN FIRST MODEL, YOU KIND OF HAVE ALL YOUR BASES COVERED.

YOU HAVE SECURITY THERE ALREADY, WHICH THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS OF WHY THAT TEAM WAS SPECIFICALLY SLOTTED TO DEAL WITH THE HIGH ACUITY CASES.

UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY CAN RESPOND BY THEMSELVES, BUT THEY ARE OFTEN RESPONDING WITH OTHER OFFICERS TO THOSE HIGH ACUITY CALLS.

UM, BUT ENSURING THAT OUR PERSONNEL ARE SAFE IS ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES.

UM, MY, MY HEAD IS JUST SPINNING WITH REGARDS TO LIKE PRIORITY, LIKE THE, THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LIKE THE HIGH ACUITY VERSUS LOW ACUITY.

AND LIKE, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE DATA AND THAT THAT'S COMING LATER, LIKE IN FRONT OF YOU AND THAT THAT'S COMING LATER.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND HOW, HOW BIG YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, ARE THE MAJORITY OF THE CALLS THAT, UM, ARE COMING IN AS MENTAL AS CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, LOW ACUITY? UM, YES.

THE MAJORITY OF MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, UM, THAT, THAT WE'RE INTERACTING WITH ARE LOW ACUITY.

UM, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY IS, UM, IS HOW CAN WE QUICKLY IDENTIFY, UM, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, ISSUES THAT ARE, UM, THAT MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER APPEARANCE, UM, AND HOW CAN WE COORDINATE OUR RESOURCES, UM, IN THOSE HIGH ACUITY SITUATIONS, UM, WHEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LITTLE TIME TO ACT, UM, OR DISCUSS.

AND, UM, WE, WE KIND OF WANT TO, UM, POISE OURSELVES, UM, IN A WAY THAT WE HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO INTERVENE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRAINED PEOPLE ON SCENE, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

UM, SO I'M, I'M THINKING OF A, A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE CALLS 9 1 1 AND IS TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A CRIMINAL TRESPASS TYPE OF A SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S MAYBE NOT ANYTHING THAT IS, NO, NO ONE IS SPECIFICALLY SAYING THIS IS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE OR THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S PSYCHOSIS INVOLVED OR ANY OF THE, ANY OF THOSE KEY WORDS.

BUT, UM, KIND OF UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE TYPICAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS AND THEN LEARNING HOW TO, YOU KNOW, TRIAGE THOSE EFFECTIVELY AND INTERVENE EARLY.

A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE UNDER THE CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION, WHAT IS SORT OF NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO, AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR THE NEXT STAGE.

GONNA LOOK ONLINE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS UP THERE.

WE'RE GOOD.

DO WE HAVE ANY? SO, THANK YOU.

UM, CAN I ASK ONE MORE VERY QUICK? YEAH, GO FOR IT.

UM, WE DO HAVE AVAILABLE FOR, FOR EVERYBODY FROM THE, UH, PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, SOME OF THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED.

UM, I KNOW SEVERAL OF THOSE DID INVOLVE, UH, ONLY RECEIVING PARTIAL FUNDING FOR SOME OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS AND SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH EXPANSES.

SO I KNOW YOU CAN'T SPEAK TO SPECIFIC NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, BUT IN TERMS OF BROADLY SPEAKING, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHAIR RAMIREZ HAD TALKED ABOUT WITH SOME OF THE, THE THREATS AND THE CHALLENGES, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD SPEAK

[01:00:01]

AND THEN IT'S SECOND PART, WHICH PROBABLY IS FORWARD IN OUR CONVERSATION, WOULD BE ANY ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF INVESTMENTS NOW SAVING US MONEY IN THE SYSTEM LONG TERM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE IN A CHALLENGING BUDGET ENVIRONMENT.

I KNOW THAT'S A LOT, BUT , THAT'S A LONG QUESTIONS NOW.

UM, I I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF, ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS ABOUT BEING HERE IN AUSTIN IS THE SUPPORT THAT WE GET FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, FROM CITY COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS.

UH, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE INVESTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, ESPECIALLY IF WE GO BACK TO 20 16, 20 18 AND THEN POST COVID WHERE, UH, OUR NUMBER OF FTES HAS INCREASED, OUR BUDGET HAS INCREASED, UH, UH, WE HAVE JUST BEEN SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UH, SUCH AMAZING SUPPORT TO DEVELOP AND BUILD THESE OUT.

THE EXPANSION OF THAT ARM OF THAT DIVISION HAS BEEN EXPONENTIAL AND IT HAS BEEN, UH, A, A REALLY EXCITING THING TO BE A PART OF.

SO I WILL NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT THE, UH, SUPPORT OR THE FUNDING OR THE BUDGET THAT I AM RECEIVING BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN TRULY, UH, AMAZING GETTING THE NUMBERS TO TOGETHER BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES TO GET THAT FULL PICTURE OF WHAT IS OUR MENTAL HEALTH VOLUME LIKE CHIEF CARR TALKED TO ABOUT, ABOUT IT JUST A MINUTE AGO WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING ON THE FRONT END, RIGHT? WHEN PEOPLE CALL 9 1 1 MAY NOT NECESSARILY DETERMINE THAT IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

SO LOOKING AT THE OUTCOME DATA TO SEE WHERE THINGS ARE AND, AND WHAT'S A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND WHAT'S NOT, UH, HAS REALLY SHIFTED OUR FOCUS.

AND THEN GETTING ALL OF THAT DATA TOGETHER FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES HAS ACTUALLY PROVEN TO BE QUITE A CHALLENGE.

THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IS SUCH A SPECTRUM.

I MEAN, IT GOES FROM, I NEED TO BE RECONNECTED TO SERVICES TO MAYBE SOMEONE WHO IS FEELING SUICIDAL.

I MEAN, IT IS A VERY, VERY BROAD SPECTRUM.

AND WHEN THEY CALL 9 1 1, THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY ARE USUALLY COMMUNICATING.

THEY'RE USUALLY COMMUNICATING, I CAN'T SLEEP, I CAN'T EAT, I CAN'T BREATHE.

THESE MEDICAL COMPLAINTS THAT ONLY WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON SCENE CAN YOU ACTUALLY DETERMINE THAT IT'S NOT A MEDICAL ISSUE, BUT A PSYCHIATRIC ISSUE.

SO IT IS, AND ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'VE BEEN KEEPING THIS DATA FOR SO LONG, IT IS LITERALLY AN AVALANCHE OF DATA THAT WE'RE HAVING TO GET THROUGH AND DEVELOP THINGS LIKE AUSTIN FIRST TO TRY TO GET THE RIGHT RESPONSE, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO THE RIGHT PATIENT AT THE RIGHT TIME.

UM, A LOT OF THE SPECTRUM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LOW ACUITY, IT DOES REVOLVE AROUND THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, UM, THAT, THAT MAKES ACCESS TO CARE CHALLENGING.

UM, AND JUST RECONNECTING PEOPLE TO SERVICES IS A LOT OF WHAT THE PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE DO.

THEN WITH THAT, WE ARE GONNA COME UP TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING A PD 9 1 1 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION BUDGET, IF EVERYBODY CAN COME ON UP.

WELL THANK YOU.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR DATA , ALL OF THE FUN TIMES YOU GUYS HAVE WITH INTERAGENCY REPORTING THAT'S COMING UP, .

UM, AND, UM, I, I HOPE WE CAN HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP CONVERSATIONS IN THE FUTURE SO THAT WE CAN, UM, SEE HOW BEST WE CAN SUPPORT.

[4. Discussion regarding APD 911 Emergency Communications Division budget and potential consolidation ofthe emergency 911 call center with inputfrom Equity Action,United Workers of Integral Care, and VOCAL TX.]

UM, I SAW THAT ONE OF YOU WAS GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE SOON, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT WE DIDN'T MOVE MORE QUICKLY.

UM, IF YOU GUYS WANNA PRIORITIZE THAT WAY SO THAT WE CAN GET AS MANY PEOPLE COVERED AS POSSIBLE.

UM, SORRY, CHAIR, WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER FOR ITEM FOUR.

I THINK IF YOU REGISTERED AS A SPEAKER, WE WILL START YOUR TIME AND THEN, YEAH.

PETER HUNT.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

OF THE POLICE BUDGET WOULD NEED TO GRAPPLE WITH THAT IN SOME WAY.

MY NAME'S PETER HUNT, HUNT, I'M AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.

I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS ITEM IN THE AGENDA.

UH, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR I'M SURE MANY VERY GOOD REASONS FOR MAKING SOME CHANGES TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.

I WANNA SPEAK FAIRLY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A BUDGETARY CONSIDERATION THAT I THINK MAKES A CASE FOR MAKING THESE CHANGES.

IN PARTICULAR, MOVING THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER OUT FROM A PD THIS YEAR.

UM, THE CITY HAS BEEN FACING A BUDGET CRUNCH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN, UH, THIS COMING FALL.

UM, AND SOME CONTEXT FOR THAT IS THAT TEXAS LAW PROHIBITS NET YEAR OVER YEAR REDUCTIONS IN POLICE BUDGETS IN THIS STATE.

UH, MOVING THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER OUT

[01:05:01]

UH, THE MOST RECENT POLICE CONTRACT OF 2024 COMMITS THE CITY TO PAY INCREASES FOR OFFICERS IN 2026, UH, WHICH ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL WOULD AMOUNT TO AN INCREASE FOR THE POLICE BUDGET.

UM, THEREFORE THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY OPPORTUNE TIME TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.

UH, THE A PD BUDGET IS ALREADY INCREASING IN OTHER AREAS, AND SO THE CALL CENTER BEING MOVED OUT FROM UNDER THAT UMBRELLA, UH, WOULD ALL ELSE BE AN EQUAL AMOUNT TO ROUGHLY A NET NEUTRAL CHANGE IN THE A PD BUDGET AND THUS NOT RUN AFOUL, UH, OF ANY STATE LAW.

I THINK IT'S USEFUL TO CONSIDER SORT OF THE ALTERNATIVE CASE HERE, WHICH IS, LET'S SAY AT A LATER DATE, THE CITY IS CONVINCED OF THE GOOD ARGUMENTS FOR MAKING THESE CHANGES AND THEN REALIZES THAT ACTUALLY IF THEY WERE TO MOVE THE CALL CENTER, THAT WOULD INVOLVE CUTTING THE POLICE BUDGET IN A WAY THAT WOULD THEN CONFLICT WITH STATE LAW THAT WOULD MASSIVELY COMPLICATE THE PROCESS.

UM, SO IN ADDITION TO CURRENT ENCOURAGING BETTER, BROADER SETS OF RESPONSES FROM THE CITY AND REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON A PD TO HANDLE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, RELOCATING THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER ALSO SERVES A VERY TIMELY BUDGETARY FUNCTION.

UH, SO I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST, BOTH FOR THE SAKE OF ITS RESIDENTS, THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR SAFETY, AND ALSO FOR THE FINANCIAL STABILITY AND SANITY OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE TO MAKE THESE CHANGES THIS YEAR.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

THANK, THANK YOU.

AND THEN WE CAN MOVE AHEAD WITH THE EVERYONE ELSE NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN PUBLIC COMMENT.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

UM, HI, MY NAME IS LOKI.

I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED WORKERS OF INTEGRAL CARE.

UM, I'M HERE TODAY AND I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS TOO, BUT I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THIS, THIS WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE, UM, AT THIS CURRENT TIME BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT IT'S STRUCTURED.

SO WE HAVE OUR C3 CLINICIANS, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR FIELD RESPONSE EMCO, WHICH SO LOVELY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF BREAKDOWN BEFORE WE GOT UP HERE.

UM, SO BECAUSE OUR C3 CLINICIANS ARE ACTUALLY AN INTERVENTION, UM, THEY'RE NOT DISPATCHERS IN A SENSE LIKE, SO RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU CALL FOR POLICE FIRE MEDIC, YOU ARE, UH, PAIRED WITH A DISPATCHER THAT IS IN THAT, IN THAT, UH, DEPARTMENT.

UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WITH MENTAL HEALTH, IT'S GOING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRST, WHO THEN THEY TRIAGE AND THEY DECIDE WHETHER IT GOES TO MENTAL HEALTH OR POLICE RESPONSE.

AND SO IT, WHAT IT, WHY IT'S LIKE THAT, UH, FROM WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT BECAUSE C3 IS AN INTERVENTION, THEY COULD BE ON THE PHONE DEESCALATING FOR, YOU KNOW, 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR, WHEREAS A DISPATCHER WOULD BE DOING A QUICK PHONE CALL TO MAKE A DECISION.

THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE DISPATCHERS AT THE POLICE MAKING THE, THE DECISION.

BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING HOW THIS PLAYS OUT IN, IN REAL LIFE IS THAT SOME OF THESE DISPATCHERS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, RIGHT? SO THEY MAY BE LISTENING TO THIS CALL AND NOT UNDERSTANDING, OKAY, THIS IS ACTUALLY BETTER FOR THE INTEGRAL CARE WORKERS TO TAKE CARE OF, WHETHER IT BE ON THE PHONE OR IN THE FIELD OF RESPONSE.

AND SO WE FEEL THAT THE MOVE OUTSIDE OF, OUTSIDE OF THE MOVE, 9 1 1 OUTSIDE OF A PD WOULD GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST DISPATCHER AND HAVE PROPER TRAINING SO THAT WHEN YOU CALL FOR MENTAL HEALTH, YOU ARE GETTING PAIRED WITH MENTAL HEALTH.

UH, YOU'RE GETTING PAIRED WITH INTEGRAL CARE WORKERS BECAUSE AT THIS TIME, EVEN IF YOU CHOOSE THE FOURTH OPTION, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE YOU'RE NOT MET WITH MENTAL HEALTH RESPONDERS.

UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST PIECES FOR US.

UM, ALSO JUST IN GENERAL, WHEN FOLKS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ARE PAIRED WITH A MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE INSTEAD OF A POLICE RESPONSE.

SO IN A POLICE RESPONSE, THERE'S, THERE'S A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT SOMEBODY COULD GET ARRESTED THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY COULD GET HURT.

UM, AND IN THOSE CASES WHEN PEOPLE ARE BECOMING INCARCERATED, THEY'RE ACTUALLY THEN HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM EVEN AFTER RELEASE, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE HAVING TO GO TO COURT DATES, THEY'RE ON PROBATION, WHAT HAVE YOU, AND THAT CAN IMPACT THEIR, UH, ABILITY TO GET HOUSED, THEIR ABILITY TO GET A JOB, THEIR ABILITY TO BECOME STABLE.

AND WHEN THEY'RE PAIRED WITH THAT MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY NEEDED AT THE TIME, THEY'RE THEN CONNECTED TO OUTPATIENT CARE.

AND SO INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, NOW I HAVE MORE BARRIERS TO HOUSING, MORE BARRIERS TO, TO EMPLOYMENT, I'M BEING PAIRED WITH OUTPATIENT CASEWORK AND I AM NOW GETTING HOUSED AND I'M, I'M GETTING HELP WITH MY APPOINTMENT.

I'M GETTING HELP WITH MY MENTAL HEALTH STABILITY, AND WE'RE SETTING PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS.

AND SO NOT JUST ON THE HUMAN LEVEL, LIKE ON A BUDGETARY LEVEL THAT COSTS LESS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO THAT'S JUST LIKE MY SPIEL, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL.

YOU HAD TO, YOU WERE GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE, RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT? I CAN STAY FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

I'VE GOT A SCRIPT IN FRONT OF ME, BECAUSE IF NOT, YOU GUYS WILL BE, YOU'LL SUFFER TO SOME SORT OF CHANGE DENTAL DISCUSSION THAT WON'T STAY ON TRACK.

WELL, LET'S LET EVERYBODY ELSE AND THEN WE CAN GET TO QUESTIONS.

I'M HERE WITH EQUITY ACTION.

[01:10:01]

SO I'M HOPING THIS WILL KEEP ME ON TRACK.

UM, I WANNA SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF MOVING AUSTIN 9 1 1 SYSTEM OUT FROM UNDER THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND INTO A UNIFIED CIVILIAN LED EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE STRUCTURE.

THIS IS NOT JUST AN ABSTRACT BUREAUCRATIC CHANGE, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST CONCRETE STEPS WE CAN TAKE TO REDUCE POLICE VIOLENCE DURING MENTAL HEALTH CRISES AND ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT RESPONDERS ARE SENT THE FIRST TIME.

RIGHT NOW, THE STRUCTURE OF OUR DISPATCH SYSTEM SHAPES OUTCOMES BEFORE A RESPONDER EVER ARRIVES.

WHEN 9 1 1 SITS UNDER A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, THE DEFAULT FRAMING IS ENFORCEMENT THAT FRAMING INFLUENCES CALL TAKING SCRIPTS, DISPATCHER, TRAINING, AND ROUTING DECISIONS.

IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMUN COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, WE'VE LEARNED THAT OFTEN DISPATCHERS DO NOT RECEIVE UNIFORM TRAINING, UM, ON WHEN TO ROOT CALLS TO MENTAL HEALTH APPROPRIATE RESPONSES.

IF A CALLER DOES NOT SPECIFY MENTAL HEALTH, THE CALL IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO BE ROOTED TO A SPECIALIZED TEAM.

THAT MEANS OUTCOMES OFTEN HINGE ON WHETHER A DISTRESSED PERSON OR FAMILY MEMBER KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TO ASK FOR IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S OWN 2018 AUDIT OF POLICE RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH INCIDENTS FOUND THAT A PD WAS FREQUENTLY DISPATCHED TO CALLS THAT WERE NON-CRIMINAL IN NATURE AND WERE APPROPRIATELY HANDLED BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND THAT PEOPLE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISES HERE FACE A HIGHER RISK OF FATAL POLICE ENCOUNTERS THAN IN COMPARABLE CITIES.

THE AUDIT HIGHLIGHTED GAPS IN CALL CLASSIFICATION, TRAINING, INCONSISTENCIES AND OVERRELIANCE ON POLICE, EVEN WHEN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESPONSES WERE MORE SUITABLE.

OTHER WORDS, THE SYSTEM IS STRUCTURALLY BIASED TOWARDS SENDING ARMED OFFICER OFFICERS TO SITUATIONS THAT DON'T REQUIRE THEM.

WE'VE SEEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT BIAS AND AUSTIN MENTAL HEALTH CALLS HAVE TURNED DEADLY.

THE KILLING OF MAURICE DE SILVA DURING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IS A PAINFUL REMINDER THAT WHEN ARMED OFFICERS ARE THE DEFAULT RESPONSE TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES, THE RISK OF ESCALATION AND IRREVERSIBLE HARM IS PROFOUND.

THESE CASES AREN'T ANOMALIES.

THEY ARE PREDICTABLE OUTCOMES OF A SYSTEM THAT TREATS HEALTH CRISES AS PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS.

WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT CAN HELP US DISTINGUISH BETWEEN IMMEDIATE THREATS OF HARM AND WHEN VULNERABLE, VULNERABLE PEOPLE JUST NEED ASSISTANCE, OTHER CITIES ARE SHOWING US A DIFFERENT PATH.

THE POLICING PROJECTS EVALUATION OF SAN STREET CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM FOUND THAT CIVILIAN LED TEAMS CAN SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY HANDLE A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF 9 1 1 CALLS INVOLVING MENTAL HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS, AND SUBSTANCE USE.

THE REPORT FOUND THAT THESE TEAMS RESOLVED THE VAST MAJORITY OF CALLS ON SCENE WITHOUT POLICE INVOLVEMENT AND WITH EXTREMELY LOW RATES OF ARREST OR USE OF FORCE.

IMPORTANTLY, THE PROGRAM REDUCED UNNECESSARY POLICE DISPATCHES, FREEING OFFICERS TIME WHEN IN WHILE ENSURING THAT PEOPLE IN CRISIS RECEIVED CARE INSTEAD OF COERCION.

THE REPORT ALSO EMPHASIZES A CRITICAL LENS FOR AUSTIN DISPATCH INTEGRATION DETERMINES SUCCESS.

SAN SAN FRANCISCO'S PROGRAM IMPROVED OUTCOMES WHEN DISPATCH PROTOCOLS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED ELIGIBLE CALLS AND ROUTE THEM DIRECTLY TO CRISIS TEAMS WHERE DISPATCH CRITERIA WERE UNCLEAR OR TRAINING INCONSISTENT CALLS DEFAULTED BACK TO THE POLICE.

IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN THE BEST ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE PROGRAMS FAIL IF THE DISPATCH DISPATCH SYSTEM REMAINS CENTERED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THIS IS WHY MOVING 9 1 1 OUT FROM UNDER A PD MATTERS.

A CIVILIAN LED COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT CAN STANDARDIZE TRAINING, IMPLEMENT TRAUMA INFORMED CALL TAKING SCRIPTS, AND ENSURE CONSISTENT ROUTING TO THE CORRECT PROGRAMS. THERE ARE OPERATIONAL BENEFITS AS WELL.

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS CAN IMPROVE COORDINATION AMONG EMS FIRE AND CIVILIAN RESPONDERS WHILE PRESERVING SWORN PARAMEDICS AND FIREFIGHTERS IN THEIR CURRENT ROLES.

IT DOESN'T REMOVE EXPERTISE, IT REMOVES STRUCTURAL BIAS.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS CHANGE SAVES LIVES.

WHEN WE SEND CLINICIANS INSTEAD OF OFFICERS, WE REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF ESCALATION.

AND WHEN WE TREAT MENTAL ILLNESS AS A HEALTH ISSUE INSTEAD OF A CRIME, WE REDUCE TRAUMA FOR FAMILIES AND RESPONDERS ALIKE.

AND WHEN DISPATCHERS ARE TRAINED TO RECOGNIZE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS, REGARDLESS OF THE EXACT WORD A CALLER USES, WE CREATE A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR REAL PEOPLE AND REAL CRISIS.

IF AUSTIN IS SERIOUS ABOUT PREVENTING FUTURE TRA TRAGEDIES AND BUILDING A PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEM ROOTED IN CARE RATHER THAN COERCION, WE MUST BEGIN BY CHANGING THE FRONT DOOR TO THAT SYSTEM.

MOVING 9 1 1 OUT FROM UNDER A PD IS THE FIRST STEP.

A USER'S UNION IS SOMEONE THAT EITHER ACTIVELY IS USING DRUGS OR HAS BEFORE.

HEY, Y'ALL.

UM, MY NAME IS MEL LEBLA AND I AM THE, UM, AUSTIN CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR VOCAL TEXAS.

SO VOCAL IS A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY, SORRY, BY, UM, MASS INCARCERATION, THE JAGUAR, HIV, AND AIDS AND HOMELESSNESS.

AND TODAY I'M ALSO HERE, UM, IN SUPPORT OF RELOCATING M1 OUT OF A PD.

SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT OUR FOLKS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY OVER-POLICING, AND THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE CALLING 9 1 1 AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW.

TYPICALLY, WHAT IS WAITING FOR THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE IS ESCALATION OR APATHY.

SO, UM, EITHER THEY'RE, THEY'RE DEALING WITH LIKE AN OVER-POLICING SITUATION, OR THEY SAY THAT WHEN THEY CALL THE POLICE, IT'S LIKE THEY'RE, NO ONE COMES.

SO, UM, WE'RE COMPRISED OF TWO UNIONS.

WE HAVE A HOMELESS UNION AND A USER'S UNION, SO I'M GONNA KIND OF TALK ABOUT THOSE UNIONS.

BUT A HOMELESS UNION IS SOMEONE THAT EITHER RIGHT NOW IS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR HAS PREVIOUSLY, AND

[01:15:01]

SO I'M GONNA KIND OF GO INTO WHY BOTH OF THESE UNIONS HAVE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT WHY THIS WOULD BE GOOD FOR THEM.

UM, SO OUR HOMELESS UNION MEMBERS OFTEN TALK ABOUT GETTING A PD CALLED ON THEM A LOT OF TIMES FOR JUST EXISTING, UM, AND A LOT OF OTHER TIMES FOR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, WHICH CAN LEAD TO TROUBLES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND THEN AS A LOKI TALKED ABOUT LIKE TROUBLES WITH FINDING HOUSING JOBS, AND A LOT MORE.

UM, AND I KIND OF WANNA GIVE AN EXAMPLE.

SO JUST RECENTLY I WAS AT A MEETING WHERE AN A PD OFFICER TALKED ABOUT HAVING TO GIVE A CITATION FOR SOMEONE LAYING ON THE SIDEWALK.

AND THIS WAS CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY 'CAUSE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, HAD TO EITHER STEP OVER THEM OR STEP INTO THE STREET BECAUSE THEY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE.

SO THEY CALLED A PD TO SAY, HEY, THIS INDIVIDUAL'S ON THE SIDEWALK, AND NOW THIS IS CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY.

NOW THIS PERSON IS GETTING A CITATION FOR LAYING ON THE SIDEWALK.

AND, UM, WHEN I ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE CITATION GOING TO DO? THEY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN GO TO DAC AND GET IT REMOVED AND, AND ALL OF THAT.

SO INSTEAD OF, UH, LIKE A SOCIAL WORKER OR AN, AN OUTREACH, LIKE A STREET OUTREACH PERSON MAYBE GETTING CALLED TO SAY, HEY, CAN YOU GO HELP THIS INDIVIDUAL? THEY'RE, THEY'RE LAYING ON THE STREET.

UM, NOW THERE'S AN A PD OFFICER KIND OF THERE WASTING TIME.

THERE IS NOW THIS PERSON THAT HAS TO RECEIVE A CITATION, GO TO DAC, THEN THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SIT WITH A SOCIAL WORKER FOR OVER AN HOUR TO REMOVE THE CITATION, WHEN REALLY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CALLING 9 1 1 THEM SAYING, HEY, SEND A SOCIAL WORKER OUT.

SEND A STREET OUTREACH PERSON OUT.

UM, SO THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW WITHOUT MORE RESOURCES, MINOR INCIDENTS BECOME CRIMINALIZED.

AND, UM, THAT THAT JUST SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.

WE, IN OUR, IN, IN OUR USERS UNION, UM, WE, WE OFTEN HEAR THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT, DON'T FEEL SAFE TO CALL 9 1 1 BECAUSE OF STIGMA AGAINST DRUG USE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF LAWS.

SO THERE'S SUCH THING RIGHT NOW AS A GOOD SAMARITAN LAW, MEANING THAT YOU, UM, CAN HAVE YOUR CHARGES DROPPED FOR DRUG PARAPHERNALIA IF YOU ARE CALLING TO SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.

BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S EXCEPTIONS, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN ONLY USE THIS ONCE EVERY 18 MONTHS, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUS DRUG CONVICTIONS, THEY CAN CHARGE YOU ON THEM.

SO IF YOU ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU OR YOUR FRIEND OR SOMEONE YOU'RE WITH IS OVERDOSING, BUT YOU NOW HAVE TO THINK LIKE, OKAY, I CALLED A FEW MONTHS AGO, NOW I COULD GO TO PRISON NOW MY FRIEND COULD GO TO PRISON.

UH, IT'S, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND USUALLY WHEN YOU'RE GETTING THE LAW INVOLVED, IT, IT CAUSES PROBLEMS. SO IF IT WERE TO BE SWITCHED TO OUT OF A PD AND KIND OF MORE INTO LIKE A MENTAL HEALTH REALM, YOU, SOMEONE WOULD BE ABLE TO DEESCALATE THAT SITUATION A LOT BETTER, BEING LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT KIND OF THING.

UM, AND YOU COULD FOCUS ON SAVING SOMEONE'S LIFE.

UM, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, EVERY AND ECHOING JUST EVERYTHING THAT A LOKI AND SAVANNAH SAID, UH, WE NEED BETTER OPTIONS FOR DEESCALATION IN OUR CITY, AND THIS IS ONE WAY TO START.

WE CAN'T KEEP ATTACKING EVERY PROBLEM WITH CRIMINALIZATION AND PUNISHMENT.

SO THANK YOU.

WELL, THANK YOU.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TO COMMISSION THAT IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIALS IS A RESOLUTION FROM COUNCIL THAT WAS PASSED, UM, IN SEPTEMBER AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, UM, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK INTO A JOINT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, UM, AND POTENTIAL COMBINING OF 9 1 1 AND EMERGENCY DISPATCH.

AND SO THIS IS US KIND OF HAVING A CONVERSATION IN SUPPORT OF THAT AND IN ANTICIPATION OF POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, UM, WORK THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS BEEN DOING IN THAT WORLD, UM, POTENTIALLY.

AND, AND ALSO, UM, BEARING IN MIND THAT BUDGET IS COMING UP AGAIN AND IT'S GONNA BE A CRUNCH AGAIN.

UM, AND FINDING WAYS TO KEEP AS MANY OF OUR DOLLARS AS FLEXIBLE AS IS POSSIBLE, UM, IS BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY.

UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL JUST OPEN UP THE FLORIDA QUESTIONS ALSO WITH, UM, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS, IT WAS QUITE A LONG TIME AGO.

I THINK WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT THIS AS A COMMISSION, SOME OF MY FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS ON THE COMMISSION.

AND IT WAS WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MOVEMENT OF THE 9 1 1, UH, UH, UH, THE MOVEMENT OF THE FORENSICS CENTER OUT OF A PD AND IT WAS A SIMILAR SITUATION.

THERE WAS AN INCREASE THAT WAS GONNA BE HAPPENING TO THE A PD BUDGET, AND THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF MAKE THAT MOVEMENT OF THE FORENSIC, UM, DEPARTMENT OUT OF A PD UH, A, A NEUTRAL SORT OF TRANSACTION SO THAT THERE WASN'T A

[01:20:01]

LARGE INCREASE, UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, NOW MANAGED BY THE, BY, BY THE LEGISLATURE AND STATE LAW, RIGHT? THAT THAT MATCH.

SO, UM, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES.

AND SO JUST THOUGHT WE WOULD TALK ABOUT THAT.

SO IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS, I DID MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO REACH OUT TO THE BUDGET OFFICE TO GET FIGURES.

UM, WE DID NOT GET THOSE BACK, UM, IN TIME FOR THIS MEETING.

SO, UM, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THAT INFORMATION FOR ALL OF YOU AS WELL, IN PREFERENCE.

I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT REPORT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IN DECEMBER HAVING HAPPENED.

YEAH, YEAH.

I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT HAS, HAS HAPPENED.

I, I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK ON WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S, THAT THAT'S BEEN RECEIVED AS WELL.

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEP, GO FOR IT.

YOU SENT A REPORT IN YOUR SPEECH.

DO YOU HAVE THE NAME OF THAT REPORT AND WHO PUBLISHED IT, PLEASE? YES, THE FIRST ONE.

THE FIRST ONE, YES.

THAT'S THE POLICING PROJECT REPORT IN 2018.

I CAN GET IT SENT OVER TO YOU GUYS SO YOU CAN REVIEW IT.

ANYONE ELSE? OKAY.

WELL THANK YOU GUYS.

UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, UM, AND WE SHALL TRACK AND SEE HOW THIS GOES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UM, ITEM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS JUST A BRIEF DISCUSSION REGARDING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.

[5. Discussion regarding community feedback at the Public Safety Commission.]

UM, THIS HAD COME UP FROM, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, UDAN HAD BROUGHT THIS UP, AND IT'S JUST, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW COMMISSIONERS ON BOARD AS WELL.

UM, AND IT'S JUST, WE, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, THAT HAPPENS AT OUR MEETINGS FREQUENTLY.

UM, AND, UM, I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO JUST KIND OF BRIEFLY DISCUSS, UM, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND, UM, IN GENERAL, AS A COMMISSION, WE, WE DON'T RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENT DURING OUR MEETINGS, BUT WE DO HAVE THE CHIEFS OF STAFF, GENERALLY OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS HERE.

SO THEY ARE, UM, AN AUDIENCE FOR THOSE, UM, COMMENTS.

AND I DO KNOW THAT THE CHIEFS OF STAFF DO PICK UP ON THOSE DISCUSSION THREADS WHENEVER THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.

UM, AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANTED TO LET COMMISSIONERS KNOW THAT IF WE DO HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE THAT COME TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND SO IF ANYBODY EVER NEEDS THAT, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO OUR, TO CHELSEA, OUR NEW, OUR, OUR NEW LIAISON SO THAT WE CAN, YOU CAN HAVE FOLLOW UP DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM AND SEE IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE.

UM, BUT THAT WAS IT.

JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS AWARE THAT THOSE ARE SORT OF THE AVENUES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH PEOPLE THAT COME PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT.

LASTLY, WE'LL BE ON ITEM SIX, WHICH IS TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REGARDING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 27 BUDGET.

I THINK THAT'S IT ON THAT.

UM, AND THEN

[6. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget.]

WE HEARD FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE LAST MEETING.

UM, THIS IS, UM, LIKE OTHER YEARS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE PROVIDE ALONG WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS, UM, BY MARCH 31ST, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT TO, NOT TO MINIMIZE WHAT WHAT IT IS, BUT IT IS SORT OF A, A WISHLIST OF SORTS AND A REFLECTION OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST YEAR AND SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE MAY HAVE HAD, UM, OR EXPRESSED THAT WE, WE DID OUR BEST TO SORT OF GATHER WHAT COMMISSIONERS HAVE EXPRESSED OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR.

UM, REVIEWED OUR PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION AS WELL, JUST TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OUTSTANDING ITEMS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE AHEAD OF YOU.

UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR RUTAN, UM, WORKED ON PULLING THIS TOGETHER FOR US THIS YEAR, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE HAD ANY COMMENTS ON THAT.

UM, NO SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON THIS.

HAPPY TO DISCUSS IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT PEOPLE FEEL IS MISSING OR ANYTHING THAT, UH, WE NEED TO MODIFY.

WE CAN CERTAINLY ADJUST ANY, ANY LANGUAGE OR TAKE ANYTHING OUT FOR DISCUSSION.

ONE THING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IS THIS YEAR WE NO LONGER HAVE HAD THE, WHAT USED TO BE REFERRED TO AS UNMET NEEDS PROCESS.

UM, THAT USED TO BE SOMETHING WHERE WE WOULD FORWARD AS A RECOMMENDATION, UM, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CHANGES IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, THAT'S WHAT, UH, A SIMILAR ITEM FROM WHAT WAS NOT INCLUDED.

UH, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE

[01:25:01]

IS IN A BACKUP DOCUMENT.

SO IT'S NOT, WILL NOT BE PART OF OUR POTENTIAL OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS AVAILABLE BOTH FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND THEN ALSO FOR THE REFERENCE FOR ANY COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.

UH, IT'S THE FISCAL YEAR 26 ENHANCEMENTS.

REPORTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IF YOU JUST LOOK THROUGH THERE.

IT INCLUDES THE RELEVANT PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT, UM, AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AUSTIN FIRE, AUSTIN POLICE, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, UM, AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT.

UM, AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL WAS INCLUDED FOR SOME THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THIS COMMISSION, FOR EXAMPLE, COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION.

SO WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS ANY OF THOSE, BUT ALSO AS A REFERENCE FOR SOME OF WHAT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE MET THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, IN THE, IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

UM, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE FLOOR TO OPEN UP DISCUSSION? IS THAT RIGHT? OR TO TO APPROVE.

TO APPROVE AND THEN WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION.

WE NEED A FIRST FROM THE FLOOR MOVE TO APPROVE.

AND A SECOND.

I SECOND.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION CHANGES, AMENDMENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS AHEAD OF A VOTE? UM, I AM JUST GONNA, OH, YEP, GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER SMITH.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY OUT LOUD FOR THE RECORD THAT I'LL BE ABSTAINING FROM THIS VOTE.

UM, NOT BECAUSE I'M NOT IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE REFLECTED HERE.

UM, AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW IN MY OTHER, HAS I IN INDIRECT, UH, SERVICE PROVISIONS RELATED TO THESE ELEMENTS, I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT I BRING TO THIS BOARD.

AND SO JUST OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, UM, I DON'T EVEN LIKE SOMETHING TO LOOK LIKE A CONFLICT, UH, JUST FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, MY FIDUCIARY DUTY OF LOYALTY, UM, THAT I OWE THIS BOARD.

SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN WHY I ABSTAINING, UM, BUT ALSO ALSO SAY, UM, THE REASON, UM, IS NOT BECAUSE OF .

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE AND ANY OTHER ADDITIONS THAT WE HAVE IN LIGHT OF TODAY'S CONVERSATION? DO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE? DO WE WANNA LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE LANGUAGE TO POTENTIALLY INCLUDE? OKAY.

ACTUALLY, IN SPITE OF THAT, UM, ANTICIPATED LONG AGENDA, HAVE TIME TO ACTUALLY DISCUSS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, SO FOR EVERYONE THAT IS NEW, WE GENERALLY DO OUR BEST TO RESERVE SOME TIME AT THE CLOSE OF OUR MEETINGS TO DISCUSS ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE.

WELL THEN WITH THAT, I WILL, UH, MOVE TO A VOTE.

UM, CAN WE GO AHEAD AND SEE A, A SHOW OF HANDS FOR, UM, IN SUPPORT? I THINK THAT IS, IS THAT SIX? SEVEN.

SEVEN, OKAY.

UM, AGAINST AND TO RECORD THE ABSTENTIONS.

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING OUT LOUD, GET A LIVE SECOND FOR YOUR ITEM.

UM, AND THEN GENERALLY WE DO HAVE IN OUR, ON OUR, ON THE COMMISSION'S WEBSITE, WE DO HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT WE USE TO KIND OF HELP GUIDE THE GUIDE COMMISSIONERS, PUT TOGETHER THEIR AGENDA ITEMS SO THAT THEY KNOW WHO THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE SPEAK, WHAT QUESTIONS THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE ANSWERED.

AND I FIND THAT THEY'RE HELPFUL, PARTICULARLY FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS AS THEY START PUTTING AGENDA ITEMS TOGETHER SO THAT THEY KNOW, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO KIND OF, UM, DEVELOP THESE.

ALL OF THAT HAPPENS IN BETWEEN MEETINGS.

UM, THE VICE CHAIR AND I KEEP A RUNNING LIST OF ALL OF THESE ITEMS AND WE DO OUR BEST TO GET THEM SCHEDULED, UM, AS POSSIBLE, UM, AND AS THE DEPARTMENTS CAN SUPPORT THEM.

UM, JUST BEFORE WE GET INTO IT, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE SOME TRAILING ITEMS, UM, THAT WILL BE COMING UP.

WE DON'T HAVE PLAN DATES FOR THEM YET.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AS THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE DOES A DECENT, THEY'RE DOING A, A PRETTY ROBUST NUMBER OF, UM, AUDITS AT THIS TIME.

THERE'S A MENTAL HEALTH AUDIT THAT WE,

[01:30:01]

UM, SHOULD BE HEARING BACK ON IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

UM, THEY'RE DOING MENTAL HEALTH FOR, UM, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SWORN OFFICERS AND THEY'RE DOING AN AUDIT OF THOSE SERVICES.

UM, WE HAVE AN AUDIT HAPPENING OF UNSWORN STAFF, UM, SUPPORT.

UM, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL AUDIT BEING DONE ON ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES POTENTIALLY BY EMS AND FIRE.

THE SCOPE OF THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING, UM, FIGURED OUT.

UM, AND THEN I ALSO BELIEVE, AND I WAS GONNA ASK CHIEF HOPKINS ABOUT THIS, IF THERE IS, UM, WE HAD A OUTSTANDING BUDGET ITEM TO TALK ABOUT EMS BILLING.

UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE AUDIT THAT WAS ON THE AUDIT SCHEDULE IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN OPENED YET WITH EMS. 'CAUSE THERE'S AN AUDIT ON THE AUDIT SCHEDULE AROUND OH, EMS REVENUE COLLECTION, I BELIEVE.

SURE.

LET ME, LET ME GET THAT INFORMATION AND, AND CIRCLE BACK.

I, I DON'T RECALL JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

BUT JUST WE COULD MAYBE COMBINE THOSE ITEMS AND HAVE IT BE WHEN THAT HAPPENS.

UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, I WILL JUST OPEN UP AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY, ANY BURNING QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE HAS.

YEP.

COMMISSIONER SMITH, UM, I DID, UM, AND ALL OF THEM RELATE TO, UM, THE MASS SHOOTING WE SUFFER.

UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MY FIRST RESPONDERS.

UM, I THINK DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK, I'M EITHER, UM, AN ADVOCATE OR A COMMISSIONER.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE PLAINTIFFS DAY TO STAY OUTSIDE OUT OUT OF MY MOUTH.

UM, I APPRECIATE YOU.

UM, AND FROM A THIRD PARTY PERSPECTIVE, IT LOOKED LIKE A VERY EFFICIENT, UM, UNDERSTANDING, UM, ADDRESSING AND NEUTRALIZING OF A THREAT.

UM, SO, UH, HOWEVER, AND 'CAUSE TWO THINGS CAN BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW DOES NOT HAVE TO BE NOW, UH, WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL, UM, OR PROCEDURE BY WHICH WE IDENTIFY, UM, AND OR ARTICULATE ON RECORD A QUOTE NEXUS TO TERRORISM.

UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, I BELIEVE THE RESPONSE TIME WAS CRAZY, LIKE SOMETHING LIKE 57 SECONDS.

UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE WERE, UH, BARRIERS TO YOU BEING EVEN MORE EXCELLENT, WHETHER THEY BE AUTONOMOUS OR HUMAN.

UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, COMPARED TO THE TRAINING THAT YOUR OFFICERS RECEIVED, UM, HOW THAT FARED OUT ON THE GROUND, UM, GOOD OR BAD OPPORTUNITIES OF GROWTH, ALL THAT STUFF.

UM, JUST SO THAT I COULD JUST FOR MY KNOWLEDGE BASE, DID THOSE QUESTIONS MAKE SENSE? AND DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS UPON THOSE QUESTIONS? NO, I THINK THAT THAT WORKS.

I MEAN, I THINK, WE'LL, YOU GUYS PROBABLY ARE GONNA DO A, UH, A RESPONSE REVIEW, UM, AT SOME POINT.

AND THEN WHEN YOU GUYS ARE READY, UM, TO SHARE THAT WITH US, I THINK WE CAN EXPLORE ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ALONGSIDE THAT.

SO IF YOU GUYS CAN JUST LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY WITH THAT, WE CAN GET THAT SCHEDULED.

UM, ANYTHING ELSE? YEP.

UM, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR.

I, I, I, I'M CURIOUS, I KNOW WE HAD A LITTLE BIT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT LAST TIME MM-HMM .

UM, BUT AS THE WEATHER STARTS TO HEAT UP AND WILDFIRES BECOME AN EVEN GREATER, GREATER, GREATER THREAT, UH, I'M CURIOUS MORE IF WE COULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION AND WHAT PEOPLE, WHAT, WHAT ROLE WE COULD PLAY, WHAT ROLE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL PLAY AND THE CITY CAN PLAY IN EDUCATING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AS THE TEMPERATURES HEAT UP.

AND I'D LIKE TO MAYBE LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT HERE.

UM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

I, WE HAVE TO CHECK TO SEE WHEN OUR NEXT WILDFIRE UPDATE IS.

I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN WE LAST DID IT.

WE'LL CHECK THAT.

WE DO THOSE REGULARLY TWICE A YEAR.

WE DO WILDFIRE UPDATES AND WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION AT THAT POINT.

AND CHIEF FIRES, DO YOU WANNA CORRECT AND HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TO SHARE ALL THE THINGS THAT THE, THE, THE, THE COLLABORATION OF NOT JUST A FD BUT MULTITUDE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING TO, TO MANAGE THAT RISK AND PROVIDE THE EDUCATION.

UH, IN ADDITION, YOU CAN GO AT ANY POINT IF YOU GOOGLE SEARCH AUSTIN WILDFIRE HUB, IT'LL PULL UP A, A WEBSITE THAT HAS A VERY ROBUST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON THERE TO INCLUDE EVEN I'LL TAKE A, A, A SHAMELESS PLUG AT THIS MOMENT.

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR A STRUCTURAL IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOUR HOME IS AS SAFE AS IT POSSIBLY CAN BE.

UM, WE WILL LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULE TO SEE ONE, 'CAUSE THERE, THERE SHOULD BE ONE COMING SOON.

AND WE, UM,

[01:35:01]

IF NOT IT, IT MIGHT EVEN BE OVERDUE BY OUR SIX MONTH STANDARD.

UM, OKAY.

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.

UH, YEP.

JUST REMIND EVERYBODY.

UH, NEXT MONTH IS THE ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR .

UM, IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN THOSE, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

IN PARTICULAR, I KNOW CHAIR RAMIREZ IS NOT PLANNING ON CONTINUING ON AS CHAIR, ALTHOUGH SHE WILL STAY ON THE COMMISSION IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN CHAIR, WE'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT IN THAT ROLE OR ANYTHING ELSE.

SO JUST THINK ABOUT IT, REACH OUT TO US.

UM, AND THEN I AM GONNA PUT ONE LAST THING JUST ON THE RECORD, WHICH IS, UM, THE RELEASE OF, UM, JUST GETTING, TRYING TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BODY WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE IS RELEASED, UM, TO TRAVIS COUNTY FOR, UM, IN SUPPORT OF BOTH THE DEFENDER'S OFFICE, THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UM, JUST TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT PROCESS, TIMELINES AND PROTOCOLS AROUND THAT.

UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD EXPLORE AS WELL IN THE COMING MONTHS.