Oct 05, 2026 Public Safety Commission

COMMISSIONER , OR COMMISSIONER? PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HOLMES.

PRESENT.

OH, THANK YOU.

THERE WE GO.

UM, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.

COMMISSIONER DROGO HERE.

AND COMMISSIONER SMITH PRESENT.

THANKS.

THAT CONCLUDES ROLL.

AND THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP.

LOOKS LIKE, UH, VICE CHAIR IS HERE.

OH, HI, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.

THANK YOU, .

PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

UM, THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.

WE CAN GO ONTO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UM, FOR, UH, THE MEETING OF TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH.

WE ARE AT THE, UM,

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

SO IF EVERYONE, ANY, IF ANYONE HAS ANY OBJECTIONS, CORRECTIONS, UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW NOW.

OTHERWISE WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UM, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, IF NOT, UH, SECOND.

COMMISSIONER SIERRA BELOW.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER OR FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH.

IS THAT, UH, I'M STANDING.

OH, GOT IT.

SORRY.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE ONE ABSTENTION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.

[2. Quarterly Report with Austin Police Department. Presented by Lee Rogers, Chief of Staff, Austin Police. ]

MINUTES PASS.

AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE THE QUARTERLY REPORT BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, PRESENTED BY OUR FRIEND LEE ROGERS, CHIEF OF STAFF FOR A PD.

ALL RIGHT.

LEE ROGERS, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UH, GOING TO GO OVER OUR QUARTERLY STATS.

SLIGHT DELAY IN THERE.

UH, THIS IS OUR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE ONE YEAR CHANGE, WE SEEM TO BE TRENDING DOWN IN ALL CATEGORIES.

UH, THIS FOLLOWS THE TREND OVER THE FIVE YEARS.

THE ONLY THING THAT WE'VE SEEN TO CONTINUE, UH, HIGHER OVER THE FIVE YEARS IS THAT KIDNAPPING ABDUCTION SLIDE.

AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, THIS ONE IS NOT THE KIDNAPPING ABDUCTIONS LIKE WE THINK THAT POPS INTO OUR MIND.

UH, THIS IS, UH, THESE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES.

SO OF THE 56 OFFENSES, WHICH OCCURRED 26, WERE FAMILY VIOLENCE RELATED, AND THEY WERE WHAT'S, UH, TITLED UNDER THE TEXAS PANEL CODE AS UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT.

SO PREVENTING SOMEBODY FROM BEING ABLE TO LEAVE, UH, A PLACE.

AND THAT SEEMS TO BE OUR DRIVER FOR, UH, THAT NUMBER BEING UP.

BUT AGAIN, THAT'S THE FIVE YEAR, THAT IS NOT THE, THAT IS NOT THE ONE YEAR TREND.

UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PROPERTY CRIMES, WE ARE TRENDING DOWN AGAIN IN ALL, UH, PROPERTY CRIMES.

UH, THE GREAT THING TO SEE IS THAT DOES INCLUDE, UH, ROBBERIES.

UH, ONE OF THE, THE BIG DRIVERS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD ISSUES WITH, UH, THAT'S BEEN A BIG, UH, CONCERN FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT.

WE SEE THAT ONE YEAR CHANGE DOWN 31%.

THAT IS TREMENDOUS.

THAT IS, UH, THAT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS, UH, THAT IS, UH, ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY TARGETING THOSE PARKS, THOSE GREEN BELTS, UH, THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE SEEING THOSE.

BUT IT'S ALSO, UH, COLLABORATION WITH BOTH THE COUNTY

[00:05:01]

ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO FIND THOSE OFFENDERS THAT ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS, THAT ARE THOSE THAT ARE REALLY DRIVING, UH, THAT, THAT ARE OUR PRIMARY OFFENDERS, UH, WITHIN THAT CRIME TYPE.

AND IT'S THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT TARGETED PROSECUTION THAT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, FOR US.

I KNOW ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT ALWAYS COMES UP WHEN WE TALK WITH THIS GROUP IS THAT, UH, THAT DRUG NARCOTICS OFFENSES, UH, WE'RE SEEING THOSE NUMBERS GET BACK TO, UH, CLOSER TO A PRE COVID NUMBERS IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT.

UH, AND SO WE'RE JUST SEEING MORE ENFORCEMENT WITH THAT.

BUT OUR MARIJUANA POSSESSION REMAINS BELOW HISTORIC LEVELS.

AND TYPICALLY ARRESTS THAT ARE INVOLVING MARIJUANA ARE TIED TO OTHER CHARGES OR POSSESSION OF A FELONY AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE INCREASE IN PROSTITUTION OFFENSES, THAT IS TIED TO INCREASED TARGETED ENFORCEMENT, UM, A LOT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS WE'RE, WE'RE DOING, UH, MORE TARGETED ENFORCEMENT AROUND, UM, LIKE THIS WEEK WE'VE GOT ACL WE SAW MORE TARGETED ENFORCEMENT SURROUNDING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN WHICH, UH, WE WERE TARGETING, UH, TYPICALLY THE MEN WHO COME INTO OUR TOWN AND TRY TO SOLICIT FOR PROSTITUTION.

SO IT'S MORE OF A TARGETING AGAINST THOSE SOLICITING FOR PROSTITUTION THAN IT IS THE OTHER DIRECTION.

UH, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.

THIS SLIDE, UH, GOES OVER THE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.

WE HAVE HAD, UH, YEAR TO DATE, UH, FOUR, UH, TURNED OVER TO ICE CUSTODY ONLY TWO WITHIN THE LAST, THE LAST QUARTER.

UM, THE, THE BIGGEST NUMBER THAT WE SEE ON HERE IS THIS INFORMATION SHARING.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA POINT OUT, UH, FOUR OF THE, UH, SIX THAT OCCURRED WITHIN, WITHIN SEPTEMBER, WE ACTUALLY GOT, UH, DNA HITS THROUGH CODIS RELATED TO SEX CRIME CASES.

AND IT WAS US ACTUALLY REACHING OUT TO ICE TO TRY TO, UH, DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF, UH, SUSPECTS THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH DNA HITS ASSOCIATED WITH SEX CRIMES CASES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO REPORT ON, HAS BEEN A RESOUNDING SUCCESS, IS OUR DIGITAL EVIDENCE BACKLOG AT BOTH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

UH, THERE IS NO MORE BACKLOG.

WE ARE GETTING THOSE CASES DONE WITHIN TWO TO TWO AND A HALF WEEKS.

AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, A TREMENDOUS EFFORT TO GET THAT DONE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE REDUCED THOSE NUMBERS BY 93%, AND WE, UH, HOPE THAT WE'VE GOT THAT PROBLEM SOLVED AND IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM MOVING FORWARD.

UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS, UH, I KNOW IT'S NOT IN THIS QUARTER, UH, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THIS WEEK IS OUR REALLY BIG ONE WITH NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.

COMING UP TOMORROW.

UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID HAVE WITHIN THIS QUARTER, UH, WE GRADUATED, UH, ANOTHER 37 OFFICERS OUT OF THE 157TH CADET CLASS.

THAT'S ALWAYS A GREAT TIME.

UH, WE GET A LOT OF, UH, SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THOSE GRADUATIONS.

THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY LIAISON HOSTED THE TEXAS CRIME STOPPERS STUDENT AMBASSADOR LEADERSHIP RETREAT, WHERE YOUTH AMBASSADORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT UNITS WITHIN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND GET A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT SOME OF OUR SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT RESOURCES AND HOPEFULLY BUILD LASTING CONNECTIONS, UH, WITH OUR OFFICERS AND STAFF.

ANOTHER WAY TO CREATE THAT PIPELINE, UH, IN RECRUITING OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY LIAISON SPONSORED A TABLE AT THE PRIDE FESTIVAL, AND THEN WE ALL PARTICIPATED IN THE PRIDE PARADE.

LOOKING AT, UH, P ZERO AND P ONE CALL VOLUME, OUR, OUR HIGHEST, UH, PRIORITY CALLS, UH, THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT LESS IN 2026 THAN THEY WERE IN 2025, BUT THEY SEEM TO STILL BE TRACKING AND FOLLOWING HISTORICAL SEASONAL AVERAGES.

UH, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE, UH, IN THE SUMMER IN COMPARED, UH, TO, UM, 2025, UH, BUT WE SAW THAT THAT LEVEL OUT, AND WE'RE BACK TO THAT SAME, UH, HISTORIC NUMBERS WITH CALLS OVER SEASON TO SEASON.

OUR RESPONSE TIMES, UH, TRENDING SLIGHTLY LOWER,

[00:10:01]

UM, THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT HOLDING RELATIVELY STEADY.

UH, BUT WITH OUR, OUR NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DROP, UH, EVERY SINGLE MONTH.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE TO THE POINT OF COUNTING CHANGES IN, IN SECONDS AT THIS POINT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RESPONSE TIMES.

BUT THEY ARE CONTINUING, UH, TO IMPROVE.

I ANTICIPATE THAT THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HOLD AT THIS SAME TREND LINE, UH, AS LONG AS WE'RE AT THE CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS THAT WE ARE.

UH, THESE ARE OUR RESPONSE TIMES AND INCIDENT VOLUMES, UH, BY CITY COUNCIL, UH, DISTRICT.

THEY SEEM TO BE HOLDING, UH, CONSISTENT.

UH, THE LARGER THE DISTRICT, THE LARGER THE CALL VOLUME, UH, THE LARGER THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, UH, WE TEND TO SEE, UH, OUR AVERAGE, UH, RESPONSE TIMES ARE, ARE HIGHER WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, DISTRICT 10, DISTRICT SIX, WHICH, UH, HAVE, UH, A GOOD PORTION OF ADAM SECTOR IN THERE.

UH, THAT'S A GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF 50 SQUARE MILES.

SO THAT, UH, THAT, THAT MATTERS IN TERMS OF GETTING ACROSS THOSE 50 SQUARE MILES TO RESPOND TO CALLS, STAFFING LEVELS.

UH, WE, WE WERE BELOW 300 VACANCIES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, WHICH IS DEFINITELY A, A POSITIVE.

WE GRADUATED A CLASS OF 37 ON SEPTEMBER 19TH.

WE HAVE A CLASS SCHEDULED TO GRADUATE IN JANUARY OF 39, AND WE STARTED A CLASS OF 79 ON SEPTEMBER 21ST.

SO WE ARE, WE'RE DEFINITELY MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN THAT.

UH, WE ARE PILOTING ANOTHER A, A NEW, UH, MODIFIED PROGRAM.

WE'VE HAD A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF OUTREACH, UH, FROM OUR RECRUITING IN TERMS OF THAT.

AND SO FAR WE HAVE A, UH, WHAT I THINK TO BE A HIGH NUMBER OF APPLICANTS, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THAT MODIFIED CLASS.

UH, I WILL SAY THAT OUR APPLICANT NUMBERS CONTINUE TO INCREASE EVERY TIME THAT WE OPEN IT UP.

I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME THAT WE OPENED UP HIRING FOR A REGULAR ACADEMY CLASS, UH, THIS ONE THAT WE JUST STARTED WITH, UH, 79, I BELIEVE WE HAD 1500, UH, APPLICANTS.

UH, SO THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS ARE DEFINITELY WHERE WE NEED THEM TO BE.

UH, WE NEED A LOT OF APPLICANTS TO BE ABLE TO HIRE, UH, OUR TARGET GOAL OF BETWEEN 80 AND A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN EVERY CADET CLASS.

SO 79 IS DEFINITELY TURNING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

UH, OUR CIVILIAN STAFFING SEEMS TO BE HOLDING, UH, RELATIVELY STABLE, UH, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IN YEARS PAST.

WE WERE MUCH LOWER.

WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THAT, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE HOLDING, UH, STEADY WITH OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION STAFFING VERSUS VACANCIES.

THIS JUST SHOWS THE BALANCE, UH, AMONGST THE NINE SECTORS OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF STAFFING.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE, WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR AS, UH, IN, IN THIS, IN THIS SLIDE.

BLUE IS THE COLOR THAT WE WANT TO, THAT WE WANT TO SEE.

AND, UH, THAT'S WHERE THOSE, UH, 296, UH, VACANCIES COME INTO PLAY.

AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT HUNDRED AND 57TH CADET CLASS THAT WE JUST GRADUATED ON SEPTEMBER 18TH WITH 38 GRADUATES.

THE HUNDRED AND 58TH CADET CLASS, UH, IS GRADUATING ON JANUARY 22ND WITH 36 AND, UH, THE 79 THAT JUST STARTED ON SEPTEMBER 21ST SET TO GRADUATE ON MAY THE SEVENTH.

SO, UH, THE DATA'S STILL EARLY, BUT, UH, IT SHOWS THAT OUR ATTRITION RATE, UH, IS DECLINING IN THE NEWER CLASSES.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S STABILIZING AND WE WILL BE RETAINING MORE OF THOSE THAT WE HIRE.

SO BETWEEN HIRING MORE, HAVING BIGGER CLASSES, AND, UH, REDUCING THAT ATTRITION RATE, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO SEE MUCH MORE POSITIVE NUMBERS VERY SHORTLY.

[00:15:01]

SO WE, I ALREADY KIND OF HIT SOME OF THE, THE ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS.

UM, INSTRUCTOR AND EVALUATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ARE UNDERWAY TO SUPPORT GETTING INSTRUCTORS THE TRAINING AND RESOURCES THEY NEED.

UM, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, IT'S ALWAYS A STRUGGLE TO GET THE BEST FEEDBACK, UH, UPON SEPARATION.

WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO LEARN FROM EVERYBODY THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND SEE THAT IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE FAIL TO COMMUNICATE TO THEM IN THE RECRUITING PROCESS, UH, WHAT THE ACADEMIC STANDARD WAS GOING TO BE, WHAT THE PHYSICAL STANDARD WAS GOING TO BE, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE ARE RETAINING MORE.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO GET A RICHER DATA SET THROUGH THOSE ATTRITION RATES, THROUGH THAT DEBRIEFING OF, OF THOSE, UH, WHO LEAVE.

UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, FROM THE RECRUITING SIDE, UH, ON THAT HUNDRED 60TH CADET CLASS SCHEDULED TO START IN JANUARY.

AND, UM, WE'RE, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT LATERAL ACADEMY.

UH, WE'VE DONE ALL OF THE GROUNDWORK AND THE LEGWORK WITH T COLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

UH, ALL OF THESE PEOPLE COMING IN THROUGH OUR LATERAL, OUR MODIFIED CLASS WILL ALREADY BE T COLE CERTIFIED PRIOR TO MAKING IT TO THEIRS.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO BY DOING THAT IS ACTUALLY COMPRESS THAT TIMELINE OF THAT ACADEMY CLASS TO GET PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREET THAT MUCH MORE QUICKLY AND MAKE AN IMPACT THAT MUCH MORE QUICKLY TO OUR STAFFING NUMBERS.

IT WORKED THAT TIME, UH, BUDGETING, UM, WHERE I THINK THIS ONE'S, I, I CAN SAY THAT, UH, IN MY BUDGET MEETING THIS MORNING, UH, BUDGET CLOSED OUT, UH, SEPTEMBER 30TH.

AND, UH, WE HAD COME RIGHT AT, UH, RIGHT AT BUDGET WITH 99.9% SPENT.

I THINK WE'VE, UH, GOT THROUGH NEXT WEEK TO FINISH OUT SOME, SOME VERY LAST FINAL EXPENDITURES.

BUT, UH, ALL IN ALL, WE'VE WRAPPED UP BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, AND WE HAVE MOVED INTO TO FY 27, UH, FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, UH, 37 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OVERTIME, UH, WHICH IS, UH, IN EXCESS OF WHAT WE WERE BUDGETED.

UH, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T GO OVER OUR BUDGET.

UH, THE COST SAVINGS OF THE 300 VACANCIES, UH, WAS ABLE TO ABSORB THIS.

UH, WE'VE SEEN OUR OVERTIME COST GO DOWN FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

IT'S MORE THAN WE'VE, THAN WE'VE BEEN BUDGETED FOR FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

BUT THERE IS A, THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN OUR STAFFING, OUR VACANCY SAVINGS, AND THE AMOUNT OF OVERTIME.

THERE'S A, A COST ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH STAFF, UH, IN THE FIELD ON PATROL IN RESPONSE TO CALLS AND BACK FILLING THOSE VACANCIES.

THERE IS ALSO A COST ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH THE DIFFERENT EVENTS, UH, THAT OCCUR WITHIN THE CITY, UH, BOTH PLANNED AND UNPLANNED, AND, UH, THAT THOSE STAFFING NUMBERS REPRESENT THAT INCREASE IN OVERTIME.

AND THAT IS IT.

ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, CHIEF ROGERS.

UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST I WANNA COMMEND Y'ALL FOR, UM, CATCHING UP ON THAT BACKLOG.

I KNOW, UM, THAT WAS A MONUMENTAL TASK AND FOR STAYING ON TOP OF IT.

I KNOW MYSELF AND THE COMMUNITY ARE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

UM, MY FIRST QUESTION, AND THEN I'LL HOLD OFF FOR A SECOND FOR ANOTHER COMMISSIONER, IS, UM, WHAT ARE THE FACTORS YOU THINK THAT HELP TO, UH, RES LIKE RESPONSE TIME IMPROVEMENT? HOW HAVE WE, HOW HAVE WE SEEN IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPONSE TIMES? OR LIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF LIKE, AFFECTS IT LIKE STAFFING? IS IT OVERALL CRIME GOING DOWN? STAFFING IS TREMENDOUS.

UM, OBVIOUSLY THE MORE OFFICERS I HAVE AVAILABLE TO TAKE CALLS, THE LESS TIME A CALL SITS IN THE QUEUE BEFORE AN OFFICER'S AVAILABLE TO TAKE IT.

ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE SEEN A TREMENDOUS REDUCTION AND CONTINUE TO SEE A REDUCTION IN OUR SPON RESPONSE TIMES IS THAT WE'VE GONE BACK TO ASSIGNING OFFICERS TO A DISTRICT.

SO IF YOU IMAGINE THAT A DISTRICT IS A, A NICE PERFECT RECTANGLE, LIKE THE TV SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU, AND I BREAK THAT SECTOR UP INTO SIX PIECES, AND THERE'S AN OFFICER IN EACH PIECE THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, THE AMOUNT OF TRAVEL TIME WITHIN THAT PIECE IS MUCH LESS THAN IF I JUST HAVE SIX OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO ANYWHERE WITHIN THE RECTANGLE, AND THEY'RE

[00:20:01]

ALL IN THIS BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER, AND THERE'S A CALL IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER.

SO HAVING GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICTS THAT OFFICERS ARE ASSIGNED TO HAS GREATLY REDUCED THEIR AMOUNT OF TRAVEL TIME.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S TRULY INCREASED, UH, OR I WOULD SAY DECREASED OUR RESPONSE TIMES AND MADE A, A POSITIVE IMPACT.

UH, BUT EVERY TIME THAT I'M GRADUATING OFFICERS FROM THE CADET CLASS THAT GRADUATE FROM THE FTO PROGRAM AND END UP, UH, BEING OUT THERE ON THE STREET, IT'S MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET.

AND THE MORE OFFICERS THAT I HAVE, THE MORE OFFICERS THAT I HAVE AVAILABLE TO TAKE CALLS.

SO THANK YOU.

OTHER QUESTIONS FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER EGGER? THANK YOU, CHIEF.

UM, I, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, ABOUT THE, UM, SLIDE ABOUT, UH, THE IMMIGRATION ENGAGEMENT.

IF YOU COULD SHARE A LITTLE BIT, UH, WHEN YOU SAY, UH, ON THE THIRD LINE OF YOUR CHART IS CUSTODY BY ICE AND MONTH BY MONTH, UH, AND YOU TELL US TOTAL YEAR TO DATE FOR, IS THAT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE IN DETAIL WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT? IS THAT JUST WHAT A PD HAS HAD ENGAGEMENT WITH? YES.

SO THAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IN WHICH, UM, ICE WAS CONTACTED BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD A, UM, MORE THAN LIKELY AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT, AND THERE WERE NOT ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL CHARGES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED.

SO, UH, TYPICALLY WE'RE SEEING THESE ON, UM, TRAFFIC STOPS, UH, ON CRASHES.

AND WE FIND THAT AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, HAS AN, AN IMMIGRATION WARRANT THROUGH N-C-I-C-T-C-I-C.

SO FOR THE, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR, THAT'S HAPPENED FOUR TIMES.

I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE, THE CHART THAT SHOWS THE, THE CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY AND SOCIETY BY OFFENSE TYPE.

SO I, I SEE THAT THE, THE ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES ARE UP 17% OVER THE FIVE YEAR MEDIAN.

AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW, I MEAN, THAT DOESN'T SEEM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A HUGE NUMBER, BUT STILL, RIGHT, IT'S CONCERNING THAT IT'S ONE OF THE ONES THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT TRENDING DOWNWARD.

UM, SO I KNOW A PD HAS LIKE VERY FEW, UH, DETECTIVES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO ANIMAL CRUELTY.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

I THINK THERE'S LIKE ONE, MAYBE OR TWO TOPS.

I THINK I'VE GOT THREE, UH OH, OKAY.

ASSIGNED THERE.

AND A, AND A CIVILIAN SPECIALIST.

UM, I, I THINK PART OF THIS IS ACTUALLY AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT IN WHICH OUR OFFICERS ARE DOING A BETTER JOB OF TAKING ANIMAL CRUELTY REPORTS WHERE MAYBE THEY DIDN'T BEFORE.

SO I THINK, I THINK WITHIN THAT SPACE, WE ARE DOING A BETTER JOB WITH THOSE DETECTIVES OF EDUCATING THE OFFICERS OUT IN THE FIELD, THAT WHEN THEY GET CALLED TO SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE DEALT, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE ADDRESSED IT THE SAME WAY BEFORE, ARE NOW MAKING THOSE REPORTS AND FORWARDING THOSE DETECTIVES FOR FOLLOW UP, OR JUST AN INCREASED RELATIONSHIP WITH ANIMAL CONTROL.

SO I, I THINK THAT IT'S IN, IN MY TIME WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A VERY HOT TOPIC ISSUE, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, UH, A VERY PASSIONATE ISSUE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK WE'RE DOING A BETTER JOB TRAINING OUR OFFICERS TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THOSE ASPECTS AND RECOGNIZING, UH, THE LAW VIOLATION AND DOCUMENTING IT AND SENDING IT TO THOSE DETECTIVES FOR FOLLOW UP.

AND THEN THOSE DETECTIVES DOING A BETTER JOB OF FOLLOWING UP, WORKING WITH, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL.

AND, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A, A WILLINGNESS TO SEE THOSE CASES, UH, PROSECUTED AS WELL MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

WONDERFUL.

THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.

I WAS JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT'S NOT BEING LIKE NEGLECTED OR NOT BEING, YOU KNOW, UM, I DON'T KNOW, TAKEN FOR AS SERIOUS AS, AS A CRIME AS IT IS.

OH, NO, I, I THINK IT MUST, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE, UH, THE, UH, THE MOST PASSIONATE, UH, ISSUES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY ON, UH, SOME DAYS .

I, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

SO I AGREE WITH THAT.

I AGREE WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THAT ONE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO THE IMMIGRATION UNFORTUNATE SLIDE.

JUST TO CLARIFY.

UM, UM, SOMETHING FROM COMMISSIONER E'S QUESTION.

SO THE CUSTODY BY IAS IS SOMEBODY WHERE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, TRAFFIC STOP, THERE'S NO CRIMINAL RECORD, NO CRIMINAL VIOLATION, BUT MOST LIKELY AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT THAT RESULTED IN THEM BEING TAKEN TO ICE CUSTODY.

IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

AS OPPOSED TO, LIKE YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, SOME SEXUAL ABUSERS ARE IDENTIFIED, THOSE WOULD'VE BEEN UNDER THE CRIMINAL ARREST CATEGORY, I'M ASSUMING? WELL, A, ACTUALLY THAT WHAT, WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS IN THE INFORMATION

[00:25:01]

SHARING.

SO, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S OFTEN A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE SHARING INFORMATION? OFTENTIMES IT'S US ASKING FOR INFORMATION.

AND THIS MONTH I WAS JUST ABLE TO PROVIDE A REALLY CLEAR REASON FOR WHY WE WERE ASKING ICE FOR INFORMATION.

AND, AND WE HAD IN, WE HAD A, A CODIS HIT, A DNA HIT, UM, ON THESE SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES, AND WE WERE ASKING ICE FOR THE, THE LOCATION OF INDIVIDUALS, UH, IF THEY HAD, UH, INVOLVEMENT WITH THE INDIVIDUALS.

GOT IT.

SO IT WAS A PD SEEKING OUT.

AND WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS THAT MADE YOU ALL, OR IF YOU'RE AWARE, WHY DID THEY SEEK OUT ICE IN THAT CASE? WAS THERE A PARTICULAR, SO IF I RUN SOMEONE'S CRIMINAL HISTORY AND I SEE THAT THEY HAVE, WHAT'S AN AN A FILE NUMBER, THAT WOULD BE A, A NUMBER THROUGH IMMIGRATION, I KNOW THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS HAD CONTACT WITH, UH, WITH IMMIGRATION OR CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT IN THE PAST.

SO AS A DETECTIVE, I'M JUST TRYING TO LOCATE, UH, INDIVIDUALS.

AND SO THAT'S ONE WAY.

AND WITH THE, UH, WITH THE EMPHASIS ON, ON ENFORCEMENT, THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL, UH, WE MAY HAVE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO LOCATE INFORMATION THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL IS IN A DETENTION FACILITY SOMEWHERE, GOT IT.

OR HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEPORTED.

AND SO, DO I NEED TO FOCUS MY EFFORTS ON LOOKING FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, OR DO I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN DEPORTED? WHAT, WHAT IS IT? SO IT'S JUST THE DETECTIVE DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE TO FIND THE BEST INFORMATION, UH, THAT THEY CAN.

AND SO IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO THAT.

SO THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY, AS I UNDERSTAND, IT'S NOT A PROFILING ASPECT WHERE FOR A PARTICULAR SUSPECT, A DETECTIVE IS SAYING, HEY, I'M GONNA CHECK ICE FOR THIS.

IT'S JUST A ROUTINE.

YOU CHECK ON EVERYBODY, IT POPS A FLAG THAT THEN PROMPTS AND CREATE ICE.

IS THAT RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT PROFILING.

I MEAN, I HAVE A DNA HIT THAT TELLS ME IT'S THIS INDIVIDUAL.

AND SO WHILE TRYING TO LOCATE THAT INDIVIDUAL, HOW BEST CAN I DO THAT? AND IF THERE'S AN, A FILE, UH, FLAG THAT POPS UP IN THE CRIMINAL HISTORY, THEN THAT WOULD GIVE ME AN AVENUE TO POSSIBLY SEARCH.

BUT IT, IT IS, IT FLAGS FOR EVERYBODY.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING WHERE THE OFFICER HAS TO MAKE A PARTICULAR INQUIRY INTO ICE.

IT'S JUST A ADMINISTRATIVE DATABASE THAT FLAGS IT, AND THEN THAT PROMPTS THE NEXT FOLLOW UP.

I, I HAVE A, A NON IMMIGRATION RELATED QUESTION.

UH, WE CAN BRING UP THE, UNLESS THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE GOT A FOLLOW UP ON THE IMMIGRATION, UH, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ, I'LL ACTUALLY DEFER AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE GO FIRST.

THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE ONLINE, COMMISSIONER SIERRA , UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, CHIEF, A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I'VE BROUGHT UP, UH, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SOME OF YOUR, YOUR PREDECESSORS.

SO FORGIVE ME IF THIS IS, UH, THE FIRST TIME THROUGH FOR YOU ON, ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE OR ISSUES.

THE FIRST IS, UM, I THINK SINCE I JOINED THE COMMISSION IN 2021, I'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT RATES FOR ANY OF THESE VARIOUS OFFENSES THAT ARE REPORTED.

UH, I THINK IT'S NOW BEEN FIVE OR SIX YEARS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO WHY THE A PD DOES NOT PRODUCE STATISTICS ON THE RATE OF PARTICULAR OFFENSES GIVEN THAT IT'S A GROWING CITY? AND SO THE RAW COUNT DOESN'T NECESSARILY TELL US ABOUT HOW OFTEN THESE THINGS ARE NECESSARILY HAPPENING.

RATE IN RE LIKE GIVE ME A, GIMME AN IDEA SO THAT I CAN WORK WITH THE, WITH, WITH THE DATA FOLKS, INCIDENTS PER 10,000 CITIZENS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR INCIDENTS PER 100,000 CITIZENS, JUST STANDARD DEMOGRAPHIC RATES OF A PHENOMENON VERSUS THE RAW COUNT OF THE PHENOMENA.

I CAN'T, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THAT'S BEEN ASKED OF ME, SO I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY WE DON'T DO IT OTHER THAN, UH, MAYBE IN THE PAST IT WAS ASKED, WELL, THAT'S THE RATE.

HOW MANY TIMES DID IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN? SO I, IF SO, WHICH, WHICH DIRECTION DOES THIS GROUP? SO IF I, I I, I GUESS ON THE FLIP SIDE, IF I TOLD YOU THAT IT WAS THREE OFFENSES PER 10,000 PEOPLE OR WHATEVER, WOULD THE GROUP THEN ASK, WELL, HOW MANY TOTAL, HOW MANY TOTAL WAS THERE? I THINK IT'D BE VERY REASONABLE TO PROVIDE THE RAW COUNT AND THEN TO PROVIDE A RATE.

THESE ARE VERY STANDARD THINGS TO REPORT.

THE REASON YOU PROVIDE THE RATE IS BECAUSE, LET'S SAY THAT WE HAVE A CITY THAT SHRINKING, IF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS STAYS EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT THE CITY'S POPULATION IS CUT IN HALF, THAT MEANS THE RATE IS GONNA BE MUCH HIGHER.

WE WOULD EXPECT THE TOTAL NUMBER TO GO DOWN IF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE CITY GOES DOWN.

THE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN, THE INVERSE IF THE POPULATION GOES UP.

SO TO YOUR POINT, I THINK IT'D BE VERY REASONABLE TO PRESENT THE RAW NUMBER OF INCIDENTS AS WELL AS THE RATE OF INCIDENTS.

AND THE REASON I BRING IT UP IS, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT THIS FOR FIVE YEARS NOW, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE'VE HAD THE SAME RMS FOR SOME TIME.

[00:30:01]

WE JUST HAVEN'T DONE IT.

WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

TREMENDOUS.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

AND MY FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS ON ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I'VE ASKED, UM, OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACADEMY REFORMS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED FOR THE PAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS? WE'VE ASKED PREVIOUSLY FOR A TIMELINE ON VARIOUS INCIDENTS WHERE WE ARE FOR EACH OF THE SPECIFIC DELIVERABLES AS REQUESTED BY, UH, OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS AS WELL AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE? WHEN CAN WE EXPECT ONE? I THINK WE'VE PROVIDED AN UPDATE SEVERAL TIMES ON, ON THAT.

UM, SO I, I THINK THAT WE, DO YOU KNOW, WHEN CHIEF, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT LAST PART FROM YOU.

DO YOU KNOW WHEN CHIEF, SINCE WHEN WE PROVIDED THAT YOU PROVIDED THAT UPDATE? YES, SIR.

I'LL HAVE TO, I'LL HAVE TO CHECK.

I'LL GO BACK AND I'LL SEND YOU WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE PROVIDED.

ALL RIGHT, CHIEF, SO I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND UNDERSCORE THEN FOR THE RECORD THAT, UH, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO GET, UH, I, AGAIN, I'M, I MIGHT, MAYBE I'M REMISS AND I'VE, I'VE MISSED A DETAILED UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE ON THE PARTICULAR DELIVERABLES AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY AND BY OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS.

UM, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING AS A, AS A MATTER OF COURSE, ARGUABLY QUARTERLY ALONG WITH THESE REPORTS, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO JUST BUNDLE THEM TOGETHER SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

YEAH, I, I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT WE'VE PROVIDED, UH, INFORMATION ON THE KROLL REPORT ON WHERE WE WERE IN MEETING THOSE, THOSE METRICS FOR KROLL AND, AND ALL OF THAT IN THE PAST.

BUT I'LL, I'LL DIG IT UP AND I'LL, I'LL SEND IT BACK TO THE GROUP.

I WANNA, DID EITHER OF YOU HAVE QUESTION FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS ON THE ACADEMY COMMISSIONER SMITH? I, YEAH, CAN CAN YOU, YOU GUYS GO AHEAD.

'CAUSE I, I HAD A FEELING YOU GUYS DID, COMMISSIONER, GO AHEAD.

REBECCA, YOU CAN GO FIRST.

WE CAN'T HEAR YOU, REBECCA.

NO, WE STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU.

BUT WHILE YOU GET THAT FIGURED OUT, I CAN GO AHEAD AND, UM, GO THROUGH MINE.

UM, IN RELATION TO THE SPECIFIC REPORT OUT WE REQUESTED, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A RESPONSE, BUT A VERY BROAD RESPONSE OF WHERE YOU WERE.

BUT I WOULD DIRECT YOU TO THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE MADE IN THIS REGARD.

'CAUSE WE WERE EXTREMELY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE DATA THAT WE WANTED TO SEE PROVIDED AND THE FORMAT THEREOF, NOT JUST, OH, WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT HOW MUCH PROGRESS, WHAT IS THAT IN RELATION TO, UM, WHAT PROGRESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE? WHAT PROGRESS IS THERE STILL TO BE MADE, THE PRIORITIZATION OF THAT, I BELIEVE WE SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR IT IN EXCEL FORMAT SO THAT WE COULD TRACK ALONG TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THE DELTAS WERE.

SO I WOULD JUST REFRESH YOURSELF ON THE SPECIFIC LEVEL OF DETAIL.

WE WOULD ACTUALLY REQUEST IT IN THAT REGARD.

I WILL GET WITH CHELSEA TO FIND THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE I, UH, STARTED COMING TO VISIT.

SO WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT I'VE GOT THAT SPECIFIC REQUEST AND THEN WORK TO FULFILL THAT IF POSSIBLE.

CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME NOW? YES.

P ZERO AND P ONE RESPONSES.

UM, I, I JUST, I WANTED TO OBSERVE, BECAUSE I THINK I AM THE, UH, ELDER STATESMAN ON THIS COMMISSION, UM, THAT WE HAVE HAD UPDATES IN THE PAST.

UM, BUT IT, I I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN A SPECIFIC UPDATE.

AND THE LAST UPDATE I REMEMBER WAS BASICALLY WE ARE, SORRY, WE JUST RESTAFFED NOT MUCH HAS HAPPENED.

UM, SO IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE A DETAILED UPDATE.

AND I THINK THAT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO WRITE, UM, UM, AN AGENDA ITEM REQUEST, UM, TO HAVE THAT BE A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM SO THAT WE COULD REALLY GET A THOROUGH ITEMIZED UPDATE WE'LL HOP ON NOW, IF THAT'S OKAY.

, UM, UH, I, I ECHO ALL OF THAT ON THE, ON THE ACADEMY AND JUST NEEDING DETAILS.

I'M GONNA SWITCH GEARS A LITTLE BIT, UM, TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES AND HOW THE RESPONSE TIMES THAT WE ARE BEING SHOWN QUARTER TO QUARTER CORRESPOND TO THE PERFORMANCE METRIC THAT THE CITY LAID OUT OF NUMBER OF MINUTES FOR POLICE RESPONSE FOR EMERGENCY AND URGENT VIOLENT CRIME CALLS.

UM, THOSE METRICS SEEMS VERY DIFFERENT TIME-WISE FROM THESE

[00:35:01]

UM, THE METRIC FOR THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PERFORMANCE METRIC FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 WAS 7.12, UM, UM, MINUTES, I'M ASSUMING.

AND ALL OF THESE ARE ON 10.

SO DO YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT METRIC AND THIS ONE? I'M TRYING TO DIG INTO MY EMAIL TO FIND THAT, BECAUSE I, I KNOW, I KNOW WHEN I WAS ON A MEETING WITH, UH, THE BUDGET OFFICE, WE WERE, WE WERE MEETING THAT, BUT LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIGURE OUT WHY, WHY THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN THAT NUMBER.

UH, THERE, BUT I, I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT WHEN I MET WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE, WE WERE MEETING THAT, THAT METRIC.

AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE I WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO START MAPPING THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS TO THE CITYWIDE PERFORMANCE METRICS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED SO THAT WE CAN TRACK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WE BUILD UP TO THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.

AND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE INFORMED CONTEXT FOR WHEN WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR WHAT WE'D LIKE THOSE NEXT PERFORMANCE METRICS TO BE.

AND THESE ARE REALLY DIFFERENT.

SO IF, YES, IF WE CAN, UM, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT, WHAT I THINK WE'RE ASKING OR WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS I WANNA UNDERSTAND WHY THIS DATA IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS BEING TRACKED, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT DATA, UM, THAT IT, THAT TIES TO THE PERFORMANCE METRIC.

WELL, I'LL HAVE TO DIG INTO THAT AND I'LL GET YOUR RESPONSE BACK.

COMMISSIONER RUAN.

UM, I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO THE, UH, CRIME NUMBERS.

AND SO FIRST OF ALL, I THINK REMARKABLE JOB AND NICE TO SEE THAT THE NUMBERS IN PARTICULAR FOR, UM, HOMICIDE IS MARKEDLY DOWN BOTH FOR THE FIVE YEAR MEAN, AND THEN ALSO IN COMPARISON.

SO I THINK THAT'S STRONG WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND FOR EVERYBODY ELSE INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SAFETY ON THAT END.

UM, I WOULD ECHO WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER SIERRA SAID, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE ASKED FOR THE RATES IN THE PAST, AND SO IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT.

THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT I KNOW WE'VE ASKED ABOUT AS WELL IS A COMPARISON FOR SOME OF THESE TOP LEVEL CRIMES LIKE HOMICIDE TO NATIONAL NUMBERS FOR PEER CITIES, TO GET A SENSE FOR WHEN WE HAVE THESE, THESE DROPS, HOW MUCH OF IT IS SPECIFIC GOOD WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE, WHICH IS HOW MUCH OF IT IS, ARE WE JUST THE BENEFICIARIES OF A BROADER NATIONAL TREND? AND I THINK KIND OF WOULD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND, UM, PARTICULAR THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WELL.

AND THEN ALSO, IF WE'RE NOT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM PEER CITIES? I THINK IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE, IF Y'ALL TELL ME WHAT PEER CITIES YOU WANT, SO THAT I'M ABLE TO, DO YOU ALL HAVE A, HAVE SORT OF BENCHMARKING FOR WITH EITHER WITHIN, I, I JUST WANNA, WITHIN TEXAS, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN I PROVIDE YOU THAT, THAT I DON'T PROVIDE YOU SOMETHING AND THEN, WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU PICK THIS CITY OR WHATEVER.

SO I, I CAN DEFINITELY, I CAN DEFINITELY PICK PEER CITIES.

I MEAN, WE'RE THE 10TH OR 11TH LARGEST CITY, SO I CAN, I CAN EASILY DO THAT OR I CAN DO THAT.

PLUS IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS COMPARABLE IN YOUR MINDS THAT YOU'RE THINKING OF, THEN JUST LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT.

I DON'T THINK PERSONALLY I HAVE ANY PARTICULAR CITY IN MIND.

IF THERE'S NOT ANYTHING THAT'S INTERNALLY USED ALREADY FOR COMPARISON, I GUESS JUST, YOU KNOW, A TOP 20 MAJOR CITIES WOULD OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I, I'M NOT PARTICULAR IN TERMS OF THAT.

UM, BUT JUST SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE, UM, NATIONAL COMPARISON.

APPRECIATE IT.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE REGARDING THE LAST TWO CADET CLASSES.

UM, THE NUMBER I, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE PACKET, BUT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BACKUP PACKET THAT I MISSED.

UM, THE, THE GENDER BREAKDOWN AND, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY BREAKDOWN OF THE GRADUATES.

I CAN GET IT FOR YOU.

WE'VE GOT IT.

GREAT.

I THINK WE HAVE GOTTEN THAT IN THE PAST, SO IF IT, IF IT COULD BE INCLUDED IN MAYBE NOT THE PRIMARY PRESENTATION, BUT A BACKUP FILE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

CERTAINLY.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? OH, UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH.

YEAH, JUST WHILE YOU'RE GATHERING THAT DATA, DATA, UM, FROM COMMISSIONER KART, I RATHER THAN JUST GRADUATES, IF WE COULD BROADEN IT TO THE CADET CLASS IN GENERAL.

I WOULD LOVE THAT.

JUST TO SEE WHAT THE INFORMATION LOOKS LIKE FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT GOT WASHED OUT.

WE'VE, WE'VE GOT IT.

SO WOULD YOU LIKE BOTH OR JUST THE, YOU WANT, YOU WANT IT SEPARATED BOTH BETWEEN OVERALL CADET CLASS AND GRADUATES.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

I GOT YOUR THUMBS UP.

WE'RE GOOD? YES, SIR.

[00:40:05]

UM, BEFORE MOVING ON THOUGH, I HAVE SOMETHING IN RELATION TO CRIME.

UM, AND IT'S, UH, JUST A HUGE THANK YOU TO A-P-D-E-M-S AND AUSTIN FIRE.

UM, ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, THERE WAS A HOME INVASION THAT RESULTED IN A DEATH, A FEW HOUSES DOWN FROM MINE AND, UM, A-P-D-E-M-S AND AUSTIN FIRE WERE ON THE SCENE TO RESUSCITATE THAT PERSON THAT WAS SHOT WHILE ATTEMPTING THE CRIME, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO.

UM, THEN A PD WAS, UH, MADE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WERE, THAT MY NEIGHBORS OR I HAD, UM, WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD AT THAT TIME.

UM, I AM HOWEVER FRUSTRATED AND DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE, UM, SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO COMMITTING THE CRIME THAT ULTIMATELY TOOK, UH, THIS MAN'S LIFE, HE WAS IN, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL.

UH, PRIOR TO THAT HE HAD THREE PENDING FELONIES FROM A ROBBERY THAT TOOK PLACE IN MAY 20, 26, A MONTH OR SO LATER, HE WAS ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED ROBBERY IN HARRIS COUNTY, WHICH IS IN THE HOUSTON AREA.

AND WHY WAS DEEMED SAFE OR OKAY FOR HIM TO BE BACK ON THE STREETS IS BEYOND ME.

BUT THIS IS A STORY THAT'S BECOMING A LITTLE TOO FAMILIAR, UM, IN MY TASTE FOR, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY.

AND NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THIS MAN HAS LOST HIS LIFE AND THE ABILITY TO BE PROPERLY REHABILITATED.

MY NEIGHBOR HAS TO LIVE WITH THE LIFE THAT HE TOOK IN DEFENSE OF HIS OWN, UH, THE STREETS WHERE MY KIDS AND MANY OTHER PLAY SEEMS A LITTLE LESS SAFE.

AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN AS A WHOLE, I THINK IS WORSE OFF FOR WHAT I THINK WAS A PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY.

BUT, UM, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE FOR, UM, MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS AND, AND THIS POOR SOUL.

MAY, MAY, MAY GOD REST HIM, MAY GOD REST HIS SOUL THAT LOST HIS LIFE, UH, THAT UNFORTUNATE AND TRAGIC WEDNESDAY MORNING.

DAYS, UH, TO MEET THE 53 HOUR WORK WEEK THRESHOLD.

UM, BUT MOVING ON, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THE, UH, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT'S NEW STAFFING MODEL, UM, BY MR. BRIDGES.

YOU'RE UP.

GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS JEFF KENNEDY.

I'M AN ASSISTANT CHIEF AND THE, UH, INTERIM CHIEF OF STAFF FOR AUSTIN FIRE.

UM, WE APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WITH THE, UM, THANK YOU.

WITH THE, UH, UPCOMING SCHEDULE, UM, WE STILL HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY, UH, FOUR PERSONS PER STAFF OR STAFF PER, UH, APPARATUS.

CHIEF BRIDGES WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THE SCHEDULE THROUGH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, WHERE WE WILL MOVE FROM 24 ON TO 48 OFF, EXCUSE ME, YES TO, UH, WHAT WE CALL A ONE THREE TWO THREE, WHICH WILL BE 24 ON 72 OFF, 48 ON 72 OFF.

AND, UH, THIS WILL HAPPEN BY OCTOBER OF 2027.

SO CHIEF BRIDGES IS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE THAT WILL WORK WITH THE TRANSITION, AND THEN BY PROXY OF THAT, IN HIS PREVIOUS POSITION OF, UH, UM, SHIFT COMMANDER, HE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FOUR AS WELL.

SO I WILL TAKE THE, UH, CLICKER BACK TO, UH, CHIEF BRIDGES AND, UH, HAVE HIM MOVE FORWARD.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.

AND, UH, GOOD THING IT'S FALL SINCE I GOT MY WINTER CLOSE ON TODAY.

UM, SO, UH, YEAH, WE, WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME BIG CHANGES COMING UP IN AUSTIN FIRE THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.

SO, BEGINNING OCTOBER 3RD, 2027, AUSTIN FIRE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING BOTH A NEW SCHEDULE AND A REDUCED WORK WEEK FOR A SHIFT WORK PERSONNEL.

THESE CHANGES ARE REQUIRED PROVISIONS OF AUSTIN FIRE'S MOST RECENT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY.

WE WILL BE MOVING AWAY FROM OUR CURRENT 24 4 8, WHICH IS 24 HOURS ON WORK, AND THEN 48 HOURS OFF.

AND THEN YOU COME BACK AND ROTATING SHIFTS THAT WAY.

WE'RE GOING TO A, WHAT WE CALL A ONE THREE TWO THREE, WHICH IS 24 HOURS ON 72 HOURS OFF, 48 HOURS ON 72 HOURS OFF.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THREE ROTATING SHIFTS.

AND IF YOU TAKE BOTH THE 24 48 AND YOU TAKE THE 1 3, 2, 3 IN A MONTH TIMEFRAME AND YOU ADD UP ALL THE TIME, IT'S STILL THE SAME.

IT'S JUST A REORGANIZATION OF THE TIME.

WHAT WE'RE DOING, IN ADDITION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE AUSTIN SCHEDULE, IS WE ARE REDUCING OUR WORK WEEK.

RIGHT NOW, OUR PERSONNEL WORK 53 HOURS A WEEK ON AVERAGE, ON FOR THEIR SHIFT WORK, AND WE'RE GONNA BE GOING DOWN TO A 49.8 HOUR WORK WEEK.

SO THE REDUCTION OF THE WORK WEEK, WE WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY SHIFT WORK PERSONNEL RECEIVING EXTRA KELLY DAYS.

A KELLY DAY IS A SCHEDULED RECURRING 24 HOUR SHIFT OFF AFTER HAVING WORKED X AMOUNT OF TIME.

CURRENTLY, OUR SHIFT WORK PERSONNEL RECEIVE A KELLY DAY EVERY 19 SHIFTS OR EVERY 57

[00:45:01]

WITH OUR NEW AUSTIN SCHEDULE.

A SHIFT WORK MEMBER WILL HAVE A KELLY DAY EVERY NINE SHIFTS TO MEET THE NEW 49 HOUR 0.8 HOUR THRESHOLD.

SO A KELLY DAY EVERY 27 DAYS.

AND WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE NEW SCHEDULE MAY POSE A HARDSHIP FOR SOME FIREFIGHTERS, SUCH AS SINGLE PARENTS WITH CHILDCARE NEEDS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EASILY WORK 48 HOURS ON A CONTINUOUS SHIFT RECURRING.

AND TO MANAGE THIS, WE ARE ALLOWING PERSONNEL WITH THESE AND OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES TO REMAIN ON THE 24 48.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE MAIN, THE MAIN, UM, TWO THINGS THAT WE'RE MOVING TO AND WE HAVE STARTED WORKING ON ALL THAT IS GOING TO GO INTO THAT IMPLEMENTATION.

WE STARTED OUR COMMITTEE BACK IN JANUARY KNOWING WE ARE GONNA NEED A FULL ALMOST TWO YEARS FOR THIS IMPLEMENTATION.

SO OUR COMMITTEE HAS BEEN HARD AT WORK IDENTIFYING ALL THESE THINGS THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO GET THERE AND SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT GETTING, SEEING FROM THIS SCHEDULE.

SO AS, AS WE, WE KNOW, AUSTIN IS EXPLODING IN GROWTH, AS AUSTIN CONTINUES, ITS TREMENDOUS GROWTH.

OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE BUSIER THAN EVER.

DAILY SERVICE DEMANDS HAVE GROWN, RISEN DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST DECADE.

AUSTIN FIRE IS RESPONDING TO A MUCH HIGHER EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY CALL VOLUME.

OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE EXPERIENCING AN INCREASED WORKLOAD, SO BY PROVIDING FOR MORE TIME OFF OVERALL WITH A REDUCED WORK WEEK, MORE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OFF WHEN THEY ARE OFF BETWEEN SHIFTS WITH THE NEW SHIFT ORGANIZATION, OUR NEW SCHEDULE WILL PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINED FATIGUE RECOVERY, BETTER REST MANAGEMENT WHEN THEY'RE OFF DUTY, SO THAT WHEN THEY COME BACK TO WORK, THEY'RE BETTER RESTED AND IN, IN THE, UM, A BETTER STATE OF MIND TO, TO CONTINUE, UH, WITH THE SHIFT WORK WITH THE, AND ALL THAT, THAT THAT DEMANDS, IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR SUSTAINED RECOVERY.

IT'S GONNA ALLOW FOR BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE.

IT'S GONNA MAKE OUR WORKFORCE HEALTHIER AND SAFER, BOTH ON DUTY AND OFF DUTY.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR, JUST FOR SOME QUICK BULLET POINTS FOR WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO GET OUT OF THIS SCHEDULE.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR LONG-TERM WORKFORCE SUSTAINABILITY, EMPLOYEE RETENTION, AND LOOKING FOR ENHANCED OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE AS WE PROVIDE FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PERSONNEL TO, TO BE BETTER RESTED AND BETTER RECOVERED WHEN THEY COME TO WORK.

THAT'S GOING TO TRANSLATE INTO OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENTS AT THE STATION, IMPROVING WORK LIFE BALANCE, THINGS LIKE IMPRO, INCREASED MORALE, IT'S GONNA HELP OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS, UM, AND SUPPORTING, UM, EMPLOYEE RETENTION OVER TIME.

SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN FOLLOWING TRENDS, UM, GROWING TRENDS AMONG LARGER PROFESSIONAL DEPARTMENTS, BOTH IN TEXAS AND ACROSS THE NATION, UM, A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS ARE MOVING AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL 24 48 TO ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULES SUCH AS THE 1, 3, 2, 3.

I THINK THE, THE BENEFITS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED IN THAT, UH, AS BUSY AS OUR PERSONNEL ARE DURING THE NORMAL 24 HOURS, SOMETIMES 48 HOURS IS NOT QUITE ENOUGH TO GET READY TO COME BACK TO WORK.

AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A, THIS SHIFT ORGANIZATION IS, IS, IS, UH, GOING TO PROVIDE THESE BENEFITS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT, UH, AT SEEING AND ADOPTING THIS SCHEDULE.

IN ADDITION TO THE BENEFITS WE'LL RECEIVE FOR OUR MEMBERS ADOPTING THIS SCHEDULE IS GONNA HELP KEEP AUSTIN FIRE COMPETITIVE ON A STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL AND ALLOW FOR GREATER RECRUITING EFFORTS AND EMPLOYEE RETENTION OVER TIME.

SO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IN THIS, UM, WE, WE HAVE THE BENEFITS, UH, THAT WE KNOW THE SCHEDULE'S GONNA GIVE US THE BENE THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT AUSTIN FIRE'S GONNA HAVE TO, UH, TO, TO WORK, TO, TO MAINTAIN.

SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OUR FOUR PERSON STAFFING MINIMUM THAT WE WORK VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN.

SO A REDUCED WORK WEEK MEANS WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE FIREFIGHTERS OFF DUTY EACH DAY.

OUR STAFFING MODEL REQUIRES US TO HAVE FOUR PERSONNEL ON EACH APPARATUS.

SO TO MAINTAIN OUR STAFFING WITH A NEW SCHEDULE, WE CAN EITHER DO ONE OF TWO THINGS.

WE CAN EITHER HIRE MORE PEOPLE OR WE CAN CONTINUE TO PAY OVERTIME TO FILL THE INCREASED VACANCIES THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE.

UM, WE WOULD RATHER HIRE MORE PEOPLE.

SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO WORK TO, UH, FUND 54 NEW FULL-TIME POSITIONS.

THEY'VE, THEY'VE REALIZED THIS NEED AS WE HAVE THAT, UH, IN A, LIKE, SINCE WE'RE GIVING PEOPLE MORE TIME OFF, IT'S GONNA CREATE MORE VACANCIES.

WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE TO FILL THAT.

SO OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING, UM, 54 NEW POSITIONS THAT WE ARE GONNA HIRE FOR BY THE TIME WE HIT OUR SCHEDULE START, UH, ON OCTOBER 3RD, 22 OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE REALIZED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, THE REMAINING 32 POSITIONS WILL BE, UM, WILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.

CHIEF KENNEDY, I'D LIKE TO, TO NOTE THAT, UH, I JUST SUCCESSFULLY DID MATH IN PUBLIC AT 22, 32 54, SO WE'RE GOOD THERE.

UM, AND SO WITH THAT, ALL, ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, UM, GETTING OUR, OUR PERSONNEL, WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD WITH OUR TRAINING ACADEMY.

WE HAVE TWO CADET CLASSES IN SESSION NOW.

WE'RE ON THE BOOKS FOR TWO MORE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR AND, AND POTENTIALLY A THIRD CLOSER TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

[00:50:01]

THE SCHEDULE, IF, IF THE NEEDS ARE THERE.

AND SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE PERSONNEL THAT THE, THE PERSONNEL VACANCIES, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING HARD TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES SO THAT WHEN WE DO HIT OCTOBER 3RD OF THIS NEXT YEAR, THAT UM, WE HAVE THE STAFFING THAT WE NEED AND THEN THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT THIS SCHEDULE.

UM, ANOTHER BIG CONCERN IS LIKE, WHILE WE ARE GOING TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF HAVING THE CONSECUTIVE SHIFTS OFF, THAT MEANS WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE SCHEDULED CONSECUTIVE SHIFTS ON, AS I SAID EARLIER, IT'S A 24 ON 72 OFF AND IT'S A 48 ON 72 OFF.

SO WE WILL NOW ROUTINELY HAVE FIREFIGHTERS WORKING 48 HOURS AT A TIME.

AND THAT IS, UH, THAT IS A CONCERN TO US.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MANAGE THAT.

SO WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A, A, AS PART OF OUR COMMITTEE, A FATIGUE MANAGEMENT PLAN TO KINDA LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES, LOOK AT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THIS ACROSS THE NATION, AND LOOK AT, UM, HOW WE CAN BEST IMPLEMENT THAT FOR US TO MAKE IT WORK FOR US SO THAT WHEN WE START OUR SCHEDULE, OUR PERSONNEL ARE AWARE OF EVERYTHING AND ALL THE CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN AND THAT WE CAN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THIS SCHEDULE.

AND AS, AS FAR AS THE THE COMMITTEE GOES, IT'S UH, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE STARTED WORKING ON THIS EARLY.

I THINK WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS TO BE SUCCESSFUL BY NEXT OCTOBER.

AND, UH, I, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE HAS ON THIS, UH, SCHEDULE OR THE IMPLEMENTATION.

THANK YOU CHIEF FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AND KUDOS ON THE MATH AS AN ACCOUNTANT.

LIKE, I DON'T LIKE TO DO MATH IN PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, OH, YOU'RE AN ACCOUNTANT, YOU SHOULD KNOW.

AND I'M LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE.

UM, BUT I DO, UH, ALSO LIKE, UM, GIVE YOU KUDOS FOR JUST RECOGNIZING FAMILIES AS A FATHER OF THREE.

LIKE, I, I LOVE WHEN I HEAR EMPLOYERS WORK WITH WORK LIFE BALANCE AND FAMILIES, IT'S JUST, IT KEEPS Y'ALL COMPETITIVE.

UH, IF ANY EMPLOYERS ARE WATCHING, UM, LIKE SHOCKER.

BUT UM, WHEN YOU HEAR IT FROM LIKE A HIGHER UP, IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

UM, CAN YOU ADDRESS, LIKE DO WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR EASING INTO THE NEW SCHEDULE? I MEAN, IT'S FOR NEXT OCTOBER.

THAT'S GONNA HELP OUR PAYROLL AND OUR, OUR UKG, WHICH IS OUR, OUR, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TIMEKEEPING FUNCTION THAT'S GONNA HELP WORK OUT ALL THOSE BUGS SO THAT THERE'S NO GAP AND, AND, UH, NO, NO BREAK IN COVERAGE WHEN WE GO FROM THE, FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW AS FAR AS PAYROLL GOES AND AS FAR AS SCHEDULING.

SO CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND THE JUMP FROM SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER SO WE DON'T HAVE, UM, GAPS IN COVERAGE AND PEOPLE OFF AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS? SO HOW HAVE YOU THOUGHT THAT THROUGH? YES, MA'AM.

AND, AND BY STARTING EARLY, WE'RE HOPING THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER, IT'S NOT A JUMP, BUT SO MUCH AS JUST A, A A LITTLE STEP IN, IN THE NEW DIRECTION AND THAT ALL OF OUR GAPS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.

WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK.

UM, THE COMMITTEE THAT WE FORMED IS INCORPORATED TO WHERE INPUT IS TAKEN FROM ALL MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYONE HAS A VOICE ALL THE WAY FROM FIREFIGHTER UP TO THE FIRE CHIEF ON CONCERNS THEY HAVE, IDEAS THEY HAVE, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO KIND OF FUNNEL ALL THAT INTO OUR COMMITTEE TO TAKE IN ALL THE CONCERNS PEOPLE HAVE.

WE SENT OUT A, A DEPARTMENT WIDE QUESTIONNAIRE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND IT WAS A, A, A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT WE SOLICITED FEEDBACK AND WE GOT, UM, SEVEN OR 800 RESPONSES BACK FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP, WHICH FROM A SURVEY THAT WE PUT OUT FROM COMING FROM HEADQUARTERS, THAT'S A PHENOMENAL RETURN.

SO WE WERE HAPPY WITH THAT.

UM, BUT UH, A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE SAW IN THE COMMENTS WERE RELATED TO FATIGUE.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE KIND OF, UM, DECIDED TO, AS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE COMMITTEE, CREATE A FATIGUE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT AND THEN EVENTUALLY TURN INTO POLICY THAT CAN HELP DRIVE US, UM, AS WE CONTINUE THE SCHEDULE IN THE FUTURE.

AND SO TO ANSWER THE, THE OTHER QUESTION, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, JUST WORKING WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE DEPARTMENT AND LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT RESPONSE AREAS AND RESPONSE NEEDS AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT, UH, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE, WE RESPOND TO AND HOW WE RESPOND TO AND WHO WE SEND TO RESPOND WILL NOT, UH, EXPERIENCE ANY HICCUPS AS FAR AS THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS OF BOSTON WHEN WE GO FROM SEPTEMBER, UM, 30TH TO TO OCTOBER 1ST.

I CAN JUST FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.

UH, IS, BUT IS THERE A STRUCTURED TRANSITION PLAN FROM MOVING FROM THE OLD SCHEDULE TO THE NUDE SCHEDULE? AND WHAT IS THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE THE PRESENTATION DOESN'T REALLY COVER THAT.

SURE.

SO WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE RELEASED OUR CALENDARS FOR 2027 TO THE DEPARTMENT, SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR LOOKS LIKE.

AND THEN EVERYONE'S GONNA SEE WHAT THE FINAL THREE MONTHS OF THE, OF THE YEAR LOOK LIKE IN JANUARY WHEN WE BEGIN SCHEDULING OUT OUR, OUR, OUR PERSONNEL'S VACATION FOR THE YEAR.

WE DO THAT IN JANUARY.

AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO PICK THEIR VACATION AND HAVE, UH, ALL OF THEIR TIME OFF SCHEDULED FOR THE NEW SCHEDULE IN JANUARY SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOUNT AND LOOK TO THAT AS WE GO THROUGH.

WE ALSO ARE WORKING TO IMPLEMENT A, A THREE MONTH TRIAL OF, UH, OF THE SCHEDULE WITH A SMALLER SELECT GROUP.

AND, UM,

[00:55:01]

SO WE DON'T ACCIDENTALLY LEAVE PEOPLE OFF THE ROSTER.

AND, UH, WE HOPE BY DOING THIS TRIAL WITH THIS SMALL SELECT GROUP THAT WE CAN WORK OUT ALL THOSE BUGS AND KIND OF RUN A MINI SCALE, UM, IMPLEMENTATION.

AND THEN, UH, WE HOPE TO SEE THAT SUCCESSFUL AND THEN SO BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTATION, WE SHOULD BE OKAY.

VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I'VE BEEN, I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN WANTING TO LOOK AT THIS FOR SOME TIME AND SEE, I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE MAKING PROGRESS.

UM, I'M GONNA ASK, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, BUT THE FIRST IS, CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN KELLY DAYS FOR ALL OF US THAT ARE NOT IN INVOLVED IN FIREFIGHTER? SURE, YES MA'AM.

FIRE LORE, A LITTLE BIT MORE SLOWLY.

AND, UM, IF YOU CAN ALSO, UM, EXPLAIN HOW THOSE KELLY DAYS AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY DO STACK ON PTO AND HOW PTO WORKS DIFFERENTLY.

SURE.

YES MA'AM.

A KELLY DAY IS, UM, SO WE WORK BY CONTRACT NOW WITH OUR 53 HOUR WORK WEEK AND EVERY 19 DAY PERIOD, THESE NUMBERS ARE WEIRD AND EVERY 19 DAY PERIOD, OUR PERSONNEL WORK 144 HOURS, BUT BECAUSE OF JUST THE 24 48 OVER TIME, THEY WORK ACTUALLY MORE HOURS THAN 1 44 IN THE 19 DAY CYCLE.

OVER TIME THAT BUILDS UP AND ONCE THEY BUILD UP ENOUGH OF THOSE HOURS THAT THEY'VE WORKED OVER THAT THEY HIT THE, UH, THEY HIT, UH, A 24 HOUR PERIOD, THEY'RE GIVEN A 24 HOUR PERIOD OFF AND IT'S WITHIN A 57 DAY PERIOD.

AND THAT KEEPS THEM AT THE 53 HOUR WEEK.

CAN I ASK A QUICK, REAL QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION BECAUSE YES, MA'AM.

I AM FOLLOWING, UM, ARE THE KELLY DAYS REQUIRED DAYS OFF? THEY ARE REQUIRED DAYS OFF, AND THOSE ARE DAYS THAT, UM, WE, EVEN IF WE HAD GAPS AND WE HAD A POOL OF, OF PEOPLE THAT WERE OFF ON KELLY THAT WE HAD TO, AND WE HAD TO FILL VACANCIES, WE COULD NOT COMPEL THOSE PEOPLE TO COME IN ON THEIR KELLY DAYS.

THEY CAN CHOOSE TO WORK OVERTIME ON THOSE DAYS IF THEY WANT.

UM, AND A LOT OF TIMES THE, THE, THOSE DAYS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT IT IS, IT IS TIME OFF THAT IF THEY CHOOSE TO HAVE THAT TIME OFF, THEY ARE GUARANTEED THAT TIME OFF.

IT, IT KEEPS US WITH, IT KEEPS US WITHIN THE F-S-L-F-S-L-A LAW.

YES, SIR.

UM, I GUESS, AND, AND I THINK I ALREADY KNEW THAT YOU COULD CHOOSE TO USE YOUR OVERTIME DURING YOUR KELLY DAYS.

UM, AND GIVEN THAT THEY ARE A SCHEDULE CONSTRUCT THAT IS DESIGNED TO BUILD IN REST, WHAT DOES THE DEPARTMENT DO TO ENSURE THAT THAT ISN'T ABUSED? UM, AND, AND, WELL, I MEAN, I I, I'LL SAY IT OUT LOUD, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE IT OVERTIME ON YOUR KELLY DAYS BECAUSE THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE REQUIRED TIME OFF.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A RECOVERY.

I KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT'S NOT UP TO ME.

UM, BUT LIKE WHAT DOES THE DEPARTMENT DO TO HELP ENSURE THAT WE WERE TALKING, I GUESS I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH AUDIT THAT WE GOT A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO.

ON KELLY, THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO PULL OVERTIME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, FROM SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY ON SHIFT WHO WOULD NOW BE WORKING A 48 OR THEY WOULD START TO WORK ANOTHER 48 OR WORST CASE IS, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO GET INTO COMPELLING SOMEONE TO WORK WHO DOESN'T WANT TO WORK AND, AND GET INTO MANDATORY OVERTIME.

AND I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT POLICIES AROUND PTO AND KELLY DAYS ARE IN PLACE OR COULD BE IN PLACE TO HELP SUPPORT MORE GUARANTEED TIME OFF.

AND THE, THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO TO ENSURE MORE TIME OFF AND TO I IS TO STAY AT AS CLOSE TO ZERO VACANCIES AS, AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO.

AND UM, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO GET THERE AND, AND STAY THERE AS FAR AS THE KELLY'S OVERTIME VERSUS OTHERS, OTHER TYPES OF OVERTIME.

IT'S, UH, SINCE THE KELLY DAY IS KIND OF ON YOUR NORMAL DAY, IT'S LIKE IF YOU WORK ON A MONDAY AND THEN YOUR NEXT DAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO COME IN ON THURSDAY, BUT THAT'S YOUR KELLY, YOU'D BE OFF AND YOU WOULDN'T COME IN AGAIN UNTIL SUNDAY IF THE NEED FOR OVERTIME IS THERE ON THURSDAY.

IT'S JUST EASIER TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO WORK COME IN ON THEIR NORMAL DAY OFF WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY WOULD BE OFF, WHEN THEY WOULD BE AT WORK ANYWAYS.

IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THERE KELLY, BUT NOW THEY'RE WORKING AND THEY'VE HAD 48 HOURS OFF BEFORE THEY COME IN AND THEY'VE HAD 40, THEY WILL NOW HAVE 48 HOURS OFF AFTER THEY COME IN.

IF WE DON'T HAVE A PERSON WORK OVERTIME

[01:00:01]

AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S VERY UNDESIRABLE.

AND SO I, I DO AGREE.

I WOULD RATHER, I WOULD RATHER SEE A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE NOT PAYING SO MUCH OVERTIME AND WE DO HAVE PERSONNEL THAT ARE OFTEN CAN BE OFF AND REST, BUT SINCE WE DO HAVE MANY TIMES WHERE WE DO HAVE TO PAY OVERTIME, IT IS EASIEST.

AND A LOT OF TIMES IT IS, IT IS, IN TERMS OF MENTAL WELLNESS AS FAR AS CONSECUTIVE HOURS GO, SOMETIMES IT'S EASIEST TO HAVE PERSONNEL ON THEIR KELLY WORK ON THEIR NORMAL DAY AND THEY'RE, THEY ARE WORKING EXTRA HOURS BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING INTO THEIR EARNED TIME OFF.

BUT, UH, THE, THE TIME OFF BEFORE AND AFTER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AND PROCEEDING THE KELLY DAY IS, UM, IS KIND OF THE BEST DISTRIBUTION TO MAKE THAT WORK.

MY, UM, FINAL THING I'M GONNA SAY, AND IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A REPORTING CHALLENGE.

UM, I WOULD REAL, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'RE ALREADY DOING, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AS WE GO INTO THIS NEW STAFFING MODEL, THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN PTO AND KELLY DAY, YOU TURNING INTO, INTO OVERTIME.

UM, I REALLY WANNA SEE HOW THE, HOW PTO AND OVERTIME HOURS BEING BOOKED ON KELLY DAYS, HOW THOSE ARE STACKING UP AGAINST EACH OTHER BECAUSE ARE WE, ARE WE, ARE WE FIGHTING EACH OTHER? , YOU KNOW, ARE THESE ARE THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO BALANCE? UM, AND IT, SO YES, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A CHALLENGE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FIGURE OUT AT SOME POINT.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS, UH, GONNA HELP, BUT I HEARD THE CHIEF MENTION THAT, UM, KELLY DAYS HAVE TO DO WITH THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT.

SO, AND I, AND JUST AS A THRESHOLD, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THIS, FIREFIGHTERS ARE COVERED BY THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT IN A DIFFERENT WAY FROM A STANDARD EMPLOYEE, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S FOR STANDARD EMPLOYEES, ANYTHING OVER 40 HOURS IN A WORK WEEK IS OVERTIME.

AND RIGHT NOW OUR, OUR FLSA STANDARD FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS IS SET AT THE 53 HOURS AND IT'S THE, THE WAY.

SO WHAT HELPS, IT HELPS.

SO WHAT, WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IS THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT RULE FOR WHAT IS A WORK WEEK FOR, UM, AN AUSTIN FIREFIGHTER IS CHANGING FROM 53 TO 49 HOURS.

49.8.

KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING AND RESTING WITHIN THEIR SHIFT.

UM, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HELPS, UH, WITH, UM, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ'S QUESTION ABOUT REST, BUT I MEAN, THE OTHER THING IS THAT WHEN SOMEBODY'S ON A 48 HOUR SHIFT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE WORKING ALL 48 HOURS.

THAT'S CORRECT.

OR FOR THAT MATTER, A 24 HOUR SHIFT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

THEY DO Y'ALL KEEP DATA ON HOW MANY HOURS IN A SHIFT PEOPLE ARE WORKING VERSUS EITHER HAVE FREE TIME OR ABLE TO SLEEP.

MM-HMM .

NOT NECESSARILY HOURS THAT I'M AWARE OF.

WE DO KEEP TRACK OF CALLS, EMERGENCY RESPONSES, AND WE KEEP TRACK OF, UM, O OTHER ASSIGNMENTS.

SO GENERALLY DURING, DURING THE DAY, DURING, DURING THE NORMAL WORKING HOURS, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM WHAT WE CONSIDER EIGHT TO FIVE OR FIREFIGHTERS ARE, ARE UP.

AND, AND IF THEY'RE NOT RESPONDING TO CALLS, THEY'RE OUT TRAINING, THEY'RE DOING ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.

MM-HMM .

THEY'RE, THEY'RE INSPECTING DOING HYDRANT FLOW TESTS, ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

AND THEN WHEN THEY DO, UM, WHEN THEY DO STAY AT THE STATION OVERNIGHT AND, UM, AND AFTER THOSE NORMAL WORKING HOURS, THEY ARE AVAILABLE.

THEY, THEY RESPOND TO CALLS.

AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THEY DO, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THEY DON'T.

UH, BUT AS I SAID, RIGHT, UH, PART OF THE IMPETUS FOR, FOR MOVING TO THIS, UH, REDUCED WORK WEEK IS THE, UM, INCREASED WORKLOAD JUST ACROSS THE CITY WE'VE SEEN WITH OUR FIREFIGHTERS.

IT'S NOT LIMITED TO THE FIRE SERVICE, UM, JUST THAT THE, THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN AUSTIN HAS INCREASED.

WELL, I THINK TO, UM, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ'S QUESTION, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE MORE INSIGHT INTO, UM, HOW MUCH OF A STANDARD 24 HOUR OR 48 HOUR SHIFT, UM, HOW OFTEN IT IS THAT, UM, FIREFIGHTERS ARE NOT ABLE TO GET LIKE A FULL EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP, EVEN IF IT'S DISRUPTED.

UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, BECAUSE I THINK THE REST ISSUE IS REALLY HARD TO MEASURE IF YOU DON'T

[01:05:01]

AND PART OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN OUR COMMITTEE, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET INTO MORE OF THE ROUTINE 48 HOURS, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE AREAS IN THE CITY WHICH ARE, ARE, WE KNOW ARE GONNA BE BUSY, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE UP ALL NIGHT.

AND WE KNOW THERE ARE AREAS WHEN THEY'RE NOT.

AND PART OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING IS, UM, RECOGNIZING ON THE FRONT END WHEN THAT HAPPENS, COMING UP WITH ROTATIONS TO, TO WHERE WE CAN BETTER MANAGE OUR PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR WHETHER IT'S BY A WHOLE CREW, WHERE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT, BUT THAT, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.

EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, SIR.

THAT WAS HELPFUL.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? OKAY.

THANK YOU, CHIEFS.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM,

[4. Discussion regarding Public Safety scheduling and workload. Presentation by Lee Rogers, Chief of Staff, Austin Police, Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff, Austin Travis County Emergency Medical Services, Kevin Parker, Assistant Chief, Austin Travis County Emergency Medical Services, Jeffrey Kennedy, Interim Chief of Staff, Austin Fire.]

UH, DISCUSSION REGARDING PUBLIC SAFELY, PUBLIC SAFETY, SCHEDULING, AND WORKLOAD.

AND I WANNA SPECIFICALLY, UH, GIVE, UH, KUDOS TO VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ FOR GETTING THE QUESTIONS OVER TO THE, UH, APPROPRIATE CHIEFS OF STAFF.

I DROPPED THE BALL ON THAT AND SHE PICKED IT UP AND RAN WITH IT.

SO THANK YOU.

VICE CHAIR.

I, IF I COULD LIKE, HAVE 10 SECONDS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, KPIS.

IT IS, UH, THE KPIS, IT'S JUST P ZEROS.

THE SLIDE THAT I PRESENT ON, UH, EVERY QUARTER IS AN AVERAGE OF P ZEROS AND P ONES.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.

WE WOULD LOVE TO JUST SEE THAT MOVING FORWARD, BE THE P ZEROS SO THAT WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN TRACK THAT METRIC.

THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, CHIEF.

UM, I'LL JUST SAY COMMISSIONERS.

I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF KEVIN PARKER.

HE'S OUR ASSISTANT CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, AND HE'S GOING TO BE TALKING THROUGH THE SPECIFIC SCHEDULES FOR AUSTIN.

TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UH, THANK YOU, CHIEF HOPKINS.

UM, I WANNA START, WE WERE JUST HEARING ABOUT AUSTIN FIRE'S SCHEDULE.

UM, OURS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

ALL OF OUR SWORN PERSONNEL, UH, ARE BASED ON A 42 HOUR WORK WEEK.

SO ALL OF THE SCHEDULES I'M GONNA BE REFERENCING, UH, DO, UH, WORK OUT TO BE AN AVERAGE OF 42 HOURS PER WEEK.

AND WE HAVE THREE MAIN TYPES OF SCHEDULES.

THE FIRST IS A, UM, 24 HOUR BASED SCHEDULE IN WHICH OUR PERSONNEL WORK 24 HOURS ON AND 72 HOURS OFF.

UM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR OPERATIONS AMBULANCES ARE ON THAT SCHEDULE.

WE HAVE, UH, 44 MEDIC UNITS THAT WORK THAT SCHEDULE.

OUR DISTRICT COMMANDERS, UH, WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO FIELD OPERATIONS WORK THAT SCHEDULE.

AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH, UH, PARAMEDIC RESPONDERS, OUR CHIPPERS, UH, COLLOQUIALLY, UH, ALSO WORK THAT SCHEDULE.

THERE'S BETWEEN, UH, FOUR AND FIVE OF THEM EACH SHIFT.

UM, THAT WORKS OUT TO BE APPROXIMATELY SEVEN TO EIGHT SHIFTS PER MONTH.

UH, ANNUALIZED, IT WORKS OUT TO 91 DAYS PER YEAR.

UH, IN ADDITION TO THE SEVEN TO EIGHT WORK SHIFTS THAT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE ONE ON-CALL OBLIGATION PER MONTH, AND THAT ON-CALL OBLIGATION IS, UH, 24 HOURS AT A TIME.

UH, SO ON THEIR ONE ON ON-CALL OBLIGATION, THEY WOULD HAVE A 24 ON 24 OFF, 24 ON CALL.

THEY MAY NOT WORK.

UH, THEY SOMETIMES DO GET CALLED IN FOR ALL 24 OR A PART OF THE SHIFT, AND THEN THEY ALWAYS HAVE 24 HOURS OFF BEFORE THEIR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED SHIFT.

UM, OVERALL, OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THAT SCHEDULE.

UM, AND WE DO MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK WITH, UH, UM, A GROUP THAT THE ASSOCIATION, THE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION APPOINTS, UH, CALLED THE WORKFORCE COMMITTEE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT OUR SCHEDULES AND THINGS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS LIVES.

THE SECOND TYPE OF SCHEDULE THAT IS, UH, IN OPERATIONS IS A 12 HOUR SCHEDULE.

UM, WHILE MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ON 24 70 TWOS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO PREFER 12 HOUR SCHEDULES.

UM, ALL OF OUR 12 HOUR SCHEDULES ARE DAYTIME SCHEDULES.

THEY WORK, UH, STARTING AT NINE 30 IN THE MORNING.

UH, THEY GET OFF AT NINE 30 AT NIGHT.

UH, THESE INCLUDE ALL OF OUR AIRPORT PARAMEDICS AND WHAT WE CALL DEMAND

[01:10:01]

AMBULANCES.

AND THESE ARE AMBULANCES THAT COME ON DUTY TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS A DURING THE BUSIEST PARTS OF THE DAY.

BUT IT ALSO HELPS US FACILITATE SHIFT CHANGE IN THE MORNING SO THAT AS OUR OFFGOING PERSONNEL ARE GETTING OFF, THERE'S MORE AMBULANCES THAT HAVE ALREADY COME ON DUTY AND ARE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO THOSE CALLS.

UH, THEY WORK A, UH, WEEKLY ROTATION THAT PUTS THEM WORKING FOUR DAYS, ONE WEEK, AND THREE DAYS THE NEXT.

SO THEY WORK SEVEN OUT OF 14.

AND EACH OF THOSE PERSONNEL ALSO HAVE A ONE SHIFT PER MONTH OBLIGATION TO BE ON CALL.

UM, OUR ON-CALL OBLIGATIONS ALWAYS MATCH THE SHIFT DURATION THAT YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO.

SO THEY WORK, THEY'RE ON CALL ONLY FOR THE DAY PORTION FOR 12 HOURS.

UH, THEY DO NOT DO 24 HOURS ON CALL.

AND THEN FINALLY, OUR LAST TYPE OF SCHEDULE IS WHAT WE CALL OUR STAFF SCHEDULE.

SO THESE ARE ALL THE PERSONNEL THAT WORK IN SUPPORT OF THE OPERATION THAT MAY BE, UH, CASE MANAGERS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS THAT MAY BE OUR ACADEMY INSTRUCTORS OR OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS, UH, OPERATIONS SUPPORT PERSONNEL, ET CETERA.

MM-HMM .

UM, THAT'S NOT AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST.

AND, AND REALLY THEY'RE, THEY WORK 42 HOURS PER WEEK, UH, BUT THEIR DAYS TO WORK AND HOURS TO WORK VARY BASED ON THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THEIR SECTION.

FOR EXAMPLE, OUR DTAC PERSONNEL, UH, THEIR WORK WEEK IS, UH, ONE TO TWO DAYS EARLY IN THE WEEK, AND THEN THEY WORK FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NIGHT OUT IN THE DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS.

UM, SO WITH THAT, THAT'S JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ, GO RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

ASK ONE QUESTION.

YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEIR SCHEDULES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE, HOW MANY OVERTIME SHIFTS ARE THEY WORKING, AND HOW MANY ON AVERAGE, HOW MANY SHIFTS ARE ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY WORKING VERSUS THE SEVEN TO EIGHT THAT THEY'RE SCHEDULED FOR? SURE.

UM, RIGHT NOW WITH WHERE WE ARE AT WITH STAFFING, UH, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THEY GET CALLED IN FOR A, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THEIR ON-CALL OBLIGATION.

UH, WHEN THEY ARE ON CALL FOR US, UM, THEY, THEY CAN, WE HAVE WORK HOUR RESTRICTIONS, UM, THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU, WE DO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO WORK BEYOND 26 HOURS, UM, IN A DAY WITHOUT BEING IN A DECLARED DISASTER.

UH, IF WE'RE IN AN EMERGENCY OPERATION, UM, WE CAN GO PAST THAT, BUT WE HAVE A, A VERY FIRM RULE AT 26 HOURS, WE HAVE TO PUT YOUR UNIT OUTTA SERVICE AND GET YOU OFF DUTY.

UM, WE DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO COME BACK TO WORK WITHOUT EIGHT HOURS OFF DUTY, UM, BETWEEN TWO SHIFTS IF YOU WANTED TO VOLUNTEER TO TAKE A SHIFT.

UM, WE DO NOT, OTHER THAN YOUR ON CALL OBLIGATION ONCE A MONTH, WE DO NOT MANDATE PEOPLE TO RETURN TO WORK IN NORMAL OPERATIONS.

OF COURSE, IF WE'RE IN A DECLARED DISASTER, WE CAN ALWAYS DO THAT.

UM, BUT WE DON'T MANDATE THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR PEOPLE.

UM, AND THEN OUR PERSONNEL DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOLUNTEER FOR EXTRA ASSIGNMENTS AND, AND WE ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT WITHIN OUR WORK HOUR RESTRICTIONS.

UM, YEAH.

OH, OH, YOU END UP BROWNING OUT STATIONS? YES, MA'AM.

IS THAT HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT? BECAUSE I, I, THE MATH ISN'T MAPPING IN MY HEAD AND I'M LIKE, SO YOU DO, YOU END UP HAVING TO BROWN OUT STATIONS.

HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? IT DEPENDS UPON, UM, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO, UM, WHAT WE, HOW MANY WE HAVE TO BROWN OUT THAT CAN VARY BASED ON TRAINING NEEDS OR CYCLING PERSONNEL THROUGH AS WE, UH, PROMOTE THEM AND THEN EDUCATE THEM TO, UH, ASSUME THEIR NEW ROLES, UH, THAT CAN HAVE AN IMPACT.

UM, I, I, I WOULD HESITATE TO TELL YOU, UH, A STATIC NUMBER JUST BECAUSE THAT NUMBER CHANGES ALMOST EVERY DAY.

SO WHEN WE WOULD BROWN OUT A STATION, WE WOULD MOVE SOME OF THESE DEMAND AMBULANCES AT OUR PEAK LOAD UNITS TO COVER SWATHS OF AREAS.

COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, I, I MIGHT ALSO JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT WE HAVE ENACTED THAT THAT CONTROLLER POSITION.

AND

[01:15:01]

AND THEN IN THAT EMERGENCY SITUATION THAT CHIEF PARKER WAS REFERRING TO, WE GO TO WHAT'S CALLED AN ALPHA BRAVO STAFFING MODEL.

AND SO WE COLLAPSE THOSE 24 HOUR SHIFTS, A, B, C, AND D INTO 12 HOUR SHIFTS.

SO WHERE YOU WOULD WORK 12 UP AND 12 DOWN SO THAT YOU'RE NOT WORKING A LONG 24 HOUR SHIFT ON TOP OF EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS WHERE CALL VOLUME MIGHT BE HIGH.

I'M GONNA ASK THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT PTO AND HOW, HOW MUCH THAT IMPACTS OVERTIME USE.

OH, MA'AM, I REMEMBER YOUR GENERAL QUESTION TO, UH, CHIEF BRIDGES ABOUT IT.

COULD YOU REFRESH ME ON EXACTLY WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS? YEAH, I JUST, UH, OVER TIME IS A STRAIN ON STAFF, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OVERALL HOW, TO WHAT EXTENT PTO IS IMPACTING THE NEED FOR OVERTIME.

UM, I WOULD, SO WE HAVE A SET NUMBER OF, UM, LEAVE, UH, WE WOULD CALL IT DISCRETIONARY LEAVE.

THIS IS WHERE, UH, IT IS SOLELY AT THE BASIS OF THE EMPLOYEE USING IT.

THERE ARE, THERE'S BOTH DISCRETIONARY LEAVES AND NON-DISCRETIONARY LEAVES.

UM, AND, AND DISCRETIONARY LEAVE IS WHEN THE EMPLOYEE CAN CHOOSE HOW TO USE IT.

SO, UH, ANY TYPE OF THEIR VACATION LEAVE, THERE'S MULTIPLE TYPES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT BENEFITS, UH, OR THEIR SICK TIME.

UM, AND FOR VACATION TYPE LEAVE, UM, WE HAVE A SET NUMBER OF, UH, POSITIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR EVERY RANK BY DAY OF THE WEEK, UH, OR, OR BY DAY, I SHOULDN'T SPECIFY.

I DON'T MEAN TO SPECIFY THAT TUESDAY MAY HAVE FEWER DAYS OFF THAN SATURDAY.

UM, WE JUST SET IT BY RANK EVERY DAY.

UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR PERSONNEL WHO, UM, ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING OFF.

THEY ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRADE AWAY THEIR SHIFT.

UM, AND, AND THAT MEANS THAT IT'S AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO EMPLOYEES TO ALLOW SOMEBODY TO GET OFF FOR AN IMPORTANT DAY IF THEY DON'T WANT TO USE THEIR OWN BENEFIT TIME.

AND THEN WE HAVE A TYPE OF COVERAGE THAT'S CALLED FIND YOUR OWN COVERAGE.

UM, IT IS WHEN, UH, AT YOUR RANK, IF YOU, IF THERE IS NO VACATION AVAILABLE, UH, BUT YOU CAN FIND SOMEBODY WHO IS AT YOUR RANK AND WOULD LIKE TO WORK, YOU CAN TAKE THE DAY OFF AND THAT PERSON WHO WANTS TO WORK WILL COME WORK FOR YOU.

UM, AND, AND WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO US AS WELL.

I THINK, AND, AND I DON'T MEAN THAT, I WANNA BE CLEAR, I THINK PTO IS FANTASTIC.

IT IS THE TOOL THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO ENSURE THAT OUR STAFF RESTS.

AND I WANNA UNDERSTAND HOW THAT'S BEING USED AND TO WHAT EXTENT IT'S BEING USED.

UM, BECAUSE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT OVERTIME, AND WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF DATA OR UNDERSTANDING AROUND HOW MUCH TIME OFF ALL OF OUR SWORN OFFICERS ARE ACTUALLY TAKING.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHY I'M KIND OF HARPING ON THIS.

UM, SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE GET TO THE NEXT, I'M GONNA DO IT AGAIN, .

OKAY, SURE.

I, I WILL OBSERVE THIS.

UM, CERTAINLY HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.

UM, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME, FOR THE PERSONNEL.

I SUPPORT THAT THEIR NORMAL THREE DAYS OFF AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WE PROVIDE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY.

THAT'S WHEN THEY CAN GET REST AND RECUPERATE FROM THEIR SHIFTS.

UM, BUT THEN IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT THE PERSONNEL I SUPPORT, THAT THEY REALIZE THAT THEIR BENEFIT TIME IS FOR THEIR ENJOYMENT.

UM, AND THAT WE WORK REALLY HARD.

OUR COMMAND STAFF IS, IS EMPOWERED TO HELP WHEN OUR EMPLOYEES ARE HAVING TO HARD TIMES GETTING DAYS OFF, UM, THAT OUR COMMAND STAFF IS EMPOWERED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS IN UNIQUE WAYS THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THE NEEDS OF THE EMPLOYEES.

COMMISSIONER RUAN ACTUALLY BE CURIOUS, AND I THINK THIS TIES INTO ALL DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.

UM, SOME WITH A FD SHIFTING THEIR NEW SCHEDULE MIGHT BE A BENEFIT, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S A CHALLENGE BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY WHERE PEOPLE WANT

[01:20:01]

OVERTIME FOR FINANCIAL REASONS.

UM, ESPECIALLY PAVING WHAT IT IS COST LIVING IN AUSTIN.

PEOPLE OFTEN WANT THAT OVERTIME VERSUS AS AN ORGANIZATION NEEDING TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE, MAKE SURE THAT REST HAPPENS.

I MEAN, THERE HAVE BEEN STUDIES SHOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THREE TIMES ODDS OF BURNOUT AND PEOPLE WHO WORK MORE OVERTIME, ALL SORTS OF ISSUES LIKE THAT, THAT ARE LONG TERM.

HOW DO YOU SORT OF BALANCE, UM, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO PICK UP A LOT OF EXTRA OVERTIME VERSUS ENSURING THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE'RE SORT OF MAKING PEOPLE TAKE THE TIME OFF THAT THEY NEED, WHETHER WE REALIZE IT OR NOT.

SO I WILL SAY, UM, FIRST OF ALL, ONE OF THE WAYS WE, WE DO OUR BEST TO HELP PEOPLE MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS POSSIBLE FOR THEIR LONG-TERM HEALTH IS BY HAVING THOSE, THOSE WORK HOUR RESTRICTIONS WHERE WE DO REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE AT LEAST EIGHT HOURS OFF DUTY IN BETWEEN SHIFTS.

UM, WHILE, AND, AND, AND TO SOME EXTENT, I, I REALLY TRY HARD TO NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE VALUE OF WHY SOMEBODY WANTS OFF, WHETHER THEY HAVE A FAMILY OR THEY DON'T HAVE A FAMILY.

UM, BUT THEN WHEN THEY'RE ON DUTY, UH, WE WORK REALLY HARD WITH, UH, CHIEF HOPKINS WAS REFERENCING OUR CONTROLLER POSITION, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME, UM, SOME PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR US THAT MONITOR THOSE UNITS, TIME ON TASK.

UM, AND WE DEFINE TASK VERY, VERY, VERY BROADLY.

UM, SO THAT IF YOU'VE WORKED FOR, IF, IF YOUR TIME ON TASK HAS BEEN EIGHT HOURS THAT WE WORK EXTREMELY HARD TO GET YOU SOME LEVEL OF BREAK, OUR GOAL IN THE ORGANIZATION IS TO NOT HAVE MANY UNITS GETTING TO THAT EIGHT HOURS OF TIME ON TASK BEFORE THEY NEED A BREAK.

UM, BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE SOFTWARE TO WHERE ON THESE BUSY DAYS, THE SOFTWARE HELPS US FLAG IT.

UM, AND IT REDUCES THE, UH, COGNITIVE, IT KIND OF COGNITIVELY OFFLOADS, UH, FOR OUR CONTROLLERS AND OUR COMMANDERS AND OUR COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL, UM, TRACKING THAT.

AND WE CAN JUST REFER TO THE DASHBOARD AND THEN DEVELOP A WORKABLE PLAN.

AND WITHIN THAT CON, UM, SOFTWARE, IT CLASSIFIES THE WORK EVEN FURTHER OF, UM, DID YOU RESPOND TO A CALL? DID YOU MAKE IT ON SCENE? IF YOU MADE IT ON SCENE, YOU LIKELY HAVE SOME PAPERWORK THAT YOU NEED TO DO, WHICH IS MORE WORK THAN JUST RESPONDING AND GETTING CANCELED.

UM, AND THEN IF YOU TOOK SOMEBODY TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU WERE NOT ONLY DOING ALL THE PAPERWORK ASSOCIATED WITH IT, BUT YOU WERE LIFTING AND CARRYING AND MOVING AND NEED TO RESTOCK AND GET BACK TO YOUR STATION.

SO IT'S, IT'S RELATIVELY, UH, SOPHISTICATED IN HOW IT BREAKS DOWN WORK FOR US.

AND CHIEF HOPKINS, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE OTHERS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD.

YEAH, I THINK AS WE TALK ABOUT KIND OF ELEGANT SOLUTIONS, THIS FIND YOUR OWN COVERAGE IS HELPFUL BECAUSE YOU THINK ABOUT THE MEDICS ON THE AMBULANCE JUST COVERING THEMSELVES, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT FOLKS THAT'S A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC, OR YOU'RE TEACHING THE ACADEMY AND THE ACADEMY'S JUST GRADUATED AND YOU WANTED TO PICK UP A SHIFT IN THE FIELD, WHICH OFTENTIMES THEY DO, IT ALLOWS THAT FIELD PERSON TO KIND OF GET THAT REST.

AND THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO KIND OF COME OUTTA YOUR ADMIN ROLE AND INTO THE FIELD, WHICH OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, IN MEDICINE ALSO JUST HELPS YOU STAY KIND OF ON THE FOREFRONT OF, OF KIND OF THAT AMBULANCE SHIFT LOOKS LIKE.

HAVE YOU GUYS EVER LOOKED AT TRACKING ANY QUALITY METRICS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT, UH, FOLKS ARE WORKING TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY INCREASE IN ERRORS AND WHATNOT ON THE TRACKABLE METRICS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE? YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT FROM KIND OF AN ERROR STANDPOINT, BUT WE DO LOOK AT, WE HAVE LOOKED AT BEFORE, JUST THE NUMBER OF CUMULATIVE SHIFTS.

AND IT'S ONE THING TO WORK A 24 HOUR SHIFT WHERE YOU MIGHT BE BUSY AND WE DON'T WANT YOU GOING HOME OFF THAT SHIFT, WALKING LIKE A ZOMBIE.

UH, BUT THEN ALSO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, JUST HOW MANY TIMES YOU'VE WORKED CONSECUTIVELY DAYS LIKE THAT.

AND WE DO KIND OF MONITOR THAT.

UM, AND MU MUCH TO YOUR POINT, UM, OVERTIME IS KIND OF CYCLICAL.

YOU MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH A LIFE EVENT WHERE YOU WANT TO PICK UP OVERTIME.

SO WE DO KIND OF MONITOR THAT WITH OUR SHIFT CHIEFS BY SHIFT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR EMS? ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU CHIEF PARKER AND CHIEF HOPKINS.

IN THE MORNING UNTIL THREE 30 IN THE AFTERNOON.

ALRIGHT, WELL FOR A PD UH, A TYPICAL PATROL SHIFT, SO WE'VE GOT NINE GEOGRAPHIC SECTORS, UH, WITHIN THE CITY.

UH, THERE ARE SIX PATROL SHIFTS WITHIN EACH SECTOR.

TWO DAYS, TWO EVENINGS, TWO NIGHTS.

UH, GEORGE HAS A COUPLE OF EXTRA EVENING SHIFTS TO MAKE UP FOR THAT, UH, INFLUX, UH, IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT DURING THOSE BUSIER HOURS.

UH, THOSE ARE 10 HOUR SHIFTS DAYS TYPICALLY RUNS FROM FIVE 30

[01:25:01]

EVENINGS IS 2:00 PM TO MIDNIGHT, AND NIGHTS IS TYPICALLY 9:00 PM TO SEVEN A OFFERS US A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP, UH, DURING THOSE TRANSITION TIMES AND BUSIER TIMES.

UH, IN TERMS OF CONSECUTIVE SHIFTS AND HOW MUCH, UH, STAFF IS ALLOWED TO WORK NO MORE THAN 16 HOURS IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD AND NO MORE THAN 76 HOURS TOTAL WITHIN A WORK WEEK.

UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION, UH, THAT WAS POSED AS TO HOW MANY CONSECUTIVE SHIFTS ARE WORKED ON AVERAGE.

UM, WE DO HAVE DATA LIMITATIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN PULL OUT OF, UH, UKG, THE TIMEKEEPING SOFTWARE.

IT WOULD ONLY LET US PULL THE PROCEEDING TWO MONTHS OF SHIFTS FOR SWORN.

AND GIVEN THAT DATA, WE WERE ABLE TO CALCULATE THAT THE AVERAGE CONSECUTIVE SHIFTS WORKED IS 4.33.

AND AND I THINK THAT THAT REALLY DOESN'T TELL US A WHOLE LOT WITH THAT LIMITED DATA SET BECAUSE IT ALSO DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T WORK ANY.

AND THEN THOSE PEOPLE THAT WORK, UM, A LOT MORE MAKING UP FOR THAT, THAT 4.33.

UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF SWORN IS GETTING OVERTIME PAY BECAUSE THEY ARE EXCEEDING THEIR REGULAR HOURS.

UH, YEAR TO DATE, THAT'S, UH, 90% OF OUR SWORN HAVE WORKED AT LEAST SOME LEVEL OF OVERTIME EXCEEDING THEIR REGULAR HOURS.

UH, SHIFTS ARE ASSIGNED, INITIALLY YOUR ASSIGNMENT COMES OUT OF THE ACADEMY BASED ON NEED.

SO WHEN WE SAW THAT SLIDE DURING MY PRESENTATION EARLIER THAT SHOWED THE, THE BLUE WAS THE NUMBER OF STAFFING ON EACH ONE OF THOSE SHIFTS.

SO IF WE, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER GOING BACK TO THAT HENRY SECTOR HAD THE HIGHEST TOTAL AT LIKE 80%, UH, STAFFING.

SO THEY WOULD GET LESS PEOPLE COMING OUT OF THIS NEXT ACADEMY CLASS.

AND WE WOULD MAKE THOSE NUMBERS BASED, UH, THOSE INITIAL ASSIGNMENTS BASED ON NEED COMING OUT OF THE ACADEMY, UH, AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

WE'LL KIND OF MAKE THOSE, THOSE LEVELING ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.

AND THEN TRANSFER BETWEEN PATROL SHIFTS ARE TYPICALLY POSTED.

UH, BUT WE DO GIVE THE COMMANDERS, UH, THE AVAILABILITY TO MAKE MOVES WITHIN THEIR, THEIR OWN COMMANDS TO A LESSER EXTENT, UH, IF THEY'RE NEEDING ADDITIONAL, IF THEY'VE GOT, UH, IF THEY'VE HAD PEOPLE PROMOTE OUT LEAVING VACANCIES ON A PARTICULAR SHIFT.

AND IF THEY'VE GOT, UM, MORE ON A PARTICULAR SHIFT ON EVENINGS AND THEY COULD MOVE THAT TO A NIGHT SHIFT WHERE THERE, WHERE THERE WAS A, A SHORTAGE.

BUT, UH, LIKE I SAID, INITIALLY, THOSE ASSIGNMENTS ARE GONNA BE MADE OUT OF THE ACADEMY, UH, BASED ON NEED.

UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN SHIFT ASSIGNMENT AND AVAILABILITY BASED ON RANK? UH, AT THE PATROL LEVEL, WE HAVE OFFICERS, CORPORALS AND SERGEANTS ON EVERY SINGLE SHIFT.

A TYPICAL SHIFT WOULD BE MADE UP OF 10 TO 12 PATROL OFFICERS, ONE CORPORAL, ONE SERGEANT, AND THERE'S TWO OF THOSE FOR DAY SHIFT.

TWO FOR EVENINGS, TWO FOR NIGHTS.

AND THERE IS ONE LIEUTENANT FOR TWO DAY SHIFTS, ONE LIEUTENANT FOR TWO NIGHT SHIFTS, AND ONE LIEUTENANT FOR TWO EVENING SHIFTS.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, THAT I DIDN'T COVER WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE INITIAL SHIFT ALLOTMENT AND, AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE 10 HOURS, UH, OUR OFFICERS ON PATROL WORK, UH, FOUR ON THREE OFF.

THEY ROTATE DAYS OFF EVERY 28 DAYS, GIVING YOU WEEKENDS OFF EVERY OTHER MONTH.

SO, AND OUR SHIFTS ARE NUMBERED ONE THROUGH SIX.

SO ONE AND TWO ARE DAYS THREE AND FOUR EVENINGS, UH, FIVE AND SIX NIGHTS.

I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY SIX OR SEVEN.

BUT, UH, 'CAUSE WE USED TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL EVENING SHIFT, UH, THAT WE NO TWO ADDITIONAL EVENING SHIFTS THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE, BUT ONE'S WILL BE OFF ON WEEKENDS THIS MONTH AND THE NEXT MONTH, UH, TWOS WILL BE OFF.

SO IT, UH, IT ALLOWS OUR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE A THREE DAY WEEKEND ON THE ACTUAL WEEKEND, EVERY OTHER OTHER MONTH.

AND THAT'S, UH, WE, WE DIDN'T DO THAT, UH, YEARS AGO ON EVENING SHIFT.

WE HAD THREE EVENING SHIFTS AND, UH, WE CHANGED IT TO AN EVEN NUMBER OF EVENING SHIFTS, UH, SO THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING WEEKENDS OFF EVERY THIRD MONTH, YOU GOT THEM OFF EVERY OTHER MONTH.

AND, UH, THAT WAS DEFINITELY A POPULAR, UH, MOVE, UH, WITH EVERYONE.

UH, OVERTIME FOR US, UH, UNLIKE OUR, OUR COUNTERPARTS WITH, UH, WITH STRANGE NUMBERS, OURS IS THE, UH, THE STANDARD, UH, 40

[01:30:01]

HOUR, 40 HOUR WORK WEEK.

AND WE PAY, WE PAY OVER FOR, UH, FOR 40 HOURS.

UH, WE PAY OVERTIME FOR THAT.

UH, THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT OTHER INSTANCES.

WHEN OVERTIME PAY RATES ARE BEING USED OUTSIDE OF, IN EXCESS OF 40 HOURS.

FOR US, THAT'S A CONTRACTUAL ISSUE.

UH, WE PAY OVERTIME FOR COURT AND WE PAY OVERTIME FOR CALLBACK.

SO LET'S SAY YOU'RE A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE AND YOU ARE CALLED BACK FOR A HOMICIDE.

UH, WE PAY FOR THAT.

UH, CALLBACK IS PAID, UH, AT A MINIMUM OF THREE HOURS.

SO IF FOR SOME REASON, AND HOMICIDE'S A REALLY BAD EXAMPLE 'CAUSE THOSE FOLKS ARE NEVER GONNA BE DONE IN LESS THAN THREE HOURS.

BUT IF YOU WERE TO GET CALLED BACK FOR SOMETHING THAT TOOK AN HOUR, CONTRACTUALLY, THAT PAYS FOR THREE.

IF IT TAKES OVER THREE HOURS, IT PAYS HOUR FOR HOUR FOR THE ACTUAL WORK, UH, THAT WAS DONE.

UM, A QUESTION ABOUT PTO USE.

UH, THE DIRECT QUESTION WAS PAYOUT VERSUS USE AND THE RESTRICTION AND RULES AROUND IT.

UH, JUST LISTENING TO THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED OF EVERYONE ELSE.

UH, WE, WE LIMIT TWO PEOPLE OFF PER SHIFT AT A TIME.

UH, WE, WE TRY TO, WE TRY TO DO THAT.

SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN, PEOPLE CALL IN SICK.

UH, WE DEAL WITH THAT.

OUR SHIFTS, WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE OUR STAFFING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT SO THAT IT DOESN'T DRIVE OVERTIME.

BUT, UH, WITH THE STAFFING, WITH NOT HAVING, WITH HAVING 300 VACANCIES AND ALL OF THOSE VACANCIES BEING CARRIED ON PATROL, UH, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN, UH, TIME OFF SICK LEAVE, UH, THAT TYPE OF LEAVE ENDS UP, UH, CAUSING US A NEED FOR OVERTIME.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE HIRE TO A HUNDRED PERCENT BASED ON, UH, INCIDENTS THAT ARE GOING ON, IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, LARGE PROTESTS, IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S LARGE WEATHER EVENTS, IF THERE'S, UH, BIG ISSUES THAT WE CAN PLAN FOR, UH, WE WILL STAFF FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT.

THAT'S WHERE YOU WILL SEE, UM, OUR, OUR OVERTIME NUMBERS AND OUR DRIVERS ARE ON PATROL ARE, ARE CENTERED AROUND THAT.

UH, IN TERMS OF PAYOUT, UH, THOSE ARE ALL CONTRACTUAL ISSUES AND CITY RULES, UH, SURROUNDING HOW MUCH, UH, LEAVE BALANCES CAN BE CARRIED, HOW MUCH CAN BE ACCRUED, AND WHAT THOSE PAYOUTS, UH, ARE UPON SEPARATION.

A LOT OF THAT SURROUNDS, UH, THAT, LIKE I SAID, JUST CONTRACTUAL RULES THAT WE HAVE.

UH, THE NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, THAT YOU HAVE ON THE NUMBER, THE AMOUNT OF SICK LEAVE THAT YOU USE IN TERMS OF SICK LEAVE, UH, BUYBACK UPON, UH, SEPARATION, UH, FROM THE DEPARTMENT TYPICALLY AT RETIREMENT.

SO I THINK I HIT ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE, UH, INITIALLY PROPOSED OR POSED IN THE EMAIL, BUT, UH, I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHERS.

COMMISSIONER RUTAN, I THINK HERE'S A SIMILAR QUESTION TO WHAT, UM, I ASKED REGARDING ON THE EMS SIDE.

DO YOU GUYS TRACK ANYTHING IN TERMS OF QUALITY METRICS OR COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT CONNECTED WITH, UM, OVER TIME SHIFT FOR, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S WELL-DOCUMENTED ISSUES WITH COMPASSION FATIGUE AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT HAPPEN WITH PROLONGED TIME.

DO YOU GUYS DO ANY KIND OF TRACKING TO TRY TO MODIFY, UM, ANY SHIFT REQUIREMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? WE, WE HAVEN'T.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IS, UH, AN EARLY INTERVENTION SYSTEM TRYING TO GET BACK.

AT ONE POINT WE DID HAVE AN EARLY INTERVENTION SYSTEM.

WE'VE BEEN OUT OF THAT SOFTWARE AND BEEN TRYING TO GET BACK INTO THAT, UH, FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS US TO TAKE A LOOK AT ARE THERE UNDERLYING ISSUES.

BUT WE DO RECOGNIZE, UH, I THINK THERE'VE BEEN NUMEROUS STUDIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, THAT TALK ABOUT THE LACK OF SLEEP TO TALK ABOUT PERFORMANCE, THAT TALK ABOUT THOSE ITEMS. THAT'S WHY YOU SEE, UM, WE HAVE 10 HOUR SHIFTS AND WE, WITH WITHOUT SUPERVISOR APPROVAL, AND THERE'S GOTTA BE, THERE'S GOTTA BE A REALLY GOOD REASON THAT SOMEBODY GOES OVER 16 HOURS.

SO IT'S, IT'S ESTABLISHING, YOU KNOW, NO LESS THAN AN AN EIGHT HOUR BREAK IN BETWEEN AND BETWEEN SHIFTS.

BUT, UH, BUT HOPEFULLY A WHOLE LOT MORE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S CRITICAL AND WE TRY TO MAKE THOSE REDUCTIONS AND LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF HOURS OUR EMPLOYEES CAN WORK.

ARE YOU GUYS, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS DESCRIBED WITH THE EMS SYSTEM WITH LIKE THE MONITORING ACTIVITY INTENSITY OR THAT KIND OF THING, LIKE AUTOMATICALLY OR NO, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THE SOFTWARE THAT, UH, THAT CAPTURES THAT.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OF, OF INTEREST IF IT WAS AVAILABLE? IS THAT A, A ASK THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY SUPPORT IF YOU THINK IT'D BE USEFUL? WELL, I'M, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY, UH, AN EARLY INTERVENTION SYSTEM AND I THINK THAT, SO IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO FIND SOMETHING THAT TIES INTO YOUR TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM, RIGHT? YOUR, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT LOOKS AT CRASHES, THAT LOOKS

[01:35:01]

AT COMPLAINTS, THAT LOOKS AT ALL OF THOSE METRICS THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, UH, ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE THAT WE'RE GETTING.

AND IS THERE A CORRELATION THAT WE COULD THEN SEE AT THAT POINT BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF HOURS WORKED THIS INDIVIDUAL WORKS IN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF OVERTIME, HAS AN EX HAS, YOU KNOW, MORE CRASHES OR MORE COMPLAINTS, UH, THAN THEIR PEERS.

SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY, UH, SUPPORT, UH, THAT TYPE OF ITEM.

'CAUSE WE WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT A GOOD ONE.

19 DAY CYCLE, THAT REDUCES THEIR TIME AND A HALF SO THEY WON'T GET THE OVERTIME.

THANKS, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ ACTUALLY WANTED TO DO A LITTLE QUICK ROUND ROBIN OF A, WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS OF A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS, WHICH IS, DO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ALLOW FOR PTO ACCRUAL YEAR OVER YEAR? I CAN START ON THIS ONE.

UM, WE DO TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

WE ALL, WE HAVE, UH, NEGOTIATED BY CONTRACT.

WE HAVE EXCEPTION VACATION, WHICH IS, WHICH IS OUR EQUIVALENT OF HOLIDAYS BECAUSE OUR, OUR PERSONNEL ARE WORKING HOLIDAYS.

SO WE GET, UH, THE, THE, UH, EQUIVALENT OF, OF, UH, OF THAT WE HAVE REGULAR VACATION AND WE HAVE SICK LEAVE THE, IT DOES ACCRUE, BUT OUR EXCEPTION VACATION AND OUR REGULAR VACATION, IT DOES CAP.

SO THERE IS A LIMIT THAT YOU CAN'T GO OVER.

AND SO THAT ONE KIND OF IS USED OR LOSE IT AT A CERTAIN POINT.

UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE PERSONAL HOLIDAYS, UM, A A DAY AND A HALF OF PERSONAL HOLIDAY THAT GETS ADDED TO OUR BANKS EVERY YEAR AND THAT'S USE IT OR LOSE IT, THAT DOESN'T CARRY OVER THE SICK LEAVE IS, IS THE ONE LEAVE TYPE THAT WE HAVE THAT ACCRUES AND UM, AND, AND DOES NOT HAVE A CAP FOR EMS. UM, WE HAVE SIMILAR TO AUSTIN FIRE, UH, WHAT WE CALL PERSONAL HOLIDAY, THAT IS USE IT OR LOSE IT WITHIN THAT CALENDAR YEAR.

UM, THEN WE HAVE EXCEPTION VACATION, UM, AND REGULAR VACATION THAT ARE CAPPED.

UH, MEANING IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU NO LONGER ACCRUE IT, HOWEVER, YOU DO NOT LOSE IT, UM, AT ANY POINT.

UM, AND THEN WE DO ALSO HAVE SICK LEAVE THAT IS, UH, SIMPLY ACCRUED AND DOES NOT HAVE A CAP.

UM, AND WE BY CONTRACT, OURS IS ALSO MANAGED BY OUR CONTRACT.

AND, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN OUR CONTRACT IN WHICH WE HAVE A LEAVE BUYBACK PROGRAM THAT'S CA AT, UH, CASH VALUE, UH, DISTRIBUTION.

OURS IS THE SAME.

UM, AGAIN, I'M A HUGE FAN OF PTO AND PEOPLE USING THEIR PTO , UM, TO GET REST.

AND I KNOW THAT THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOVERNED BY CONTRACTS.

UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE US TO REALLY START HAVING, UM, MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PTO BUYBACKS, LARGE PAYOUTS AT THE END OF, YOU KNOW, UM, CAREERS.

UM, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH REST TIME, UM, OUR SWORN STAFF IS PASSING ON.

UM, AS WE, AS WE, AS WE TALK ABOUT WORK STRESS AND AS WE TALK ABOUT, UM, OVER TIME.

UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION FOR ALL, ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS IS, DO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ALLOW FOR PTO STACKING ON REGULAR HOURS SO THAT YOU CAN GET OVERTIME HOURS FOR EVERYBODY THAT ISN'T FOLLOWING? LIKE, CAN I TAKE WORK TWO DAYS, TAKE THREE DAYS, PTO, AND THEN HAVE THAT SIX DAY BE OVERTIME? UM, I CAN START WITH US.

UM, EVERYTHING, IT IS KIND OF INDEPENDENT.

WE, UH, THE, THE SPOTS THAT, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO PUT IN FOR OVERTIME, UM, PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP ON AN OVERTIME LIST AND IF WE HAVE ENOUGH VACANCIES, THEY'LL GET SELECTED AND THEY'LL GET SELECTED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY HAD VACATION SCHEDULED OR TOOK A ANOTHER SHIFT OF PTO.

UM, IT, IT DOESN'T KIND OF, IT DOESN'T, THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE VACATION OR OTHER TYPE OF LEAVE SCHEDULED DOESN'T FAVOR THEM ANYWAY IN GETTING SELECTED FOR OVERTIME.

THE VACANCIES ARE WHAT THEY ARE ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.

UM, AND WE DO HAVE, UH, A SCENARIO WHERE LIKE IF, UM, IF SOMEONE SIGNS UP FOR OVERTIME, THE WAY OUR CYCLES WORK WITHIN A 19 DAY CYCLE, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S CURRENT CURRENTLY WHERE WE ARE, IF SOMEONE WORKS OVERTIME IN THE 19 DAY CYCLE, BUT THEY ALSO TAKE VACATION OR THEY TAKE SICK LEAVE IN THAT SAME

[01:40:01]

SO IF THEY, IT HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT, IF THEY TRY AND DO THE STACKING, WHICH, WHICH YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THAT'S, UH, IT WILL TAKE THE TIME AND A HALF AWAY.

UH, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE SWORN FORCE IS GETTING OVERTIME PAY BECAUSE THEY'RE EXCEEDING THEIR REGULAR HOURS FOR A SHIFT WORK PERSONNEL? IT'S ABOUT 95%.

OURS IS, UM, EMS FOR EMS, IT IS BASED ON THE TYPE OF BENEFIT TIME YOU UTILIZE.

SO THERE ARE SOME DAYS WHERE IT WOULD COUNT, UH, IT'S CALLED, WE CALL IT PRODUCTIVE HOURS OF BENEFIT TIME, AND THEN THERE'S NON-PRODUCTIVE HOURS.

UH, SO IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF BENEFIT TIME YOU CHOOSE TO USE.

THE SHORT ANSWER FOR US IS YES, IT JUST TO THE SAME AS EMS. IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF LEAVE YOU USE AND WHETHER THAT LEAVE IS DEEMED PRODUCTIVE OR NOT.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT EX THAT SITUATION EXISTS FOR, FOR AUSTIN FIRE AS WELL.

WE HAVE THE PRODUCTIVE VERSUS THE NON-PRODUCTIVE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR INDULGING ALL MY QUESTIONS.

, THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER WE CAN MOVE ON TO.

UM, FIRE.

THANK YOU CHIEF ROGERS CURRENT STATE QUESTIONS.

OH, JUST THE, THE, THE QUESTIONS ON, AND, AND THESE ARE THE, THE, THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT, UH, WERE ASKED AND, UM, I HIT ON A COUPLE OF THEM DURING THE PRESENTATION, THE NEW SCHEDULE, BUT I'LL JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THE LIST AND THEN WE CAN, UM, UH, ASK ANY MORE.

SO OUR, OUR STANDARD WORK SHIFT IS 24 HOURS.

AND HOW MANY CONSECUTIVE SHIFTS ARE STAFF ALLOWED TO WORK? UM, WE HAVE A, A MAC, WE HAVE A CAP AT 72, AND THAT'S IN A VERY RARE CIRCUMSTANCE.

SO WE, WE, WE DO ALLOW 40 EIGHTS.

40 EIGHTS ARE, ARE VERY COMMON.

UH, WE DO HAVE A CIRCUMSTANCE IN WHICH WE ARE IN A, A MANDATORY STATUS WHERE WE WOULD ALLOW SOMEONE TO WORK 72 AND THAT WOULD BE VERY, IT HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR.

IT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, BUT SINCE THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT IS THE MAX THAT WE KIND OF HAVE, UH, HOW MANY CONSECUTIVE SHIFTS ARE WORKED ON AVERAGE? SO FOR US ON, ON A WEEKDAY, I'D SAY MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, I'LL CONSIDER THOSE WEEKDAYS I HAVE, UH, ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 30 PEOPLE WORKING OUTSIDE OF THEIR REGULAR HOURS.

THEY'RE WORKING EXTRA SHIFTS AND, UH, EVERY DAY IN, IN AUSTIN FIRE, BECAUSE OF OUR FOUR PERSON MINIMUM STAFFING, WE HAVE TO HAVE 278 PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP TO WORK.

WE HAVE TO HAVE 278 PEOPLE STAFFED ON TRUCKS.

SO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, UM, 15 TO 30 PEOPLE, I KNOW IT'S A BIG RANGE, BUT JUST, UH, FROM, FROM DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON, PTO WHATNOT AND, UH, WORKING OUTSIDE OF THEIR REGULAR HOURS ON, ON THE WEEKENDS, UH, WE CAN EXPECT TO MOSTLY DOUBLE THAT.

SO THAT'S, UH, ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO UH, 30 TO 50 SOMETIMES 60 PERSONNEL THAT ARE WORKING OUTSIDE OF THEIR, WORKING THEIR NORMAL HOURS AND ARE WORKING, UM, OVERTIME.

HOW ARE OUR SHIFT ASSIGNED? SO OUTTA THE ACADEMY, A PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTER GOES TO A BATTALION, WHICH IS A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF THE CITY.

THEY SPEND SIX MONTHS ROTATING AROUND A FEW STATIONS AND, UH, AFTER THE SIX MONTH AFTER THEY, THEY PASS THEIR TEST AND WE FIND THEM, UH, WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL A FOREVER HOME FOR OUR PROBIES.

AND THEN THEY GO TO WORK AT A STATION.

AND THEN OUR SHIFT COMMANDERS KIND OF MANAGE ALL THREE SHIFTS, KEEPING THE NUMBERS EVEN SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT WE'RE HAVING TO, TO COVER ON ANY PARTICULAR SHIFT.

UM, DIFFERENCES IN SHIFT ASSIGNMENTS AND AVAILABILITY BASED ON RANK? UH, YES, JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE FEWER SPOTS FOR OUR OFFICERS, OUR LIEUTENANTS AND CAPTAINS THAN THERE ARE FOR FIREFIGHTERS.

'CAUSE EVERY TRUCK HAS THREE FIREFIGHTERS ASSIGNED AND THEN THERE'S ONLY ONE OFFICER AND, UH, ONE DRIVER ASSIGNED.

SO JUST THE HIGHER UP YOU GO THE LESS AVAILABILITY.

THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN RANK OR ASSIGNMENTS FROM ONE SHIFT TO ANOTHER.

UH, WHEN DOES OVERTIME PAY THE TIME AND A HALF KICK IN? SO ONCE A FIREFIGHTER EXCEEDS 144 HOURS IN A 19 DAY CYCLE, THAT'S WHEN THEY GET OVERTIME.

BUT THEN AGAIN, IF WITHIN THAT 19 DAY CYCLE, IF THEY TAKE SICK LEAVE OR IF THEY TAKE VACATION, THEN THAT IS CONSIDERED NON-PRODUCTIVE AND THEN THAT REDUCES THAT THE AMOUNT THEY TAKE OVER CORRELATES TO THE AMOUNT OF, OF TIME AND A HALF THAT THEY GET REDUCED.

UM, AND, UH, A FD DOES NOT HAVE DOUBLE TIME.

WE HAVE TIME AND A HALF, BUT WE DON'T HAVE DOUBLE TIME.

ARE THERE OTHER INSTANCES WHEN OVERTIME PAY RATES ARE BEING USED OUTSIDE OF, IN EXCESS OF, OF HOW, HOWEVER MANY HOURS? WITH US, NOT REALLY, BECAUSE ANYTIME WE'RE PAYING OVERTIME, IT'S BECAUSE OF VACANCY EXISTS AND IT'S WITHIN THE, THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 1 44 HOURS IN THE 19 DAY CYCLE.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE WILL UP STAFF IF WE HAVE A WILDFIRE, HIGH WILDFIRE RED FLAG DAY, IF WE HAVE FLOODING EVENTS, IF WE HAVE ICE WEATHER, IF WE HAVE OTHER THINGS GOING ON, WE WILL UP STAFF.

BUT AGAIN, THOSE PERSONNEL, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE UPST STAFFED, THEIR THEIR TIME AND A HALF DEPENDS ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY'VE, THEY'VE TAKEN ON PRODUCTIVE TIME IN THAT 1 44 HOURS SO THAT THAT EXTRA TIME THEY WORK, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TIME AND A HALF, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

[01:45:01]

AND THEN, UH, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PTO USE, UM, PER DEPARTMENT.

I THINK WE'VE ANSWERED THAT, BUT IF THERE'S ANY CLARIFICATIONS THAT CAN BE MADE, I'M HAPPY TO, UH, TO, TO ANSWER ANY MORE ON THAT.

BUT I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD, UM, THAT WERE PROVIDED.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHERS.

THANK YOU, CHIEF, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

IF NO ONE ELSE THEN APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR OH YEAH, GO AHEAD.

JUST ONE GENERAL COMMENT.

I THINK THAT, UM, JUST SO WE'RE ON THE RECORD, AND I THINK IT'S OFTEN UNDER RECOGNIZED JUST HOW, UH, MUCH OF A SACRIFICE SHIFT WORK IS AND WORKING 24 7 FOR EMERGENCY WORKERS.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS A KNOWN CARDIOVASCULAR RESPECT OR IT'S CHALLENGING ON FAMILIES.

UM, IT IS, UH, VERY HARD AND IT'S A HUGE SACRIFICE AND UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT KEEPS OUR CITY AND EVERYBODY ABLE TO BE SAFE.

AND I THINK FINDING SCHEDULES THAT, UM, IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS IMPORTANT, BUT NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THOSE, UH, SACRIFICES AND THINGS WE CAN DO TOWARDS MAKING SURE WE'RE FULLY STAFFED.

PEOPLE CAN HAVE THAT TIME OFF BEING ABLE TO LOWER MAXIMUMS TO 60 HOURS AT A, AT A MAX WEEK AND THINGS OF THAT ARE, ARE BENEFICIAL FOR, UH, INDIVIDUALS AND, AND FAMILIES IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S, WHO'S OUT DOING WORK AND WORKING NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS AND ALL THE OTHER TIMES.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TAN.

I THINK WE ALL ECHO THAT STATEMENT AND WE'RE, UM, JUST IN DEEP GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR EVERYTHING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS DO FOR US IN THE CITY.

UM, MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UH, THERE'S A, UH, RECOMMENDATION HERE ON THE AGENDA THAT I THINK WE'RE GONNA PUSH, UH, TO NOVEMBER.

[5. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding public safety surveillance technology and data sharing. ]

WE'RE STILL TINKERING WITH IT AND, AND REFINING IT SO THERE'S NO, UM, OBJECTIONS.

WE CAN PUSH THAT A MONTH.

AND THE NEXT ACTION ITEM IS APPROVING THE 20 20 20 27 ANNUAL SCHEDULE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.

EXCELLENT.

[6. Approve the 2027 annual schedule of the Public Safety Commission. ]

UM, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE SCHEDULE IN YOUR, UM, EMAIL OR IF YOU'RE IN PERSON, THERE'S ONE UP HERE AT THE FRONT.

UM, THE ONLY UH, ISSUE THAT I NOTICED IS THAT SEPTEMBER 6TH IS LABOR DAY.

SO WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA MEET THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY, I BELIEVE, AND MORE THAN LIKELY AT THE PERMITTING CENTER.

YES, SIR.

AND JULY 5TH IS ALSO THE RECOGNIZED HOLIDAY FOR THE 4TH OF JULY.

YEAH, I WAS, I WAS GONNA SAY THE SAME THING.

JULY 5TH IS ACTUALLY THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY.

FOR, 'CAUSE JULY 4TH IS A SUNDAY, SO THEN WE MAY NEED SOME ADJUSTMENT THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, UM, JULY, FIND THE SECOND DAY NAME, THE SECOND DAYS.

SO FOR JULY.

FOR JULY.

I, ONE SECOND.

WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT JULY 12TH, THEN IT'S THE SECOND MONDAY, OR WE HAVE DONE THE PERMITTING CENTER ON THAT TUESDAY.

DO WE WANT TO YEAH, STICK WITH THAT OR DO THE MONDAY? I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S EASIER FOR OKAY.

STAFF.

WE DO THE JULY THE SIXTH OR THE FOLLOWING.

I DON'T KNOW IF HOW IN THE FU LIKE IN THE PAST WE'VE VOTED ON CHANGING DAYS OR LIKE MOVING THEM.

WE CAN, WE CAN SAY JULY 6TH FOR NOW.

UM, WE'LL REDISTRIBUTE AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT'S AVAILABLE AS WELL.

'CAUSE THAT'S WILL BE THE NEXT PHASE TWO.

ONCE THESE DATES ARE, UM, APPROVED IS GONNA BE CHECKING THE ROOM AVAILABILITY AND TIME AVAILABILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, THESE JUST NEED TO BE FINALIZED.

SORRY.

OH NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT NORMALLY BUMPING IT TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK OF THE JULY 12TH JUST REALLY DOESN'T LEAVE MUCH PLANNING TIME FOR THE SUBSEQUENT MEETING.

UNDERSTOOD.

SOUNDS GOOD.

DO, DO WE NEED TO OFFICIALLY AMEND AND APPROVE FOR NOW OR? YEAH, I THINK SO.

UM, FOR THE JULY, BUT THEN ALSO SEPTEMBER, WE CAN DO THAT IN ONE, UM, SWEEP HERE.

SO FOR INSTEAD OF SEPTEMBER 6TH, UM, I ASSUME THE SEVENTH.

THE SEVENTH, MM-HMM .

HERE.

SO, SO YOU CAN JUST STATE THOSE TWO CHANGES AND THEN KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE.

SO THERE'S THE OTHER DISCUSSION.

MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, AMEND THE SCHEDULE AND APPROVE THE AMENDED ONE.

AND SO THE MOTION IS JULY 6TH, JULY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, JULY 6TH AND SEPTEMBER 7TH.

THANKS.

SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? OR DID WE HAVE A SECOND? I'M SORRY.

HE SECOND.

DID SOMEONE DROP OFF? UM, YES.

ALL IN FAVOR? MM-HMM .

ALRIGHT.

LOOKS UNANIMOUS.

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]

[01:50:03]

UH, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT DID OKAY LOOK LIKE.

THANKS.

OKAY, THANKS Y'ALL.

UM, FUTURE DINNER ITEMS FOR NEXT MONTH.

WE HAVE A FD THE QUARTERLY REPORT, THE C-S-C-R-M BIANNUAL DATA SHARE.

UM, SO THAT'S ON THE DOCKET FOR NOVEMBER.

I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT TOMORROW'S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.

I HEARD CHIEF HOPKINS IS GONNA HAVE LIKE WARDROBE CHANGES TO, SO WHEREVER YOU FIND THEM PLEASE, I WISH I COULD SEE THEM, BUT, UM, YEAH.

AND I CHALLENGE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO LIKE, UM, GO MEET A NEIGHBOR AND, AND, AND JUST ONE THAT YOU DON'T MAYBE GET ALONG WITH.

UH, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS INSTANCE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD EARLIER THIS MONTH OR IN SEPTEMBER WAS THAT OLD TEXT GROUPS GOT REINVIGORATED, NEW TEXT GROUPS WERE MADE.

AND I THINK THAT'S HOW WE CAN PREVENT NOT ONLY THESE ONE-OFF TRAGEDIES, BUT JUST SMALL THINGS LIKE, HEY, YOU'VE GOT SOME MILK OR EGGS I CAN BORROW.

I DON'T KNOW, BUT I, I CHALLENGE EVERYONE HERE IN WATCHING JUST A CHICKEN NEIGHBOR'S HAND AND MAYBE ONE YOU DON'T AGREE WITH, WE'RE DIVIDED LIKE EXTREMELY.

UM, AND, AND IT ALL JUST TAKES LIKE A, IT JUST TAKES A SIMPLE LIKE, HEY BER HOW YOU DOING TO, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

ANYTHING FROM THE COMMISSION VICE CHAIR.

I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A VERBAL SECOND FOR COMMISSIONER SMITH'S REQUEST FROM, IF IT WASN'T LAST MEETING, IT WAS THE MEETING BEFORE TO FIND A POLICY ANGLE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR MOST RECENT EVENTS AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO, TO LIKE WRANGLE SOME POLICY ITEMS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WITH REGARDS TO THOSE EVENTS.

I KNOW WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUAL AND INDIVIDUAL SPECIFICS, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE POLICY THREADS THAT I THINK WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON AS A COMMISSION.

YES.

AND COMMISSIONER SMITH SENT ME HER, UM, UH, WHAT SHE BROUGHT UP AND I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO DISTILL THAT TO MAKE IT MORE, UM, LIKE MOVE, REMOVE ALL THE DETAILS BUT MAKE IT, UH, TO WHAT COMMISSIONER VICE CHAIR, UM, HAS MENTIONED AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER SMITH.

CHIEF ROGERS, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? I JUST HAD ONE GO BACK.

CHELSEA SHOULD BE SENDING OUT TO EVERYONE AN EMAILED LINK TO THE, UH, CADET DASHBOARD THAT HAS ALL OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND IF THE LINK DOESN'T WORK, IF Y'ALL WOULD LET ME KNOW AND I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET, UH, A GOOD LINK.