Item 10: Draft Recommendation — original pdf

Backup

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RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission Recommendation Number: 20260309-010: Safe and Proud Austin Entertainment Corridor Life Safety Pilot Package WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ establishments and entertainment venues have been repeatedly targeted in acts of mass violence across the United States, including the 2016 attack at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which resulted in 49 fatalities, and the 2022 attack at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which resulted in five fatalities and numerous injuries; and WHEREAS, federal and national law enforcement assessments have identified LGBTQIA+ gathering spaces as recurring targets of ideologically motivated violence; and WHEREAS, following the New Orleans Mardi Gras vehicle attack, the City of Austin moved rapidly to implement protective safety measures within the Sixth Street Entertainment District to mitigate risk in a high density corridor; and WHEREAS, it has now been more than one year since that incident, and recent violence on March 1 within proximity to Bettie Naylor Street demonstrates that high density LGBTQIA+ cultural corridors in Austin face comparable risk exposure; and WHEREAS, Bettie Naylor Street, historically recognized as Fourth Street between Congress Avenue and Rio Grande Street, serves as Austin's primary LGBTQIA+ cultural corridor and functions as a concentration of bars, coffee shops, entertainment venues, and affirming small businesses that draw high pedestrian volumes; and WHEREAS, adjacent affirming businesses on Lavaca Street and Colorado Street, including establishments such as The Iron Bear and Highland, are integral components of this corridor ecosystem and lie within close proximity to recent public safety incidents; and WHEREAS, consistency in public safety infrastructure deployment across entertainment districts is essential to equitable risk mitigation, municipal resilience, and liability management; and WHEREAS, targeted deployment based on documented risk exposure, concentration of historically targeted establishments, and proximity to recent violent incidents represents a tiered and defensible public safety approach; and WHEREAS, rapid intervention during the first minutes of a life threatening emergency, including severe bleeding events and sudden cardiac arrest, significantly increases survival outcomes; and . WHEREAS, public safety best practices emphasize layered mitigation strategies including early notification, immediate hemorrhage control, defibrillation access, community CPR activation, and coordinated emergency response; and WHEREAS, the Austin Travis County EMS Chief Medical Officer requested funding for Community CPR Alerting and AED Deployment to Enhance Equity, including investment in the GoodSAM platform to improve cardiac arrest outcomes through real time scene awareness and verified responders, and alignment with this corridor safety pilot would strengthen equity focused cardiac survival infrastructure citywide; and WHEREAS, targeted deployment of integrated life safety infrastructure within defined high density entertainment corridors represents a measured, data driven, and operationally feasible public safety investment; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOMMENDED that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission encourages the Austin City Council to allocate funding in the upcoming budget cycle for the following coordinated 24 month pilot initiatives, collectively known as the Safe and Proud Austin Initiative, focused on Bettie Naylor Street and adjacent LGBTQIA+ affirming commercial establishments within a defined pilot zone determined in coordination with APD, Austin Travis County EMS, and the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: A. Radio Integrated Emergency Panic Alert Pilot (24 Months) • Installation of emergency only panic buttons at primary entrances and at least one behind the bar for participating establishments; • Activation transmits a P25 Emergency Alarm event directly into the City's trunked public safety radio system; • Dispatch console automation broadcasts a brief emergency notification on the APD Jorge Sector talkgroup; • Priority traffic handling consistent with P25 emergency encoding standards; • Strict limitation to imminent life threatening emergencies; • Data collection including response time metrics from activation to dispatch acknowledgment; • Formal evaluation and report to Council at the conclusion of the 24 month pilot. B. Expansion of Stop the Bleed Training • Expanded bleeding control training and certification opportunities for small business owners and staff within the pilot zone; • Provision and placement of bleeding control kits and associated trauma supplies; • Documentation of trained personnel and kit placement locations; . • 24 month pilot with outcome evaluation and Council briefing upon completion. C. Automated External Defibrillators and Community CPR Integration (24 Months) • Placement of at least two AEDs per participating venue; • Staff training in AED use and emergency response activation; • Maintenance oversight and compliance tracking; • Coordination with Austin Travis County EMS regarding GoodSAM or similar community CPR alerting platform integration; • 24 month pilot followed by measurable outcome review and report to Council. BE IT FURTHER RECOMMENDED that implementation shall utilize existing communications and emergency response infrastructure and shall not require new full time equivalent staffing positions during the pilot period. BE IT FURTHER RECOMMENDED that implementation shall occur upon confirmation from APD Communications, Austin Travis County EMS, and the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management regarding technical feasibility and operational compatibility. BE IT FURTHER RECOMMENDED that Council consider advancing or increasing funding for the Community CPR Alerting and AED Deployment to Enhance Equity initiative to align with and support this corridor focused pilot package. BE IT FURTHER RECOMMENDED that staff evaluate and report on parity in protective infrastructure deployment between the Sixth Street Entertainment District and the Bettie Naylor Street cultural corridor. BE IT FURTHER RECOMMENDED that staff identify potential grant funding, public private partnerships, and interdepartmental coordination opportunities to supplement General Fund allocations. Date of Approval: Motioned By: Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Off the dais: Seconded By: . Absent: Attest: _____________________________________________ (Staff or commissioner can sign)