1. REGULAR CALLED MEETING of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION November 7, 2022, 4 PM 301 West 2nd Street – Boards and Commissions Room AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch- atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Janet Jackson, (512) 974-5747, or Janet.jackson@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Rebecca Bernhardt, Chair John Kiracofe Kathleen Hausenfluck Michael Sierra-Arévalo AGENDA Nelly Paulina Ramirez, Vice Chair Rebecca Webber Cory Hall-Martin Rebecca Gonzales CALL TO ORDER 4:00pm–4:05pm PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 4:05pm–4:15pm (from speakers signed up to speak) The first three speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 4:15 pm–4:20pm Approve the minutes of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING on October 3, 2022. 2. 3. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Fire Department, 4:20pm-4:40pm Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department - Discussion and possible action on the gun violence prevention efforts by Travis County and the City of Austin, 4:40pm-5:10pm - Travis County District Attorney Garza or a representative from the Travis County Commissioners Court - Jeff Greenwalt, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department 4. Discussion and possible action Opioid Use Disorder Support Program and/or the Buprenorphine Bridge Program, 5:10pm-5:35pm - Blake Hardy, Commander, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services 5. Discussion and possible action on a comparison of first responder salaries and benefits between Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, 5:35pm – 5:50pm - Jason Staniszewski, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department - Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department - Teresa Gardner, Chief of Staff, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services - Selena Xie, President, Austin Emergency Medical Services Association - Jordan Malone, Medic, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services 6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 5:50pm—5:55pm ADJOURNMENT 5:55pm—6:00pm The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2022 The PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION convened in a REGULAR CALLED MEETING on 3rd OCTOBER, 2022 at 301 WEST 2nd STREET – Boards and Commissions Room in Austin, Texas Chair Bernhardt called the Public Safety Commission Meeting to order at 4:32p.m. Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance: Rebecca Bernhardt, Chair Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Nelly Ramirez, Vice Chair Kathleen Hausenfluck John Kiracofe Cory Hall-Martin Rebecca Gonzales Rebecca Webber Absent: Michael Sierra-Arevalo PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING on September 13, 2022. Commissioner Kirakofe motioned to approve and Commissioner Hausenfluck seconded. Chair Bernhardt called for a vote to approve the minutes from the meeting of September 13, 2022. 1 Minutes were approved with Voting: Yes: 6 Commissioners Bernhardt, Ramirez, Hall-Martin, Gonzales, Hausenfluck , Kiracofe Abstain: Commissioner Webber Absent: Commissioner Sierra-Arevalo No: Zero DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Public Safety Quarterly Report – Austin Police Department Jason Matson- Research & Planning Division, APD Crime Rates in Austin: • Crimes against Persons-Overall 6% decrease in violent crimes • Crimes against Property- Overall 8% decrease - leading areas contributing to decline are theft from building and theft from coin-operated machine • Crimes against Society- Overall 16% increase- leading areas contributing to increase are drug violation crimes and weapons crimes Case Clearance in Austin: • Mr. Matson acknowledged that we are in the process of revamping the case clearance guidelines with the Public Safety Commission. He provided a general overview of case clearances for past quarter. • Crimes against Person- 833 cases cleared • Crimes against Property- 443 cases cleared • Crimes Against Society- 597 cases cleared • Prosecution declinations- 21out of142 weapons cases were not prosecuted Response times: Overtime: • Slight decrease (positive outcome) but still well above Citywide target of 8 minutes 24 seconds for response times • Averaged mid to high10 minute response time range this quarter • Approved OT budget was $5.8 million for fiscal year • Actual OT expenditure was $21.34 million (285% over budgeted amount) • Steady increase in OT expenditure over past several fiscal years (anomaly was FY20) o Likely to continue for some time as APD continues to address staffing shortage Personnel Costs: • Slightly less spent than authorized in budget due to vacancy rate • $335 million authorized budget • $318.1 million spent Sworn Staffing Levels: …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Public Safety Commission Recommendation Number: 20221107-005 Motioned by Commissioner Rebecca Webber Seconded by Commissioner Rebecca Gonzales Subject: Austin should provide sworn personnel at Austin-Travis County EMS with pay and benefits equal to sworn staff at the Austin Fire Department and the Austin Police Department. Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the City Council direct the City Manager’s Office to provide ATCEMS medics with pay equality compared to the other sworn public safety agencies. The City Council should also direct the City Manager’s Office to look for ways to compensate their pension so it comes closer to aligning with the other sworn public safety agencies. Finally, the City Council should direct the City Manager’s Office to provide pay for paramedic school since it is a promotion requirement. WHEREAS, EMS continues to be short staffed. EMS is 23% short staffed, APD is 10% short staffed, and AFD is 8% short staffed. WHEREAS, the difference in salary increases between medics and firefighters and police officers throughout the pay scale. Medics are paid an average of 30% less than police officers and 22% less than firefighters throughout their first ten years. ATCEMS AFD APD Salary Year 1 $51,480 $60,053 $62,895 Salary Year 5 $56,207 $71,125 $77,900 Salary Year 10 $64,373 $78,414 $83,351 WHEREAS, medics are required to work up to 44 years before retiring while firefighters and police officers can retire after 25 years of service. WHEREAS, the police department and fire department pay their sworn personnel for all requirements for promotion and only in the EMS department do medics have to volunteer their time to go to paramedic school which is required for promotion. WHEREAS, one of the justifications for compensating police and firefighters at a higher rate than EMS, that police and fire fighters face substantially higher risks of injury and death on the job, has never been accurate. Historically, EMS workers die at a rate of 12.7 fatalities per 100,000, police at a rate of 14.2 per 100,000, and firefighters at a rate of 16.5 per 100,000; WHEREAS Austin paramedics have increased their responsibilities in the last three years through opioid epidemic response; homelessness response; mental health response; advanced clinical practice including whole blood in the field, finger thoracotomies; in addition to COVID19 response. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOMMENDED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT: • The Public Safety Commission recommends that the …
Public Safety Commission November 7, 2022 Agenda item: “Comparison of Austin first responder salaries and benefits. How significant are the inequities?” Sponsors: Rebecca Webber and ________________ ATCEMS AFD APD $51,480 $56,207 $64,373 Salary year 1 Salary year 5 Salary year 10 Besides high school graduation (or equivalent), are there any other requirements for hiring? $ $ $ Valid Texas Class “C” Driver License. Texas Department of State Health Services certification as an Emergency Medical Technician‐Basic (EMT‐B) or higher. Austin‐Travis County OMD Credentialed at the Emergency Medical Technician‐ Basic (EMT‐B/PL2) level within nine (9) months from the date of hire. 30 years (Cadet Class 0722) Employees are not paid to participate in the Paramedic Certification Program. Contract language states in part, “Participation in the Certification Program is voluntary and shall not Average age of last cadet class In order to fulfill requirements for promotion, are getting these requirements paid time? EX. To promote to Clinical Specialist in EMS, are $ $ $ medics paid to go to paramedic school? In order to be a driver in AFD, are firefighters paid to be in the class? Years of service required to be eligible for pension Pension multiplier Hours in work week be counted as on‐duty regular hours. A participating Medic shall not be compensated for time spent outside of on‐ duty regular work hours in connection with the Certification Program.” Group A (hired before 1/1/2012) Age 62* Age 55 with 20 years of service credit 23 years of service credit regardless of age Group B (hired on or after 1/1/2012) Vested at 5 years Age 65 with 5 years of service credit Age 62 with 30 years of service credit Age 55 with 10 years of service credit (early retirement with reduced benefits) Group A – 3% Group B – 2.5% 42 * To retire at age 62 you must be: ▪ An active contributing member when you turn age 62; ▪ A terminated vested member with at least 5 years of COAERS service credit; or ▪ A proportionate member with 5 years of combined service credit Categories of available soft pay (please add as many lines as necessary) Austin Medics 1. Education Incentive Pay – $220/month for Bachelor’s; $300/month for Master’s 2. Special Operations Qualified Pay – $175/month 3. Communications Aeromedical Communications Specialist (ACS) Pay – $150/month 4. Bilingual Translation Pay …
Public Safety Commission November 7, 2022 Agenda item: “Comparison of Austin first responder salaries and benefits. How significant are the inequities?” Sponsors: Rebecca Webber and Rebecca Bernhardt ATCEMS APD Salary year 1 Salary year 5 Salary year 10 Years of service required to be eligible for pension Pension multiplier Hours in work week $ $ $ AFD 21‐22 FY 40 hr FF $60,053 $71,125 $78,414 At the age of 50 with at least 10 years of service credit in the Fund OR Have at least 25 years of service credit in the Fund, regardless of your age 3.3% 40 $ $ $ Categories of available soft pay (please add as many lines as necessary) Austin Medics 1. 2. 3. 4. Austin Firefighters: 1. Education stipend ‐ $50 per month for 60 hours of college credit, $100 per month for Bachelors 2. Certificate stipend ‐ $50 per month for Intermediate, $100 per month for Advanced, $150 per month for Master 3. Bilingual $175 per month 4. Assignment pay – Airport Fire and Rescue $150 per month, Special Operations Team $150 per 5. Staff pay – up to 24 months $450 per month, 24 months plus $600 per month 6. Longevity pay – annual lump sum payout. $100 per year with AFD not to exceed 25 years month Austin Police: 1. 2. 3. 4. Austin Fire Department Hiring and Promotion Information: 1) Besides HS graduation or equivalent, are there any other requirements for hiring? The 2021 Hiring process minimum requirements included: AGE: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age but not exceed age 35 on the day the written exam is administered. EDUCATION: Must possess a high school diploma or GED. CITIZENSHIP: U.S. (birth or naturalized). If you are not a United States' citizen, your immigration status must be current and must permit you to work a full‐time job in this country. Applicants must have a valid Social Security card. LANGUAGE: Must be able to read, write, and speak English. DRIVER LICENSE: Must possess a current valid driver license issued from your state of residence. SOCIAL SECURITY: Must have a valid Social Security card. MEDICAL: Must meet the requirements set forth in NFPA 1582, Latest Edition, and Standard on medical requirements for Firefighters. ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE CERTIFICATIONS: Meet all legal requirements necessary to become certified by Texas Commission on Fire Protection and …
AUSTIN FIRE Public Safety Commission Meeting FY22 Q3 Chief of Staff Rob Vires 1 V e h i c l e C o l l i s i o n s In FY22, AFD frontline apparatus were involved in 71 vehicle collisions while responding to an incident. AFD Vehicle Collisions While Responding to an Incident 176 182 66 80 71 200 150 100 50 0 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 Collision Type Non-Preventable Side Misjudging clearance (narrow road or alley) Side Misjudgment to Include “Kick-Out” (turning and colliding with something) Misjudgment of ground clearance to include Curb Strike Backing – left or right side misjudgment Undetermined Misjudging overhead clearance Any violation of the safe driving policy not specifically covered in this code Inattentive/Distracted driving Struck by another vehicle/object--NOT PREVENTABLE Failure to control the intersection or yield the right of way Backing – failure to use a back-up guide Misjudgment of Side Clearance (narrow road or alley) Other # of Collisions 200 109 84 41 32 29 28 12 8 7 5 2 1 17 2 R E Q U E S T S F O R S E R V I C E Q 3 C O M P A R I S O N FY21 Q3 FY22 Q3 3,220 3,247 3,000 2,907 2,961 2,864 2,657 2,645 2,494 2,407 2,236 3,382 3,236 3,048 2,660 1,757 1,650 1,761 1,622 1,396 1,281 4,000 3,500 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 3 District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10 *Requests for Service are all INCIDENTS, regardless of priority. R E Q U E S T F O R S E R V I C E Q 3 C o m p a r i s o n FY 2021 Q3 1,232 FY 2022 Q3 1,721 5,624 479 164 5,896 467 142 Fire Medical Rescue HazMat Other Fire Medical Rescue HazMat Other 16,108 17,598 4 *Requests for service are all incidents, regardless of priority. *”Other” (e.g., smoke investigations, fire alarms in buildings, unlocking buildings, etc.) E M E R G E N C Y I N C I D E N T Q 3 C O M P A R I S O N FY 2021 Q3 FY 2022 Q3 2,080 2,107 1,761 1,889 1,779 1,826 1,542 1,572 1,552 1,527 1,917 1,785 1,689 1,363 1,069 916 828 712 954 805 District …
ATCEMS Community Health Paramedic OPIOID USE DISORDER SUPPORT AND BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAMS Addressing Opioid Use in Travis County The Opioid Use Disorder Support Program and its sub-program, the Buprenorphine Bridge Program were created by and are components of the Community Health Paramedic Team at ATCEMS Mission – to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with opioid use disorder and help bring support and recovery resources to people with opioid use disorder Acknowledgements • Opioid use and Opioid Use Disorder are significantly different from other drugs of abuse in how they start, and how opioid addiction works and it’s effects- it’s unique from other substances • Withdrawal from opioids, while not potentially lethal as with alcohol, is a wretched condition that few • Successful treatments for Opioid Use Disorder exist, but many patients are not aware or are poorly informed people can tolerate about the true facts Why Emergency Medical Services? 30% of Opioid users who die of an overdose, interact with EMS in the 12 months prior to their death • Of Opioid Users who die within a year of overdose, 20% die in the first month • Of those who die in the first month, 22.3% die within 48 hours Opiates kill more people nationwide than gun violence and car crashes1 • Annual mortality rate for untreated Opioid User is more than twice that of the frontline soldier in Vietnam Initiation of the Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Support Program OUD program began in July of 2018 • State and Federal funding for supplies (Narcan) available • Growth in effective treatment options for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) – Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) • MAT is significantly more successful than older, more traditional forms of “rehab” • No evidence of significant fentanyl levels in Travis County at the time (2018) • Initially called Opioid Emergency Response Program – Renamed to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) – Support Program as the scope of the program expanded Goals and Objectives Goal Community Health Paramedics establish contact with every person who experiences an opioid overdose in the ATCEMS response area within 24 hours of an overdose • Overdose follow-ups are assigned as “Opioid Alerts” to CHP medics 7 days/week Objectives • Provide education and opportunity to enter MAT (Medicine Assisted Treatment) • Provide Community Health Paramedic support services • Provide Opioid Overdose Rescue Kits • As the public safety medical provider, EMS is uniquely situated to …
Public Safety Commission November 7, 2022 Agenda item: “Comparison of Austin first responder salaries and benefits. How significant are the inequities?” Sponsors: Rebecca Webber and ________________ ATCEMS AFD APD $ $ $ $ $ $ Salary year 1 Salary year 5 Salary year 10 Besides high school graduation (or equivalent), are there any other equirements for hiring? Average age of last cadet class $ 62,895 $ 77,900 $ 83,351 Will be 20.5 years of age by academy start date. Must not be older than 45 years of age Must have a valid driver’s license Must be a U.S. citizen (by birth or naturalized) Must read, write, and speak English Texas Class C DL Completion of police academy training including 12 weeks on the job training. (8 weeks for transitional Officer.) Police Officer Cert. Texas Commission for Law Enforcement (TCOLE) 29 In order to fulfill requirements for promotion, are getting these requirements paid time? EX. To promote to Clinical Specialist in EMS, are medics paid to go to paramedic school? In order to be a driver in AFD, are firefighters paid to be in the class? Years of service required to be eligible for pension Pension multiplier Hours in work week To take initial written promotional exam to Corporal / Detective must have 4 years with APD. Paid for time taking exam. Each subsequent promotional exam is after 2 years in grade with a written exam and assessment center. Hired before 12/31/2021: Age 62, Age 55 with 20 years creditable service, Any age with 23 years creditable service. Hired after 1/1/2022: Age 62, Age 50 with 25 years credible service. Hired before 12/31/2021: 3.2% Hired after 1/1/2022: 2.5% 40 Categories of available soft pay (please add as many lines as necessary) Austin Medics 1. 2. 3. 4. Austin Firefighters: 1. 2. 3. 4. Austin Police: 1. Field Training ‐ $175.00/month 2. Education Stipends – a. Police Certificates i. Intermediate ‐ $50/month ii. Advanced ‐ $100/month iii. Master ‐ $150/month b. Degree/College work i. 60+ hrs/Associate – $100/month ii. Bachelor – $220/month iii. Masters ‐ $300/month 3. Clothing Allowance ‐ $500/year (for certain ranks / assignments only) 4. Shift Differentials – a. $300/month (Officer, Det/Cpl, Sgt) b. $125/month (Lt) 5. Mental Health Pay ‐ $175.00/month 6. Bilingual Pay ‐ $175.00/month
PS Salary Comp Salary Year 1 Salary Year 5 Salary Year 10 EMS AFD APD 51,480 56,207 64,373 60,053 71,125 78,414 62,895 77,900 83,351 EMS Vs APD 22% 39% 29% AVG 30% • Valid Texas Class “C” Driver License. • Texas Department of State Health Services certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) or higher. • Austin-Travis County OMD Credentialed at the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B/PL2) level within nine (9) months from the date of hire. 30 Besides high school graduation (or equivalent), are there any other requirements for hiring? Average age of last cadet clas Will be 20.5 years of age by academy start date. Must not be older than 45 years of age Must have a valid driver’s license Must be a U.S. citizen (by birth or naturalized) Must read, write, and speak English Texas Class C DL Completion of police academy training including 12 weeks on the job training. (8 weeks for transitional Officer.) Police Officer Cert. Texas Commission for Law Enforcement (TCOLE) 29 In order to fulfill requirements for promotion, are getting these requirements paid time? EX. To promote to Clinical Specialist in EMS, are medics paid to go to paramedic school? In order to be a driver in AFD, are firefighters paid to be in the class? Employees are not paid to participate in the Paramedic Certification Program. Contract language states in part, “Participation in the Certification Program is voluntary and shall not be counted as on- duty regular hours. A participating Medic shall not be compensated for time spent outside of on- duty regular work hours in connection with the Certification Program.” To take initial written promotional exam to Corporal / Detective must have 4 years with APD. Paid for time taking exam. Each subsequent promotional exam is after 2 years in grade with a written exam and assessment center Years of service required to be eligible for pension ( p before 1/1/2012) • Age 62* • Age 55 with 20 years of service credit • 23 years of service credit regardless of age Group B (hired on or after 1/1/2012) • Vested at 5 years • Age 65 with 5 years of service credit • Age 62 with 30 years of service credit • Age 55 with 10 years of service credit (early retirement with reduced benefits) Group A – 3% At the age of 50 with at least 10 years of service …
Public Safety Commission Meeting Gun Violence Prevention Update Austin Police Department Monday, November 7th, 2022 Jeff Greenwalt, Assistant Chief Topics • Austin Firearm Statistics 2017 – 10/2022 • 2021 Austin PD Violence Intervention Program (VIP) • Gun Surrender Operation – 10/25/2022 Part 1 Violent Offenses Involving a Gun Since 2017, there have been over 7,500 violent crimes committed using firearms and that number has been trending significantly upwards each year. *Includes: • Aggravated Assault • Murder • Rape • Robbery Gun Lost/Stolen by Year - Citywide The number of lost/stolen guns per years is trending upwards. Gun Theft From Vehicle vs. Residence The number of guns stolen from vehicles is trending upwards and down for residences. Total Guns Recovered by Year - Citywide The number of recovered guns per year is trending downwards. 2021 Violence Intervention Program (VIP) • The goal of the VIP was straightforward: reduce gun violence through collaborative partnerships that focused on habitual, violent offenders committing crimes with firearms. Offenders were primarily nominated for inclusion by Violent Crime investigators, proactively tracked and targeted by Organized Crime personnel, and reviewed for prioritized or enhanced prosecution by designated prosecutorial liaisons. • The VIP was initially slated to run from April 16, 2021 to August 31, 2021, but was later extended through the end of October 2021. Gun Surrender Program • Tuesday Oct 25th from 3pm-8pm, the Austin Police Department participated in a “Gun Surrender” operation at the East Substation. The three objectives of the program are: • Promote responsible gun ownership • Engage in a gun safety educational campaign • Provide a “no questions asked” pathway to voluntarily relinquishing guns for those who no longer wish to possess them. • TOTAL Guns Surrendered = 11 Firearms • Hand guns = 6 Pistols, 3 Revolvers • Long Guns = 2 Shotguns *3000 rounds of ammunition - .22, 9MM, .45, .357, Shotgun and Hunting ammunition Questions? Assistant Chief Jeff Greenwalt #4647 Phone: 512-974-5610 Email: Jeff.Greenwalt@austintexas.gov
