[FY2023 Budget Workshop: Fire Department]
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THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS.REMINDER TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD SUBMIT ANY DEPARTMENT BUDGET WORKSHOP QUESTIONS IN A WORD DOCUMENT AND UPLOAD IT TO SHAREPOINT BUDGET.
WORKSPACE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO PROVIDE RESPONSES WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
DEPARTMENT RESPONSES WILL ALSO BE UPLOADED TO SHAREPOINT.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM CHIEF PENA, WHO WILL PROVIDE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
I WANT THANK THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS I, FOR ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET.
UH, BEFORE I BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF MY CIVILIAN STAFF AND OF COURSE, MY COMMAND STAFF, UM, FOR THE ASSISTANCE THAT THEY PROVIDED.
IN PREPARING THIS, THIS BUDGET WITH ME, I HAVE THE, UH, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT'S DEPARTMENT, UH, FISCAL ADMINISTRATOR, MR. MICHELLE MCHENRY.
UH, I ALSO HAVE MEMBERS OF MY COMMAND STAFF HERE, CHIEF WEST AND CHIEF MCLEOD ARE JOINING US.
UM, BUT THE, UH, THE THANKS GOES TO ALL OUR STAFF WHO, UH, WHO REALLY HAVE BEEN DOING TREMENDOUS WORK.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK MAYOR TURNER AND THIS COUNCIL FOR GIVING ME THE SUPPORT THIS YEAR AND THE FINANCES TO, TO, UH, PROVIDE THE, THE NEEDS FOR THIS, FOR THIS ORGANIZATION.
THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE THIRD LARGEST MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT PROTECTING THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
AND MY HAT GOES OFF TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY DO EACH AND EVERY DAY.
UM, IT'S AN ACTIVE SYSTEM, JUST LIKE ANY MAJOR CITY.
WE RUN ABOUT 344,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE EACH YEAR.
UM, WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC AND, AND WORKING THROUGH SOME VERY CHALLENGING TIMES, BUT I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE WORK THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT DO TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
SO, THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT IS $559 MILLION.
UH, THIS WILL BE FUNDING 3933.3 FTES IN SIX FUNDS.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUNDS AND THE PERSONNEL ARE DISPLAYED HERE IN, UH, SIX KEY AREAS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAJOR FUNDING, UH, IS FOR PERSONNEL THAT IS ALLOCATED TO THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM.
OUR PRIMARY FUNCTION AND MISSION IS TO, IS A PROTECTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
OUR GOAL IS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS PRIMARILY THROUGH PREVENTION, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND INVESTIGATIONS.
BUT WE DO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO TRAIN AND PREPARE FOR RESPONSES TO MEDICAL, UH, EMERGENCY MEDICAL CALLS, FIRE CALLS, HAZMAT, TECHNICAL RESCUE, AIRCRAFT RESCUE, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE.
THE LEGAL PROVISIONS THAT GUIDE OUR AGENCY AND APPROVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR OUR DEPARTMENT ARE LISTED HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE LAST BULLET POINT IN THE ANTICIPATION OF INCREASED DEMAND IN SERVICE FOR, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY GONNA BE IN THE AREA OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
THE POPULATION GROWTH, AND ESPECIALLY THE AGING POPULATION, WILL DRIVE UP THE NEED FOR OUR, FOR OUR SERVICES.
THE SAME THING WILL OCCUR WITH THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AS IT RELATES TO FIRE RESPONSE.
SO IT IS CRITICAL, AND IT'S MORE IMPORTANT, UH, NOW MORE THAN EVER, THAT WE MAINTAIN FOCUS OF ADOPTING APPROPRIATE FIRE CODES AND ENFORCEMENT TOOLS TO MAINTAIN THE DESIRED QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN THE CITY.
SO, AS WE MOVE ON TO THE FINANCIALS OF OUR PRESENTATION, THIS FIRST SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE DEPARTMENT'S REVENUE PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
IN FISCAL YEAR 23, WE'RE PROJECTING A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE MAJORITY OF OUR REGULAR OPERATING, UH, REVENUE STREAMS. THIS IS GONNA BE OFFSET BY A LARGER, UH, DECREASE IN THREE SPECIFIC REVENUE ACCOUNTS.
SO THE OVERALL NET EFFECT FOR OUR REVENUES IS A DECREASE OF 7.73%, OR $8.9 MILLION FROM FISCAL YEAR 22 TO FISCAL YEAR 23.
THE REVENUE IS, UH, DERIVED PRIMARILY FROM LICENSINGS AND AND PERMITS INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUE.
UM, THIS IS IN ADDITION TO CHARGES FOR SERVICES OR AMBULANCE, UH, TRANSPORTS, UH, DIRECT INTER FUNDS.
THIS IS THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE FROM HAAS FOR PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO THE, TO THE AIRPORT STATIONS.
THE MISCELLANEOUS, UH, ITEM, THE CATEGORY IS PRIMARILY THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR OUR SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAMS AND THEIR DEPLOYMENTS.
SO, LICENSES AND PERMITS ARE ESSENTIALLY FLAT.
UH, THIS YEAR IS OUR PROJECTION WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE EXPECTED FIRE PERMIT REVENUE.
WE'RE ALSO PROJECTING A 39% REDUCTION IN, IN
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THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL CATEGORY DUE TO AN INCREASE PRIMARILY TO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE GONNA RE RECEIVE FROM THE AMBULANCE SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENT PROGRAM.AND I'LL EXPLAIN MORE, UH, IN A LATER SLIDE.
THE CHARGES FOR SERVICE INCREASE IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN HAZMAT PERMITS, WHICH WILL BRING US BACK TO THE PRE PANDEMIC REVENUE FIGURES.
THIS IS GONNA BE OFFSET, UH, AGAINST A DECREASE IN CELL PHONE REVENUE TOWERS.
THIS IS THE TA THIS IS THE, THE LEASE MONEY THAT WE GET FROM VERIZON FOR ALLOWING THEM TO PUT THEIR CELL TOWERS ON, ON THE FIRE STATIONS IN THE DIRECT INTER FUND SERVICES.
THIS IS THE CHARGEBACK FOR HAAS, AGAIN, FOR AIRPORT FIREFIGHTERS, THE CHANGE REFLECTS A 6% BASE PAY, PAY RAISE OFFSET AGAINST A LOWER PENSION RATE FOR, FOR THIS ACCOUNT, FOR OTHER FINES AND FORFEITS.
THE AMOUNT FROM FISCAL YEAR 22 IS ESSENTIALLY FLAT IN THE MISCELLANEOUS AND OTHER CATEGORIES.
THE CHANGE FROM BUDGET TO ESTIMATE IS A DECREASE OF 10.43, UH, 10.43%.
THIS IS GONNA BE PRIMARILY DUE TO AN EXPECTED DECREASE IN THE NATURAL DISASTER REIMBURSEMENT.
AGAIN, FOR, FOR DEPLOYMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 22, THE, THE TACTICAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE TEXAS TASK FORCE ONE MEMBERS, THEY, THEY WERE DEPLOYED HIGHER THAN NORMAL, AND WE DON'T EXPECT THE SAME NUMBER OF DEPLOYMENTS THIS FISCAL YEAR.
IN OTHER RESOURCES, WE CAPTURED THE REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENTERPRISE LIGHT DUTY LEASE PROGRAM FOR OUR LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES.
AND, AND I HAVE A SLIDE THAT WILL GO MORE IN DEPTH IN A LITTLE BIT LATER.
SO AGAIN, THE FISCAL YEAR 23 PROJECTION REVENUE OF $107.4 MILLION IS APPROXIMATELY 7.73% LESS THAN FISCAL YEAR 2020 TWOS.
UH, AGAIN, I WANNA STRESS THE POINT THAT THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE AMBULANCE SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE REDUCED, AND I'LL EXPLAIN MORE, UH, ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, AS MENTIONED, THE SUPPLEMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM IS, IS EXPECTED TO DROP BY ABOUT $9.5 MILLION THIS FUND PROVIDES FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR CARE FOR MEDICAID AND INDIGENT CARE PATIENTS.
SO, AS OF OCTO, OCTOBER 1ST, 2019, THE UNCOMPENSATED CARE PROGRAM TRANSITIONED TO A CHARITY CARE POOL.
THIS CHANGE ELIMINATED THE MEDICAID SHORTFALL SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAM, UH, AND IT REDEFINED IT AS AN UNINSURED COST TO CHARITY CARE COST.
THIS, THAT, THAT'S THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
THIS REQUIRED, UM, AGENCIES TO HAVE A CHARITY CARE POLICY IN PLACE.
THE FIRST YEAR, VERY FEW PROVIDERS WERE ABLE TO GET THAT POLICY IN PLACE.
THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACTUALLY DID.
SO WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW PARTICIPANTS IN THE POOL.
THIS SECOND YEAR, MORE PROVIDERS ARE ABLE TO HAVE THAT POLICY IN PLACE.
SO WE'RE COMPETING, WE HAVE MORE AGENCIES COMPETING FOR THE, WITH THE SAME, UH, POOL.
SO THE NUMBER OF DOLLARS IN THE POOL DID NOT INCREASE, BUT THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS DID.
SO THE DISBURSEMENT WAS, UH, A LITTLE LESS TO, TO EVERY, UH, PROVIDER.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE HIGH LEVEL EXPLANATION ON, ON WHY WE'RE GETTING A LOWER RETURN THIS YEAR.
UM, THIS IS THE, UH, VEHICLE LEASE PROGRAM.
THIS IS A, SO THIS PROGRAM HAS ALLOWED US TO DO A WHOLESALE REPLACEMENT OF OUR VEHICLES, THE LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES, PRIMARILY IN THE LIFE SAFETY BUREAU.
AND WE ARE IN THE FIRST REPLACEMENT CYCLE FOR THAT PROGRAM.
WE, WE, THE PROGRAM, WE INCORPORATED 105 VEHICLES IN THE LEASE PROGRAM.
THE WE ARE, THIS YEAR, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO SELL THAT 1-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE, 105 OF THEM, AND GET NEW VEHICLES.
THE MONEY THAT WAS REALIZED FROM THAT SALE WAS GONNA GO BACK REPROGRAMMED INTO THE PROGRAM.
BECAUSE OF SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO SELL 49 VEHICLES.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE DISBURSEMENT WAS $563,000 FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE VEHICLES ENTERPRISE.
WHAT THEY DID IS THEY GAVE US 65% OF THE EQUITY IN THOSE VEHICLES.
THEY PAID IT OUT THIS YEAR FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE WILL SELL AGAIN, THOSE 49 1-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES, PLUS 56 VEHICLES THAT NOW WILL BE TWO YEARS OLD, AND WE'LL REALIZE ONLY THE 35% EQUITY THAT WAS LEFT OVER.
THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE, FOR THE, UM, UH, CHANGE IN, IN THE REVENUE.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, IF, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FIRST YEAR, WE REALIZED A TO THE BENEFIT, UH, OF THE CITY IS $391,000.
THE, THE PROGRAM, REALLY, WE, IT WAS, IT WAS ESSENTIALLY COST NEUTRAL.
MATTER OF FACT, WE, THE CITY WAS REIMBURSED AN ADDITIONAL 395
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OR $91,000 FISCAL YEAR 23.OUR PROJECTION'S GONNA BE, UM, ABOUT HALF OF THAT.
AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE EXPLANATION THAT I GAVE EARLIER.
WE'RE SELLING 2-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES INSTEAD OF 1-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES.
AFTER THIS YEAR, WE WILL BE BACK ON TRACK TO SELL, REPLACE 105 AND SELL 105 EVERY YEAR.
UH, THESE ARE EXPENDITURES BY FUNDS.
THE PROPOSED EXPENDITURE TARGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 IS $559 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 20.3 MILLION FROM THE CURRENT BUDGET OF $538.7 MILLION.
THE INCREASE, UM, BY CATEGORY AND PERSONNEL COST IS A NET OF SEVERAL INCREASES, INCLUDING CIVILIAN AND CLASSIFIED BASE, UH, AND RELATED FRINGES, AS WELL AS CLASSIFIED OVERTIME AND CLASSIFIED HEALTH.
THIS WILL BE OFFSET AGAINST A DECREASE IN THE CLASSIFIED PENSION AND CLASSIFIED WORKERS' COMP COST.
A 10.9% INCREASE IN SUPPLIES IS DUE TO INCREASE IN, IN COST OF DOING BUSINESS, UH, PRIMARILY IN DRUGS, MEDICAL, SURGICAL SUPPLIES, AS WELL AS A SMALL INCREASE FOR THE GL ACCOUNT FOR THE FIFTH ACADEMY CLASS THAT WE WILL, THAT WE WERE APPROVED FOR THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR.
CONTRIBUTING TO THE OVERALL 3.77% GROWTH IS AN INCREASE IN OUR RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS OF 11.61%.
THIS IS THE, UH, INTERFUND CHARGEBACK ACCOUNTS FOR IT FOR HR, FUEL AND FLEET SERVICES.
AND LASTLY, AN INCREASE IN OUR SERVICE ACCOUNT OF $958,000 IS A TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM GSD FOR THE PAYMENT OF OUR LEASE FOR OUR BUILDING, UM, FOR OUR HEADQUARTERS.
THIS IS, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT IS AN INCREASE IN OTHER INTER FUND SERVICES FOR PAYMENTS OF IT SERVICE PERSONNEL, UH, CONTRACTUAL INCREASES, WHICH WILL BE OFFSET AGAIN BY DECREASING IN BILLING AND COLLECTION EXPENDITURE FROM OUR MEDICAL BILLER.
BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED AMOUNT IN THE A SPP FUND, THE AMBULANCE SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN, THE EQUIPMENT FUND CHANGE IS, IS DUE TO NOT REQUIRING US TO INVEST THIS YEAR.
FOR ITEMS THAT WERE PURCHASED IN FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 22 IN 21, WE PURCHASED SOME SURFACE PRO TABLETS, SOME RELATED EQUIPMENT, SOME DESKTOPS, AND THREE THERMAL IMAGERS.
IN FISCAL YEAR 22, THOSE EXPENDITURES WERE DIRECTED TOWARDS EXTRICATION EQUIPMENT, JAWS OF LIFE, AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF EQUIPMENT, WE WILL NOT HAVE TO MAKE THAT, THAT PURCHASE THIS YEAR.
THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE, FOR THE CHANGE.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, THE EXPLANATION FOR THE DEBT SERVICES FUND IN FISCAL YEAR 21, 50 $3,000 WAS TRANSFERRED FROM FUND 1000 TO FUND 45 15.
UH, THIS WAS DONE FOR THE PURCHASE OF DRONE EQUIPMENT FOR OUR TACTICAL DEPLOYMENT TEAM.
WE RAN OUTTA TIME, ACTUALLY, TO, TO GET THAT PURCHASE DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE DID RECEIVE APPROVAL TO TRANSFER THE FUNDS THAT WERE, THAT WERE ALLOCATED FROM DISTRICT G'S, UH, SERVICE FUNDS, UM, TO, TO FUND 45 15.
THAT WAY, WE WOULDN'T LOSE THAT BUDGET.
OKAY, THAT'S THE EXPLANATION FOR THAT.
SO, THIS IS HOW OUR FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED OF THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET.
88% IS ALLOCATED TO PERSONNEL SERVICES.
THIS LEAVES A TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET OF $69.5 MILLION, OF WHICH 63% OR 45 POINT OR $43.5 MILLION IS, IS IN RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS.
THIS IS FOR, UH, HR INTER FUNDS, FLEET, INTER FUNDS, AND, AND SO ON.
THIS IS FOR CERTAIN CONTRACTS OR TELEMETRY CONTRACTS, UM, AND OTHER SERVICE CONTRACTS.
6% IS ALLOCATED FOR OUR BILLING AND COLLECTIONS AGENCY, AND WHICH LEAVES US APPROXIMATELY $10.2 MILLION ANNUALLY TO COVER MEDICAL SUPPLIES, TO COVER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THE OPERATION OF THIS ORGANIZATION.
SO, THIS SLIDE WALKS US THROUGH THE CHANGES FROM FISCAL YEAR 22, CURRENT BUDGET TO FISCAL YEAR 2023, PROPOSED BUDGET.
OUR FISCAL YEAR 22 CURRENT BUDGET IS $538.7 MILLION, OF WHICH 36.8 MILLION IS IN RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS.
THE 22 CURRENT BUDGET FIGURE OF 538 IS A NET ADJUSTMENT, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 22.
HOPE, UH, CONTRACTUAL ADJUSTMENTS.
IT INCLUDES RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, INCREASES OF $2.2 MILLION, SOME HEALTH BENEFIT RETURNS OF $3.8 MILLION, AND A CITY COUNCIL SURPLUS DOLLARS OF $29,000.
OTHER OPERATING CONTRACTUAL ADJUSTMENTS OF 4.7 MILLION INCLUDES ONE TIME ADJUSTMENTS FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION INCREASES, UH, OVERTIME EXPENDITURES, WHICH ARE THEN OFFSET BY CLASSIFIED AND CADET VACANCY SAVINGS.
SO THE TOTAL ADJUSTMENT, THE ONE TIME ADJUSTMENT FOR, FOR THIS IS $3.3 MILLION.
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SO TO GO FROM 22 TO 23 BUDGET, WE HAVE INCREMENTAL INCREASES IN DECREASES IN OPERATING AND CONTRACTUALLY MANDATED, UH, EXPENSES.SO COMING BACK INTO THE BUDGET IS $2.75 MILLION FOR OUR FIFTH ACADEMY CLASS.
THAT WAS APPROVED FUNDING FOR A 6% ACROSS THE BOARD PAY RAISE FOR CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL, OTHER CLASSIFIED ADJUSTMENTS OF $2.4 MILLION FOR BASE OVERTIME, A RETURN OF THE COUNCIL SURPLUS DOLLARS, AND A REVERSAL OF THE ONE-TIME OPERATING ADJUSTMENTS FOR A TOTAL OF THREE, UH, I'M SORRY, $21.3 MILLION IN ADJUSTMENTS, OR A 4.26 INCREASE FROM FY 22 TO FY 23.
UH, THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING HOPE OBLIGATIONS, UH, CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, ADJUSTMENTS FROM CIVILIAN AND AND CLASSIFIED HEALTH, CIVILIAN AND CLASSIFIED PENSION AND FICA, AND OTHER FUNDINGS OR RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, UH, CONTRACT ESCALATIONS AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL ADJUSTMENTS.
SO THE SUBTOTAL OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS IS MINUS $926,000, WHICH IS LARGELY THE RESULT OF SAVINGS RELATED TO THE REDUCTION IN THE CLASSIFIED PENSION RATE.
THE OPERATING CONS, UH, CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION ADJUSTMENTS OF $20.3 MILLION, WHICH TAKES US TO OUR FISCAL YEAR 23 PROPOSED BUDGET OF $559 MILLION, OR A 3.77% INCREASE FROM 20 TWO'S CURRENT BUDGET.
SO THESE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MATERIALS WE JUST COVERED.
UM, OF ADDITIONAL FOCUS, I'D LIKE TO MENTION THE, THE FIVE NON-CERTIFIED CADET TRAINING CLASSES FOR A TOTAL OF 350 NEW HIRES FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, AND THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH, FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THREE NON-CERTIFIED CLASSES, WHICH WERE, WHICH WERE BEGUN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT IS A GRANT MATCH FOR THE A FG GRANT TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND PHYSICALS WITH CANCER SCREENS FOR FIREFIGHTERS.
AND ALSO THE COMPLETION OF OUR VEHICLE EXHAUST INSTALLATION.
THAT GRANT MATCH IS APPROXIMATELY $309,000.
UM, AND THEN WE DISCUSSED THE, THE OTHER ONES ALREADY.
THAT IS MY PRESENTATION, VICE CHAIR.
UM, I AM OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE CHAIR.
UM, CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY TO YOU, YOUR EXECUTIVE TEAM COMMAND ALL THE WAY ON DOWN.
UM, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
AS I SAID, I'M ASKING THIS OF EVERY DEPARTMENT.
UM, GIVEN THE BUDGETARY AND FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO FACE DUE TO, UM, REVENUE LIMITATIONS, WHAT CAN WE NOT AFFORD RIGHT NOW THAT'S NEEDED? THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYOR AND COUNCIL IS NOT TRYING TO APPROVE EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, BUT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT, UM, LARGE BUDGET ITEMS THAT ARE NECESSARY THAT WE QUITE FRANKLY CAN'T AFFORD, SUCH AS, I'LL SAY IT, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WILL PROBABLY RAISE IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING BACK IN THE APPENDIX, UH, DIESEL EXHAUST REMOVAL, UH, FOR SOME OF OUR STATIONS.
UH, ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE, UM, TALKING ABOUT THAT WE CANNOT NECESSARILY AFFORD RIGHT NOW? COUNCIL MEMBER? THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS DEFINITELY A YES.
TECHNOLOGY IS A CRITICAL NEED FOR, FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.
THE COMPUTER AID DISPATCHER CAD SYSTEM NEEDS COMPLETE REPLACEMENT ON THAT.
WE'RE WORKING WITH A ALMOST A 20-YEAR-OLD SYSTEM, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE COULD BE DOING TO CREATE EFFICIENCIES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION THAT ARE NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THAT, OF THAT PROGRAM.
ONE OF 'EM IS DISPATCHING BY, BY LOCATION, UH, VEHICLE LOCATION, UM, TEXT TO 9 1 1.
ALL THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, PRIORITY DISPATCH SYSTEMS, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN EXPLORE, UM, ARE, ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THAT SYSTEM.
UM, THE OTHER NEEDS ARE GONNA BE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE, FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, AN INCREASE IN SERVICE CAPACITY, PRIMARILY AMBULANCE AND TRANSPORT SERVICE CAPACITIES IS WHAT WE NEED.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS FOR UPGRADES IN OUR FACILITIES.
I NEED YOU TO PUT ME BACK IN QUEUE.
AND AGAIN, CHIEF, I DO WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ON, IN THE DEPARTMENT ON THE THINGS YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED.
AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE APPENDIX, UM, THE INCREASE IN PAY.
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FOLLOWING UP ON A HUNDRED PERCENT OF CARDIAC ARREST INCIDENTS, UH, ADOPTION OF THE FIRE CODE, THE LEASE VEHICLE PROGRAM.UH, THERE'S A LOT IN HERE THAT IS, UH, ABSOLUTELY TO BE COMMENDED FOR.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT, I CONTINUE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UM, COMPARATIVE GENDER AND ETHNICITY STATISTICS, UH, THE VERY LOW LEVEL IN TERMS OF CLASSIFIED OF FEMALE EMPLOYEES, UM, YES.
I THINK 3.85% COMPARED TO 96.15% RIGHT.
LARGEST POPULATION OF HFD EMPLOYEES.
SO I, I WOULD JUST BRING OUR ATTENTION TO THAT.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES YES.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT WE ARE STRIVING TO BE AS DIVERSE AS POSSIBLE, AND I SEE THAT REFLECTED RIGHT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT THAT WE, WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO THERE.
AND IF YOU COULD REALLY QUICKLY TOUCH BASE ON, YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT, BUT OUR INSPECTION CAPACITY, RIGHT.
AND OUR AMBULANCE TRANSPORT CAPACITY.
I KNOW YOU JUST MENTIONED IT, BUT INSPECTION CAPACITY SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY BIG, BIG NEED.
UM, LOOK, WE'RE NOT, IF WE FOCUS ALL OUR ATTENTION AND, AND RESOURCES ON JUST THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT, AND IN OUR CALL VOLUME AND DEMAND, IF WE PREVENT THINGS FROM HAPPENING, THAT, THAT GOES, THAT SPEAKS TO OUR NEED TO, TO PROVIDE MORE INSPECTIONS, UH, FOR, FOR THESE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.
UH, HAVING MORE INSPECTORS TO ENSURE THAT THE CODES, UH, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING, UH, WE'RE BUILDING APPROPRIATELY AND UP TO CODE AND HAVING THOSE, THOSE EYES ON SCENE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THOSE CODES BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S GONNA ASSIST US DOWNSTREAM IN NOT HAVING TO RESPOND TO SO MANY FIRES OR MAJOR FIRES.
THE SAME THING GOES FOR, FOR MEDICAL RESPONSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, 25% OF OUR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT CALLS ARE, ARE PEOPLE THAT CALL MORE THAN ONCE OR TWICE PER YEAR.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS DON'T NEED THE MOST EXPENSIVE TAXI TO GO TO THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF THE ER.
THEY NEED ACCESS TO THE RIGHT SOCIAL SERVICE.
RIGHT? WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HAVING RESOURCES TO FOCUS ON THOSE, ON THOSE, UM, SOCIAL SERVICES AND MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH EXISTING AGENCIES, THAT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO MAKE A DEFINITE IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT COME IN FROM REPEAT, UH, CUSTOMERS.
SO, SO CERTAINLY, UM, INSPECTORS, AND THEN WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN POPULATION AND INCREASE IN, IN AGING POPULATION.
AND WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, WE ARE THE MEDICAL SAFETY NET FOR, FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
SO EMERGENCY MEDICAL, TRANSPORT AND AMBULANCE SERVICE, UH, IS WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
WE'RE LIMITED IN OUR ABILITY TO, TO INCREASE THAT BECAUSE OF OUR STAFFING SITUATION.
BUT, BUT STRATEGICALLY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE MAYOR AND ADMINISTRATION.
THE MAYOR IS COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF DOING THAT.
UH, WE JUST NEED TO FIX THE, THE STAFFING ISSUE FIRST, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
CHIEF, UH, WHEN LOOKING AT YOUR PRESENTATION CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IT SEEMS THAT YOU HAD A INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES, BUT A DECREASE IN REVENUES.
WHAT CREATIVE WAYS CAN WE INCREASE REVENUES, UH, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT? OTHER WAYS TO INCREASE REVENUES IN THE DEPARTMENT? OF COURSE.
LOOK, WE, UM, THE MAJOR, UH, REVENUE SOURCE IS OUR CHARGE FOR SERVICE.
AND PRIMARILY IT'S, IT IS AMBULANCE SERVICE.
UM, WE, WE BROUGHT FORTH, UH, A RECOMMENDATION FOR AN ORDINANCE, AN INCREASE IN THE, IN THE CHARGE.
THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS BASED ON DATA THAT WAS ALREADY A COUPLE YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE, UH, OF 6% PAY RAISE LAST YEAR.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE A 6% INCREASE THIS COMING YEAR.
AND SO THE COST OF DELIVERING SERVICE HAS GONE UP NOT ONLY IN PERSONNEL COST, BUT ALSO THE COST OF SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
IN ONE PARTICULAR DRUG THAT WE, THAT WE USE IS THE COST WENT UP ALMOST 90%.
RIGHT? AND SO EVERYTHING IS, IS GOING UP.
WE ARE NOT, WE ARE NOT, UM, RECOVERING WHAT IT COSTS US TO DELIVER.
SO WE NEED TO ANOTHER ANALYSIS, ANOTHER STUDY TO SEE IF WHAT THAT RATE WOULD BE.
SECOND THING IS WE HAVE, OUR PAYER MIX IS HEAVY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF, OF SELF-PAY, WHICH MEANS NO INSURANCE.
SO OUR COLLECTION RATE IS ABOUT 39 TO 40%.
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KNOW, IF AT SOME POINT MEDICARE OR MEDICAID IS, IS EXPANDED, UH, WE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO, UH, COLLECT MORE, UM, INCREASING THE RATE OF, OF SERVICE COST OR THE, UH, RE FOR CHARGE FOR SERVICE WOULD BE ONE WAY.BECAUSE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, THEY REIMBURSED AT THE USUAL AND CUSTOMARY RATE.
UM, WE ARE THE BIG, UH, ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
WE ARE THE LARGEST AMBULANCE PROVIDER IN, IN THIS REGION.
SO IF WE KEEP OUR RATES ARBITRARILY LOW, UM, THERE IS NO INCENTIVE FOR, FOR THAT, UH, REIMBURSEMENT FOR MEDICARE MEDICAID TO, TO BE ADJUSTED UPWARD.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE THINGS.
UM, I KNOW IT'S A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, AGAIN, WE, THAT IS OUR PRIMARY, UH, OUR PRIMARY SERVICE PROVIDE OR, UM, UH, SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE THAT WHERE WE GET REIMBURSEMENT FROM.
WHEN LOOKING AT OTHER LARGE CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, HOW ARE WE AS IT RELATES TO, UH, COMPETITIVE SALARIES? WELL, LOOK, WE HAVE, ALL I CAN BASE IT ON IS WHAT WE PROVIDE, WHERE WE PRESENTED, UH, A YEAR AGO.
AND THAT WAS BASED ON A TOTAL COMP STUDY FOR PAY.
AND WE WERE BELOW THE AVERAGE ABOUT 18%.
THE, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL APPROVED US, UH, TO INCREASE THE PAY RATE BY 18% TO TRY TO HELP US GET UP TO AT LEAST THE MEDIAN.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR THE, THE, UH, NEW CONTRACTS IN OTHER AREAS GO UP.
THERE IS INCENTIVES AND, AND PAY INCREASES THAT HAPPEN.
AND SO WE HAVE TO, TO HAVE A STRATEGY TO, UH, TO BE COMPETITIVE.
AND THANK YOU, CHIEF FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT EQUIPMENT, UM, PURCHASED LAST YEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PURCHASE THIS YEAR, AND THIS'S WHY THAT LINE ITEM WENT DOWN.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET FOR JUST REGULAR EQUIPMENT, LIKE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AGING EQUIPMENT, ALSO EQUIPMENT THAT'S STOLEN, LIKE IT WAS JUST STOLEN ON ENGINE FOUR THE OTHER DAY, THAT KIND OF THING.
WELL, WELL, THAT WAS, THAT'S, I WANNA SAY IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT, YOU KNOW, SHRINKAGE JUST SOMETHING THAT WE EXPERIENCED AS WELL HERE IN, IN THE DEPARTMENT.
WE, UH, SEVERAL TIMES THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE MOST, UM, RECENT ONE.
BUT WE DO EXPERIENCE THEFT, UH, OFTENTIMES, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S, IT'S OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF THAT AT THE FIRE STATIONS.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR, THEIR VEHICLES BROKEN INTO, UH, WE DO HAVE MONIES ALLOCATED COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE M AND O OF, OF OUR EQUIPMENT.
AND, AND SO EVERY YEAR WE TRY TO ANTICIPATE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF REPLACEMENT.
WE'VE TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, STARTING FROM THE BIG, BIG TICKET ITEMS LIKE OUR, OUR APPARATUS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE ALMOST ON SCHEDULE TO REPLACE EVERY ONE OF OUR APPARATUS EVERY 10 YEARS.
AND SO, AGAIN, COUNCIL AND MAYOR, YOU ALL HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN, IN ALLOWING US TO GET, UH, THAT PLAN IMPLEMENTED.
BUT WE'VE TAKEN THE SAME APPROACH FOR EVERYTHING IN OUR INVENTORY.
UH, EVERYTHING HAS A SHELF LIFE.
EVERYTHING HAS A, A, A TOTAL LIFE EXPECTANCY.
IT'S EASIER TO REPLACE AND TAKE SMALL BITES AT THE APPLE EVERY YEAR THAN TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE TO MAKE WHOLESALE REPLACEMENTS.
UM, IT'S VERY HARD TO BUDGET THAT WAY.
SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS, YES, WE DO HAVE A REPLACEMENT PLAN FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR ITEMS THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR INVENTORY.
UM, THE VEHICLE LEASE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS PROGRAM.
UM, ARE WE PLANNING ON EXPANDING THAT PAST THE 105 VEHICLES? YES.
WE, UH, OUR HOPE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE ALL THE ARSON VEHICLES AND EVENTUALLY ALL THE LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING, AND I'M WORKING WITH STAFF TO SEE IF WE CAN, UH, LEASE THE, THE HEAVY APPARATUS FOR THOSE STATIONS THAT ARE, UH, SLOWEST IN, IN CALL VOLUME.
UM, SO THE PLAN IS TO TAKE THOSE APPARATUS, TAKE 'EM OFF THE BOARD ON THE REPLACEMENT PLAN, AND PUT 'EM INTO A LEASE PROGRAM UNTIL WE CAN MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, UH, IMPROVEMENTS ON, ON THE EXISTING, ON THE, ON THE REMAINING ONES, AND THEN PUT THEM BACK INTO, SLOWLY FOLD THEM BACK INTO THE REPLACEMENT PLAN.
UM, ONE OF THE LATEST, UH, PROJECTIONS WAS THAT I CAN GET A 10 VEHICLES FOR A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON A LEASE 10 APPARATUS, AND IT WOULD MEAN MOVING FROM CIP FUNDING TO, TO OPERATING FUNDS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S A, UH, I MEAN, THAT'S A PROPER USE OF, OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS, OF CITY RESOURCES BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO, UH, TO HAVE ONE SERVICEABLE
[00:30:01]
EQUIPMENT AND TWO, YOU KNOW, AT A LOWER COST PER YEAR.AND SO, YES, I'D LIKE TO EXPAND IT.
THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW, UM, I THINK THE PROOF OF CONCEPT IS THAT, THAT IT WORKS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, AT WORST, WE BREAK EVEN, BUT WE HAVE BRAND NEW VEHICLES, 1-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT NOT ONLY INCREASES OUR EFFICIENCIES, BUT IT IMPROVES MORALE.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE RUNNING, RUNNING AROUND WITH 15, 20-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES.
UH, A LOT OF 'EM DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE, THE LATEST SAFETY EQUIPMENT.
SO, UM, THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM.
I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S GOOD GOVERNMENT.
I THINK IT'S A RESPONSIBLE WAY OF USING, UH, CITY RESOURCES AND, AND I'M HOPING TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM.
THANK YOU, CHIEF AND VICE CHAIR, IF YOU COULD PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE.
UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE SHOULD BE FUNDING FOR INSURANCE OR ACCREDITATION REASONS THAT WE ARE NOT FUNDING IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET? UM, OKAY.
I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED, LIKE PROGRAMS, UM, NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING EVERY YEAR.
IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE UNMET NEEDS THAT MM-HMM
WE SHOULD BE DOING? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS, IS A NEED, BUT SOMETHING THAT, LIKE WE COULD LOSE SOME KIND OF ACCREDITATION OR INSURANCE PURPOSES THAT WE SHOULD BE FUNDING THAT WE'RE NOT.
WELL, LOOK, WE, WE JUST, UH, WE JUST GOT OUR, OUR ISO RATING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, IT CAME BACK AS AN ISO ONE, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL YOU CAN GET.
WE JUST RECEIVED OUR ACCREDITATION FROM THE COMMISSION ON FIRE ACCREDITATION INTERNATIONAL.
UM, SO, SO THOSE ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MET THE, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT THE, THE, UH, INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME, UH, AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED IS ADDITIONAL TRANSPORT UNITS.
AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, NOT ONLY IN THIS BUDGET PRESENTATION, BUT, BUT IN OTHER, UH, COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS, WE NEED MORE AMBULANCES.
OUR, OUR RESPONSE TIMES FOR, FOR THOSE CALL VOLUME OR THOSE CALL TYPES IS GONNA INCREASE.
AND, AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE AT RISK OF LOSING ANY CER CERTIFICATION OR ACCREDITATION FOR THAT, BUT WE CERTAINLY, UH, AT SOME POINT, IF WE DON'T MAKE A STRATEGIC EFFORT TO, TO ADDRESS THAT, WE WON'T BE MEET MEETING THE NEEDS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS EXPECTING.
AND SO, INCREASING AMBULANCE, UH, CAPACITY IS, IS ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT.
INSPECTIONS IS AN, IS ANOTHER ONE.
UM, AND, AND SO AGAIN, THE BIGGEST IMPACT WE'RE GONNA MAKE IS IN THE PREVENTION SIDE, NOT ON THE RESPONSE SIDE.
SO TO DO THAT, WE NEED INSPECTORS.
WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OF THE HEARING.
WE HAVE THREE VIRTUAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS, AND THE FIRST ONE IS SABA BLANDING, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE SABA.
YOU THINK I HAVE THIS DOWN BY NOW, BUT STILL A STRUGGLE.
UM, UH, CHIEF, YOU REALLY ACTUALLY ALREADY ANSWERED MY FIRST QUESTION, UM, BUT I'M GONNA ASK IT IN CASE YOU WANTED TO EXPAND.
UM, AND THAT WAS, WHAT DO YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BETTER PROVIDE PREVENTATIVE SERVICES? YOU MENTIONED INCREASING INSPECTORS, AND I WAS ALSO CURIOUS IN REGARDS TO THAT, IF IT'S PRIMARILY AN ISSUE OF STAFFING OR TRAINING OR BOTH, AND IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER NEEDS, UM, Y'ALL HAD.
AND THEN ALONG WITH THAT, I'M CURIOUS, UM, WHAT PREVENTATIVE MEASURES DO YOU THINK THE CITY COULD TAKE BEYOND WHAT IT CURRENTLY EXISTS, UM, TO REDUCE THE DEMAND ON YOUR DEPARTMENT? ON THE RESPONSE SIDE? AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTION.
SO THAT'S MY PRIMARY QUESTION.
UM, SO IN REGARDS TO THE INSPECTOR'S QUESTION, UM, IT'S BOTH, IT'S PERSONNEL AND IT'S TRAINING.
UH, IN ORDER TO DO FIRE INSPECTIONS, THE, THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON FIRE PROTECTION REQUIRES A CERTIFICATION AS A, AS A STATE INSPECTOR.
AND SO THAT TAKES A LITTLE, UH, WHILE TO TRAIN PEOPLE UP.
AND, AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH THE, IN REGARDS TO WHAT WOULD HELP, UM, IN, IN STEMMING THE, THE INCREASED CALL VOLUME, I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, MORE A CONCERTED EFFORT IN, IN, IN A PUBLIC SAFETY MESSAGE ON THE PROPER USE OF 9 1 1.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF CALLS THAT, THAT DON'T QUALIFY AS, AS EMERGENCIES, BUT, UH, BUT PEOPLE STILL USE THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM
[00:35:01]
FOR, FOR THINGS THAT REALLY COULD BE HANDLED IN A DIFFERENT, IN A DIFFERENT WAY.SO I THINK A, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO IN, IN PROVIDING INFORMATION, PROVIDING, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A A, A BETTER WAY OF, OF COMMUNICATING HOW THE PROPER, HOW TO PROPERLY USE NINE, THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, BECAUSE IT'S A BUSY SYSTEM.
AS I MENTIONED, WE RUN 300 ALL CLOSE TO 350,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE EVERY YEAR.
THE 9 1 1 CENTER RECEIVES A COUPLE MILLION CALLS.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT FOR BOTH POLICE AND FIRE AT THE 9 1 1 CENTER, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE, UH, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE CALLS ARE NOT, WOULDN'T REALLY QUALIFY AS EMERGENCY.
SO THAT, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO RESPOND TO THEM.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA, THAT WOULD BE ONE, ONE WAY TO DO IT.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL SPEAKER IS MR. JASON OLIVER, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE.
I'M, I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, ABOUT PAY.
YOU SAID THAT, UH, THE 18% WILL BRING US UP TO THE AVERAGE FROM LAST YEAR, RIGHT? WITH, IS THAT, SO ANY RAISES THAT, UM, THAT DEPARTMENTS OR COMPARISON DEPARTMENTS HAVE MADE LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR, OR, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? WHEN WE GET TO THE 18%, THEY'LL BE AT 25 OR 30%.
WELL, MAYBE NOT THAT FAR, BUT, BUT THEY'LL BE SIGNIFICANTLY WHATEVER WE END UP AT.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? I DO KNOW, UH, MR. OLIVER, THAT, THAT THE, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON IS, IS COMMISSIONING A COMP STUDY FOR, FOR THIS YEAR.
IT SHOULD BE READY SOMETIME, SOMETIME THIS YEAR, AND WE'LL HAVE A BETTER, UM, A BETTER TARGET OF, OF, OF WHERE WE STAND IN COMPARISON TO OUR COUNTERPARTS IN OUR INDUSTRY.
AND SO, YEAH, BUT LOOK, WE, UM, THE 18% WAS, WAS, WAS MUCH NEEDED.
UM, AND, AND IT'S A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UH, I, I WILL WAIT FOR THE COMP STUDY TO COME UP, UM, AT THE, SOMETIME THIS YEAR, AND THEN WE WILL MAKE THE CASE FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL PAY RAISES FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
BUT, UH, LOOK, IT'S RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT IS A, IS A, UH, PRACTICAL CONCERN FOR ME.
UM, I HAVE TO BE, WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE IN OUR INDUSTRY TO MAINTAIN THE TALENT THAT WE HAVE HERE ON THE DEPARTMENT.
IT COSTS US A LOT OF MONEY TO TRAIN AND RECRUIT, AND WE WANT THEM TO, TO REMAIN ON THIS, ON THIS DEPARTMENT.
SO ONE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE IN PAY.
AND THEN ONE, UH, LAST QUESTION ABOUT, I, I KNOW THE EMERGENCY CENTER HAS, HAS COME UP KIND OF TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE FACING ISSUES WITH, UH, WITH, WITH PAY AND LIKE THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER RESPONSE IS, IS A, IS A BIT SLOW.
IS THAT CONTRIBUTING TO WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF THE, UM, THE KIND OF OVERSATURATION OF 9 1 1 AND, AND FIRE CALLS THAT YOU'RE RESPONDING TO THAT AREN'T ACTUAL EMERGENCIES? YEAH, SO, SO THE NINE ONE ONE CENTER EMPLOYEES, CIVILIAN CALL TAKERS, UH, THE INITIAL CALL GOES TO, TO THAT, UH, AREA.
AND THEN DEPENDING ON, ON THE NEEDS OF THE CALLER, WHETHER IT'S FIRE, MEDICAL, THEN IT GOES TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT NEED GOES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
FROM THERE, OUR DISPATCHERS, THE SECOND LEVEL, ONCE, UH, GETS PAST THE CALL TAKER FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL.
AND, AND WE ARE FULLY STAFFED IN THAT, IN THAT, UM, UH, AREA.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A, OF A TRAINING AND, AND WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB.
WE, THE EMERGENCY SERVICES NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING AND, AND AN EDUCATIONAL, UH, APPROACH FOR OUR COMMUNITY ON, ON THE PROPER USE OF, OF THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, WHAT'S AN EMERGENCY, WHAT WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY, AND THEN PROVIDE THEM THE RESOURCES ON HOW ELSE THEY CAN GET THEIR, THEIR NEEDS ADDRESSED WITHOUT NECESSARILY CALLING 9 1 1.
SO IT'S A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, UM, APPROACH TO, TO THAT QUESTION.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL SPEAKER IS MR. DOUG SMITH.
UM, YOU JUST SAID YOU RECEIVED THE TOP RATINGS FROM THE TWO RATING AGENCIES, AND I'VE HEARD IN THE PAST THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS, UH, UNDERSTAFFED AND YOU COULD USE A LOT MORE PEOPLE.
UH, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A CONCERN THAT
[00:40:01]
YOU COULD POSSIBLY LOSE THOSE RATINGS, UH, IF YOU DON'T GET THE PEOPLE YOU NEED.THE SECOND QUESTION ON, UM, PAGE THREE DASH FOUR OF YOUR REPORT, IT'S THE STATISTICS PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RESPONSE TIMES FOR FIRST UNIT, UH, CALL RESPONSE TIMES FOR EITHER EMS OR FIRE.
AND I'M WONDERING WHY THAT IS.
AND ALSO ON THAT PAGE, YOU TALK ABOUT EMS INCIDENTS AND RESPONSES AND FIRE INCIDENTS AND RESPONSES, AND THE RESPONSES ARE A LOT HIGHER THAN THE INCIDENTS.
AND I'M, UH, CURIOUS WHAT THE DIFFERENT DIFFERENTIATIONS BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
OKAY, MR. MR. SMITH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPEAT THE SECOND PART OF THE, UH, OF YOUR QUESTION.
THE FIRST ONE, IN REGARDS TO STAFFING, UM, LOOK, I'VE, I'VE MADE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
I MADE, UH, THE SAME, THE SAME, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, LAST YEAR REGARDING THE, UM, OUR, WHEN WE PRESENTED OUR BUDGET REGARDING STAFFING IN 2019 AND 2020, WE MISSED OUR RECRUITMENT TARGET BY ABOUT 280 FIREFIGHTERS.
THAT WAS AS A RESULT OF PROPOSITION B PASSING AND US HAVING TO CANCEL FOUR ACADEMY CLASSES AT THAT POINT, THAT, THAT CAUSED US TO MISS, UM, THE RECRUITMENT BY 280 FIREFIGHTERS THAT YEAR.
BY THE TIME WE STARTED RECRUITMENT AGAIN, UM, IT WAS 18 MONTHS WITHOUT HIRING A SINGLE FIREFIGHTER.
AND IN THAT TIME, ATTRITION CONTINUED.
THE NORMAL AND ANNUAL ATTRITION CONTINUED TO HAPPEN IN 2020, WE HAD HIGHER THAN NORMAL ATTRITION.
SO THAT EXACERBATED THE, THE ISSUE.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN APPROVED 280 FIREFIGHTERS PER YEAR TO BE HIRED THIS YEAR.
THE, UH, THE MAYOR APPROVED THE FIFTH CLASS, WHICH, UH, WHICH PUTS US AT 350 FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HIRING THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THAT IS IN ATTEMPTS TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT WE LOST IN 2019 AND 2020.
OUR NORMAL ANNUAL ATTRITION IS ABOUT 170.
THAT'S, THAT'S RETIREMENTS, THAT'S, UH, RESIGNATIONS, THAT'S EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT 170.
WE'RE HAVING TO HIRE A HUNDRED ABOVE AND BEYOND THE NORMAL ATTRITION TO TRY TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT WE LOST AGAIN IN 2019 AND 2020.
AND, BUT IT JUST, MY MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE IS THE FIRST YEAR FIREFIGHTER, BECAUSE IT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR TO GET 'EM RECRUITED, TO GET 'EM TRAINED, AND GET 'EM OUT INTO THE STATIONS.
SO IT'S A LONG PROCESS, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S TAKEN US SO LONG.
IT'S GONNA TAKE US SEVERAL FISCAL YEARS TO MAKE UP WHAT WE LOST BACK THEN.
AND SO, SO IT IS A, IT IS A CONCERN FOR US.
UM, WE ARE MAKING UP THAT, THAT, UH, SHORTAGE BY INCREASING OUR OVERTIME BUDGET NUMBERS IN ORDER TO BRING IN PERSONNEL TO MAKE UP FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE SHORTAGES.
BUT THE GOAL IS, THE STRATEGIC GOAL IS TO GET BACK UP TO FULL STAFFING, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, IT, IT WOULD ALLOW ME TO MAKE THE ADDITIONAL ASK FOR MORE AMBULANCES AND MORE INSPECTORS AND MORE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE THE INCREASED DEMAND.
UM, IF YOU CAN REPEAT YOUR QUESTION.
HAVE THE RATING AGENCIES INDICATED ANY CONCERN ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE DOUG? DOUG, IS THIS YOUR UNDER STAFFED AS YOU JUST DESCRIBED, DOUG? IS THIS YOUR SECOND QUESTION? UH, SECOND.
WELL, IT'S RELATED, UH, IT'S RELATED TO THE QUESTION YOU JUST ANSWERED.
UH, BUT THE, THE SECOND QUESTION RELATES TO, UH, PAGE OR ITEM THREE DASH FOUR, WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR PERFORMANCE, UH, MEASURES, AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TARGETS FOR FIRST CALL RESPONSE FOR EITHER FIRE OR EMS IN 2023.
AND THEN ON THAT SAME PAGE, UH, YOU TALK ABOUT EMS INCIDENTS AND RESPONSES AND FIRE INCIDENTS AND RESPONSES AND RESPONSES ARE A LOT HIGHER THAN THE INCIDENTS.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO? SO THE REASON FOR THAT, DOUG, IS WE'RE SWITCHING TO ACCREDITATION MEASURES.
IN THE PAST, WE WERE REPORTING AVERAGES.
UH, THE AVERAGE MEANS THAT HALF THE TIME YOU'RE BETTER, BUT HALF THE TIME YOU'RE WORSE.
THE ACCREDITATION, UH, MEASURE NOW IS BASED ON PERCENTILES, THE 90TH PERCENTILE IS WHAT THEY'RE MEASURING.
THAT GIVES A BETTER, UM, A BETTER PICTURE OF, OF YOUR, YOUR CAPACITY AND WHAT YOU'RE, THIS THE TYPE OF SERVICE YOU'RE DELIVERING.
THAT'S THE REASON FOR, FOR THAT CHANGE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OUTCOME BASED, UH, RESPONSES INSTEAD OF JUST SIMPLY THE SHOWING UP, UH, ON A, IN, IN A, UH, CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AND STOPPING THE CLOCK.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE REASON RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF,
[00:45:01]
UM, FIRST RESPONSE UNITS, LADDER TRUCKS, FIRE TRUCKS, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY NEED A MEDICAL, AN EMS TRANSPORT UNIT WHERE, UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN TRACKING THAT APPROPRIATELY.WE'RE STOPPING THE CLOCK BASED ON RESPONSE TIMES WITHOUT REALLY LOOKING AT THE OUTCOME.
UH, THAT IS GONNA PROVIDE ME THE ANALYSIS AND THE TOOLS TO BE, TO MAKE THE CASE FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL UNITS THAT, UH, THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED.
I, I KNOW WE NEED MORE AMBULANCES.
THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE'RE SENDING THE FIRST AVAILABLE UNIT.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY SHOW UP JUST TO STOP THE CLOCK, AND THEN THEY'RE WAITING FOR THAT AMBULANCE AND TRANSPORT UNIT TO ARRIVE MINUTES LATER.
UM, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NOT ADDING MORE FIRE TRUCKS, IT'S ADDING MORE AMBULANCE CAPACITY, WHICH WILL HELP THE SYSTEM, WHICH IT'LL IMPROVE THE RESPONSE TIMES FOR, FOR TRANSPORT.
AND IT, UH, IT, IT REALLY WILL IMPROVE THE, UH, THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE INCIDENTS AND WHAT ABOUT THE INCIDENTS AND RESPONSES, WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO? WHERE'S HE LOOKING AT? DOUG, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
UM, I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU AN ANSWER OFF THE FLY.
UH, I GOTTA SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU ARE ASKING ABOUT.
AND MR. SMITH, IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO DISTRICT E@HOUSTONTX.GOV, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU, UH, SHORTLY.
WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO THE IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM AFTER YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
WE HAVE ONE IN PERSON SPEAKER, MR. BUTLER, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
MS. MCHENRY, IF YOU COULD PLEASE, UH, STEP BACK AND HE WILL BE ABLE TO USE YOUR MICROPHONE AND THEN YOU CAN COME BACK.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES PER QUESTIONS.
HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU CHIEF? GOOD TO SEE YOU, MR. BUTLER.
MY NAME IS BRO BUTLER, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF, UH, CYNIC WOOD NEIGHBORHOOD IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON, WHICH IS DISTRICT B.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CHIEF FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
UH, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR HIM, BUT FIRST A STATEMENT.
I WANT HIM TO THANK, UH, AL BENNETT, WHO HAS MADE SURE THAT MY COMMUNITY HAS GOTTEN CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS AND SMOKE DETECTORS AND CONTINUES TO DO SO RECENTLY.
SO MY THREE QUESTIONS ARE THIS, UH, IN A PREVIOUS BUDGET CYCLE CHIEF, UH, YOU MENTIONED TO THIS COMMITTEE THAT YOU HAD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ENGINES IN YOUR FLEET THAT WERE IN DISREPAIR.
UH, YOU WERE WAITING ON NEW ENGINES, AND YOU WERE ALSO SEEKING TO TECHNOLOGY, BUT YOU'RE ALSO WAITING TO SEEK, UH, MORE TRAINING FOR YOUR FIREFIGHTERS.
YOU'VE ADDRESSED THESE POINTS IN SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSED HERE TODAY.
BUT AGAIN, THE THEME IS, CAN YOU REITERATE, UH, HAS ANY OF THESE ISSUES BEEN ADDRESSED TO THIS POINT? THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS, UH, GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE FIVE INCOMING CLASSES QUEUED UP, THAT'S GREAT NEWS, BUT ARE YOU CURRENTLY HAVING TROUBLE RECRUITING APPLICANTS WITHIN THE HOUSTON CITY LIMITS? IF SO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO COMBAT THAT? AND THE THOUGHT IS ABOUT INCREASING DIVERSITY AS ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MENTIONED.
AND SO THESE THEMES ARE SORT OF REPETITIVE THEMES.
BUT MY LAST QUESTION ACTUALLY DEALS WITH MY SPECIFIC COMMUNITY AS SORT OF THE OTHER ONES OVERLAY.
AND THAT IS, UH, WE'RE GOING IN HURRICANE SEASON.
AND HOW MANY FIREHOUSES IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON, WHICH IS EAST, UH, SORT OF NORTH OF SIX 10, EAST OF 59, SPECIFICALLY THE 7, 7 0 1 16 ZIP CODE, UH, HAVE WATER EVACUATION AND WATER RESCUE EQUIPMENT.
AND FROM WHAT I KNOW, THE TIDWELL FIREHOUSE HAS ONE BOAT, BUT MY QUESTION GOING FORWARD IS, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OR OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BOATS OR WATER RESCUE EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUSES THAT ARE IN MY SECTION OF THE CITY? MM-HMM
MR. NER, THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL FOR, FOR YOUR QUESTIONING AND FOR BEING HERE IN PERSON.
THIS ALL THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.
UM, SO I, I WROTE DOWN YOUR QUESTIONS.
AL BENNETT IS ONE OF OUR, UH, BETTER EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HE'S VERY RESPONSIVE AND HE'S VERY COMMITTED TO, TO WHAT HE'S DOING.
SO I, I'LL CERTAINLY RELAY YOUR, YOUR THANKS TO HIM.
UH, IN REGARDS TO THE ENGINES IN DISREPAIR, FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN, UH, FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WHEN, WHEN I CAME HERE, WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH AN AGING FLEET.
[00:50:01]
THERE WAS NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.WE HAD ENGINES THAT WERE, THAT WERE ESSENTIALLY CATCHING FIRE ON SCENE.
UM, THAT WAS AS A RESULT OF, OF THE PURCHASING, THE WAY THEY WERE PURCHASING THESE UNITS.
A FIRETRUCK COSTS US ABOUT $600,000 PER UNIT.
A LADDER TRUCK IS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, THEY MADE A LARGE PURCHASE.
THEY HAD MADE A LARGE PURCHASE ABOUT 15 YEARS BEFORE THAT, AND THEY HADN'T DONE A A, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE REPLACEMENT PLAN, WHICH MEANT THAT YOU BUY A LARGE PURCHASE OF FLEET VEHICLES AT ONE POINT, AND THEY'RE GREAT WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE NEW MM-HMM
BUT THEN THEY ALL START AGING AT THE SAME TIME AND FALLING APART AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THANKS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND THEIR SUPPORT, WE'VE REPLACED OVER 50% OF THE ENTIRE FLEET IN THESE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, WE HAVE A SMALL PERCENTAGE THAT NOW IS OUTSIDE THE 10 YEAR EXPECTED LIFE CYCLE OF THESE HEAVY APPARATUS.
WE HAVE BEGUN TO FOCUS NOT ONLY ON THE HEAVY APPARATUS AND AMBULANCES, BUT WE WERE ALSO FOCUSING ON THE LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES, AS WE MENTIONED, UH, THROUGH SOME OTHER CREATIVE PROGRAMS, THE LEASE, UH, OF THESE VEHICLES AND OUTRIGHT PURCHASE OF THESE.
SO WE'RE MAKING A WHOLESALE, UH, REPLACEMENT OF ALL APPARATUS.
THEY'RE ALL EMERGENCY RESPONSE APPARATUS IN MY, IN MY ESTIMATION.
BUT IN REGARDS TO THE ENGINES AND THE LADDER TRUCKS, WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STATE OF THIS FLEET.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE AMBULANCE, UH, REPLACEMENTS, WE'VE REPLACED ALMOST, ALMOST 50% OF THOSE AMBULANCES AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE NO LONGER DOING THE, UH, THE REFURBISHING AND PUTTING 'EM BACK IN, INTO THE SYSTEM.
UH, WE'RE BUYING TURNKEY AMBULANCES, UM, WHICH WITH ALL THE NEW SAFETY FEATURES THAT THAT COME WITH, WITH THE NEW APPARATUS.
SO THAT'S A BETTER, UH, AND SAFER UNIT FOR, FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
SO THAT'S, UH, IN REGARDS TO THAT, YES, WE ARE WELL OVER 50% OF, OF REPLACEMENT OF OUR ENTIRE FLEET IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY.
WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THAT TOO.
WE'VE REPLACED ALL OUR MDTS IN THE MAJORITY OF OUR, OF OUR APPARATUS.
WE'VE ALSO SWITCHED OVER OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR OUR INSPECTORS.
NOW, WE'RE, UH, IN THE, IN FOUR PROGRAM.
IN THE PAST, THEY WERE DOING THEIR INSPECTIONS AND, AND, UH, DOCUMENTING ON PAPER.
THAT'S VERY ANTIQUATED, VERY INEFFICIENT.
WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN, IN TECHNOLOGY IN THAT RESPECT.
EVERY ONE OF OUR APPARATUS, OUR HEAVY APPARATUS, HAS A THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA.
NOW, UM, IN THE PAST THAT WAS, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.
SO WE'VE PROVIDED THAT IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY.
AND SO I CAN POINT TO A VARIETY OF AREAS WHERE WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY TRAINING.
UM, AGAIN, WE'VE SOMETIMES WE CAN'T GET THE, UH, THE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, BUT WE HAVEN'T STOPPED THERE.
WE'VE LOOKED, WE'VE LOOKED FOR, FOR NON-TRADITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES TO PROVIDE FOR TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT AND, AND HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECTS FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
UH, IN THE LAST FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, WE'VE DRAWN DOWN ALMOST $11 MILLION OF GRANT FUNDS THAT ARE DEDICATED FOR EITHER TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS IN THAT.
UH, IN REGARDS TO APPLICANTS, UM, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR, FOR APPLICANTS FROM WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
WE, MATTER OF FACT, UH, IN THIS LAST MONTH, I'VE, I'VE, UH, MET WITH THE, THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT, UH, FOR HISD, THE VICE SUPERINTENDENT FOR HISD.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT, UH, INDIVIDUALS RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL.
THE, THE REQUIREMENT FOR 24 CREDIT HOURS OF COLLEGE IS, HASN'T CHANGED.
BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS, AND ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMBERS, THERE ARE ABOUT 6,000 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR THAT GRADUATE WITH AN EQUIVALENT OF 24 CREDIT HOURS, UM, THAT COME FROM AP CLASSES OR COME FROM OTHER, OTHER, UH, EARLY COLLEGE, UH, COURSES.
THAT RIGHT NOW WE HADN'T BEEN CAPTURING.
MY GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO GO DIRECTLY INTO THESE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN OUR, IN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND RECRUIT DIRECTLY FROM HIGH SCHOOL ONTO THIS ORGANIZATION.
UM, WHEN THEY GRADUATE, THEY HAVE CHOICES.
SOME OF 'EM GO TO COLLEGE, SOME OF 'EM GO TO THE MILITARY, SOME OF 'EM GO TO WORK.
I WANNA BE ANOTHER CHOICE FOR, FOR THOSE, UH, WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE A CAREER FOR, FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
AND THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
SO, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU, OUR DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
UH, THAT HAS BEEN A FOCUSED, UH, UH, FOCUS OF MINE.
IF YOU SEE OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, UM, WE'VE MADE HUGE IMPROVEMENTS IN, IN RECRUITMENT OF MORE MINORITIES, UH, INTO
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THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.WE MADE SOME CHANGES THAT JUST INCREASED THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED APPLICANTS.
THE STANDARDS HAVEN'T CHANGED.
BUT IF WE CAN HAVE A BIGGER POOL OF, OF APPLICANTS, THEN WE CAN BE MORE SELECTIVE AS FAR AS WHO, WHO CAN COME IN.
WE'RE NOT HAVING ANY TROUBLE FILLING THE CLASSES THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR THE ACADEMY.
WE HAVE HAD SOME CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC WHERE WE HAD TO DO REMOTE LEARNING AND, AND CLASSES VIA, UH, VIRTUALLY BECAUSE GETTING A CERTIFICATION FOR AN EMT IS NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VIRTUAL APPROACH IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO THAT.
IT'S, UH, THE CURRICULUM IS VERY CHALLENGING.
UH, THEY NEED THE, THE, UH, IN-CLASS, UH, TUITION.
SO OUR ATTRITION RATE THERE HAS, HAS BEEN HIGHER THAN NORMAL.
WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'S CHANGED.
COUNCIL HAS APPROVED US, UH, GETTING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND, AND, AND, UH, BUILDINGS AT THE TRAINER ACADEMY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT TRAINING.
SO, UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT, THAT, THAT CHANGES IN FOR THE BETTER.
IN REGARD TO HURRICANE SEASON AND THE ASSETS, UH, WHEN I GOT HERE IN 2017, WE HAD HARVEY, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY HIGH WATER VEHICLES.
MATTER OF FACT, WE HAD ONE, AND THAT WAS FROM, FROM DISTRICT A.
AND WE GOT THAT VEHICLE THE DAY THAT HARVEY MADE LANDFALL.
UM, SINCE THEN, WE'VE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS.
NOW WE HAVE 15 HIGH WATER VEHICLES THAT ARE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, WE HAVE, WE'VE REPLACED OUR BOATS.
WE HAVE AN 80 MEMBER WATER STRIKE TEAM THAT IS NOW TRAINED AND EQUIPPED AND READY TO DEPLOY AND AUGMENT, UH, FOR, FOR THESE RESOURCES, UH, FOR THESE, UH, INCIDENTS.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO MADE, UM, PARTNERSHIPS, WE'VE, WE'VE USED OUR, OUR NETWORK WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND TO BE ABLE TO SCALE UP IF, IF REQUIRED.
ONE, UH, EXAMPLE IS WE'VE PARTNERED WITH, WE WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE FIT IN A, IN THE BACK OF A DUMP TRUCK? 38? YES, I DO.
UH, AND THE REASON WE KNOW THAT IS BECAUSE WE'VE USED THOSE IN THE PAST, BUT NOW WE'VE INCORPORATED THEM, UM, INTO THE CAD SYSTEM.
SO THEY, YOU KNOW, IF WE EXPECT A, A, UH, HURRICANE OR, OR SOME INCLEMENT WEATHER, WE WILL DEPLOY, UH, RESOURCES FROM PUBLIC WORKS IN OTHER AREAS INTO OUR FIRE STATIONS, AND THEY'LL HAVE A FIREFIGHTER ASSIGNED TO THEM TO BE ABLE TO, TO MANAGE AND, AND BE AN ADDITIONAL ASSET IN, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE, TO WHAT WE HAVE.
SO WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS, UH, UH, STRIDES IN THAT RESPECT AS WELL.
UH, IN THESE, IN THESE SHORT FIVE YEARS, THE RESOURCES ARE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, AND THAT IS A, A TACTICAL, UH, DECISION, BUT THEY'RE DEPLOYABLE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
SO YOU CAN SHIFT LIKE BASEBALL.
UM, ONE OF ONE IS THAT WE CAN'T PUT ALL THE RESOURCES IN IN ONE AREA BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH ROOM, BUT WE DO KNOW, AND BASED ON, UH, WHAT WE ANTICIPATE AS FAR AS IF THERE'S A CERTAIN AREA THAT WE'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT, THEN WE WILL SHIFT RESOURCES, UH, AND PREDEPLOYMENT 'EM TO, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
BUT THOSE RESOURCES ARE, ARE CITY OF HOUSTON RESOURCES, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S RESOURCES.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY BELONG TO A CERTAIN DISTRICT MM-HMM
UM, WE KEEP 'EM IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT THEY, WE CAN DEPLOY 'EM AND SHIFT, UH, AS NEEDED.
SO MY ONLY CONCERN AT THIS POINT IS HOPEFULLY THE COUNCIL SEES THE BENEFIT OF SCALING YOU UP COMPARED TO THE COUNTY SCALING UP THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY STAND IN THE BREACH IF AND WHEN, AND REALLY NOT IF MM-HMM
WHEN THE NEXT NATURAL DISASTER HITS OUR CITY THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH WATER RESCUE.
WELL, LOOK, WE, UM, AGAIN, WE'VE, WE WELCOME THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UM, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY ALSO REACHING OUT TO OTHER RESPONSE AGENCIES, UM, TO HAVE A UNIFIED FRONT AND IN RESPONSE TO OUR COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.
UH, WE WORK VERY WELL WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE WORK VERY WELL WITH THE, WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
WE WORK VERY WELL WITH PUBLIC WORKS IN ALL OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE, WE HAVE A, A GOOD NETWORK OF, OF, UM, PERSONNEL THAT TRAIN TOGETHER.
UH, WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER'S CAPABILITIES AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN COME TO, UH, BRING TO BEAR IN CASE WE NEED IT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A MORE EFFICIENT WAY OF, OF MEETING THE, THE EXPECTED RISK OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, AND THE KEY IS TO HAVE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS IN PLACE BEFORE THE DISASTER HAPPENS.
UH, CHIEF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IF, IF WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ALWAYS SHARE THOSE AT DISTRICT E@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
UM, MS. MCHENRY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON, UM, THAT WE HAVE NOT COVERED? OKAY.
WELL, CHIEF, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE TREMENDOUS PRESENTATION AND THE TREMENDOUS
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JOB YOU ALL DO ON A DAILY BASIS.TO KEEP HOUSTON TON AND SAFE, UH, AS A COUNCIL, UH, WE ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THAT YOU DO AND ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU MAKE, SO TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL IN PERSON SPEAKERS.
BEFORE WE ADJOURN, PLEASE NOTE BUDGET WORKSHOPS WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK, STARTING MONDAY, MAY 16TH THROUGH THURSDAY, MAY 19TH.
REMINDER TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE CHECKING SHAREPOINT FOR UPLOADED PRESENTATIONS, AS WELL AS RESPONSES FOR ANY QUESTIONS SUBMITTED.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE, AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.