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VERY SORRY, CHIEF AND EVERYONE HERE FOR THE LENGTHY WORKSHOP BEFORE, BUT
UM, VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF TOM MUNOZ AND ROCHELLE MCHENRY HERE TO PRESENT THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET.
BEFORE I START, I WANT TO JUST RECOGNIZE THE COMMAND STAFF BEHIND ME WHO'S BEEN DOING AN AMAZING JOB, ROCHELLE AND HER FINANCE TEAM.
JUST, I, I THINK, UM, I THINK WITH WHAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SO COULDN'T BE DONE WITHOUT THEM.
BUT I WANNA THANK, UH, EVERYONE HERE.
AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER SUE, LOVE OUT THERE.
UH, JUST, UH, WE'RE GONNA JUMP TO PAGE TWO ON THE, ON THE SLIDES.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THE TABLE OF CONTENTS THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, THE EXPENDITURES BY FUND, UH, BY PROGRAM, PROGRAM DETAILS, REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS, AND OF COURSE, REVENUE BY FUND AND REVENUE BY PROGRAM.
UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS OUR BUDGET ALIGNMENT WITH THE MAYOR'S PRIORITIES.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET, 90% IS DEDICATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND 10% TO GOVERNMENT NETWORKS.
A FEW KEY INITIATIVES THIS YEAR INCLUDES RECRUITING AND RETAINING QUALIFIED FIREFIGHTERS, WHICH YOU'LL BE ABLE I'LL BE, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT WE SHOW ARE, ARE, ARE, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THOSE NUMBERS.
DELIVERING LIFE SAFETY PROGRAMS TO THE PUBLIC THAT EFFECTIVELY REDUCES, UM, THE IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY RISKS AND PROMOTE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND AGAIN, EQUIPMENT, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WITH, UH, SKILLS TO BETTER ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH SITUATIONS AND SAFETY TRAINING FOR ENHANCED INCIDENT SAFETY.
THIS IS GONNA BE OUR EXPENDITURES, UH, BY FUND.
SO, FIRES FULLY FUNDED BY GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
THE CHANGE FROM THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, UH, 26 BUDGET TO FISCAL YEAR 27.
PROPOSED BUDGET IS A DECREASE OF 13.2 MILLION OR 2%.
THE DECREASE IN OVERALL EXPECTED SPENDING LEVELS ARE LARGELY DUE TO THE DECREASE IN CLASSIFIED OVERTIME, UH, AND INCREASES IN CLASSIFIED BASE AND RELATED FRINGE BENEFITS AND INCREASES IN, UH, RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS.
WE ARE STILL FOCUSING ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS, AN EFFORT THAT INCLUDES RETENTION AND NEW RECRUITMENT, INCLUDING THIS BUDGET, OUR BASE PAY FOR CIVILIANS AND CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL, AS WELL AS CONTINUED FUNDING FOR HEALTH AND PENSION AND SPECIAL AND OTHER PAYS.
SO NOW YOU'LL SEE THE EXPENDITURE BY FUND GRAPH.
THIS SLIDE IS A GRAPH DEPICTING OUR CHANGES IN ANNUAL EXPENDITURES.
THE $52 MILLION INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 TO THE FISCAL YEAR.
UH, CURRENT BUDGET 26 IS LARGELY, LARGELY DUE TO THE, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, AND INCLUDES 6% ACROSS THE BOARD.
UH, PAY INCREASES FOR CLASSIFIED MEMBERS PROVISIONS FOR THE HOLIDAY BUYBACK PROVISIONS FOR SPECIAL AND OTHER PAYS AND EXPENDED RETIREMENT OPTIONS AND BUDGET FOR THE PRIOR CLOTHING VOUCHER ALLOWANCES.
PERSONNEL VERSUS NON-PERSONNEL.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS OF THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR PERSONNEL VERSUS NON-PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES AND FURTHER BREAKS DOWN THE NON-PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES INTO SUPPLIES, SERVICES, AND RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS OF HFDS $718 MILLION FISCAL YEAR 27, PROPOSED BUDGET 88% OR IS 628, UH, MILLION IS COMMITTED TO PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES WITH 98% OF THE BUDGET DEDICATED TO CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES AND 2% TO, UH, PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES.
THE REMAINING OF THE 12% OR 90.4 MILLION OF OUR BUDGET IS COMPRISED OF SUPPLIES, SERVICES, AND RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS.
EXPENDITURE BY PROGRAM FISCAL YEAR 27 HAS SIX PROGRAMS IN OUR OUTCOME BASED, UH, BUDGETING STRUCTURE.
THESE PROGRAMS ARE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RESCUE, COMMUNITY, FIRE PREVENTION AND RISK REDUCTION, FIREFIGHTER HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE SERVICES, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE
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SERVICES AND DEBT SERVICE, AND INTERFUND TRUST.SO THE LARGEST DI DECREASE THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IS AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RESCUE PROGRAM, A DECREASE OF 16.3.
THIS IS OUR LARGEST PROGRAM, BOTH IN TERMS OF BUDGET AND FT FTES.
THE $16.3 MILLION REDUCTION IS A NET SET OF SEVERAL FIGURES THAT INCLUDES A 14.8 MILLION INCREASE IN CLASSIFIED BASE PAY IN RELATED FRENCH BENEFITS OFFSET AGAINST A REDUCTION OF 28.1 MILLION IN OVERTIME AND RELATED FRENCH BENEFITS AND DECREASE OF 2.7 MILLION.
INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDING FOR THE DRUGS AND MEDICAL CHEMICAL SUPPLIES CARRIED ON AMBULANCES, FIREFIGHTER EQUIPMENT, AND CLEAR IN GEAR CLEANING AS WELL AS TUITION FOR PARAMEDICS.
BUT I WANNA EMPHASIZE IN THIS DECREASE THAT IT'S THE, WE'RE NOT GONNA IMPACT FIREFIGHTER SAFETY.
THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE PRIORITY FOR US AS WELL AS MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE, UH, CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO RIGHT NOW, YOU'LL BE SEEING IN, UH, ON COMING SLIDES WHAT WE'VE DONE, OUR PART TO REDUCE THE OVERTIME BASE TO WHAT'S WE'RE DOING.
OUR, OUR STAFF IS DOING THE BACK ALONG WITH ALL THE, THE ATTRITION RATE THAT WE'VE BEATEN.
SO I'LL BE MORE, UH, EXPLAINING THAT AT MORE AT LENGTH.
THE COMMUNITY BASE FIRE AND RISK, UH, REDUCTION PROGRAM IS APPROXIMATELY, UH, 1.8, UH, MILLION DOLLARS OR 5%.
THE LARGEST CHANGE IN PROGRAM IS AGAIN, UH, CLASSIFIED OVERTIME OF 1.7 THAT WE'LL BE UTILIZING.
THE EXECUTIVE SERVICES IS DECREASING BY, UH, 304,000 OR 4%.
THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES THE SALARY, FRENCH BENEFITS, UH, OF ALL HFD EXECUTIVE STAFF PERSONNEL AND PER AND, UH, AND THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OFFICE AND THE PIO OFFICE.
THE, THE CHANGE IN THE PROGRAM IS ATTRIBUTED TO REDUCTION IN CLASSIFIED OVERTIME OF 228,000.
AND ALONG WITH BENEFITS, FIREFIGHTER HEALTH AND SAFETY, THE CHANGE IN PROGRAM IS APPROXIMATELY 275005%.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE CLOTHING CLOSING VOUCHER EXPENDITURES, WHICH WERE TAKEN CARE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO, MOVING FORWARD, THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
THE ADDITIONAL $300, THAT WAS FOR THE FIVE, UH, ON THE ORIGINAL 500 AS PER THE CONTRACT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE IT A DECREASE IN 2007.
'CAUSE NOW IT'S BACK ON TRACK.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE NOW IS SLIDES 18 THROUGH 16 HFD PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
UM, YOU'LL BE SEEING NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
YES, YOU'LL BE SEEING NOW, UM, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE HAVE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RESCUE PROGRAM ALIGNS WITH THE MAYOR'S PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITY.
THERE ARE 10 PERFORMANCES MEASURES OF THIS PROGRAM, MOST DEALING WITH, UM, TURNOUT TIMES, RESPONSE TIMES, AND, UH, ALONG WITH THE, UM, THE INCIDENT COUNTS THAT WE'RE MONITORING AT ALL TIMES.
SO, WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA SKIP, WE'RE GONNA GO OVER NOW TO THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, WHICH IS GONNA BE, UH, THE HFD COMMUNITY RISK, WHICH IS GONNA BE SLIDE 10, PLEASE.
UM, HERE WE HAVE THE SEVEN PROGRAM MEASURES.
WE, WE ARE ON TRACK TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, IN THE PAST.
THE KEY FOCUS OF THIS PROGRAM IS PUBLIC EDUCATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS, UH, PARTNERING WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT CATER TO THAT POPULATION.
SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD PROGRAM, WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE QUALITY INVESTIGATIONS TO DETERMINE THE OF FIRES AND IF NEEDED, THE APPREHENSION OF, UH, PERSONS RESPONSIBLE.
WITH THAT, I GOTTA ADD THAT OUR, UH, ARSON DIVISION HAS BEEN DOING AN AMAZING JOB, UH, WITH WHAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, UH, ARREST TIMES AND THE INVESTIGATIONS TIMES, AND THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, THE EXECUTIVE SERVICES.
IS NOW, UM, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE MAYOR'S PUB.
AGAIN, THE MAYOR'S PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITY, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE CAUSE PROGRAMS, WHICH IS, UH, FOR ALL CENTRALIZED, UH, DEPARTMENT FUNCTIONS, ALONG WITH THE DEBT, UH, TRANSFER PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE, WHICH INCLUDES FUNDING FOR THE ETHAN PROGRAM, WHICH NOW, AS YOU SEE ON ALL THESE FOR THE SLIDES, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE APPROXIMATELY 4.2 FOR THE ETHAN PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.
UH, LEMME JUST MOVE OVER TO THAT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 16, THAT IS WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, UM, WHICH WILL BE THE, UH, PROGRAM IS, UH, BUDGETED FOR THE INTER FUND TRANSFERS IN SUPPORT OF THE ETHAN HEALTH, WHICH IS NOW AT, UH, 4.2 MILLION.
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NEXT SLIDE, SLIDE 17, WHICH IS NOW THE REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS.AMBULANCE FEES CONTINUE TO BE OUR LARGEST, LARGEST SOURCE OF RESOURCES, UH, OR REVENUE, EXCUSE ME.
APPROXIMATELY 62% OF OUR, UH, OF THE FISCAL YEAR REVENUE BUDGET IS, UH, WHAT WE'RE PREDICTING EACH YEAR.
THE FEE IS INCREASED BY INFLATION.
AND THEN AGAIN, OUR SPECIAL PERMITS, FIRE PERMITS SERVE 67 SPECIAL FIRE PERMITS THAT HELP WITH THAT REVENUE INTAKE.
AND AGAIN, EACH YEAR, UH, THE FEE IS INCREASED BY INFLATION.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE BRINGING.
UH, THIS SLIDE IS DEPICTING OUR CHANGES IN A ANNUAL REVENUES.
THE DECREASE FROM THE FISCAL YEAR TO 25 TO THE ACTUAL FISCAL YEARS DIRECTLY DECREASES IN AMOUNT EXPECTED TO BE RECEIVED.
HOWEVER, I GOTTA SAY THAT THE PROJECTED VERSUS WHAT THE ACTUALS, NOW WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT AN OVERAGE OR GOING OVER BY THE APPROXIMATELY 21 MILLION THAT AS TO OUR LATEST NUMBERS.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, UH, WE'RE DOING OUR PART, UH, AND, AND DEFINITELY OUR MEMBERS ARE DEFINITELY DOING THEIR PART AS WELL.
UM, BUT THE CHANGE FROM THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 27 TO THE FISCAL YEAR PROPOSED BUDGET IS A, AGAIN, THE DECREASE IN THE, UM, UH, AMBULANCE SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAM.
NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THE TREND THAT DIGIT TECH, WHO'S OUR BILLING, UH, DEPARTMENT OR EMS, UH, SERVICES DO THE EMS BILLING.
THOSE ARE THE PROJECTIONS THAT THEY HAVE.
BUT I WANNA EMPHASIZE THIS PROJECTIONS THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE DOING AGAIN.
UM, SO GOING ON TO PAGE, UH, SLIDE 19.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, OUR REVENUE BY FUNDS IS A HUNDRED, UH, BY THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE ARE THE SAME INFORMATION AS THE PRIOR SLIDES THAT WE HAVE.
AND YOU SEE A SLIGHT DECREASE OF NEGATIVE 4%.
BUT THEN AGAIN, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT IS TO THE AMBULANCE FEES THAT THEY'RE PREDICTING, UH, THROUGH DIGIT TECH IS PREDICTING.
SO I KNOW THAT WAS, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SLIDE 20 NOW.
AND AS YOU'RE SEEING HERE, UH, WITH SLIDE 20, THIS IS A REVENUE BY PROGRAM THAT YOU START SEEING ON WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING OUT THERE WITH OUR MEMBERS THAT ARE, ARE DOING THEIR PART.
UH, YOU START SEEING THE ACTUALS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE SE WE'RE LOOKING NOW AT FI FISCAL YEAR, UH, 2060 ESTIMATE, UH, WHICH IS 137 MILLION.
AND WE'RE ON Q WE WERE ON Q TO HIT THAT, UH, ABOVE WHAT THE PROJECTED BUDGET THAT, UH, THE BUDGET WAS AND THE ESTIMATES THAT THEY WERE GIVEN.
SO WE, WE, UH, SURPASSED THAT NUMBER THAT WAS GIVEN TO US.
SO THAT WAS ON THE PROGRAM'S REVENUE.
BUT I THINK WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IS, AND THANK YOU.
NOW WE'LL BE, UM, I'LL BE OPENING UP TO QUESTIONS.
BUT BEFORE WE START, I DO WANT TO AGAIN, CAPTURE WHAT WE'VE DONE.
I KNOW THERE IS, OBVIOUSLY OVERTIME IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO US, AND WE MONITOR THAT CLOSELY.
BUT I THINK, UH, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE'VE DONE, TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, BETWEEN 2017 AND 2023, APPROXIMATELY 900 PEOPLE GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY WITH MAYOR WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION, AND ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
BETWEEN 25 AND 26 FISCAL YEARS, 600 CADETS HAVE COME THROUGH AND MORE EXPECTED, OBVIOUSLY IN 27, WE'RE NOW ON QUEUE FOR 340.
SO THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR SHIFT THAT WE WERE TOLD WAS GONNA TAKE APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE YEARS WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN LESS THAN TWO.
THAT, AGAIN, IS THROUGH THE SUPPORT MAYOR WHITMEYER SUPPORT, AND YOURS AS WELL.
SO WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR US? RIGHT? THE ATTRITION RATE IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO GROW.
SO THE ATTRITION RATE BETWEEN 2017 AND 2023 WAS NEGATIVE.
A NET VARIANCE OF NEGATIVE 4 0 5, WHICH AT THAT RATE, WE WOULD NEVER CATCH UP AGAIN.
UNDER THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, UH, BETWEEN 24 TO 26 WE'RE POSITIVE 250.
SO WHAT WE'RE PRODUCING NOW IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN NEEDING TO CONTINUE THE TREND TO SHIFT OVER AND TO START TURNING IT SHIP AROUND.
BUT ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE PROUD OF IS FISCAL YEAR 25, WHEN WE STARTED ALL GETTING TOGETHER, OUR ATTRITION RATE, AS I JUST MENTIONED, WAS TWO 50.
BUT THE UNITS OUTTA SERVICE, JUST
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TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, ON FISCAL YEAR 25, 983 UNITS WERE OUTTA SERVICE.WHY? BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE PEOPLE TO STAFF THOSE PROPERLY.
BUT AGAIN, THANKS TO WHAT EVERYBODY'S DONE, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THE LOCAL, UH, MARTY LANGTON, WE WERE ABLE TO SHIFT THAT NOW.
AND SO FROM 983 UNITS OUTTA SERVICENOW FISCAL YEAR 26 84 UNITS OUT OF SERVICE, WHICH IS A DECREASE OF 91% IN TWO YEARS, WHICH IS A HUGE SHIP.
AND THE REASON I'M, WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT IS WHY, 'CAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE'RE, UH, HAVE TO, WHAT WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF IS TAKING CARE OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CITY OF HOUSTON INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE IN CHARGE OF STOPPING THE DYING PROCESS.
WHEN PEOPLE CALL 9 1 1, WHEN WE GO AND RESCUE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE SHOW UP DURING THE WORST DAY, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR PART OF THAT NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE IS THE NUMBER OF PARAMEDICS THAT WE HAD HISTORICALLY IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS BEFORE THIS ADMINISTRATION, WE'RE GRADUATING APPROXIMATELY 25 PARAMEDICS PER YEAR, 25.
NOW, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 150 PARAMEDICS THAT DUE TO THE INTAKE OF CADETS COMING IN AND GRADUATING, WERE ABLE TO PUT THOSE MORE PARAMEDICS ON THE STREETS.
AND WHY IS THAT SO IMPORTANT? MORALE WAS TAKING A HIT.
THESE WERE PARAMEDICS THAT HAD TO STAY ON BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR JOB.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT YOU DIDN'T SEE IS WE WERE ALLOWED FIVE PEAK UNIT AMBULANCES TO HELP WITH THE COVERAGE UPON OUR ARRIVAL.
WE'D BE LUCKY IF WE GOT ONE STAFFED OUTTA THE FIVE, AND NOW ALL FIVE ARE BEING STAFFED.
THAT'S 'CAUSE OUR MEMBERS NOW ARE EXCITED TO COME BACK TO WORK MORALE'S HIGH.
'CAUSE OF THE SUPPORT THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO US.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, THE MINIMUM STAFFING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVERTIME.
SO IF YOU LOOK, WE WENT FROM APRIL TO APRIL IS MAY STILL NOT COMPLETED FROM FISCAL YEAR 25.
FISCAL YEAR 26, WE'VE SEEN A REDUCTION OF 140,000 HOURS OF OVERTIME.
UH, 76 OF THOSE WERE FOR OPERATIONS, AND THE OTHER 64 WERE FOR ALL THE OTHER DIVISIONS, INSPECTORS, ARSON, WHICH DO AN AMAZING JOB.
SO AS YOU'RE SEEING, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT TREND CHANGE.
WE WERE TOLD IT WAS GONNA TAKE, AGAIN, FOUR TO FIVE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN AT LESS THAN TWO.
BUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW OUR TREND CONTINGENCY CHANGES RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE 1,941 PEOPLE THAT ARE PAST THAT 20 YEAR MARK THAT COULD START THE, UH, RETIREMENT PROCESS.
OUT OF THAT, WE HAVE 25% THAT ARE OFFICIALLY IN THE DROP, RIGHT? SO AT ANY TIME THEY CAN SAY, YEAH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU, I'M DONE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TREND THAT WE'RE GOING IS MUCH NEEDED TO MAINTAIN AND TO DO THAT UPLIFT THAT WE HADN'T SEEN IN APPROXIMATELY NINE TO 10 YEARS.
YOU KNOW, SO AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXTREMELY, UH, PROUD OF.
THE CADET CLASSES, AS I MENTIONED, HISTORICALLY, THEY WERE GRADUATING, UH, 50, 55%, OR THE ATTRITION WAS 55% OF WHAT WAS GIVEN.
SO ON THE AVERAGE, THEY WERE GRADUATING APPROXIMATELY 140 PER YEAR.
AND THOSE WERE FULL-TIME CLASSES.
IF YOU DO THE AVERAGE COST ON THAT, THAT'S 2.5 PER CLASS.
AT FOUR, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY $10 MILLION.
AND THE RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT WAS 140 TO 180.
AND AS IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE, THAT WAS JUST GRADUATION RATE.
THAT DIDN'T MEAN THAT ONCE THEY GRADUATED, THANK YOU, SHAKE HANDS AND MOVE ON TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
SO NOW WE'RE KEEPING THOSE PEOPLE.
AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE DECIDED TO RESTRUCTURE HOW WE DID THE ACADEMY.
WE DECIDED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
SO WE REALIZED THAT OUR SUCCESS, WHICH THEY HADN'T HAD A FAST TRACK AGAIN IN THOSE EIGHT TO NINE YEARS, A FAST TRACK IS A FULLY CERTIFIED FIREFIGHTER THAT COMES IN WITH THEIR EMT AND FIRE CERTIFICATIONS.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS THAT NOW WE COULD PUT THAT PERSON ON THE STREETS.
IT'S EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING A FULL-TIME CLASS.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT NINE MONTHS WHERE THE RETURN WAS NOT WHERE WE WANTED IT TO BE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ATTRITION
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RATE OF THE FAST TRACK WITH APPROXIMATELY 91% THAT START GRADUATE.SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THAT.
THE OTHER HALF THAT WE HAVE IS THOSE THAT HAVE ONE OR TWO CER, ONE CERTIFICATION, EITHER FIRE OR EMT.
AGAIN, THAT'S A COST SAVINGS TO US BECAUSE AGAIN, WE SHORTEN THAT TIME LENGTH OF WE, OF THE FULL-TIME CLASS.
SO THAT ALLOWS US TO GRADUATE MORE.
ALONG WITH THAT, YOU START SEEING THAT WE HAVE A ONE YEAR WAITING LIST ON CIVIL SERVICE.
PEOPLE WANTED PEOPLE THINKING THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAM TO WANNA JOIN HOUSTON FIRE, WHICH IS A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
HISTORICALLY, WE WERE HAVING 60 PEOPLE TAKE THIS, THE, THE, UH, THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAM.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WHAT WE WERE DOING, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY WOULD GO AND SEE, LET ME SEE IF I LIKE THIS NOW AFTER THREE WEEKS, I DON'T, WE JUST LOST MONEY ON THAT.
SO NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A HIGHER QUALITY PERSON, BECAUSE NOW THE LIST IS LONGER.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE VETERANS.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THIS LAST CLASS.
WE HAD SOME GRADUATES FROM BAYLOR A AND M THAT ARE COMING OVER TO US.
WE'VE HAD IN LAST CLASS, THE GRADUATED CHICAGO JERSEY FIREFIGHTERS COME TO WORK FOR US, AND THE LIST GOES ON.
SO NOW TO RESTRUCTURE WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE GRAD, WE'RE GRADUATING TWICE AS MUCH AS THAT WAS GIVEN.
SO TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, IN THOSE YEARS, IN THOSE 2017, 2023 900 WHO GRADUATED, AND NOW BETWEEN 24 AND 25 AND 26, UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION AND MEYER AND ALL OF YOU, WE'VE GRADUATED 600.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF, AGAIN, WITH THE SAME BUDGET THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN ORIGINALLY.
SO FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THREE NON-CERTIFIED CLASSES, UH, AND FOUR FAST TRACKS, AND, UH, FOUR THAT HAVE ONE OR TWO CERTS OR ONE CERT, EXCUSE ME.
BUT THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND CHIEF BROWN, THEY KNOW HOW TO STAGGER.
SO YOU GRADUATE THOSE, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER INSTEAD OF ONE OFF OR TWO OFFS, YOU START THE AVERAGE CLASS OF ABOUT 55 OF THOSE THAT COMBINE TOGETHER.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, TO RESTRUCTURE AND MAKE THE DOLLAR GO FURTHER AND HIGHER QUALITY PEOPLE.
SO THOSE, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, SOME OTHER ONES THAT WE HAVE IS, AGAIN, THE, THE CONSUMER NEEDS TEAM HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
WHAT THEY DO IS THEY IDENTIFY THE HIGHEST, UH, CALL ADDRESSES, BOTH PRIVATE AND, AND, AND PUBLIC.
AND WE ARE ABLE TO FOCUS ON WHAT IS THE REASON PEOPLE ARE CALLING.
SO MUCH CASE IN POINT, WE HAD ONE, ONE HOME PRIVATE HOME 33 TIMES A YEAR, WHICH IS A LOW ACUITY.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO KEEP ON CALLING A LOT FOR LYFT ASSISTANCE, SO FORTH.
SO WE SEE HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH THAT DECREASES ONE THAT HELPS US TARGET WHAT IS HAPPENING VERSUS THEM CALLING 9 1 1 FOR WHAT THEY MIGHT NEED.
SO WHAT I LIKE TO SAY, IT'S PARAMEDICS AND, UH, EMTS DOING MEDIC SOCIAL WORK, ONE-ON-ONE.
VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT GROUP.
AND I GOTTA SAY THAT IT IS A, A GEMSTONE IN WHAT WE DO NOW.
THE PEOPLE ARE EXCITED TO DO WHAT'S ALLOWED AND THEY GROW AND, AND WHAT THEY BRING INTO THE DEPARTMENT IS NOW A RESULT OF HIGH MORALE.
YOU KNOW, THE OPEN DOOR POLICY, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, HAVING OUR MEMBERS AT THE COMMAND STAFF AND THOSE THAT ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND GIVE US BETTER IDEAS.
THESE ARE THINGS WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT ON TWO THINGS, THE SAFETY OF FIREFIGHTERS AND THE RESPONSE TO OUR RESIDENTS THAT, UH, OF HOUSTON.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS ASKED, YOU KNOW, THAT OVER TIME THERE IS A MINIMUM STAFFING REQUIREMENT OF 8 49 PER SHIFT.
ALONG WITH THAT IS, WELL, THE REASON FOR THAT IS NFPA DOES MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH THE, WITH THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS.
BUT THE WRONG REASON IS SAFETY FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
FOUR VERSUS THREE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED, WHEN PEOPLE ARE NEEDING EXTRA MANPOWER, WOMAN POWER TO TAKE SOMEONE OUT OF A BURNING BUILDING INCREASES SAFETY.
AND JUST THIS MORNING, I, I DID
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MEET WITH THE DISTRICT 20 AND AS YOU ALL RECALL, MARCELO'S, DISTRICT GARCIAS.AND LAST WEEK I MET WITH THE FAMILY AND US.
THE RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE IT IS MAKING SURE THAT EACH MEMBER GOES HOME, EACH MEMBER.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW I GREW UP IN THIS APARTMENT.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS AMAZING WORK.
AND FOR US, WHAT WE DO IN THOSE PROGRAMS ARE WHY IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
AND NOT ONLY US NEW YORK, CHICAGO, THOSE ARE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS BECAUSE TIME OF NEED, YOU NEED THAT EXTRA, YOU NEED YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER BE THERE WITH YOU.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE.
UH, VERY PROUD OF THE TRAINING WE'VE DONE.
WE'VE, WE'VE ADOPTED NEW TECHNOLOGY, SDI, WHICH IS A TRACKING SYSTEM FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS STATE OF THE ART.
AND AGAIN, WE WERE THE FOREFRONT WITH THAT.
PEOPLE ON THEIR OWN TIME VOLUNTEERED TO DO TECHNOLOGY FOR THE BETTERMENT OF US.
SO MUCH SO NOW THAT COMPANIES ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING, SO THESE ARE THE TRENDS THAT NOW WE'RE MAKING A CHANGE.
WE WERE TOLD IT WAS GONNA TAKE FOUR TO SIX BECAUSE THE STAFF BEHIND ME AND THOSE MEN AND WOMEN OUT IN THE FIELD, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE FOUR TO SIX YEARS.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE OVERTIME AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THAT IS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR US.
WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, HOW ARE WE DOING? BUT THANKS TO WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN THE GRADUATES, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT TREND.
I GAVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF BETWEEN THE FISCAL YEAR 25, APRIL AND THIS, WE'VE ALREADY DROPPED 140,000 HOURS, WHICH IS A LOT WHEN I LOOK AT HOUR BY HOUR.
SO AGAIN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, FOR ME.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR ALL OF THE GOOD WORK OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPORT DEPARTMENT.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
UH, THERE'S SOME GREAT THINGS GOING ON WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH, WITH REGARD TO RECRUITING.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICES THAT, UH, OUR FIREFIGHTERS MAKE AND THE DANGERS THAT, THAT THEY WORK WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN TERMS OF OVERTIME AND YOU'RE PROJECTING A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN IN OVERTIME.
CAN YOU, UH, KIND OF BOIL IT DOWN FOR US? WHAT, WHAT, UH, OPERATIONAL CHANGES, UH, OR, OR OTHER FACTORS ARE GONNA RESULT IN THIS? UH, WELL, AGAIN, THE GOAL IS ALWAYS TO HELP, RIGHT? UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO YOUR ACCOUNT OF WHAT'S COMING IN.
WE'LL BE GRADUATING MORE OF THE MEDICS THAT WE INVESTED IN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND NOW ARE GONNA START GETTING READY TO BE ON THE FIELD.
SO THAT'S GONNA HELP THE OVERTIME QUITE A BIT.
THE OTHER PIECE IS HOW WE LOOK AT THINGS NOT ONLY FROM THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, BUT EXTERNALLY, RIGHT? AND WE PUT POLICIES IN PLACE THAT, THAT NOW WE HAVE A MORE CONTROLLED OVERTIME ENVIRONMENT.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE STAFFING CHIEFS FOR THAT, WHERE IT IS RANKED FOR RANK.
THERE'S NO LONGER TWO RANKS WE PUT THAT POLICY IN PLACE.
BUT AGAIN, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TOO, COUNCIL MEMBER, IS THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE COMING TO WORK, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY IS, YOU KNOW, YOU REMEMBER ON OUR WORST DAY BEFORE WE GOT HERE, RIGHT WHEN WE GOT HERE, 36 APPARATUSES OUTTA SERVICE.
BUT THAT TELLS ME NOW THAT AS THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE SHOWN YOU, PEOPLE ARE COMING NOW DOING, 'CAUSE MORALE'S HIGH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE YOU AND WE HAVE MAYOR WHITMAR THAT THEY KNOW SUPPORTS US, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
WHERE CAN WE CUT BACK? RIGHT? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? AND SO FOR US, LOOKING AT THE GOAL'S, ALWAYS GONNA BE THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, WITH THE STAFF THAT I HAVE, WE SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT AGAIN, NOT, UH, ENDANGERING SAFETY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND, AND, AND, UM, AND CITIZENS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ATTRITION RATE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN MORE PEOPLE THE GRADUATION RATE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT NOW AS WE'RE BRINGING MORE PEOPLE ONTO THE STREETS, IT IS HELPING WITH THAT 8 49 NUMBER THAT WE'RE HAVING.
ALSO, THE TRENDS TO HAVE ON AN AVERAGE, RIGHT AS WE GOT HERE WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION, HAVE A HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR, A HUNDRED FORTY
[00:30:01]
OFF PER DAY.NOW THAT AVERAGE HAS DROPPED IMMENSELY TO HALF OF THAT.
SO WE'RE SEEING THAT TREND AND THAT'S OUR GOAL THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND A FEW OF THE NUMBERS THAT I, THAT I'VE SEEN IN, IN THE BIG BOOK.
AND I'M REFERRING TO, OH, THE BIG BOOK TO, TO THIS THIS BOOK.
AND, UH, PAGE THREE IN, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SECTION RELATING TO STAFFING.
SO FY 2027, PROJECTING FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT CLASSIFIED 38 95, UM, FY 26.
SO THIS CURRENT YEAR THAT WE'RE IN WAS HIGHER 39 93.
SO, SO PROJECTING A DECREASE THERE.
UH, HOWEVER, WE ARE PROJECTING, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A LARGE NUMBER OF CADETS THAT START TRAINING FY 27 TARGET 490 MM-HMM
UH, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE PROJECTING THE CLASSIFIED NUMBER, UH, TO GO DOWN WHILE WE'RE STILL OH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CADET, SIR, LIKE THE 4 93 40 YEP.
THAT WAS OUR, OUR DREAM NUMBER, RIGHT.
HOWEVER, WITH THE THREE 40 THAT WE HAVE, IT'S STILL MAINTAINING WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, RIGHT? THAT WAS JUST THE NUMBER THAT WAS TOO, UM, A WISH NUMBER.
AND AGAIN, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE 3 43 70, IT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE BETWEEN 3 70, 3 40 AND, AND SOMETIMES 400 IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO IT REALLY WASN'T TAKEN AWAY.
IT WAS JUST THAT WE WANTED TO SEE THE OPTIONS.
AND WITH THAT, THE OPTION THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS STILL GONNA BE A MODEL THAT IS GONNA BE, IN OUR OPINION, SUCCESSFUL.
SO YEAH, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THAT O OKAY.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT CLASSIFIED, ARE WE PROJECTING FEWER, UH, THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR? THAT'S WHAT THE NUM THAT'S WHAT THE INFORMATION ON THE PAGE SEEMS TO INDICATE WITH THE, THE FEWER PEOPLE THAT WE'RE PROJECTING.
AS FAR AS GRADUATING, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT THE SAME, PROBABLY OFF BY ABOUT 40 70.
BUT HOWEVER, WITH THE BUFFERS THAT WE PUT, WE FEEL THAT WE'LL BE COMFORTABLE AT THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING RIGHT NOW OR GRADUATING RIGHT NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER, SALINAS, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD TO SEE YOU CHIEF AND GLAD TO SEE A SOUTH TEXAN UP THERE TAKING CARE OF US AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I JUST HAD A, A QUICK QUESTION REGARDING THE ARBITRATION SETTLEMENT.
AS I UNDERSTAND, THAT WAS AN ADDITIONAL 10 TO $12 MILLION THAT WE HAD TO PAY FOR BACK PAY FOR LAST YEAR MM-HMM
UM, IS THAT 10 TO 12 BILLION, MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO PAY, PRESUMABLY AGAIN, IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE BUDGET? AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ARBITRATION NUMBERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCLUDED WITH, UH, WITH THIS FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET.
BUT WE COULD, I COULD GET THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU COUNCIL MEMBER AND GET BACK TO YOU WITH THAT.
I JUST DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU SOME WRONG INFORMATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER YOU ON, SIR.
THE FY 25 ACTUALS SEEM TO BE VERY ROUND NUMBERS.
DO WE TRACK THAT VERY CLOSELY OR IS THAT TO THE NEXT 30 SECONDS OR, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT SLIDE EIGHT, SIR.
ON THE ON SLIDE MEASURE FY 25 ACTUAL, UM, YOU GOT THREE, THREE MINUTES, 30 SECONDS FOR CALL PROCESSING THE, UH, HEART PROBLEM, CHEST PAIN IS 13 MINUTES, 49 SECONDS MM-HMM
BUT THEN THE EMS 300 SERIES, ALL RE INCIDENT RESPONSE IS 15 MINUTES.
THE OTHER NEXT ONE IS 13 MINUTES.
DO WE ONLY TRACK THAT TO THE MINUTE OR TO THE HALF MINUTE OR SO WE TRACK THAT, SIR, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CALL RIGHT? EITHER AS A ROUND OFF, BUT WE TRACK THAT TO THE MINUTE WHAT WE DO.
BUT YOU GOTTA REMEMBER NOW THAT DURING THAT TIME, THAT'S WHY THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING EVERY UNIT FULLY STAFFED MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE ON THAT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT GO INTO THAT NUMBER, THE RESPONSE TIME, NUMBER OF STATIONS.
AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE RESTRUCTURE THAT, UH, LOW ACUITY CALL, RIGHT? WHICH MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU HAVE EITHER A PUBLIC OR A PRIVATE RESIDENT THAT CONTINUE KEEPS ON CALLING.
SO THAT ADDS TO THE NUMBER OF RUNS OR TO THE, THE INCREASED TIME.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT.
BUT THAT IS KEPT AND I COULD GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON HOW, LIKE I SAID, AND I WASN'T EVEN BEING CRITICAL OF, OF WHAT THE TIME WAS, STRUCK ME AS ODD THAT IT WAS ROUND NUMBERS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK IT WAS, UH, YOU'VE GOT A REDUCTION IN INCIDENTS, UM, TOTAL INCIDENTS, YOU'RE
[00:35:01]
TARGETING 320,000 AND WE'RE, AND IT WAS THREE, IS IT ESTIMATED TO BE 3 28 THIS YEAR, 3 29, THE YEAR BEFORE? ANY SPECIFIC REASON THAT THAT'S GOING DOWN ON THE TARGET THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, SIR? SO WHAT WE SEE NOW IS, AGAIN, WE'VE MENTIONED THAT WE'RE GONNA START DOING MORE OF THE PROACTIVE CONSUMER NEEDS.WE'RE GONNA GO OUT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE IDENTIFYING THOSE ADDRESSES IN PRIVATE BUSINESSES.
YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT SAY, HEY, IN FACT, I WENT OUT WITH YOUR TEAM TO ONE OF THE RESIDENTS OUT IN KINGWOOD.
AND I THINK THAT'S A FANTASTIC PROGRAM AND THAT'S WHAT, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU REDUCE YOUR WORKLOAD, IT BENEFITS YOU SO WELL, I THINK THAT AND US AND THE TAXPAYERS, EVERYBODY, RIGHT? WELL, I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT IT REDUCES THE LOW ACUITY RATE THAT WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO WHERE IT'S REALLY NOT A 9 1 1 OR EMERGENCY CALL.
AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO DO IS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE OVERTIME AS WELL.
I MEAN, AND I'VE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE HAD A NUMBER OF TAILWINDS THAT IT SHOULD HAVE IMPROVED THIS YEAR OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, YOU'VE GOTTEN GRADUATES OUT.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A TIME LAG WITH SOME OF THEM IF THEY GO TO EMS SCHOOL AND ALL THAT, BUT ALSO WE HAD HURRICANE BARREL THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, AND UH, THIS CAME UP A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND I FOUND THIS OUT FROM MARTY LANGTON, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FIREFIGHTERS HAD THE ABILITY TO SELL THEIR SHIFTS, WHICH I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF BEFORE.
AND MARTY ASSURED ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ACTUALLY REDUCES OVERTIME.
WELL, IT WENT FROM BEING CAPPED AT 25% TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO THAT SH IF IT REDUCED OVERTIME, THEN IT SHOULD HAVE REDUCED IT MORE.
SO YOU'VE HAD A NUMBER OF TAILWINDS YET.
SO I KNOW PEOPLE KEEP ON REFERRING TO BURL.
BUT WAS IMPORTANT THAT MOVING FORWARD THE FOLLOWING JULY, WE HAD KERRVILLE, THE KERRVILLE FLOOD.
RIGHT? THAT WAS, UM, WE SENT A, A TEAM THERE.
SO WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS I GO BACK TO THE, UH, THE 800, THE 849 AND MINIMUM STAFFING FOR EVERY MEMBER WE SEND OUT.
WE HAVE TO BACKFILL THAT MEMBER.
THE OTHER ONE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO SEND 25 PEOPLE AT A TIME.
NOW PARAMEDIC SCHOOL IS 14 MONTHS, SIR.
AND THAT'S THE THING THAT ONCE THEY GRADUATE, YOU KNOW, WE GO STRAIGHT TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL OR MAYBE A A A DOWNBREAK ABOUT MAYBE A MONTH OR TWO, THEN THEY GO TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
BUT THAT PERSON THAT WE STARTED GRADUATING WAS TO, TO HANDLE AND CORRECT AND FIX WHAT WASN'T HAPPENING IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, WHICH WAS MORE MEDICS.
YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
I MEAN, IT WAS A LOT OF FIXING THAT WE HAD TO DO TO BE ABLE TO GET WHERE WE'RE NOW, RIGHT? IT WAS THAT INVESTMENT IN THE BEGINNING THAT IT TAKES TIME TO BUILD TO THAT NUMBER.
AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE ATTRITION RATE, RIGHT.
ALONG WITH THAT ATTRITION IS, WHAT WE WERE GETTING WAS, AGAIN, WE WENT FROM 25 MEDICS TO 150 THAT WE'RE TRAINING.
SO THOSE MEDICS DO REQUIRE A BACKFILL.
AND SO SOMEONE TO TAKE OVER, AS I MENTIONED, THE MAGIC NUMBER PER EACH SHIFT IS 8, 8 49.
RIGHT NOW, AS WE GROW AND WE GROW, WE'RE AT ABOUT EIGHT 12 OF A SHIFT, RIGHT? MAGIC NUMBER WE WANT IS NINE 30.
BUT AS WE LOOK AT THE CONTINUED TRENDS, WE FEEL CONFIDENT WE'LL BE GETTING THERE.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, IT'S NOT JUST WE GRADUATE, GO BACK THERE.
NOW THEY DO HELP, UH, WHEN WE START SEEING THE FIREFIGHTER RANK THAT'S COMING IN.
BUT AGAIN, TO GROW AND TO MAINTAIN THE, THE, THE DEMANDS OF THE CITY, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, SINCE 2018 TO TO NOW, A NUMBER OF RUNS HAVE INCREASED BY 140,000.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S A LOT THAT WE DO.
BUT GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION WE SEE THE GRADUATES, BUT IT HAS ALLOWED US TO DO WHAT HADN'T BEEN DONE, WHICH IS GRADUATE MORE MEDICS, YOU KNOW, HAVE MORE TRAINING FOR THEM, AND AGAIN, START FILLING THOSE GAPS.
'CAUSE IT WAS, UH, THERE WAS TIMES WHEN WE FIRST GOT HERE THAT THOSE NUMBERS WERE BELOW, YOU KNOW, EIGHT 15 OR EIGHT 800, REALLY.
SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT INCREASE IN SHIFT THAT WE HADN'T SEEN IN A WHILE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU BRING UP THE CURVE AND I HAD NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN REIMBURSED FOR THAT, IT STILL WOULD'VE SHOWED UP IN YOUR OVERTIME NUMBERS.
YEAH, IT, IT GOES TO GENERAL FUND.
BUT AGAIN, WHEN WE SEND THAT AND, UH, WE HAD MEMBERS THERE THAT WITH THEIR SPECIALIZED, UH, BASED LEARNING BASE THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR, OUR, OUR RESCUE TEAMS AND, AND TASK FORCE ARE WELL SAT AROUND THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT, AND YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THAT DURING JULY, WE IS WHAT WE CALL THE PEAK TIMES, JULY THROUGH AUGUST VACATIONS.
AND SO, SO THE OBLIGATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET AS WELL, THE CONTRACT VICE CHAIR CASTILLO, THANK YOU CHAIR.
GOOD TO SEE YOU FOR THE AMBULANCE FEE EVERY YEAR IT IS INCREASED BY INFLATION.
IS THAT THE ONLY TIME THAT FEE INCREASES OR DOES
[00:40:01]
IT HAVE A INCREASE OUTSIDE OF INFLATION? SO THE INFLATION MAKES A BIG POINT, BUT I KNOW THERE'S, THERE WAS HOUSE BILL NINE 16, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.SO WITH THAT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO THE REGULATIONS OF WHAT INSURANCE COMPANIES CAN DO AND, BUT FOR US, WE MAINTAIN THAT, THAT THAT FEE, AND AGAIN, WITH THE INFLATION RATE, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO ADJUST BUT NOT, UH, MAJOR, MAJOR BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE RESIDENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THAT.
AND HOW DOES OUR FEE COMPARE TO OTHER, IT'S ON THE AVERAGE, SIR.
ON THE AVERAGE, ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, THERE ARE, UH, A LOT MORE THAN, THAN, THAN WE ARE.
SO WE, WE DO THAT, WE MAINTAIN THAT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE LOOK AT SO MANY FACTORS, AND AGAIN, THE BIG ONE IS SOCIOECONOMICS AND, YOU KNOW, SOCIOECONOMICS, THE AGE POPULATION, WHAT THAT MAKES.
SO WHEN WE DO ALL THIS, WE TAKE ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE, ARE OTHER AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, AS FAR AS, AGAIN, WHEN WE HAVE THESE, UM, AND I'LL SAY PRIVATE INDUSTRY THAT CALLS CONTINUOUSLY, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT BECAUSE ONE, IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE, UH, THE PUBLIC FOR THE TRUE EMERGENCIES.
AND TWO, IT IS A WAY OF, UM, SOMETIMES OVERUTILIZING OUR 9 1 1 SYSTEM FOR BENEFITS, WHICH WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT LATER, UH, IS IN THE MONTHS TO COME.
SORRY CHIEF, JUST ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, AND I SEE ON THAT SLIDE THAT YOU ARE PLANNING FOR A 3%, UM, BASE PAY RAISE INCREASE.
AND I ASSUME THAT'S WHAT YOU MEANT BY THE INCREASE ACCOUNTING FOR THE ARBITRATION.
HAS THE UNION AGREED THAT THREE, 3% WILL BE SUFFICIENT THIS YEAR? WELL, I MEAN THAT'S PER THE CONTRACT THAT THAT WAS THERE.
AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T ANSWER FOR MARTY, BUT THAT WAS PER THE CONTRACT, THAT'S A 3% PAY RAISE, RIGHT? NOT, YEAH, NOT PART OF THE ARBITRATION.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ESCALATOR? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, YES, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE ESCALATOR.
AND THEN WHAT, WHAT'S JUST THE, WHAT DID THE CON WHAT'S THE CONTRACTUAL INCREASE THIS YEAR? WELL, WE'RE LOOKING AT 3% RIGHT NOW.
AND AGAIN, THE ESCALATOR, THAT'S ONE THING THAT, THAT, UH, MYSELF AND, AND, AND THE UNION WORK TOGETHER ON MEETING THOSE, YOU KNOW, OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS ALWAYS OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
SO, UM, I'M FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE A, A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT.
BUT AGAIN, FOLLOWING WHAT THE CONTRACT SAYS.
SO, SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT SOUNDS GREAT THAT THE UNION HAS AGREED THAT A 3% ESCALATOR THIS YEAR WILL BE SUFFICIENT.
THE 3% ESCALATOR IS THAT WE'RE TALKING THE 3% THAT'S ALREADY ALLOWED IN THE CONTRACT.
WE'RE TALKING ONCE, THE ONES JUST THE RAISE, THEY GET THROUGH THE CONTRACT ONCE THROUGH THE CONTRACT, THAT'S 3%.
AND THEN THE, THE ESCALATOR IS, ESCALATOR IS ABOVE THAT WITH, WITH SOME, UM, WITH SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT ADDED REVENUE, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZED.
AND THAT'S BETWEEN OBVIOUSLY ADMINISTRATION AND, AND THE UNION.
BUT AGAIN, ALL OF US DOING OUR PART TO HELP WITH THAT.
HAVE WE NEGOTIATED OR DISCUSSED WHAT THAT ESCALATOR WILL BE FOR THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON? WE STARTED ALREADY TALKING ABOUT THAT.
WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE IS, IS THAT ACCOUNTED FOR IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET THEN? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF, BUT NO.
DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF HOW MUCH MORE IT'S GOING TO BE ON TOP OF WHAT THE BUDGET IS PROPOSING AND WHERE THOSE FUNDS WILL COME FROM IF THEY'RE NOT SET FORTH IN THE BUDGET? AND SO SINCE WE STARTED DISCUSSIONS, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IMPACT OR WHAT'S THE MAGIC NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TO MEET FOR THAT? SO DO YOU JUST PLAN TO PULL IT OUT OF SOME OTHER FUNDING SOURCE IN HFDI? I'M JUST CURIOUS WHERE THIS MONEY WILL COME FROM.
THE ADDED REVENUE THAT WE HAVE TO GET.
SO YEAH, SO IT'S NOT COMING FROM WITHIN.
IT'S SO AS PER THE CONTRACT, THE ADDED REVENUE AND AGREED REVENUE, BUT ADDED REVENUE, UH, THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO COME IN TO JUSTIFY THAT 3% ESCALATOR.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHEN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNION MAY, UM, COME TO A CLOSE AND WE'LL GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE ESCALATOR WILL BE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR? I, I CAN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MARTY, BUT I KNOW THAT INTERNALLY WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT AREAS TOGETHER TO WORK TOGETHER, RIGHT? AND THAT'S THE THING THAT WE WANT TO DO.
AND WE ALWAYS DO WORK TOGETHER ON WHAT IS, HOW DO WE COME TO THAT OBJECTIVE AND GOAL.
UH, CHIEF, AGAIN, A QUESTION OUT OF, OUT OF THE BIG BOOK, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SECTION, PAGE SEVEN, I THINK IT'S GOT 727 PAGES IF I'M MISSING
WELL, YOURS IS SMALLER, FORTUNATELY.
UM, YEAH, PAGE SEVEN, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
SO, SO FOR, UM, FY 27, THE EXPENDITURES ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY, UH, ABOUT 5 MILLION WHILE FTES ARE PROJECTED TO ACTUALLY DECREASE BY ABOUT, UH, EIGHT.
[00:45:01]
SO I WAS WONDERING WHY, UH, WHAT EXPLAINS THAT? IT WOULD SEEM THAT, UH, IF REVEREND IF EXPENDITURES ARE GOING OFF.OH, SO THESE ARE THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, SIR, THAT IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, THEY'VE INCREASED BY 4.7 MILLION THAT THEY PUT INTO THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, WHICH IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE INTRA FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS FOR CHARGEBACKS AND SO FORTH.
UH, CHARGEBACKS SUCH AS FLEET, FLEET, UH, MANAGEMENT, GSD, WE HAVE THAT.
UH, IT, SO THOSE ARE THE OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT WE PAY FOR THE SERVICES.
AND THAT JUST FAR EXCEEDS THE, THE SAVINGS YOU WOULD GET FROM THE DECREASING FTES, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
THANK YOU CHIEF, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
I SUBMITTED SOME WRITTEN QUESTIONS, UH, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THOSE ANSWERS AND WE WILL MOVE TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO.
REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND WE HAVE DOUG SMITH ON PAGE TWO OF WHAT YOU CALL THE BIG BOOK.
UH, TALKS ABOUT DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION AND MISSION.
LAST LINE, HFD POSSESS THE HIGHEST PUBLIC PROTECTION CLASSIFICATION, UH, RATING OF, UH, THE, FROM AN INSURANCE ORGANIZATION ISO AND IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BE AWARDED ACCREDITATION FROM THE COMMISSION.
IF I WERE PUBLIC, AND I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT, BUT IF I WERE PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, I WOULD BUY BILLBOARDS ALL OVER THE CITY SAYING THAT AND INDICATING THAT BECAUSE OF THAT OUR FIRE INSURANCE RATES GO DOWN.
I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL, UH, THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT, UH, ON PAGE 12, UH, THEY TALK ABOUT PERFORMANCE MEASURES, THEY TALK ABOUT FIRE HOSES TESTED FOR SAFETY.
AND THAT DAWNED ON ME, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN HERE.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL HOW MANY HYDRANTS HAVE, CAN THEY, CAN THEY SET UP A CRITERIA FOR TESTING THEIR HYDRANTS? BECAUSE I'VE SEEN SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THEY GO TO A FIRE AND THE HYDRANT ISN'T WORKING WHERE THE FIRE IS AND THEY HAVE TO EXTEND HOSES WAY DOWN THE STREET TO GET IT.
AND THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE ABOUT THE HYDRANTS.
AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO THAT.
YEAH, CHIEF, WE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION ON HYDRANTS.
THEN WE HEARD IN A, A MEETING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT COMMITTEE IT WAS THAT, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL HAND WRITE THEIR TIME CARDS AND THEN THEIR TIME CARDS ARE HAND ENTERED BY SOMEBODY INTO THE PAYROLL SYSTEM.
WHY IS THAT? AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THAT? THAT'S YES, WE, WE DID HEAR ABOUT THAT.
UM, CHIEF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD ABOUT THAT DISCUSSION, UM, DURING ONE OF OUR, UH, IT WAS DURING ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WAS ON IT AT SOME, ABOUT THE, SOME OF THE HAND MANUAL TIMEKEEPING PROCEDURES THAT STILL EXIST AT, AT HFD.
SO, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU, WE'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER THEN THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
IN THIS DAY AS, UH, COUNCIL MILL FRICKER SAID, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AT ALL.
UH, QUESTION ON AMBULANCE FEES.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, UH, HOW MUCH IS COLLECTED VERSUS HOW MUCH IS BILLED? UH, I'D BE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
THERE IS A METRIC SOMEWHERE ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, I'M SURE THERE IS SOME, UH, JUST A QUESTION.
THERE IS AN EXECUTIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT EACH ONE OF THEM DOES AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM.
UH, AND THEN, UH, PEAK TIME AMBULANCE UNITS IS ONLY FIVE AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IN A CITY THIS LARGE, THERE ARE ONLY FIVE AMBULANCES THAT ARE WORKING, UH, AT THE PEAK TIME.
THAT JUST DOESN'T, WELL, THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES, RIGHT? AS IN ADDITION, THAT'S ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES.
THERE'S STILL ALL THE AMBULANCES THAT WE HAVE AT THE STATIONS SERVICING, BUT DURING PEAK TIMES WE'VE GOT FIVE MORE OUT ON THE ROADS.
AND THEN FINALLY ON PAGE THREE OF THE BIG BOOK, UH, THERE'S A LINE ITEM, UH, 27 BUDGET PROVIDES FUNDING OF $9 MILLION INCREASE COMPARED TO THE ADOPTED BUDGET IN CLASSIFIED OVERTIME.
AND YET THE CLASSIFIED OVERTIME FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS DROPPED, UH, FROM 6 95 TO 4 23.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE, UH, RIGHT, THAT DOESN'T MATCH UP.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION ABOUT TIME SHEETS, DOUG.
BUT WHILE WE'RE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION, I NOTICED, UH, SOME OF THE, SOME OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL IN
[00:50:01]
THE AUDIENCE WERE SHAKING THEIR HEADS NO.IS, UH, TO INDICATE THAT'S NOT THE PRACTICE.
SO, UH, IF WE COULD GET SOME CLARIFICATION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
WHAT WE DO IS
SO THE ACTUAL WRITING OF TIME CARDS, THAT'S NOT THE PRACTICE.
WE DO HAVE OUR TIMEKEEPER SYSTEM THAT OUR STAFFING OFFICE LOOKS MAINTAINS, AND THAT'S ALL DONE.
OBVIOUSLY COMPUTER, EVERYTHING'S CAPTURED.
'CAUSE IT'S GOT A, THE PAY CODES HAVE TO PUT IN, GOTTA GO IN THROUGH A RA.
SO A HANDWRITTEN TIME CARD IS NOT, UH, THAT'S, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.
MAYBE WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE IS SOMEBODY DOING A SCHEDULE ON PAPER, BUT JUST FOR THE ROSTER BUT NOT ACTUAL TIME FOR A REGULAR CAPTAIN OR CHIEF.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE WE HEARD THAT.
WE HEARD IT WITH THE RESPECT TO HPD WITH WHAT? RES
IT WAS THE PART OF THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AUDIT REPORT.
I REMEMBER THEM SAYING IT ABOUT HPD.
WE MET, NO ONE KNOWS THAT WAS THE OTHER GUYS.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THOSE HANDWRITTEN TIME PARTS.
ANYBODY ELSE? OH, LAURA GALLER.
I WAS HERE WHEN THE AUDITOR SAID THAT IT WAS, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE MANUAL TIMECARDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE SAID HANDWRITTEN, BUT SHE DID SAY MANUAL.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, WHEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS MAKING THEIR PRESENTATION, UH, THEY TALKED ABOUT, UM, SUPPLYING ALL OF THE AMBULANCES WITH ALL THE THINGS THE AMBULANCE NEEDS.
AND I HEARD TODAY THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS SUPPLYING THE AMBULANCES WITH WHAT THEY NEED.
SO I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.
I, I REMEMBER THE HEALTH DIRECTOR SAYING THAT THEY, UM, THROUGH THE OPIOID ABATEMENT, UH, DIVISION, THEY SUPPLIED ALL THE NARCAN AND ALL OF THAT TO FIRE TO THE, TO THE AMBULANCES.
SO ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS CAN HAVE NARCAN FOR OPIOID OVERDOSES.
BUT I DON'T THINK BEYOND THAT, THAT THAT I'M, I'M ASSUMING BEYOND THAT IS, IS, UH, IS ALL FROM FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SHE TALKED ABOUT HOW COMPLICATED IT IS TO GET ALL OF THE COMPLEX THINGS IN ONE AMBULANCE.
SO, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CALL YOU'RE GOING TO GET AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME.
SO SHE DID GO INTO SOME DETAIL ABOUT HOW COMPLEX IT IS.
WE'LL GET SOME MORE DETAIL ON WHAT'S PAID FOR BY HEALTH AND WHAT'S PAID FOR BY FIRE.
UM, I DID, UM, OKAY, I GOT THE TIME CARD.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION, UH, I HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, AS FAR AS PARAMEDIC TRAINING, UM, ARE, ARE THEY ON FIRE DEPARTMENT PAYROLL WHILE THEY'RE GOING TO GET TRAINED AS MEDICS? YES.
I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW FOR SURE, BUT I'M SAYING YES.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME.
EVERYBODY'S GETTING PAID AND THEY DO THAT AFTER THEY GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY.
SO IT'S 14 MONTHS THAT THE CITY IS PAYING FOR THEM TO GO TO MEDIC SCHOOL.
COULD WE PAY FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH THE ACADEMY? COULD WE PAY FOR THEM TO GO BELIEVE ME, MONEY WELL SPENT ON PARAMEDICS.
AND ARE THOSE IS THE PARAMEDIC SCHOOL? THAT'S THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, LONE STAR AND HCC? YES.
UM, AND MY OTHER QUESTION IS, SINCE YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE, UM, DEPARTMENTS ARE BEING ASKED TO, UH, HAVE AN AUSTERITY BUDGET, I'VE ASKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT I NEVER WAS, UM, COMFORTABLE WITH THE ANSWER.
AND THAT IS THAT WHEN I GO DO MY SHOPPING AT HEB, I SEE A FIRE TRUCK THERE AND THE, THE TEAM IS INSIDE SHOPPING AND THEN THEY'RE LOADING UP THEIR TRUCK.
AND MY QUESTION IS, UH, THAT SOUNDS REALLY EXPENSIVE TO ME.
AND COULDN'T THEY GET THOSE THINGS DELIVERED OR HAVE SOMEBODY WITHOUT A FIRETRUCK GO PICK 'EM UP AND BRING 'EM TO 'EM? THAT'S A QUESTION WE CAN GET ANSWERED FOR YOU.
BECAUSE I SEE IT ALMOST EVERY TIME I GO SHOPPING.
SO IF IT WAS JUST ONCE, I WOULDN'T BRING IT UP.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO ADDRESS? OKAY, YOU GUYS, IT HAS BEEN A MARATHON DAY.
REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE FOR STICKING WITH ME AND TOMORROW'S OUR LAST DAY OF BUDGET WORKSHOPS.
WE'LL START AT 9:00 AM WITH THE CONTROLLER TRENDS REPORT AND HIS DEPARTMENTAL WORKSHOP, 10:00 AM LIBRARIES AND 11:00 AM OR SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE.
[00:55:01]
AND THEN WE WILL BE DONE WITH THAT.