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OKAY, WELL IT'S SIX O'CLOCK AND GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING HERE TONIGHT AS WE LAUNCH THE FIRE AND EMS STAKEHOLDER SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS CHRIS OTT, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, AND PROUD COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
AND WHAT WE ARE BEGINNING IS A NINE MONTH INITIATIVE THAT GIVES, UH, THAT GIVES GARLAND THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD, NOT JUST PACE, UH, HOW MODERN CITIES DELIVER LIFE-SAVING SERVICES.
GARLAND IS LIKELY THE LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT AN ACTIVE HOSPITAL.
THAT FACT SHAPES OR RESHAPES HOW WE THINK, HOW WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT EMS, NOT JUST AS A TRANSPORT, BUT A MOBILE EMERGENCY CARE FOR MORE THAN A QUARTER MILLION RESIDENTS.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO, UH, INVITE MAYOR HEDRICK TO PROVIDE SOME OPENING CONTEXT DOWN.
THERE'S A HUGE WRECK ON WALNUT.
'CAUSE THERE WAS THREE CARS INVOLVED OVER HERE.
I THINK AMBULANCE ONE WENT SPEEDING DOWN THAT WAY.
SO, UM, YES, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF FIRE SERVICE AND EMERGENCY SERVICE IN GARLAND HAS PROVED WITH THAT HUGE ACCIDENT.
I MEAN, THERE WAS, IT WAS BAD.
SO, UH, THIS IS VERY, UH, IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE ABOUT TO DO.
SO I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THIS PROCESS KICK OFF AND, AND EXCITED TO SEE THE FRUIT THAT COMES FROM THIS.
WELL, UH, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT FOR INTRODUCTIONS.
WE HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP AROUND THE TABLE.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF, FIRE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP, UNION REPRESENTATION, MEDICAL EXPERTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
EACH BRINGS VALUABLE INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE TO THE WORK.
UM, YOU'VE BEEN INVITED NOT JUST TO REPRESENT YOUR EXPERTISE, BUT TO CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS, BRING FRESH THINKING AND HELP US DELIVER PRACTICAL LASTING SOLUTIONS.
AND, UH, I'D SAY LET'S GO AROUND THE ROOM AND BRIEFLY INTRODUCE OURSELVES AND SHARE THE ROLE OR PERSPECTIVE YOU BRING TO THE COMMITTEE.
I AM THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE CITIZENS FIRE CLUB, WHICH IS THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY.
I DON'T REMEMBER HOW LONG I'VE BEEN THE PRESIDENT OR HOW I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, BUT IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
UM, AND SO OBVIOUSLY WE ARE HAVING GONE THROUGH THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY AND, AND BEING IN THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UH, FIRE EMS SERVICES HERE IN GARLAND.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT BASICALLY IS THE MISSION OF THE CLUB IS TO SUPPORT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND, UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN, IN WHAT'S GOING ON.
I ALSO HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT'S A PARAMEDIC, SO
UM, I AM A MEMBER OF THE CITIZENS FIREFIGHTERS CLUB OF GARLAND.
I'M ALSO, UM, OUR CURRENT REHAB LEADER.
UM, OUR REHAB TEAM GOES OUT TO SUPPORT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON TWO ALARM FIRES OR GREATER.
UM, WE ARE THERE FOR SUPPORT FOR THEM, FOR WATER, GATORADE, SNACKS, ET CETERA.
UM, SO WHENEVER WE'RE CALLED OUT, UM, WE DO GO TO THOSE.
UM, ALSO I REPRESENT OUR FIRE CLUB AND OUR CITY ON THE STATE LEVEL.
I AM THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF OUR, UM, TEXAS CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
SO I DO REPRESENT US, UM, ON THAT LEVEL.
I WENT THROUGH THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY IN 1999 AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER I JOINED.
UM, SO I HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRE CLUB A LONG TIME, UM, SEEN LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN WITHIN OUR GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO I THINK I HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE AND THINGS OF OUR, UM, FIRE AND EMS. AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF HERE TO DO NOT ONLY WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR GARLAND FIREFIGHTERS, BUT DO WHAT'S BEST ALSO FOR OUR CITY AND OUR CITIZENS OF GARLAND.
I'M MERYL ER, I'M A RETIRED FIREFIGHTER HERE IN GARLAND, 28 YEARS IN GARLAND.
UM, AND I GUESS NOW REPRESENTING AS A CITIZEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS A STAKEHOLDER HERE, UH, I SERVE ON THE MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE WITH THE CITY, AND I'M ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF THE, UH, LANDMARK MUSEUM.
AND SO THEY'RE KIND OF KEEPING ME BUSY.
AND THEN WITH LEADERSHIP GARLAND, ALSO WITH THE GARLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, UH, MIDDLE CLASS ADVISOR THERE, UH, LIVING IN GARLAND ABOUT, I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT 35 YEARS NOW.
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GARLAND MY HOME.MOVED HERE AFTER I GOT ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I, YOU KNOW, UH, REALLY HAVE INTEREST IN EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY.
UM, MATT TYSON, UH, ER PHYSICIAN, UH, BY TRADE, ALSO EMS MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR GARLAND AND FOR RICHARDSON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE I GUESS 2021.
UH, PRETTY MUCH MY ROLE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
FREE SUMMARY, JUST IN CHARGE OF THE MEDICAL TRAINING, KEEPING THEM UP TO DATE, UM, FOR NEW MEDICATIONS, UH, NEW PROTOCOLS, IF THEY GETTING CHANGES IN THE LITERATURE, MY RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THEM, UH, WITHIN THE, UH, EXPECTED EXPECTATIONS OF THE MEDICAL FIELD.
UM, HENCE THE OUTFIT TODAY I'M WORKING, SO I WILL BE LEAVING HERE AROUND SIX 40, UH, TO WORK AT MENTAL SPEED.
HOPEFULLY I DON'T SEE YOU GUYS THERE.
UM,
I'M A FIRE AND EMS CONSULTANT, UH, FROM WISCONSIN.
SO I ACTUALLY, BY TRADE, STARTED MY CAREER AS A FIREFIGHTER AND PARAMEDIC IN GREEN BAY.
I DID 11 YEARS THERE BEFORE TRANSITIONING INTO MORE OF AN EMS ROLE.
CRITICAL CARE, UH, WENT INTO TRAINING, QUALITY ASSURANCE, BEEN DOING MOST OF THAT THROUGHOUT MY CAREER AS WELL.
AND THEN WORKING FULL-TIME AS A CONSULTANT AND, UH, WITH, UH, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES WITH, UH, RUTGERS MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE INDUSTRY TOO.
SO, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WITHIN FIRE AND EMS I'VE, I'VE HAD A HAND IN IT, TOUCHED IT, BROKE IT, DID SOMETHING TO IT.
UH, STARTED MY CAREER IN WISCONSIN, MOVED AND WORKED IN MINNESOTA.
WENT TO COLORADO, WAS A CHIEF IN FLORIDA FOR A COUNTY-BASED EMS AGENCY, AND THEN MADE MY WAY BACK TO WISCONSIN.
SO I WILL, UH, TRY TO USE Y'ALL APPROPRIATELY AS LONG AS YOU USE O APPROPRIATELY.
AND IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, UH, I, I, I THINK I'LL BE A NICE, UH, UH, WILD CARD REFEREE, THOUGHT PROVOKER ALL, ALL IN ONE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, APPRECIATE BEING HERE.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR DILLON HENDRICK.
I ACTUALLY, UH, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FIRE ASSISTANCE FIRE ACADEMY, GRADUATED LAST OCTOBER.
SO, UH, LEARNED A VALUABLE EXPERIENCE IN THERE.
AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE FRUITS OF THIS COMMITTEE ARE.
UH, JUDD REX, CITY MANAGER, AND, UH, ALONG WITH CHIEF LEE, I'M THE INSTIGATOR OF THIS, UH, OF THIS COMMITTEE AND THIS GROUP.
AND SO, UH, REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT'S GONNA COME OVER THE NEXT NINE MONTHS.
MARGARET, LET MAYOR PRO TIM AND COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, I AM ALSO AN ALUMNI OF THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY.
GRADUATED LAST YEAR WITH MAYOR HEDRICK AND COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON.
UM, I'M A CURRENT MEMBER OF THE FIRE CLUB.
UH, WE, COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TE OTT, AND I ALL SERVE ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, THIS KIND OF FELL UNDER OUR PURVIEW AND I'M, I'M SURE THEY ARE TOO.
WE'RE ALL HAPPY TO BE HERE, SO THANK YOU,
WELL, UH, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, I'M CHRIS OTT AND I'M THE, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
UM, AND ALSO THE, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
UH, I WAS, UH, I'VE GONE THROUGH THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY CLASS OF 38 MERRILL
YOU GET A, YOU GET A, YOU LEARN A LOT, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO KNOW.
AND SO I'M, I'M VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS EXPERIENCE AND, UM, AND SAME WHERE IT TAKES US.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND FINANCIAL STRATEGY FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND.
I'VE WORKED FOR THE CITY ALMOST 10 YEARS NOW, AND HERE TO HOPEFULLY SHED LIGHT AS PART OF THIS COMMITTEE AND PROVIDE THE CURRENT AND FUTURE KIND OF OPERATING BUDGET CONTEXT THAT WE EXPECT THE CITY TO OPERATE IN NOW AND MOVING FORWARD.
I'M THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICE FOR THE, THE CITY.
I'VE BEEN HERE, I GUESS OVER 18 YEARS NOW.
SO A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO, UH, HAVE ALL THE BACKGROUND OF ALL THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT THIS CITY, UH, HAS.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH ALLISON TO BOTH, HOPEFULLY ABLE TO SHED LIGHT ON FINANCIAL ANALYSIS RELATED TO ANYTHING WE DO HERE.
I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SIX.
UM, MARGARET ALREADY GAVE MY WHOLE INTRODUCTION, SO
UM, I AM ON THE, THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY OF FIRE CLUB AND ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
SO I ALSO CHAIRED THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE.
SO THEY KINDA, I FEEL LIKE GO A LITTLE HAND IN HAND.
SO, UM, EXCITED TO, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND GET THEM ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS AS BEST THAT WE CAN.
UH, THE ODOMETER WILL CLICK OVER 35 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE IN NOVEMBER.
IT'LL BE 29 YEARS WITH GARLAND.
I'M CURRENTLY A CAPTAIN OVER, UH, STATION
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EIGHT ON C SHIFT, UH, WHICH IS OUR RESCUE STATION AND THE COMMANDER OF OUR HONOR GUARD.UH, BUT MY ROLE HERE IS AS THE PRESIDENT OF LOCAL 1293.
UH, THE LOCAL AFFILIATE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS, WHICH I'M THE PRESIDENT, OUR SECRETARY TREASURER KEVIN PAIGE IS ALSO HERE.
UH, HE'S GONNA BE SITTING IN FOR ME A COUPLE TIMES BECAUSE NEXT MONTH WE HAVE SWIFT WATER TRAINING, SO I'LL BE OUTTA TOWN AND THEN ANOTHER TIME THERE.
BUT, UH, UH, I SERVE ROLES IN BOTH THE STATE ASSOCIATION.
I ALSO, UH, AM A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SPECIALIST FOR THE INTERNATIONAL, UH, WORK IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOR FIRE AND EMS, UH, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, UH, AND VERY INVOLVED IN IN ALL OF THAT.
AND, AND WHAT THE VERY THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT OVER THESE NEXT NINE MONTHS ALL TIE BACK TO THAT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, IN, IN THE OVERALL HEALTH OF FIRE FIREFIGHTERS.
UH, SO CERTAINLY GLAD TO SEE US SITTING DOWN TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AHEAD OF SO MANY OTHERS.
TYLER LITTLE, UH, AMBULANCE DRIVER STATION TWO A, UH, BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS, SECOND GENERATION FIREMAN.
KIND OF BEEN AROUND THE CITY OF GARLAND FIRE FOR MOST OF MY LIFE.
UM, I GOT ASKED TO BE HERE, SO I'M VERY THANKFUL AND HAPPY TO BE HERE.
ANY PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE DO ON THE AMBULANCE, IT'S KIND OF MY WORLD, SO I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE.
I'M FIRE CHIEF AT THE CITY OF GARLAND.
BEEN HERE FOR JUST OVER NINE YEARS NOW.
DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S BEEN NINE, LIKE 20.
YEAH, THESE GUYS
UM, I NEED TO CORRECT, SO TYLER INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS AN AMBULANCE DRIVER.
HE IS A FIRE DRIVER ASSIGNED TO AN AMBULANCE,
HE RECENTLY MADE DRIVER, BUT HE WAS SELECTED TO BE HERE, UH, BECAUSE THE DECISIONS MADE IN THIS, THIS AREA, IN THIS ROOM, AND THIS SCOPE OF, OF WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO LAUNCH INTO WILL IMPACT HIM PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE AT THIS TABLE.
SO, UH, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, TYLER.
WANNA THANK THE REST OF YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
UH, YOUR TIME IS VERY, VERY VALUABLE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND, UM, EXTREMELY GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE PARTICIPATING IN THIS MISSION.
UM, MY HISTORY, UH, NINE YEARS AS FIRE CHIEF HERE.
UH, 10 YEARS IN THE CITY OF MURPHY AS AN ASSISTANT CHIEF AND FIRE CHIEF IN 27 YEARS, RIDING BIG RED TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES IN THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE.
UH, AND BILL, YOU HAVE THE GREATEST JOB IN THE WORLD, UH, AS, AS A FIRE CAPTAIN RIDING BIG RED TRUCKS.
AND I'M GLAD THAT HE IS VERY INVOLVED IN, IN BEHAVIORAL STUFF WITH THE FIRE SERVICE BECAUSE GETTING FIREFIGHTERS TO BEHAVE IS QUITE THE CHALLENGE.
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THAT'S WHO I'M, AND MY NAME'S LETICIA MCMA.
I'M THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER, AS WELL AS THE LIAISON FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
SO THOUGH I'M NOT OFFICIALLY ON THIS COMMITTEE, I'LL BE SUPPORTING YOU ALL OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS OF DISCUSSION.
AND I'LL JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT OF A HOUSEKEEPING NOTE IN.
SO SINCE WE'RE IN THIS NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE IN THE LIBRARY, WE'RE DOING THE FIRST TEST RUN ON THE MICROPHONE SYSTEM THIS EVENING.
AND GIVEN THAT WE'LL BE RECORDING THESE MEETINGS AS THEY ARE PUBLIC MEETINGS, PLEASE BE SURE TO SPEAK UP SO THAT WE CAN GET A GOOD, A REALLY GOOD COPY OF AUDIO AND BOTTLED WATER AND SNACKS ARE IN THE KITCHEN.
UM, WELL, WHAT'S OUR PURPOSE? OUR CHARGE IS, UH, IT'S IS FOCUSED.
UH, IT'S TO, UM, REVIEW THE 24 ON 48 OFF STAFFING SCHEDULE TO EVALUATE THE CITY'S EMS SERVICE MODEL AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE ULTIMATELY BRING FORWARD.
WE'LL GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGEMENT AND, AND MUST BE EFFECTIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND RESPONSIVE TO GARLAND'S NEEDS.
AND BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SECTION, WE'LL PAUSE TO HEAR ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE ANY, CORRECT.
WELL, COMMUNITY VOICES ARE IMPORTANT AND THEY'RE IMPORTANT AS PART OF THE PROCESS, AND WE APPRECIATE THOSE WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVES, AND WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR 'EM.
UM, AND, UH, SO NOW WE HAVE, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER, JUDD RES.
AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TE UH, THIS, THIS MEETING RIGHT NOW FEELS A LITTLE STUFFY, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M FIGURING WE'RE GONNA LOOSEN UP A LITTLE BIT AS, AS TIME GOES ON, CHIEF WILL PROBABLY HELP WITH THAT WHEN HE STARTS TALKING ABOUT ALL THE, UH, THE GREAT THINGS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES AND HOW THEY WORK.
AND, UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE FOCUS IS GONNA BE, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THIS FIRST MEETING.
UH, BUT FIRST I WANNA SAY, UH, JUST ECHO WHAT YOU'VE SAID, MR. CHAIR, AS FAR AS THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE BECAUSE, UM, THE, THE DISCUSSIONS AND THE
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DECISIONS THAT COME OUT OF THIS GROUP REALLY ARE GOING TO HELP INFORM, UH, BOTH THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGEMENT ON WHAT OUR PATH FORWARD LOOKS LIKE.AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TRYING TO DEFINE OUR SCOPE, YOU MENTIONED SOME ITEMS SPECIFICALLY, BUT I, I THINK IN, IN GENERAL, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO IMPROVE THE WAY WE SERVE THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND AND IMPROVE THE WAY THAT WE, UH, HELP, UH, SUPPORT OUR FIRE AND EMS STAFF.
AND, UH, THAT'S REALLY THE CRUX OF IT.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT OUR, OUR SCOPE AND, AND IF THAT'S THE GOAL, UM, EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE.
AND, AND, UM, I'M TRYING TO COME TO THIS WITH A, WITH A REALLY OPEN MINDSET, AND I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME WITH THAT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE ALL HUMAN.
WE COME WITH KIND OF, UH, PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS AND BIASES AND, AND THINGS, AND I, I, I CERTAINLY AM COMING THERE, BUT I, I'M, WHEN I WALK IN THIS ROOM AND THIS COMMITTEE, LIKE IT'S ALL GONE.
UM, AND, AND I'M HERE TO LEARN.
I REALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS SPACE AS A LABORATORY.
UM, IF YOU WERE HERE WHEN WE OPENED THIS, UH, OPENED THE LIBRARY, UH, THIS ROOM LOOKED A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THERE WAS LIKE A KITCHEN IN THE CORNER AND, UH, IT WAS A, UH, A PORTABLE KITCHEN THAT ESSENTIALLY YOU CAN COME IN AND DO LIKE, COOKING SHOWS AND DEMONSTRATIONS AND WHATNOT.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S IRONIC WE'RE IN HERE AS A, UH, IN KIND OF A LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT.
A LABORATORY OF LEARNING, NOT COOKING
ALL THE THINGS THAT LOOK, UH, THAT GO INTO SUPPORTING OUR FIRE AND EMS STAFF.
UM, UH, JUST REALLY I'M HERE TO HELP STEER THE DISCUSSION AND, AND LEARN, UH, REALLY IS WHAT I'M COMING AT THIS WITH.
AND I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME WITH THAT, UH, WITH THAT CHARGE.
UM, THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY ABOUT IT.
UM, I DID WANNA MENTION, UH, I KNOW TIM INTRODUCED HIMSELF.
UM, I REACHED OUT TO TIM EARLY ON IN OUR, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH THE CHIEF ABOUT WHERE WE GO FROM HERE AND, AND WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE.
AND KNOWING THAT, UM, THIS TEAM'S GONNA NEED SUPPORT.
VERY SIMILAR TO HOW WE'VE STRUCTURED OUR BOND STUDY COMMITTEE MEETINGS OR BOND STUDY COMMITTEES IN THE PAST.
UH, WE HAVE CONSULTANTS THAT COME IN AND HELP TO PROVIDE DATA AND INFORMATION AND SUPPORT, UH, TO PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE AND INSIGHT.
UM, AS, AS A LITTLE BIT OF AN OUTSIDER, YOU SAID WILD CARD, MAYBE THAT'S A OR WILD, YEAH.
UM, BUT I, I THINK, UH, AS I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW TIM, UM, HIS, HIS DEPTH AND BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVE WILL REALLY BE HELPFUL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE, UH, AS, AS YOU'LL COME TO LEARN, THIS IS AN EVOLVING FIELD.
AND, AND IF, UH, UH, IF ANYTHING IS TRUE, IT'S THE CHANGE HAPPENS A LOT.
UH, EVEN HERE LOCALLY IN THE METROPLEX, AS YOU'LL HEAR, UM, EVERYBODY DOES THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY AND, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER WAVE OF CHANGE HAPPENS.
AND IT, AND IT FORCES US ALL TO WONDER ARE WE DOING THE, DOING THINGS THE BEST WAY, DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY, UH, AS WE LOOK TO SERVE THE RESIDENTS OF GARLAND.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT OUR SCOPE AND CHARGE IS, AND AS I SEE IT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
AND, AND I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UH, SHAPE THAT AS WE GO OVER THESE NEXT, NEXT NINE MONTHS.
NOW WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE GOING, UH, UH, ABOUT HOW DOES THE GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT WORK? WELL, ONCE AGAIN, WELCOME.
THAT'S A LASER, THAT'S THE WRONG WAY.
UM, LISTEN TO THE GAR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE GOTTA KEEP IN MIND ABOUT ANYTHING THAT WE DISCUSS OVER THE NEXT NINE MONTHS IS THAT WE ARE HERE TO SERVE NATIONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY, AND PROACTIVELY.
AND WE DO THAT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, UH, SOME OF THE KEY WORDS THERE.
YOU'LL SEE ITAL AS PASSIONATELY, PROFESSIONALLY AND PROACTIVELY.
UM, OUR BUSINESS IS ONE WHERE WE RESPOND TO THINGS THAT OCCUR.
WE HAVE TO BE MORE PROACTIVE THROUGH OUR PREVENTION, THROUGH OUR PREPARATION FOR OUR TRAINING, UH, INDEM RESPONSE TO THE EMERGENCY, AND THEN THE RECOVERY FROM IT.
HOW DOES THE COMMUNITY RECOVER FROM AN INCIDENT WE'VE BEEN TO? AND HOW DO OUR FIREFIGHTERS RECOVER FROM THE INCIDENT THAT WE'VE BEEN BEEN? SO I WANT US ALL TO KEEP THIS MISSION.
YOU ARE GONNA SEE IT ANYTIME THAT I PRESENT.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT MISSION IN THE VERY BEGINNING.
MY MISSION IS TO PROVIDE A VIEW OF THE GARDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT IN ITS CURRENT STATE.
I'M GONNA SHOW YOU ALSO WHERE WE COME FROM, AND THEN CHARGE THIS GROUP WITH HELPING GUIDE THE FUTURE.
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SO WHERE WE'RE AT IN 2025, WE OPERATED OUT OF 11 FIRE STATIONS OPERATING SEVEN ENGINES, FOUR LADDERS, AND 11 AMBULANCES.THIS IS A PLAN THAT, UH, FIRE CHIEF DANNY GRAHAM PUT INTO PLAY WITH THE 11 STATION CONCEPT.
HIS MISSION WITH HAVING 11 AMBULANCES WAS TO PROVIDE THE FASTEST AND THE BEST EMS SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
UH, HIS PROJECTION WAS THAT WE WOULD BE THERE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES ON ALL CALLS WE'RE FUNDED GENEROUSLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, I HATE ISOLATING THESE NUMBERS OUT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS 'CAUSE THEY'RE REALLY BIG NUMBERS.
THEY GONNA GET BETTER WHEN WE'RE BURIED IN AN EVEN BIGGER GROUP.
UH, BUT OUR OVERALL BUDGET IS 46.6 MILLION.
OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION EATS UP THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT, CONSUMING 40 AND A HALF MILLION.
UH, THEN WE GET TO THE FIRE MARSHALS OFFICE, WHICH OPERATES AT 2.4 MILLION.
THAT DIVISION IS TAKEN CARE OF.
ALL THE INSPECTIONS, UH, FIRE INVESTIGATIONS AND PLAN FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE IN WORKS.
THEN THE ADMINISTRATION SECTION FOLLOWED BY THEIR TRAINING GROUP AT 1.3 MILLION.
STAFFING IS 148 FIREFIGHTERS, 72 DRIVERS, 14 LIEUTENANTS, 37 CAPTAINS, 10 BATTALION CHIEFS, THREE ASSISTANT CHIEFS, AND ONE OF ME.
UM, THIS PYRAMID IS NORMALLY THE OTHER DIRECTION WHEN YOU SEE IT PRESENTED, BUT I ALWAYS TRY TO SHOW IT THIS WAY TO MY FIREFIGHTERS AND TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT ALL COMES DOWN TO MY JOB IS TO BALANCE ALL OF THE THINGS ABOVE ME AND TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE TOOLS AND THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE SO THAT THEY CAN GO HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES FOLLOWING THEIR SHIFT AT WORK.
THE OVERALL ORG CHART IS VERY CLUTTERED.
UH, YOU SEE OUR THREE DIVISIONS THERE.
OUR LOGISTICS, UH, ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS.
AND UNDER OPERATIONS IS ALSO THE TRAINING DIVISION.
UNDER, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION IS THE FIRE MARSHALS BUREAU.
AND THEN THE LOGISTICS SECTION IS STRICTLY OUR, UH, SUPPLIES AND THEN NEW CONSTRUCTION AND FLEET.
OUR BUILDINGS, FIRE ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT SERVICES AND TRAINING ARE HOUSED OUT OF THE, UH, MAIN BUILDING KNOWN AS THE FAST BUILDING.
SO WE TRY TO GET THINGS DONE FAST IN THE FAST BUILDING.
WE HAVEN'T REACHED THAT MISSION JUST YET.
UM, ARE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGER, THE SYDNEY GAL, UH, SYDNEY IS OVER OUR IT SECTION AND ALL OF OUR FRONT DESK PEOPLE.
THE FIRE OPERATIONS SECTION IS BROKEN INTO TWO BATTALIONS, OVER THREE SHIFTS.
UH, SO YOU'LL SEE BATTALION ONE WITH THE THREE THERE.
THAT IS THE THREE BATTALION CHIEFS ON BATTALION ONE AND BATTALION TWO.
BATTALION ONE HAS A COMMAND TECH AND THEN EMS ONE OFFICER.
THE EMS ONE IS OUR SHIFT DUTY OFFICER THAT WORKS IN 24 48 SHIFT LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
THEY'RE THE RESOURCE PERSON ON MAJOR EMS CALLS.
THEY ARE RESOURCE PERSON FOR AFTER HOUR SUPPORT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN BATTALION ONE HAS STATIONS 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, AND 11.
BATTALION TWO IS OPERATING 2 4 5 8 9.
THERE'LL BE A TEST ON THIS AT THE END OF THE EVENING.
FIRE STATION ONE CROSS STAFFS AN ENGINE IN A TRUCK, DEPENDING ON THE DISTRICT AND THE CALL TYPE THAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO, THAT MAY JUMP ON A 100 FOOT AERIAL PLATFORM TO TAKE IT.
OR THEY MAY RESPOND ON A STANDARD PALMER.
UH, THEY ALSO HAVE AN AMBULANCE THERE.
THE BATTALION CHIEF BATTALION ONE OPERATES AT A STATION ONE AND THEN THAT EMS SHIFT DUTY OFFICER.
THAT STATION WAS BUILT IN THE TOP PICTURE AND THAT TEAM 67.
UH, THE BOTTOM PICTURE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION TODAY AND HOPE TO OPEN IT IN 2026.
THIS IS A AMBULANCE ENGINE AND A BLOCKER.
THE BLOCKER IS FOR HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS TO, TO HELP DIVERT TRAFFIC, BUT MORE SACRIFICIAL LAMB, IF YOU WILL, IF SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET HIT.
UH, THAT STATION WAS REBUILT IN 2005 WHEN IT WAS RELOCATED FROM ITS ORIGINAL SITE FOR THE LONGTIME GARLAND RESIDENCE NEAR
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HYPER MART.AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS ALSO THE MOVIE THEATER, UH, THAT THEY BACKED UP TO BEFORE HYPER MART TOOK IT OVER.
THE FIREFIGHTERS SOMEHOW GOT A WIRE FROM ONE OF THE SPEAKERS ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK PATIO, THE FIRE STATION, SO THEY COULD ENJOY THE MOVIES AS WELL.
YOUR POND WAS PROBABLY APPALLED.
AN N ENGINE IN AN AMBULANCE, UH, IS BUILT IN 2008.
UH, THIS IS OUR NEWEST OF THE COOKIE CUTTER STATIONS.
YOU'RE FIXING TO SEE 2, 3, 8, 11, 10, 9, AND FOUR.
UH, AND THIS IS WHEN STATION EIGHT WAS BUILT.
THE ULTIMATE FIRE STATION THAT WILL NEVER HAVE TO ADJUST THE PLANS AGAIN UNTIL THEY DID THE NEXT ONE AND THEY HAD TO ADJUST THE PLANS.
BUT THE EXTERIOR LAYOUT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR ON ALL OF THESE.
STATION FOUR BUILT IN 2002, AN EDGE OF AN AMBULANCE OPERATING OUT OF THERE.
STATION FIVE, UH, WAS REBUILT ON THE PROPERTY NEXT TO THE OLD BUILDING.
UH, WE HAD A LITTLE COUPLE OF ISSUES ON IT.
THEY RUN AN AERIAL LADDER, AN AMBULANCE, A BLOCKER OUT OF THAT STATION.
THIS BLOCKER PREDOMINANTLY OPERATES ON INTERSTATE 30, BLOCKER TWO THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
TYPICALLY OPERATES ON LBJ STATION SIX STATION, UM, ALSO KNOWN AS THE MOTEL SIX
UH, HOUSES, AN ENGINE AND AN AMBULANCE OUT OF THERE.
UM, STATION SEVEN AFF, A TRUCK AND A MULE.
THIS IS NOT ONE THAT YOU HAVE TO FEED AND WE'RE NOT PLAYING HISTORY.
UH, THIS IS A OFF-ROAD, UTV, UH, FOR THE, UH, MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS.
UH, THE VEHICLE THAT PULLS THE MULE IS, UH, GOT A SKID UNIT WITH, UH, ABOUT 300 GALLONS OF WATER ON IT FOR FIGHTING WILDFIRE AS WELL.
AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE AN AMBULANCE.
THE ONE THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN WAS BUILT IN 1985.
THE, UH, IMAGE IN THE TOP IS A CONCEPT IMAGE OF WHAT THE NEW STATION SEMI WILL LOOK LIKE.
IT'S CURRENTLY ON CONSTRUCTION, PROJECTED TO OPEN LATE 2026.
FIRE STATION NUMBER EIGHT HAS AN ENGINE AMBULANCE AND A HEAVY RESCUE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THIS IS MORE OF THAT COOKIE CUTTER BRAND STATIONS.
IT IS THE OLDEST OF THE COOKIE CUTTER STATIONS.
THE HEAVY RESCUE IS CROSS STAFFED BY THE ENGINE CREW.
UM, THEY SPECIALIZE IN MANY THINGS, ONE OF THOSE BEING HEAVY VEHICLE EXTRICATION.
SO THINK LARGE TRUCKS, LARGE CEMENT TRUCKS, TRASH TRUCKS, SEMIS THAT NEED RESCUE.
UH, THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT GO OUT AND HANDLE THAT.
THEY ALSO RESPOND TO ANY PERSON PIN TYPE CAR CRASH.
UH, MANY TIMES THEY DON'T MAKE IT 'CAUSE THE ENGINES OR TRUCKS GET 'EM OUT BEFORE THEY GET THERE.
FIRE STATION NINE AND ANOTHER AERIAL LADDER, AN AMBULANCE AND A BATTALION CHIEF.
CURRENTLY THAT BATTALION CHIEF WAS STATIONED DOWN AT STATION FIVE.
UH, DUE TO HOUSING WE HAVE STATION EIGHT UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON A REMODEL.
SO THAT CREW BROWNED OUT A BOOT OUT.
THEY SPLIT BETWEEN STATION NINE AND STATION FOUR.
UH, SO THOSE FIRE CLUB, WHEN YOU SEE SHIRTS THAT SAY STATION 49 OR STATION OR 48 AND STATION 94, THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.
FIRE STATION NUMBER 10, SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS, LEMME TURN IT BACK ON BACK.
ONE FIRE STATION 10 WAS BUILT IN 2007.
UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IT WAS BUILT IN, I THINK DEMANDED THE, THE STONE ARCHITECTURE ON IT VERSUS THE STANDARD, UH, WHATEVER COLOR BRICK THAT IS.
FIRE STATION 11 HOUSES A TRUCK IN THE AMBULANCE THERE AND IT WAS BUILT IN 2004.
UH, THE COOKIE CUTTER STATIONS ARE ALL GOING TO BE REMODELED.
UH, STATION THREE I MENTIONED EARLIER IS CURRENTLY DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOUSE.
THEY'RE LIVING IN THE DOUBLE WIDE OUT BACK MM-HMM
UH, AND THEY ARE STATIONED, HIT A ROADBLOCK.
THE TURBINES DECIDED THAT ONE TASTED REALLY GOOD.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO DO A LOT OF, UH, MORE EXTENSIVE WORK THAN WE ANTICIPATED TO GET THAT ONE DONE.
SO STATION EIGHT, THE REMODEL ON THE END IS ALMOST
[00:30:01]
COMPLETE.I THINK THEY'RE ALREADY DOING PAINT.
UH, BILL, HAVE YOU BEEN IN IT LATELY? YEAH, PRETTY CLOSE.
CABINETS ARE GOING IN AND WE'RE JUST WAITING ON LIGHT FIXTURES.
OKAY, SO WE GOTTA HOLD UP ON LIGHT FIXTURES, SO MAYBE THEY CAN GO IN IN THE DARK.
UH, THIS IS THE DISTRICT MAP FOR THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF EACH STATION.
UH, THE NOTES ARE THAT ARE IN WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOCATED AT, AND THE SPREAD THAT WE HAVE ON THEM.
UH, OF NOTE, THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE, NEARLY DEAD CENTER OF IT IS THE FIRE ADMINISTRATION AND TRAINING FACILITY.
UH, IT'S ON THIS MAT, BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE RESPONSE, UH, CAPABILITIES OUT OF THAT BUILDING.
SO, UH, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR DISTRICT COVERAGES, YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THAT IS NOT A FIRE STATION.
GFD RUNDOWN, UH, COMPARED THE 20 15 16 NUMBERS TO THE 20 24, 25 PROJECTED NUMBERS.
UH, WE'RE PRETTY, PRETTY CLOSE ON OUR PROJECTED NUMBERS THIS YEAR, BUT THE 1516 IS ACTUAL DOWN THERE.
SO I WANTED TO SHOW A 10 YEAR SPREAD, BUT I COULDN'T FIND A 10-YEAR-OLD, A 2324 OR 24 25.
SO I HAD TO DO THE NINE YEAR SPREAD.
ALL FOR SERVICE IN THAT NINE YEARS ARE UP 26%.
OUR RESPONSES ARE UP 13% TOTAL.
PATIENTS TRANSPORTED IS UP 35%.
BUSINESS INSPECTIONS FOR THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IS UP 46%.
JERRY CLICK, ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER MET JERRY? CLICK, UH, HIS NUMBERS YOU SEE THERE IN THIS YEAR ARE PROJECTED TO BE 27,500 PEOPLE.
I HAD QUESTIONED THOSE NUMBERS AND I WAS A FOOL TO DO SO.
I LEFT THERE ABOUT 10 AND I NOTICED HIS CAR HAD LEFT, BUT HE TOLD ME HE WAS JUST GONNA STAY IN HIS OFFICE THAT NIGHT.
SO I SAID THE NEXT MORNING, JERRY, WHERE WERE YOU? I, I LOOKED FOR YOUR CAR ON THE LEFT.
AND HE SAID, OH, I WAS AT ECO LABS LIKE YOU WERE AT ECOLAB.
AND SAID, YEAH, I WAS IN ECO LABS LAST NIGHT TEACHING FIRE EXTINGUISHER USE TO ALL OF THEIR PEOPLE.
AND HE GOES, AND THEN I WAS BACK THERE AT SIX 30 THIS MORNING TO TO TALK TO THE ONCOMING SHIFT.
SO HIS NUMBERS, THIS IS HOW JERRY WORKS.
UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION NEVER SLEEPS.
SO HE'S ALWAYS HERE AND ALWAYS TEACHING.
UM, LASTLY, THE STAFFING BETWEEN THOSE NINE YEARS HAS ONLY BEEN INCREASE BY 12%.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR THE GOLDMAN FIRE DEPARTMENT? NUMBER ONE, THIS IS FOR MATT ALLISON AND MR. REGS TO REMAIN FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
STRUGGLE WITH THAT AT TIMES, BUT THAT'S OUR, OUR FUTURE.
CONTINUE REPLACING FIRE APPARATUS IN A TIMELY MATTER.
UH, ANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD FIRE TRUCKS ARE THREE TO FOUR YEAR BACKLOG RIGHT NOW OF THE STRUCTURING THAT PAT AND ALLISON, MR. REX HAVE ALLOWED US TO DO.
WE ARE ON TRACK TO REPLACE OUR FIRE APPARATUS ON SCHEDULE.
WE PROJECTED OUT THE THREE YEARS.
UH, WE HAVE FIRE APPARATUS SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2029.
WE HAVE SIGNED A LETTER OF INTENT FOR THOSE APPARATUS.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE DOING THAT.
EXPLORE FIREFIGHTER RECOVERY TIMES.
UH, THIS IS KIND OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HERE FOR AS A GROUP OVER THE NEXT NINE MONTHS, IS TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
BECAUSE HEALTHY FIREFIGHTERS ARE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE PLAN TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE, EXPLORE SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS, PARTICULARLY IN THE EMS DELIVERY FOR THE COMMUNITY OF GARLAND.
UH, NINE MONTHS FROM NOW, WE MAY CHANGE NOTHING.
NINE MONTHS FROM NOW, WE MAY SEE THIS THING TOPSY-TURVY UPSIDE DOWN AND BACKWARDS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, BUT WE'RE GONNA ASK Y'ALL TO HELP US.
LASTLY, TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.
OUR PEOPLE IS DEFINED AS OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE AND BE GOOD AT OUR JOBS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR MANTRA, IS TAKE CARE
[00:35:01]
OF OUR PEOPLE AND BE GOOD AT OUR JOBS.SO WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM? THIS CHIEF GRANT, HE WAS THE FIRST PAID FULL-TIME FIRE CHIEF FOR THE COMMUNITY OF GARLAND.
HE RETIRED IN 1961 AND HE SERVED AS THE CHIEF FROM 1953 TO 1961.
UH, THE FIRST FIREMAN HIRED BY THE CITY OF BRA DEFERRED, UH, FULL-TIME FIREMAN IN 1944.
SO CHIEF GRANTHAM WAS PART-TIME UNTIL AFTER 44 GFD UNTIL 1948.
OPERATED OUT OF THAT BUILDING.
UH OH, ACTUALLY THAT'S, THAT'S THE BOY SCOUT BUILDING, ISN'T IT? I'VE GOT THE WRONG BUILDING.
THE OLD ELECTRIC COMPANY WAS WHERE THEY HOUSED OUT OF BEFORE THEN.
UH, IN 1948, THEY MOVED TO THIS MODERN NEW BUILDING ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DISPATCHED FOR THEMSELVES UNTIL 1988.
AND THEY MERGED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THIS WAS A SENIOR CENTER, SENIOR LIVING FACILITY CENTER.
UH, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL PICTURES OF THIS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST ONES THAT I COULD FIND, UM, TO KIND OF SHOW HOW FIREFIGHTING OCCURRED IN THE SEVENTIES.
UH, AFTER THE FIRE, THEY, THEY HAD TO GET A PICK TAKEN.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S CHIEF OFFICERS.
UH, I GUESS SOME OF THOSE ARE COUNTED.
CAPTAINS WERE WHITE BACK THEN.
UH, ANOTHER PICTURE OF THAT SAME FIRE, JERRY QUICK MIGHT BE IN THIS PICTURE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THAT ARLIN HAS TRIED TO HAVE SINCE DAY ONE, WHICH WE ARE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001, FDMY LOST 343 FIREFIGHTERS THAT DAY.
UH, ONE OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS, AARON SEL, UM, WOULD DO A MONUMENT.
THESE CROSSES AND EACH OF THOSE CROSSES, UH, HAS A NAME OF ONE OF THE NEW YORK FIREFIGHTERS ON IT.
UH, THE CROSSES STARTED TO DECAY.
UM, THE PROJECT ITSELF BECAME TOO TEDIOUS.
MONUMENT INSIDE THE LOBBY AT THE FAST BUILDING WAS THE FINAL PLACE THAT ALL OF THOSE TAGS ARE ON THAT TWIN TOWER MONUMENT THAT WE HAVE.
ALL 3 43 NAMES ARE ON THAT MONUMENT.
SO YOU PROBABLY WALKED PAST IT BEFORE MANY OF YOU HAVE STOPPED AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT SOMETIME.
ANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A SCHEDULE CALLED 24 72.
THE GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT WORKED 24 72 IN 1951, EXCEPT IT WAS 72 HOURS ON AND 24 HOURS OFF.
SO WHEN I SAY 24 72, I DO NOT WANNA GO BACK TO 1951.
SO THAT WAS THE SCHEDULE IN 1953.
IN 1965, THEY HIRED THE THIRD PLATOON.
AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY UNIQUE.
THE MONTH OF JUNE, A SHIFT WAS OFF.
E WAS OFF OF JULY AND C TOOK AUGUST OFF AND THE FIREFIGHTERS WORKED 24 24, UNLESS IT WAS YOUR MONTH OF VACATION.
EMS WE TALKED ABOUT SERVICE DELIVERY PLANNING FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES NOW IN FULL SWING, UH, AS OF AUGUST 22ND, 1976.
SO THAT'S WHEN THE, THE AMBULANCES STARTED ROLLING.
PRIOR TO THAT, WILLIAMS' FUNERAL HOME PROVIDED THE MS SERVICES.
THIS IS NOT A WILLIAMS' AMBULANCE, BUT IT'S A 73 ON THE CADILLAC CHASSIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS.
[00:40:01]
SERVICES UNTIL 1976.IF YOU HAD THAT CAR CRASH THAT YOU PASSED SERVER, THE FUNERAL HOME SHOWED UP TO PICK YOU UP.
A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN MY MIND.
WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO WORK UPON THE FOUNDATION THAT WAS LAID FOR US DECADES AGO.
AND THE TIME HAS COME TO EXAMINE THE FUTURE.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE ASKING YOU HELP DID THAT.
I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION.
JUST GO TO COST ELLISON, GET ONE RIGHT OVER HERE.
UH, THE PARAMEDICS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CLASS OF 22.
SO OUT OF THE 285 MEMBERS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, 23 OF THEM ARE NOT PARAMEDICS.
22 OF THOSE 23 WILL BE GOING TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL IN JANUARY.
SO WE'RE NEARLY ALL PARAMEDIC.
WE HAVE 33 AMBULANCE, FIRE DRIVERS ASSIGNED TO AN AMBULANCE DRIVER.
33 AMBULANCE DRIVERS AND PROBABLY GO BACK TO THE PYRAMID.
I CAN TELL YOU, UH, OF THE 148 FIREFIGHTERS, UH, ROUGHLY 130 OF THOSE ARE ALREADY PARAMEDICS.
JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD 52 PEOPLE IN PARAMEDIC SCHOOL OUT OF OUR 2 85 LOT.
AND ANOTHER 22 WE'RE IN OUR RECRUITMENT AND WE HAVE RECENTLY PUT OUT 19 PARAMEDICS BEFORE THAT GROUP WENT.
SO WE ARE IN BETTER SHAPE PARAMEDIC WISE THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN.
UM, WHAT ARE THE, I FORGET WHAT IT'S CALLED, THE STANDARDS FOR OUR SHIFTS? LIKE THERE'S LIKE THE MINIMUM STANDARDS? YEAH.
MINIMUM STAFFING IS 62 CURRENTLY ON EACH SHIFT.
WE HAVE 85 ASSIGNED TO EACH SHIFT WHEN WE'RE AUTHORIZED STRAIGHT AND THEN 30 SWORN POSITIONS ASSIGNED TO THE FAST BID.
SO WE HAVE 85 THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO SHIFTS.
YOU SAID WHEN WE'RE WHAT? WHEN WE'RE AT OUR AUTHORIZED STRENGTH OF 2 85.
HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? UM, RIGHT NOW SIX OVER, WE FIX TO HIRE SEVEN 'CAUSE IT JUST HAD TO GUY QUIT.
WE'RE GONNA HIRE SEVEN TO GO TO A 12 OVER STAFFING WHEN WE GET TO THIS NEXT GROUP OF 22 GOING TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL TO TRY TO OFFSET SOME OF THE OVERTIME.
UH, JUST KIND OF BUILDING ON YOUR QUESTION, HOW DO YOU GET TO THAT MINIMUM STAFFING NUMBER? UM, BASED ON THE 11 STATION MODEL? YEP.
WE, WE STAFF THE ENGINES AND TRUCKS WITH THREE PEOPLE.
THE AMBULANCE ARE STAFFED WITH TWO.
WE OVERSTAFF STATION TWO, STATION FIVE.
BOTH HAVE AN EXTRA PERSON TO DRIVE THE BLOCKER AND STATION ONE HAS AN EXTRA PERSON ON THEIR STAFFING.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE MULTIPLE ROLES THAT THEY PLAY OUT THAT STATION, THERE'S A LOT OF SWINGING THAT GOES OUT OF THERE.
'CAUSE YOU GET PEOPLE TO OTHER STATIONS QUICKLY FROM THERE.
AND TWO AND THAT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, THAT HAVE NEXT PERSON FOR BECAUSE THEY'RE HIGHWAYS.
OUR, OUR NOMINAL STAFFING IS THREE PEOPLE ON THE BIG RED TRUCKS AND TWO PEOPLE ON THE RED BOXES.
AND IS THAT AT CURRENT TIME, WE'RE HITTING THOSE NUMBERS WHEN WE HAD EVERYBODY IN PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
UH, OVERTIME BUDGET IS EMBARRASSING.
THE CURRENT STATE WITH THE 22 DUE RECRUITS IN THE FIRE STATIONS,
[00:45:01]
THE GUYS ARE GETTING TO ENJOY SOME HEAVY STAFFING.THEY'RE, THEY'RE STAFFING FOUR PEOPLE IN A LOT OF STATIONS ON A LOT OF DAYS.
BUT THOSE FOLKS WILL BE HEADING BACK OUT IN JANUARY.
SO WITHOUT OUR RECRUITS, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE OUR, WHAT IS OUR STAFFING LOOKING AT? ARE WE STILL HITTING THAT THREE AND TWO, THREE ON THE TRUCK AND TWO AND AN AM GO WE THREE, TWO MOST TIMES, BUT IT TAKES OVERTIME TO DO IT.
WOULD YOU GUESSTIMATE HOW MUCH OVERTIME THAT'S COSTING? OR NOT EVEN COSTING, BUT LIKE HOW MANY HOURS OF OVERTIME ARE WE AVERAGING A MONTH TRYING TO COVER? WE WERE PROBABLY RUNNING 10 PEOPLE PER DAY ON OT.
THAT'S PROBABLY GOT THE NUMBER AND ALLISON PROBABLY HAS THE HOURS.
SO SORRY, I HAVE ALL THE QUESTIONS.
SO WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE TO GET US OUT OF THIS 10 PEOPLE A DAY IN NO RETURN? I THINK WHEN WE GET OUR PARAMEDICS THIS NEXT 22 OUT OF PARAMEDIC SCHOOL, WHICH WILL BE AUGUST OF NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GONNA BE IN A VERY GOOD PLACE ON OVERTIME.
DO WE, DO WE TYPICALLY LOSE ANYONE WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH PARAMEDIC SCHOOL OR NO? THEY DO E EVEN THE RECRUIT CLASS.
THIS CLASS IN 22 STARTED AS A CLASS IN 24.
WE HAD ONE GENTLEMAN THAT DID NOT MAKE HIS PROBATIONARY PERIOD IN THE MIDDLE OF FIRE ACADEMY.
WE HAD ANOTHER ONE, UH, NOT MAKE HIS UH, RECENTLY.
UM, AND THEN PARAMEDIC SCHOOL THAT WAS GOING ON, WE HAD ONE, UH, THAT LEFT YOUR PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
SO YOU SAY ON AVERAGE LIKE TWO OR THREE THAT WE DROPPED DOWN PER CLASS? YEAH.
SO SOME OF THE, UH, WHAT WAS IT, TWO, THREE YEARS AGO WE ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN FOR FIRE SERVICE THAT ADDRESSED THE INCREASE IN STAFFING.
IT ALSO ADDRESSED SOME OF THE PHYSICAL, YOU KNOW, THE PHYSICAL FACILITY ISSUES.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE ON TRACK WITH THE MASTER PLAN AS FAR AS STAFFING IS CONCERNED.
WE'RE ON TRACK WITH THE MASTER PLAN AS FAR AS ONE OF THE EARLIEST GOALS WAS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PARAMEDICS.
BUT THAT DOES NOT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
WE JUST INCREASED THE PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION.
AND DID, UH, AND, AND DID THAT, DID THAT MASTER PLAN AS FAR AS STAFFING WAS CONCERNED, DID IT HAVE, WAS THERE, WAS THERE ANY INPUT FROM THAT ON SCHEDULING? THERE WAS NO SCHEDULED DISCUSSION IN THE MASTER PLAN.
MASTER PLAN, UH, OVER THE 10 YEAR PLAN PUT, UH, DUAL COMPANIES RIGHT.
SELECT FIRE STATIONS, WHICH EQUALED AN INCREASE IN ABOUT 75 PEOPLE.
AND TO THAT POINT WE, THERE ARE, WE HAVE RESERVE AMBULANCES STATIONED AROUND THE CITY AS WELL.
THAT WHEN THAT WE CAN CALL INTO SERVICE AS WELL.
WE HAVE ONE THAT IS A RADIO RESERVE AND WE HAVE TWO OTHERS THAT WOULD SOME MINOR ADDITIONS TO THAT CAN GO INTO SERVICE.
ARE THEY AT STA I MEAN, I, I THINK ONE IS, I THINK I SEE AN EXTRA AMBULANCE AT STATION SIX OCCASIONALLY.
THERE'S ONE AT SIXES, THERE'S ONE AT STATION ONE AND NO, THAT ONE'S GONE.
THAT'S PLUS OH 'CAUSE OF THE END RESCUE.
IS THAT THE ONLY TWO OF THE MAIN STATIONS? THOSE ARE JUST RESERVES.
OUR READY RESERVES SITS AT THE BAY AND THE READY RESERVE STAYS AT THE EIGHT BAY AT THE FAST.
AND IN THE TIMES WHEN WE GO INTO AMBULANCE OVERLOAD, ARE WE, ARE WE ACTIVATING THOSE? NO SIR.
WE DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE TO PUT ON.
WE GO INTO OVERLOAD MULTIPLE TIMES PER DAY.
UM, SO THE, THE OVERTIME, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT A RESULT OF? IS IT JUST NOT HAVING ENOUGH STAFF OR IS IT FROM VACATIONS? COMBINATION OF BOTH.
IT'S VACATION HOLIDAYS, UH, INJURED.
UH, SOME MOST ON-DUTY INJURED, SOME OFF-DUTY, INJURED, UH, AND SICK CALL.
WE WILL AT TIMES OR AUTHORIZED
[00:50:01]
STRENGTH OF 2 85.UH, UP UNTIL THIS YEAR WE ALWAYS FALL BELOW THE 2 85 BEFORE WE HIRE AGAIN.
AND HOW LONG CAN A, A FIREFIGHTER SLASH EMT, UM, HOW PARAMEDIC, HOW, HOW LONG CAN THEY WORK? HOW MANY DAYS IN A ROW AND UNTIL THEY, THEY HAVE TO GO HOME? WE EXPLORED A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT THEY COULD WORK.
I WANTED TO GO WITH 60 AND THAT WAS DISCUSSED BACK TO ME THAT WE NEED TO GO 72 IF WE DO IT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO DO IT.
UH, THERE'S A SITUATION WITH THE FIRE SERVICE ALL OVER RIGHT NOW, MANDATORY OVERTIME, VOLUNTARY OVERTIME AND MANDATORY.
SO YOU CAN PUT YOUR NAME ON THE OVERTIME LIST THE DAY BEFORE.
IF THAT LIST GETS EXHAUSTED, SOMEBODY DOESN'T GET TO GO HOME THAT DAY 'CAUSE THEY'RE ON MANDATORY OVERTIME.
SO IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID MANDATORY OVERTIME, UH, WE TOOK EXTREME MEASURES AND WE WILL DOWN AN AMBULANCE, UH, TO, TO DO THAT, WE WILL TAKE THE FOUR PERSON OUTTA STATION ONE TO AVOID THAT MANDATORY OVERTIME.
SO, UH, I HAVE SEEN AS MANY HOURS WORKED AS SIX, NOT COUNTING STONE AGAIN.
UH, AND I, I WAS APPROACHED BY A CAPTAIN THAT IS HIGHLY RESPECTED, THE DEPARTMENT AND BY MYSELF.
HE SAID CHIEF SAID YOU WANNA PUT A CAP ON THE OVERTIME, PUT A CAP ON THE OVERTIME.
HE SAID THE ONLY SHOOT ONLY FOOT YOU ARE SHOOTING IS YOUR OWN.
HE SAID, BECAUSE THESE GUYS THAT ARE WORKING EXTRAORDINARY LONG SERIES OF HOURS ARE SAVING US FOR MANDATORY OVERTIME.
SO I'VE SEEN PROBABLY AS MANY AS 120 HOURS CONSECUTIVE BATTALION CHIEFS, STATION CAPTAINS KNOW THESE GUYS ARE ON THOSE LONG STRETCHES AND THEY DO EVERY THEY CAN, EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO TAKE CARE OF THEM THAT THE MAXIMUM HOURS A PERSON SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO WORK SHOULD NOT EXCEED 48 IN MY OPINION.
UM, WILL YOU EXPLAIN HOW CALLS ARE ARE MADE? SO ANYTIME THERE'S A A NINE ONE ONE CALL AND A FIRETRUCK IS SENT OUT, AN AMBULANCE IS ALWAYS SENT OUT WITH IT.
IS THAT THE SAME IF, UH, IF AN EMERGENCY REQUEST THAT'S PURELY MEDICAL, UH, IS CALLED IN, THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE AMBULANCE GOES ALONE? UH, MANY TIMES A DAY THEY DO THAT.
I WOULD SAY THESE GUYS CAN ANSWER THIS BETTER THAN I THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME THE INJURED OR TRUCK GOES WITH 'EM.
DEPENDS, UM, DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE CALL.
HOW MANY HANDS DO WE THINK NEEDS TO HANDLE THAT SITUATION? I MEAN, YOU, UH, SICK PERSON IF, UH, IF IT'S A FALL, IF WE HAVE TO GO ASSIST THE COPS WITH SOMEBODY THEY HAVE, UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE AMBULANCE ONLY.
UM, BUT LIKE CPR, CHEST PAIN, DIFFICULTY BREATHING, ANYTHING MAJOR MEDICAL, THE TRUCK WILL GO WITH US OR ENGINE.
IS THAT IN ORDER TO TRANSPORT MORE PEOPLE TO A PLACE OR BE LIKE, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF SENDING A AN ENGINE OUT IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO FIRE WORKING HANDS.
IT'S LIFTING NUMBER OF HANDS TO CARRY EQUIPMENT TO MANAGE THE PATIENT, UH, AND TO PERFORM THE SKILLS ON, ON THE HIGH ACUITY CALLS, THE CPRS BEING THE HIGHEST ACUITY WE HAVE.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S GOT A JOB AND THERE'S BODY SURROUND THEM AND AN OFFICER WITH A TABLET IN HIS HAND TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON AND IT'S IMPRESSIVE.
UM, BUT THE ENGINE OR THE TRUCK GOES WITH THEM ON THOSE HANGAR ACUITY CALLS AND IT'S, IT'S DONE THROUGH THE DISPATCH PROTOCOL.
THAT THESE CALL TYPES, THE AMBULANCE GOES BY ITSELF.
THESE CALL TYPES AND ENGINE OR TRUCK GOES BY ITSELF, THE GAS LEAK, THEY'LL JUST GO BY THEMSELVES ON THAT, UH, STRUCTURE FIRE, YOU GET THE CATTLE AND THEN MEDIUM ACUITY AND HIGH ACUITY CALLS, YOU GET THE FIRE ENTERPRISE AND THE AMBULANCE AT THE SAME TIME.
WELL, YOU ALSO HAD THE SITUATION, IF, IF THE CALL IS BEING TAKEN BY AN OUT OF DISTRICT AMBULANCE, THEY'RE GOING TO GET AN IN-DISTRICT FIRE APPARATUS TO KEEP THE RESPONSE TIME DOWN.
UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE DAYS THAT WE'VE GOT THE AMBULANCE FROM STATION 10 GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO DISTRICT FOUR.
UH, SO THERE'D BE A LONG RESPONSE TIME.
SO, YOU KNOW, ENGINE FOUR WILL, WILL MAKE THAT RESPONSE, BEGIN THE, BEGIN
[00:55:01]
THE CARE, AND THEN ONCE THE AMBULANCE GETS THERE, THEY'LL, THEY'LL TAKE OVER.WE ALSO HAVE SOME VERY PROACTIVE CAPTAINS THAT WILL LOOK AT THE NOTES AND IF, IF IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY MINOR CALL, UM, AND THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT THE PATIENT DOESN'T NEED TRANSPORT, THAT ENGINE OR TRUCK WILL TAKE THAT CALL AND LET THE AMBULANCE REMAIN IN SERVICE FOR A HIGHER ACUITY CALL.
BUT ALSO JUST SO GET A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN DUTTON HAS MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT, UM, AN EMS TRANSPORT TO A HOSPITAL, WHICH IS OUT OF THE CITY AND THEM HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL THE PATIENT HAS A BED IN ORDER TO, UM, LEAVE
IT'S THE, THE ER DOESN'T HAVE ANY BEDS IN THE ER AVAILABLE.
SO THE ONLY BED THAT THEY HAVE IS THE ONE THAT THEY RODE IN ON KNOW TRIAGE NURSE HAS TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING AND DETERMINE THE ACUITY LEVEL.
UH, SO THERE MAY BE THREE OR FOUR AMBULANCES SITTING THERE WAITING THEIR TURN, UH, TO GET THEIR PATIENT OFF OF THE COT.
AND, UH, HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS, ER SUPERVISORS ARE ALL REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THESE ISSUES.
DO YOU HAVE AN AVERAGE TIME WAIT TIME FOR THE AMBULANCES DURING CALLS LIKE THAT? AS OF RIGHT NOW THAT I CAN PROVIDE IT THE NEXT TIME WE GET TOGETHER.
OH, I'M SURE IT'S, IF IF THE FLOORS ARE FULL, THEY'RE BEING HELD IN THE ER, UH, MC P'S BEEN WHAT, 150, 160% CAPACITY MM-HMM
MEANING ALL THE BEDS ARE FULL AND 50% MORE WAITING RIGHT NOW.
AND SOME OF THAT IS, UH, IS JUST PEOPLE USING THE ER FOR THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE OR IT'S, IT'S GOTTA BE TERRIBLY FRUSTRATING FOR THE CREWS WHEN THEY'RE STUCK IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT AND SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS WHILE THEY'RE WAITING.
UM, I CAN'T IMAGINE IN THEIR DISTRICT
I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW FRUSTRATING THAT IS FOR THEM.
SO, UM, YEAH, JUST TO PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, MOST ERS IN THE DALLAS AREA HAVE BETWEEN 20 AND 40 BEDS AND THAT'S IT.
UM, LIKE METHODIST RENTER SINCE COVID, THEY, THEY WERE ACTUALLY PUTTING HALL BEDS IN THERE 'CAUSE THEIR EMERGENCY ROOMS WAS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO OVERFLOW AND GET PEOPLE MORE SPACE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR SOMETHING THAT'S LITERALLY IN THE HALL, YOU KNOW, ON EVERY HALL.
SO THEY'VE KIND OF MADE SOME RENOVATIONS SINCE THEN, BUT THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE WITH THE AVERAGE IS PROBABLY 40 ROOMS PER HO PER HOSPITAL.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE LONGEST YOU'VE EVER HAD TO WAIT FOR? UH, SO PATIENT TO GET TO BED FOR SURE.
30 MINUTES, BUT UM, 30 MINUTES.
AND THAT'S LIKE FROM THE TIME WE WALK INTO THE DOOR AND WE'VE AL PROBABLY 30 MINUTES INTO A CALL AT THAT POINT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A PROTOCOL THAT WE CALL PLANO.
UM, WE'LL TALK TO DR. TYSON OR WHOEVER HIS PEOPLE ARE AND THEY'LL KIND OF GET IN TOUCH AND KIND OF MAKE SURE WE GET MOVED TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE EXPEDITED, IF YOU WILL, A LITTLE BIT.
THAT'S NOT COMMON THAT WE WAIT THAT LONG.
I WOULD SAY NOT AN OFFICIAL NUMBER.
UM, IF WE DO HAVE TO WAIT, UM, 'CAUSE GENERALLY THEY'LL EITHER TREAT, THEY'LL ALSO TRIAGE THEM AT THE HOSPITAL, WHICH MEANS WE'LL BRING 'EM IN.
THE NURSE WILL EVALUATE THEM AND IF THEY CAN GO TO THE WAITING ROOM, THEY'LL GO TO THE WAITING ROOM AS IF YOU WENT IN YOUR OWN CAR.
OR IF THEY NEED A BED NOW, THEY'LL GIVE 'EM A BED NOW.
SO THEY'LL KIND OF PRIORITIZE THEM, UM, THROUGH THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT.
AND YOU HAVE TRAVEL TIME ON TOP OF THAT.
TRAVEL TIME AND, AND IT, THAT VARIES TREMENDOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, ON THE SOUTH SIDE IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO.
IT'S PROBABLY 20 MINUTES AT A MINIMUM AND THAT'S LIGHTS AND SIRENS TO A HOSPITAL.
IF YOU'RE AT, UH, STATION SIX OR 10, UM, THEN YOU CAN BE AT METHODIST IN FIVE MINUTES.
SO KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE LOCATION.
WELL, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE THE FIRE SERVICE HAS COME.
TALK ABOUT STAFFING AND NUMBERS.
UH, I MEAN, YOU ROLL THIS BACK TO WHEN THE FIRST CAREER FIRE DEPARTMENTS CAME INTO PLACE.
THEY WERE ON WHAT THEY CALLED CONTINUOUS STAFFING.
THEY WORKED THE FIRE STATION SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24 HOURS A DAY.
THEY GOT THREE HOURS TO GO HOME EACH DAY FOR A MEAL.
UH, AND UH, AND THEN 1918, WHEN THE IFF CAME INTO PLACE, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT BEGAN TO CHANGE, UH, SAFETY WISE AND, UH, THAT THE TWO PLATOON SYSTEM CAME INTO PLACE 24 24 AND, AND OTHER SCHEDULES WERE, WERE THERE.
AND IN I 1965, THE 24 48 BECAME A VERY PROMINENT DEAL.
BUT THE THING TO LOOK AT IS, IS WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE, THE WHAT'S BEING PUT ON THE FIRE SERVICE, UH, IN 1980 NATIONWIDE WAS ABOUT 10.8 MILLION CALLS.
AND THEN IN TOOK 2020, THAT NUMBER WAS 36.4 MILLION.
[01:00:01]
240%.BUT IN THAT, IN THAT SPAN OF TIME THOUGH, WE ONLY HAD 124% INCREASE OF STAFFING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT UTILIZATION HOURS AND AND TIME TIME AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE GUYS CONSISTENTLY MAKING 12, 14, 16 RUNS A SHIFT AND, AND AN HOUR FOR EACH RUN OR MORE DEPENDING WHAT'S THERE, UM, UP MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE NIGHT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEREAS EARLY ON WE WERE FIVE OR SIX RUNS A, A SHIFT OR LESS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE JOKE ABOUT THE OLD STATION SIX, THEY DIDN'T MAKE, THERE WERE DAYS THEY DIDN'T MAKE RUNS.
THEY, THEY BIRD HUNTED OUT OF THE BACK OF THE STATION IN THE OPEN FIELD, BACK BIRD WATCH, THIRD ONE
BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A, A LOT OF DEMANDS AND A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT IS KIND OF THOSE TYPE DEALS THAT, UM, IF IT CAN'T BE LITIGATED OR SHOT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TAKES CARE OF IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S FIRES, EMS, HAZMAT RESCUE, UH, YOU KNOW, SHUTTING OFF WATER.
I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DEMANDS, A LOT OF CALLS.
UH, JUST LAST SHIFT I STARTED THE SHIFT AND I BLINKED AND IT WAS 10 30, UH, AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN CALLS AND ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS, WORKING WITH FIREFIGHTERS, WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND I'M SURE TYLER CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE DAYS HE BLINKS AND IT'S THE NEXT MORNING.
UH, SO, UH, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES, A LOT OF THINGS, A LOT MORE DEMANDS ON THE FIRE SERVICE AS A WHOLE.
UM, AND WHERE THE CALLS FOR SERVICE HAVE GREATLY INCREASED.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN A WHOLE BIG NUMBER INCREASE.
AND YOUR QUESTIONS ON STAFFING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE STAFF THREE NATIONAL STANDARD IS ACTUALLY FOUR ON FIRE APPARATUS.
UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS WE'VE DONE STUDIES AND WE'VE SHOWN THAT FOUR PEOPLE ON A PIECE OF APPARATUS CAN RESPOND 27% QUICKER TO A FIRE, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPLOY HOSE, GET WATER ON THE FIRE THAT'S 27% FASTER TO A CITIZEN THAT NEEDS TO BE RESCUED.
AND THAT'S ALSO A PERSPECTIVE THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IN THE FACT THAT THE WAY WE HAVE CHANGED OUR HOUSES, THE CONSTRUCTION, THE, THE FACT THAT WE NOW FILL THEM WITH, UH, VERY SOFT CUSHY GASOLINE, UM, UH, A SIT, YOU KNOW, A PERSON IN A HOUSE HAD UPWARDS OF 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO GET OUT BEFORE THERE WAS FLASHOVER, WHICH IS WHEN EVERYTHING INSIDE IGNITES, THAT NUMBER NOW IS LESS THAN THREE.
UH, WE, WE BASICALLY HAVE 90 SECONDS FROM THE TIME WE OPEN THE DOOR TO FIND ANYBODY INSIDE IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A, A WELL INVOLVED FIRE, YOU KNOW, SO TIME HAS WORKED AGAINST US, UH, CONSTRUCTION'S WORKED AGAINST US.
UH, THE USE OF MATERIALS HAS WORKED AGAINST US.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE THINGS IN THIS IS, IS LOOKING AT PROVIDING THAT RECOVERY TIME FOR OUR PEOPLE.
UH, BECAUSE IT TAKES A FULL 20, IT TAKES 70, IT TAKES A FULL 72 HOURS TO RECOVER FROM 24 HOURS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION, SCIENTIFIC, THAT'S A NUMBER THAT, THAT'S WHERE IT'S, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING 24 HOURS SLEEP DEPRIVED AND GOING HOME FOR 48.
SO THEY'RE COMING BACK TO THE STATION NOT FULLY RECOVERED, AND THAT ACCUMULATES AND ACCUMULATES AND ACCUMULATES AND WE SEE ILLNESS AND THAT TURNS INTO SICK TIME.
UH, WE SEE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS LEAVING THE JOB, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEREAS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S 30 YEAR CAREER, YOU KNOW, WHEREAS WITH POLICE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE, NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE FOLKS LEAVE THE FIRE SERVICE FIVE TO 10 YEARS BECAUSE THEY JUST CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE, THE BEATING THAT, THAT THEY TAKE ON THAT.
SO, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT ALL AS STRONG AS ME AND CHIEF LEE
BUT THERE'S A LOT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF PERSPECTIVE THERE.
UM, NUMBERS AND THE INCREASES AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THE JOB HAS NOT GOTTEN ANY EASIER, SO NO DOUBT.
I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, I'M SURE AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH LIKE, CALLS OF SERVICE AND PERSONALITY BETWEEN FIRE AND EEMS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY KIND OF DELVE INTO THAT ASPECT OF IT PRETTY PROFOUNDLY.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'LL START WITH A SHORT ONE FIRST.
UM, THE, BUT HAVING LIKE THREE ON A, A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT OR FOUR, DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RATING, UM, ISO OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
[01:05:02]
IO USED TO RATE BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU PUT ON THE FIRE TRUCKS.NOW, ISO RATES ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU PUT ON THE FIRE GROUND.
WHAT ARE THE TIMES THAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE? UH, ISO IS A VERY COMPLICATED ANIMAL, UH, BECAUSE IT ALSO LOOKS AT NUMBER OF TRAINING HOURS.
IT LOOKS AT, UH, YOUR CURRENT FIRE CODE.
WHAT, WHAT YEAR IS YOUR FIRE CODE, UH, IF THE AGE OF YOUR FIRE APPARATUS PLAYS INTO YOUR SCORE, BUT THEY DON'T LOOK SOLELY AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE BIG RED TRUCK.
THEY LOOK THE PEOPLE ON THE, ON THE FIRE.
SO THE SECOND PART OF MY QUESTION, OR MY SECOND QUESTION WAS, I KNOW THAT CAPTAIN CRUZ, UM, MENTIONED THAT SOMETIMES THERE'S, YOU KNOW, 10 OR 12 RUNS AN HOUR, WHATEVER YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
ONCE WE GET EVERYBODY BACK THROUGH PARAMEDIC SCHOOL, WE'LL KIND OF BE IN GOOD SHAPE.
SO IF SOMEONE, UM, WORKED, ONE PERSON WORKED TWO, THREE SHIFTS IN A ROW OR WHATEVER, IF THEY WERE ON THE AMBULANCE THEIR FIRST NIGHT, IS THERE GUARANTEES THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ON THAT AMBULANCE THE NEXT TWO TIMES? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT.
IF THEY'VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT, ALL DAY, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THEIR SAFETY DRIVING, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS HOW THAT WORKS WITH OUR CURRENT LEVELS OF STAFFING.
EVEN WHEN EVERYBODY COMES BACK, WE STILL WILL RUN THREE MOST DAYS.
AND SO TO, TO, IF SOMEBODY'S DONE 48 HOURS OR IS IN THERE WORKING BACK TO BACK AND MOVING ON TO THE ENGINE TRUCK, WE HOPE THAT THAT WOULD OCCUR.
BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE A GUARANTEE.
I GOT ONE QUESTION ON THE, IF YOU GO TO THE 72 HOURS OR PRIVATIZE THE AMBULANCE, WILL EVERYBODY STILL BE REQUIRED TO BE A PARAMEDIC THAT YOU HIRE? 100%, SIR.
NOT THAT WE HIRE, BUT THEY WILL GO TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL WITHIN, AT THEIR, ABOUT THEIR ONE YEAR MARK.
THEY'LL GO TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
IS THAT WHAT IT'D BE? YES, SIR.
OKAY, SO I HAVE, UH, 85 QUESTIONS.
SO YOU READY,
PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER OVER HERE.
SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, FOR ANYONE THAT MIGHT BE LISTENING, THAT IS NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, EDUCATED IN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT DO OUR FIREFIGHTERS CURRENTLY WORK? WHAT IS THEIR SHIFT? RIGHT NOW? THEIR CURRENT SHIFT IS 24 HOURS ON AND 48 HOURS OFF.
AND THEN WHAT IS OUR GOAL? GOAL IF, IF, IS TO FIND THE OPTIMUM SCHEDULE?
BUT, BUT WHAT, WHAT WOULD OUR, MY, MY OPINION MM-HMM
THIS IS STRICTLY THE OPINION OF MARK LEE THAT I'M BASING UPON THE SCIENCE AND STUDIES THAT I'VE READ.
MULTIPLE ARTICLES THAT STAY THE 24 72 IS THE HEALTHIEST SCHEDULE FOR A FIREFIGHTER TO WORK.
SO COUPLE OF MY QUESTIONS SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF, UM, WHERE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GOING.
UM, HOW DO WE, HOW ARE WE PLANNING FOR, UM, THE NEW, LIKE MULTIFAMILY? OBVIOUSLY WE'RE A BUILT OUT CITY, SO MULTIFAMILY IS WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, WE HAVE TO BUILD UP BECAUSE WE CAN'T BUILD OUT.
SO HOW, IF WE ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH OVERTIME AND OUR GUYS WORKING EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA SHIFTS TO COVER SICKNESSES, VACATIONS, PARAMEDIC SCHOOL, UH, INJURIES, WHATEVER, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THE MULTIFAMILY, UM, BOOM THAT WE'RE HAVING ON TOP OF, UM, KIND OF WHAT BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE, THE NEW MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING USED FOR HOUSES AND THAT, YOU KNOW, NOW YOU HAVE A 92ND WINDOW TO GET SOMEONE OUT BEFORE ALL HILL BREAKS LOOSE.
UM, WE NOW HAVE MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOMES.
SO WHERE YOU COULD HAVE WENT INTO MY HOUSE 30 YEARS AGO AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HUSBAND AND WIFE AND MAYBE A KID THAT YOU'VE GOTTA GET OUT.
NOW YOU'VE GOT 10 PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET OUT.
SO HOW ARE, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT STAFFING WISE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THOSE THINGS? SO WE MIGHT BE ON PAR NOW, BUT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WHAT'S ON PAR IS NOT GONNA, IS NOT GONNA WORK.
THAT'S A, THAT IS A, A MULTIFACETED ANSWER IF YOU WILL.
UH, PREVENTION BUILDING CODES, FIRE CODES, SPRINKLER SYSTEMS,
[01:10:01]
AND THE MULTIFAMILIES, UH, SOME OF THE MULTIFAMILY THAT IS BEING PROPOSED AS FLOOR SPACE, THAT'S WOODEN, THE FLOOR OF THE CEILINGS WHERE FIRE CAN RUN.UH, SOME OF THOSE, WE'VE GOT DEVELOPERS TO AGREE TO FILL THAT SPACE WITH A, UH, NON FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCE.
AND IF IT DOES, IT'S GOT PROTECTIVE FACTORS ON THE SIDE OF IT.
SAY A DRYER FROM THAT FIRE DRYER CATCHES ON FIRE GOES UP INTO THE VENT GOING TO THE OUTSIDE, IT'S CONTAINED TO THAT VENT PIPE, IT CAN'T GET OUT.
SO PREVENTION CODES AND PROTECTION FOR THE LIVING SPACES TO ALLOW CITIZENS TIME TO GET OUTTA THOSE BUILDINGS.
UH, THE VERTICAL STRUCTURES, UH, CREATE EVEN MORE CHALLENGES, UH, BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT MORE PEOPLE FIRE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR AND UP MM-HMM
UH, THAT'S WHEN WE GO TO HIGH RISE CODES.
THERE HAS TO BE SHELTER AREAS THAT PEOPLE CAN SEEK, SHELTER IN, AND, UH, FIREPROOF STAIRWAYS, UH, THAT ARE PROTECTED FOR TWO HOURS, SOME STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO A LOT OF THE PROTECTION COMES THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO, SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ARE JUST A VALVE.
SHERWELL WILLIAMS,
SOMETIMES THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM IS JUST, UH, IS BROKEN AND AN EXPLOSION.
UH, SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT OF FIREFIGHTERS TO GET THE JOB DONE.
UH, FIRES ALWAYS SEEM TO START SMALL AND GO BIG UNLESS WE INTERVENE, AND THIS IS WHAT BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH STAFFING LEVELS, EFFICIENCY OF A FOUR PERSON ATTACK CREW VERSUS A THREE PERSON ATTACK CREW.
WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE YOU SAY 26% MORE EFFICIENT BILL 27.
27% MORE EFFICIENT WITH A FOUR PERSON ENGINE.
SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT WHEN WE ARE DOING VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION AND TIGHT CONSTRUCTION.
SO I THINK THAT SOUNDS FANTASTIC IN THEORY, BUT THIS IS GARLAND.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT BUILD WHOLE LAST HOMES WITHOUT, UM, PERMITS, LET ALONE TO GIVE TWO FLIES ABOUT IF IT'S FIREPROOF OR IF THERE'S SPRINKLERS.
AND THAT'S JUST THE REAL HONEST TRUTH OF WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW? SO MY, MY BIG CONCERN IS IF WE'RE, IF THE NATIONAL STANDARD IS FOUR ON AN APPARATUS, SO WE'RE RUNNING THREE ON AN APPARATUS, WELL, WE'VE GOT WHAT AT ANY GIVEN TIME, PROBABLY 10 DEVELOPERS THAT ARE LOOKING AT BUILDING MULTIFAMILIES THAT'S GONNA AFFECT OUR STATIONS.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU'VE GOT A MULTIFAMILY, YOU'VE GOT WHAT, 60 PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF A BUILDING AND YOU'VE GOT THREE GUYS ON A TRUCK THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.
SO, AND THEN ON TOP OF IT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'RE RUNNING 240 HOURS OF OVERTIME A WEEK LIKE THAT.
I, I CAN'T IMAGINE, I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING IN A STATION FOR THAT LONG.
YOU KNOW, RUNNING TWO EX, I MEAN, 'CAUSE YOU COULD DO TWO EXTRA SHIFTS, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE 48 OFF, YOU COULD DO TWO EXTRA SHIFTS.
SO THAT'S FOUR DAYS IN, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU WORK, YOU WORK YOUR NEXT DAY ON YOUR NORMAL DAY.
RIGHT? I CANNOT IMAGINE ON DAY DAY TWO, I'M DAY TWO, HELL, UM, DAY ONE IS BAD ENOUGH, RUNNING INTO A BURNING FIRE TRYING TO SAVE SOMEONE.
BUT ON DAY FOUR, AND GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT YOUR OTHER THREE DAYS WERE LIKE, JUST HAVING THE MENTAL WHEREWITHAL TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY DO THAT.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T, IT DOESN'T SEEM FEASIBLE.
RIGHT? SO MY BIG CONCERN IS WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE 24 78 GONNA DO THAT 24 48 CAN'T DO.
I UNDERSTAND THE MENTAL HEALTH OF IT, BUT IF WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOT GUYS THAT ARE HAVING TO RUN OVERTIME ANYWAY, TO ME A 40, A 24 78 JUST GIVES THEM TWO EXTRA DAYS, THREE EXTRA DAYS TO RUN OVERTIME.
AND THAT, THAT'S COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT GIVING THOSE DAYS TO REST AND RECOVER AND RECOUP.
THAT'S GIVING YOU THREE, THAT'S GIVING YOU A WHOLE EXTRA DAY TO RUN OVERTIME.
[01:15:01]
IF I EVEN WANTED TO REMOTELY CONSIDER A 24 78, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE OFF 78.LIKE WE CAN'T, IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA BE A, OH, I GOT AN EXTRA DAY TO MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE I GET IT, LIKE TIMES ARE TOUGH.
BUT IF WE'RE, IF OUR ARGUMENT IS HEALTH, SAFETY, RISK, RECRUIT, ALL OF THAT STUFF, THEN THAT'S WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE.
AND RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE.
IT'S JUST GONNA GIVE US ANOTHER, ANOTHER 24 SHIFT TO GET MORE OVERTIME.
WELL, ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS, IS THIS YEAR IS KIND OF A, A UNIQUE YEAR BECAUSE WE SENT AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
WE'VE NEVER SENT USED, WE USED TO ONLY SEND THREE TO SIX PEOPLE.
WE SENT, WE HAD WHAT? 40? WE HAD 52 AT SCHOOL AT ONE TIME.
WE HAD 52 IN SCHOOL AT ONE TIME, PLUS 24 AT THE FIRE ACADEMY.
SO, SO WE COULD GET CAUGHT UP BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR PARAMEDICS SIT, THEY'RE STUCK ON THE AMBULANCE MM-HMM
AND CANNOT GET ANY ENGINE OR TRUCK TIME.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOT ANOTHER PARAMEDIC TO RIDE.
WE HAVE AN EMT THAT'S TAKEN THAT SEAT UP.
WE SENT ALL THESE PEOPLE TO SCHOOL KNOWING THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE THIS INOR INORDINATE AMOUNT OF OVERTIME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THOUGH IS WITH GOING TO THE 24 72 WITH FOLKS GETTING THE REST, EVEN IF THEY WORK ONE SHIFT OF OVERTIME, THEY STILL HAVE TWO DAYS TO RECOVER.
WHERE RIGHT NOW, IF I WORK ONE SHIFT OF OVERTIME, I ONLY HAVE ONE DAY TO RECOVER.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CALLING IN SICK DROPS DRASTICALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THAT RECOVERY TIME.
THEY'RE NOT AS PRONE TO BECOMING ILLNESSES AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
THEY HAVE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES, ALL THOSE VARIOUS THINGS.
SO THE USE OF OVERTIME DROPS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO WORK AND THEY'RE THERE AND, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IF LIKE CHIEF LEE SAID, WE'VE GOT 85 PEOPLE ASSIGNED, YOU KNOW, WHEN STAFFING IS 62, WELL THERE'S SOME MATH IN THERE.
WE ONLY LET 10 TO 11 PEOPLE OFF PER SHIFT ON VACATION.
YOU HAVE INJURY, YOU'VE GOT SICK TIME.
THOSE VARIOUS THINGS COME IN THERE.
INJURIES DROP SICK TIME'S, DROPPED.
MENTAL, I WELLNESS IS MUCH, MUCH, MUCH BETTER.
SO WHAT THE RESEARCH IS SHOWING IS THAT WITH THAT SHIFT SCHEDULE, THE OVERTIME USE IS LOW AND IT'S ABOUT EDUCATING OUR PEOPLE.
DON'T, YOU KNOW, DON'T SIT UP.
I MEAN, WHEN I WALK IN AND I SEE MY AMBULANCE SCREW UP AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING PLAYING A VIDEO A GAME, GUYS, THIS IS A CHANCE TO GO GET SOME SLEEP.
SO IT'S, IT'S ABOUT US DOING WHAT, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICERS DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND MAKE SURE OUR PEOPLE ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED DO.
AND IT'S NOT TO, TO YOUR POINT, IT IT DOES, IT WOULDN'T ALLOW THAT.
AND I PROMISE YOU, WE GO 24 72, I WILL CAP THE NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE HOURS ANYBODY GETS TO WORK AND THAT'S NOT GONNA BE POPULAR WITH MY PEOPLE.
UM, BUT IF WE'RE DOING THIS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND FOR THE, THE LONG TERM SURVIVABILITY OF THIS CAREER AND THE PHYSICAL HEALTH THAT IT IMPROVES, I DO IT RIGHT NOW.
IF I DO IT, THEN MY MANDATORY GOES SKY HIGH.
AND THAT IS MORE DANGEROUS TO ME THAN HAVE CAPTAIN CREWS TELL THIS GUY GO BAD, GET BREATH, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING TOO LONG.
OR CHIEF PAGE SENT THEM TO STATION 10 WHERE THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO MAKE A BUNCH OF CALLS.
TYPICALLY IT'S A LITTLE SLOWER HOUSE WHERE THEY CAN TRY TO RECOUP UP A LITTLE BIT WHILE THEY'RE THERE.
BUT YEAH, IT, I GET YOUR POINT 100%.
AND I, AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, LIKE SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED THAT BODY THERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, BECAUSE PEOPLE GET SICK.
I KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH COVID, WE HAD AN A RIDICULOUS OUTBREAK.
SO I GET THE, SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED A BODY THERE, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT RUNNING INTO A BLAZE.
LIKE THANKFULLY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, ON A REGULAR BASIS HERE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD, BUT THAT, THAT'S MY BIG CONCERN.
UM, AND I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IN THE CITIES THAT HAVE MADE THIS ADJUSTMENT, WHAT DID THEIR OVERTIME LOOK LIKE PRIOR TO MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S EASY TO SAY, WELL, THEIR OVERTIME WENT DOWN OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT IF THEIR OVERTIME WASN'T COMPARABLE TO WHAT OURS WAS, THEN IT'S APPLES TO ORANGES.
SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING KIND OF HOW THAT LOOKED PRIOR TO THEM MAKING THAT SHIFT, UM, JUST FOR LOGISTIC PURPOSES.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS, OPINIONS ON WHAT CO WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE FOR US GOING INTO AMBULANCE OVERLOAD?
[01:20:03]
THAT THAT IS, THAT CAN VARY WIDELY.UM, TO ME, I DESCRIBE IT AS THE EARTH BURPED.
UM, BECAUSE I'M GONNA HEAR THIS
I DON'T WANT THAT COLD WHEN A CAR CRASH MM-HMM
AND THEN IT'S SOMEWHERE ELSE, MOMENTS LATER IS ANOTHER CAR CRASH.
AND THEN THE TRUCK SEVEN'S RUNNING ON A CAR CRASH JUST A FEW MOMENTS LATER.
AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE IS RUNNING ON A FALL.
SO I DON'T FEEL IT WHEN IT HAPPENS, BUT IT HAPPENS SUDDENLY WE'RE IN AMBULANCE AND OVERLOAD.
SO THERE ARE TIMES THAT IT'S HOSPITAL DRIVEN DUE TO WALL TIMES.
WE'VE GOT UNITS SITTING AT HOSPITALS.
UH, BUT OTHER TIMES IT'S JUST, WE'VE GOT A POPULATION OF 250 SOMETHING THOUSAND PEOPLE AND 11 AMBULANCES TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND DURING THE DAY IT INEVITABLY CLUSTERS UP.
A BETTER NUMBER ON THAT WILL BE UNIT RELIABILITY.
AND THAT IS ANSWERING CALLS IN THEIR DISTRICT VERSUS NUMBER OF CALLS IN THEIR DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A BETTER MEASURE.
I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE THAT FOR SURE.
TIM, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? YEAH.
YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
AND, AND FROM A LITTLE BIT THAT I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE CITY RUNS.
UH, THERE'S A, ABOUT A TWO TO ONE PROPORTION OF CALLS DURING THE DAY AND PEAK FROM WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT, IS ABOUT NINE 9:00 AM TO 9:00 PM SO A 12 HOUR TIME PERIOD, THERE'S ABOUT A TWO TO ONE RATIO, UH, DAYTIME VERSUS NIGHTTIME, VERY COMMON.
ON OCCASION, WHEN I DO WORK, I I WOULD SEE A THREE TO ONE, NOT, NOT AS LIKELY, BUT TWO TO ONE IS, IS IS VERY COMMON WITH, WITH COMMUNITIES THIS SIZE.
SO, SO THAT WOULD EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY, A LOT OF MOVEMENT, AND THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, MORE CALLS.
SO YOU'RE MORE LIKELY STATISTICALLY AT LEAST TO HAVE 14 CALLS DURING THE DAY WITH ONLY 11 AMBULANCES.
UH, OR DURING A GIVEN TIME OR OR PERIOD COMPARED TO AT NIGHT.
SO, UH, TAKING OFF THAT, IF I MAY, A QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS WHEN YOU DO DROP TO THAT OVERLOAD STATUS AND DOWN TO THREE, DOES ANYTHING HAPPEN? UM, DO YOU PRIORITIZE CALLS BACKLOG? THE, THE EMA SHIFT DUTY OFFICER WILL LOOK AT THE THREE UNITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, TRY TO SPREAD 'EM.
SO WE'VE GOT COVERAGE WHEN WE RUN OUT OF AMBULANCES.
UH, THE LOW ACUITY CALLS GET A FIRE APPARATUS ONLY TO DO THE EVALUATION.
UH, THE HIGHER ACUITY CALLS WE CALL MUTUAL AID IN TO COME HELP US.
AND HOW OFTEN DO WE HAVE TO, TO CALL FOR MUTUAL AID? BECAUSE WE'RE IN OKAY.
AND THESE GUYS, THEY'RE LISTENING TO THE RADIO WHILE THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE AT THE HOSPITAL, HEY, WE'RE TRASHED, WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE.
PATIENT OFF THEY COT AND GET BACK.
TYPICALLY RESPONDING BACK TO THE CITY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY ASSIGNED TO CALL.
NO, I WILL SAY IT, IT'S A LITTLE NERVE WRACKING.
I WAS STA I WAS SITTING AT STATION THREE ONE NIGHT, I WENT TO GO TAKE THEM SOME DISC GOLFS OR DISC WHATEVER, GOLF DISC, WHATEVER THEY'RE CALLED, FRISBEES.
AND, UM, THEY HIT AMBULANCE OVERLOAD AND NOT EVEN 15 SECONDS LATER THEY GET CALLED OUT FOR A MEDICAL CALL.
AND LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A LITTLE SCARY.
YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE ALL DRIVEN THROUGH GARLAND.
IT TAKES ONE INTERSECTION FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, BE OUT OF AMBULANCES AND IT'S A LITTLE NERVE WRACKING.
SO IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND ALSO KNOWING THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE GOING, THAT WE, WE'VE PLANNED, I MEAN WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF MULTIFAMILY THAT IS ALWAYS COMING, YOU KNOW, AND WANTING TO MULTIFAMILY IS THE BIG THING.
AND SO THINKING, I KNOW SOME OF, SOME AREAS ARE HEAVIER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-FAMILIES.
SO I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT.
LIKE WHAT DOES THAT STAFFING NEED TO LOOK LIKE? UM, I, I DON'T KNOW.
HAVE YOU GUYS HAD ANY OF, ANY ISSUES WITH LIKE NEW MULTI-FAMILIES COMING UP IN A PARTICULAR AREA WHERE IT'S JUST LIKE, UGH, LIKE IT JUST SLOWS THINGS DOWN OR MAKES THINGS DIFFICULT FOR YOU GUYS? UM, FIRST CONGESTION IN THE PARKING AREA SOMETIMES, UH, SLOWS YOU GUYS DOWN.
THE SMALL FIRES THAT WE'VE HAD AND SOME OF THE NEWER
[01:25:01]
CONSTRUCTION THAT IT'S A BIG BUILDING MINUTE TO FIND THE AREA THAT YOU NEED TO PARK AND THEN DEPLOY INTO THAT BUILDING.THESE GUYS ARE, THEY'RE PRETTY DANG GOOD.
NO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE ONE OF US IN THIS ROOM THAT WOULD EVER QUESTION THE, UM, SKILLSET OF OUR, OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, JUST PERSONALLY FROM A A COUNCIL STANDPOINT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING YOU GUYS UP FOR SUCCESS AND NOT FAILURE.
SO, UM, JUST AS A SIDEBAR, FIVE STORIES IS WHERE WE'RE COMFORTABLE FIGHTING FIRES,
SO ESPECIALLY WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING UP, YOU KNOW, IF WELL WE'RE COMFORTABLE ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP.
WELL SURE, WELL IS, BUT UM, IT BECOMES A QUESTION OF NUMBER OF PEOPLE IT TAKES MM-HMM
NO, THE TOP BULLET THERE THAT REMAIN PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE, UH, THAT'S THE TOUGHEST PART IS BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT THIS COMMUNITY FACES.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH RENEWAL OF, OF GARLAND, THAT THAT WILL GET EASIER.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONSTRAINT THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, IDEAL WORLD, AND I'LL BUILD YOU ONE HECK FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT HERE.
I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TOP LINE REMAIN FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
I WOULD LIKE IT TO SAY, REMAIN SAFELY, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S A VERY FINE LINE.
BUT WE CAN BE FI WE CAN BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO STILL BE SAFE ABOUT IT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO OUR, I THINK OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS A VERY GOOD REPUTATION AS FAR AS THE AMAZING THINGS THAT YOU GUYS DO ALL THE WAY FROM KITTENS IN THE TREE TO KNOCKING OUT A TWO ALARM FIRE OFF OF 30.
UM, NOT, NOT ONLY YOUR RESPONSE TIME, BUT JUST EVERYONE IS ALWAYS POSITIVE.
WE'VE, WE NEVER GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT RUDE FIREFIGHTERS OR LACK OF SERVICE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT AS LONG AS WE CAN CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, GIVING YOU GUYS THE TOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO WITHSTAND THAT AND TO CARRY THAT THROUGH THE FUTURE WHILE KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE MOST FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THING THAT WE CAN DO.
THIS IS MY THIRD FIRE DEPARTMENT AND UH, SECOND IS A CHIEF OFFICER.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF FIRES THAT WE HAVE IN GARLAND IS, IS PROBABLY HIGHER THAN OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
THE BAD IS WE HAVE TOO MANY FIRES.
THE GOOD IS OUR GUYS ARE REALLY GOOD.
THEY STAY PROFICIENT AT IT 'CAUSE THEY DO IT ON ROUTINE BASIS.
UM, THE FIRST FIRE THAT CAME IN AS TODD BEING THE FIRE CHIEF HERE, WAS ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
AND I DIDN'T GRAB MY RADIO AND GO, MY WIFE SAID, ARE YOU GOING? SHE GOES, WHY NOT? I SAID, LISTEN TO 'EM.
THEY GOT THIS, I GOT NO WORRIES WITH THESE FIREFIGHTERS.
THAT HOLDS TRUE TODAY THAT WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS THAT I'VE EVER SEEN.
WHEN I CAME TO A CITY OF 250,000 PEOPLE, I KNEW I WAS GONNA HAVE SOME CRAPPY MEDICS WITH CRAPPY ATTITUDES.
I'VE BEEN HERE NINE YEARS AND I HAVEN'T MET THEM YET EXCEPT FOR JERRY
UM, THESE, THESE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE SOME OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST AND WORKED AT THREE.
AND I TAUGHT FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS IN ABOUT SEVEN DIFFERENT FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT I'VE SPENT A DAY A MONTH WITH THEM.
WE'RE HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THEM.
WE ARE THE MODEL THAT PEOPLE NEED TO CHASE AND, AND WE NEED TO BE THE FOLKS, TAKE GOOD CARE OF OUR PEOPLE AND BE GOOD AT OUR JOBS.
AND IF IT MEANS WE NEED MORE PEOPLE, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ME SAY, GIVE ME MORE PEOPLE.
AND MATT'S GONNA SAY, BUT I CAN'T AFFORD MORE PEOPLE.
AND BILL'S GOING TO TALK TO COUNCIL AND SAY, TELL MATT TO GIVE US MORE PEOPLE.
THE CYCLE WILL CONTINUE FOREVER.
UM, BUT AS WE GO VERTICAL, WE'LL BE READY, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.
[01:30:01]
HOPE SO.WHEN AMBULANCE OVERLOAD CALL WENT OUT, IT WAS A CLEAR A QUEUE TO THE AMBULANCES TO ONLY TRANSPORT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
UH, EVEN IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO GO TO PARKLAND OR OUT WHEREVER IT WAS, WE WERE AN AMBULANCE OVERLOAD.
SO WE GET BACK IN SERVICE FACTOR.
AND I, WE'VE CALLED IT SURGE AND EVERYONE COMES SOMETHING KIND OF DIFFERENT OR HAS DIFFERENT PARAMETERS.
SO I, I HAD A QUESTION WITH, UH, PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU KNOW, THIS GROUP OF 20 AND CHANGE ARE GOING TO MEDIC SCHOOL, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? ARE THEY TAKEN OFF THE FLOOR? PUT ON 40 HOUR WORK WEEK.
THEY'RE ASSIGNED, THEIR JOB IS TO PASS PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
WHAT IF THEY DON'T THAT THEY'RE GONE.
WE HIRED AN EXTRA PERSON THE NEXT TIME.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THEIR PAY, SO THEN THEY'RE JUST THEIR PAID REGULAR DUTY, UH, REGULAR DUTY AS IF THEY WERE KIND OF WORKING.
I'M NOT SURE CHIEF LEE, IF THIS WOULD BE FOR YOU OR CAPTAIN CRUZ OR BOTH.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT OUR JOB AS A COMMITTEE IS TO TAKE IN ALL THE FACTS.
WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL.
UM, BUT I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, UM, KIND OF AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT THE FIREFIGHTERS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN OR THEY'RE WANTING.
LIKE ARE THEY OKAY WITH WHERE WE'RE AT? DO THEY WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT? AND UNFORTUNATELY WE WON'T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE THE ONES WORKING THAT SCHEDULE, NOT US.
SO I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS, HAVE THERE BEEN SURVEYS, UM, HAVE YOU HAD FIREFIGHTERS APPROACH YOU? UM, I'M JUST KIND OF, 'CAUSE TO ME, I, AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT AS THE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL AS ALL THE FACTS THAT ARE GIVEN.
UM, 'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE THE ONES WORKING IT, NOT US.
SO I KNOW CHIEF DICKSON AND MYSELF ARE MAKING A LOT OF KITCHEN TABLE SESSIONS AROUND THE CITY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND THERE'S ALL KINDS OF RUMORS RUNNING.
UH, ANY OF THOSE RUMORS SURROUND PRIVATE AMBULANCES WON'T PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE DO.
UH, A MODEL, ONE OF THE MODELS THAT IS OUT THERE IS THAT THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR IS EMPLOYED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE, IF IT'S YOU USING A PRIVATE EMS SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORT, ALL OF THEIR MEDICS ARE CREDENTIALED BY OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR, JUST LIKE OUR PARAMEDICS ARE.
AND SO THEY OPERATE UNDER THE SAME PROTOCOLS THAT WE OPERATE UNDER.
AND SO THEY, THEY BASICALLY BECOME AN EXTENSION OF US WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL LIABILITY OF TAKING THIS BEING IRRESPONSIBLE WHEN WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WILL ALL BE CONTINUING TO BE PARAMEDICS TO YOUR, YOUR QUESTION MERYL, UH, AND WE'LL STILL BE RESPONDING TO THESE CALLS AND THE STUFF THAT IS HIGH ACUITY IS THE STUFF THAT MAKES OUR ADRENALINE GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
AND, AND WHAT WE GOT ON THIS JOB FOR, THEY WILL CONTINUE CONTINUITY OF CARE ALL THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE ONE PARAMEDIC CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MEDIUM AND HIGH ACUITY PATIENTS.
SO OUR FOLKS WILL STILL BE GOING WITH THEM LOW ACUITY STUFF THAT GETS HIM STUCK ON A WALL SOMEWHERE.
THEY GO IN A VEHICLE THAT IS WELL STAFFED AND WELL EQUIPPED TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR AILMENT OR THEIR ILLNESS TO A HOSPITAL AND STAND ON A WALL AND WAIT FOR A VET.
UH, WHEN WE EXPLAIN THAT TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE'RE STILL GOING, WE'RE STILL RESPONDING UNDER ONE PARTICULAR PLAN.
UH, WE'RE JUST NOT DOING THE LOW ACUITY STUFF.
UH, AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEIR MEDICS ARE TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT, WE'RE REPORTING THEM TO THEIR SUPERVISORS.
UM, AND YOU GET A 24 72 SCHEDULE AND YOU GET FOUR PERSON STAFFING.
AND MOST OF THEM HAVE BOUGHT INTO THAT AS I KNOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, BY HAVING THAT THREE DAYS OFF, I KNOW AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, SOME FIREFIGHTERS, IT MAY TAKE THEM TWO OR THREE HOURS TO GET HOME.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THEY'RE SPENDING HALF OR A LITTLE MORE OF THEIR FIRST DAY TRAVELING.
SO THEY'RE ONLY REALLY GETTING A ONE DAY OF REST WHERE YOU COULD LOOK AT IT THE OTHER WAY WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GET TWO FULL DAYS OF REST.
UM, FIREFIGHTERS WITH BUSY HOUSES GET OFF IN THE MORNING AND START CAFFEINATING SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THEIR FIRST DAY OFF AND THE AWAKE STATUS.
MANY OF THEM DO, NOT ALL, SOME OF THEM ARE SMARTER THAN THAT.
[01:35:01]
UM, BUT IF THEY GOT BEAT UP AND THEY GOT THINGS TO DO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HITTING THE CAFFEINE, UH, THEY'RE HITTING THE ENERGY DRINKS, THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN STAY AWAKE AND STAY ACTIVE, GET WHAT THEY NEED DONE, DONE THINKING, I'LL SLEEP WELL TONIGHT, GUESS WHAT THEIR SLEEP PATTERN LOOKS LIKE THAT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL JAZZED ON CAFFEINE ALL DAY.SO THE NEXT DAY THEY'RE TIRED, BUT, BUT THEY'RE NOT CAFFEINATING AS BAD.
BUT THE DREAD OF, I DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING DONE, IT'S, AND I GOTTA GO BACK TO WORK TOMORROW.
THEY DON'T SLEEP WELL AND THEN THEY GOTTA GET UP AT THREE 30 IN THE MORNING.
TO BE AT THE FIRE STATION BY FIVE 30 BECAUSE THEY WERE TAUGHT TO BE THERE BY SIX FOR A SEVEN O'CLOCK SHIFT CHANGE.
THEIR SLEEP IS HORRIBLE ON THE 24 48.
SOME OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE PAID ATTENTION THAT WHEN THEY GET BEAT UP, THEY GO HOME AND NAP THREE OR FOUR HOURS.
WHICH IS THE SMARTEST WAY TO DO IT.
BUT NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE STRUCTURED THEIR, THEIR LIFE THAT WAY.
I THINK I HAVE A SITUATION THAT'S JUST STUCK IN MY HEAD THAT THE REHAB TEAM WAS ON A FIRE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
UM, AND I GUESS IT WASN'T A MANDATORY SITUATION.
IT WAS SITUATION WHERE THE FIREFIGHTER HAD THE CHOICE THAT DID HE WANNA WORK OVERTIME.
AND WE HAD BEEN ON THAT FIRE MOST ALL THE NIGHT, UM, WITH THEM.
AND I JUST REMEMBER HIM MAKING THE COMMENT OF, I WANTED TO WORK FOR THIS SO AND SO TODAY, BUT I JUST CAN'T DO IT.
I'M TOO TIRED, I'M TOO WORE OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE UP ALL NIGHT, THIS WAS A BAD FIRE.
I HAVE THAT STUCK IN MY HEAD AND I JUST THINK ABOUT THE WELLBEING OF THAT FIREFIGHTER.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOTTA DRIVE HOME.
IF THEY DID WORK, YOU DON'T WANT THEM HAVING WRECKS OUT ON THE STREET.
THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THE CITIZENS.
SO I LOOK AT IT FROM A CITIZEN STANDPOINT, BUT I ALSO LOOK AT IT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
YOU KNOW, TO ME, FIRST THE, IT'S THE FIREFIGHTER SAFETY, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THEM TO BE SAFE.
SO OF COURSE I HAVE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK IF, IF YOU, YOU HAVE TO BREAK IT DOWN.
24 72, MAJORITY OF OUR PEOPLE ARE WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOR IT.
ARE HARDLY FOR IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
I MEAN THEY'RE OVERWHELMINGLY YES.
24 72 WHEN IT COMES TO THE EMS DELIVERY MODEL FOR A LOT OF THEM, THE JURY IS STILL OUT AND THEIR FIRST CONCERN IS NOT THEIR JOB.
THEIR PAY, THEIR FIRST CONCERN IS THAT THE CITIZENS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, ALSO KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AMBULANCES HERE, UH, PRIVATE, WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT FIRE APPARATUS ARE GONNA BE TIED UP ON A SCENE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND NOT AVAILABLE TO, TO MAKE A, A FIRE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT ARE THERE.
UH, AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS, OUR FOLKS ARE VERY INTELLIGENT, UH, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT ASPECTS AND, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BROUGHT UP POINTS AND, AND THINGS TO LOOK AT THAT, THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT OF.
UM, AND, AND THIS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL BE DOING IS KIND OF CONVERSING WITH THEM ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS TO, TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE WITH THINGS.
WE HAVE MET AND TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 24 72 AND KEVIN, I I THINK SAFE TO SAY 95, 90 6%.
UH, I COULD NOT GIVE YOU A PERCENTAGE ON THEIR IT'S OKAY WHEN IT COMES TO THE AM THE EMS DELIVERY MODEL, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEM WANT TO KNOW THAT THE CITIZENS ARE GONNA GET THE SAME LEVEL OF CARE, IF NOT BETTER, WHATEVER THEY DO.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE MY WHOLE DECISION OBVIOUSLY, BUT I JUST THINK FOR THE PEOPLE IN WHICH THAT ARE GONNA WORK IT, I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR IN MY OPINION AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS A PART OF MY OPINION OF THE RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE I'M NOT THE ONE WORKING IT.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT PLAY AND TAKE INTO PLAY, BUT I WANNA BE CONSIDERATE TO WHAT THEIR OPINIONS ARE.
SO THE CITY OF PLANO, JUST THEIR ASSOCIATION JUST TOOK A VOTE TO GO TO 24 72 WAS 333 MEMBERS IN FAVOR OF AND 15 AGAINST.
NOT SURE WHAT THE 15 THINK, BUT THEY WERE AGAINST GOING 24 72.
THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT THEY WERE THERE FOR.
THEY, THEY ALWAYS VOTE NUMBER KNOW WHICH BOX TO CHECK.
UM, THE, TO YOUR POINT, THE 24 72, I THINK OUR AGENCY WOULD FULLY SUPPORT THAT IF THAT'S WHAT WE CAME OUT WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THE, THE MODEL THAT WE RUN TODAY WITH FIRE BASED TRANSPORT SERVICES 24 72 IS NOT FEASIBLE.
NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE MILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WOULD INCREASE OUR BUDGET BY THAT.
[01:40:01]
HAVE.SO WITH THE B WAYS TO FIND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE MISSION HERE.
CAN WE COME UP WITH A WAY TO DO THAT? UH, ARE THERE LEVERS THAT CAN BE PULLED TO USE MATS TECHNOLOGIES AND I DON'T KNOW, BUT I KNOW THAT ONE ESTIMATE WAS 13 TO 15 BILLION INCREASE IN OUR BUDGET TO GO TO A 24 72 SCHEDULE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE.
WHAT ABOUT 48, 96? 48 96, THE SCIENCE SUPPORTS THAT YOU DON'T GET RECOVERY AND THE FOUR DAYS OFF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DO AS YOU SLEEP A DAY, HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS AND GET READY TO GO BACK WITH THE CORTISOL LEVELS, THE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS, ALL OF THE CHEMICAL IN YOUR BODY DON'T FULLY RECOVER IN THAT FOUR DAY CYCLE.
I JUST KNOW THAT, LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANNA TAKE ALL PARTS OF THIS PUZZLE HERE TOGETHER AND BE AS FAIR AS I CAN BE IN MY RECOMMENDATION.
SO THE SCIENCE SHOWS THAT IF YOU'RE UP FOR TWO DAYS IN A ROW, IT TAKES SIX TO RECOVER ONE DAY, THREE DAYS.
SO YOU'RE JUST MULTIPLYING THE PROBLEM THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
'CAUSE WE'RE STILL GONNA BE BUSY FOR TWO DAYS RIGHT.
AND IF, IF USING YOU AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU WERE ON THAT AMBULANCE FOR 24, IS THERE ANY GUARANTEES THAT THE NEXT DAY YOU COULD BE OFF OF THAT AMBULANCE OR WOULD YOU BE ON IT FOR 48 HOURS? MY POSITION IS, WELL YOU'RE A DRIVER, SO THAT WASN'T A FAIR, MY POSITION IS 'CAUSE SOMEBODY'S GETTING PAID TO DRIVE.
AND IF SOMEBODY ELSE RIDES IT, NOBODY'S GETTING, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE THERE.
THAT'S KIND OF AN ISSUE, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
BUT UM, YEAH, MY MAIN CONCERN WITH, UM, DO YOU KNOW THE PERCENTAGE OF DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE UN ALTERED SCHEDULE
SO MOST EVERYBODY HAS GONE TO ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULES.
3 8 96, NOT POST ANY, UH, VY IS STILL 24 48.
THEY'RE FIXING TO START THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
UH, DALLAS FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON US, UH, ARE ALL 24 48.
UM, MOST OF THE OTHERS HAVE GONE TO 48 9 6.
LOUISVILLE IS STILL 24 48, BUT DECEMBER 26TH TO START THE 48 9 6, UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS IN THOSE CITIES FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE ANSWER.
UH, BUT AS TYLER STATED THE TRUTH, IT'S NOT.
AND, AND THE SWAPPING OF PEOPLE ON YOUR FIRST 24 OR YOUR SECOND 24, UH, ON A 48 HOUR SCHEDULE, THAT'S GREAT.
BECAUSE NOW ENGINE ONE IS RUNNING THE WHEELS OFF OF IT JUST LIKE AMBULANCE ONE IS.
SO THE, THE REST PERIOD NEEDS TO BE OUT OF THIS UNIFORM AND SITTING IN MY LOUNGE CHAIR AT HOME OR FLOATING IN MY POOL, UH, AND NOT WORKING OVERTIME AND NOT WORKING 48 HOURS CONSECUTIVE EVERY TIME I GO TO THE FIREHOUSE AND TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE, SOME OF THESE GUYS GET TIRED OF HEARING IT.
I'M, I LIVE IN THIS CITY JUST LIKE ANY OF Y'ALL DO.
AND IF AN AMBULANCE SHOWS UP AT MY HOUSE, I WANT THEM TO BE IN THEIR 21ST HOUR.
I CAN SAY THAT THIS CITY, THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT IS VERY WELL KNOWN EVERYWHERE.
UM, I MEAN EVEN IN HOSPITALS I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, WHAT GREAT FIREFIGHTERS WE HAVE, WHAT GREAT PARAMEDICS.
I CAN SPEAK AND YOU KNOW THIS AS WELL.
CHIEF LEE, I CAN SPEAK FROM THE ASPECT OF BEING THE PRESIDENT FOR THE STATE GROUP.
EVERYBODY KNOWS GARLAND AND ALL THESE CITIES.
THEY LOVE IT EVERY TIME THEY COME HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY WE HAD CAPTAIN CRUZ SPEAK TO US, UM, ON A ZOOM MEETING ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
WE JUST HAD A MEETING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND IRVING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP THAT THEY STILL REMEMBER.
SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS GREAT, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA SEE IT, YOU KNOW, KEPT THAT WAY.
I PROMISE YOU I'M PROUD OF MY CITY, I'M PROUD OF MY FIREFIGHTERS AND YOU KNOW, BUT I WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM.
THERE'S AN INCREASE IN LIFE OF US HAVING TO CALL AN AMBULANCE TO OUR HOME AT SOME POINT.
[01:45:01]
THAT, THAT ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS FOR ME.DEFINITELY BEING A YOUNG GUY ON THE DEPARTMENT, THAT'S MY FEAR IS THAT THINGS CHANGE AND THEY WON'T BE GOOD BECAUSE WE'VE GOT GUYS THAT WORK AT THE COLLEGE IN THE FIRE ACADEMY AND THEY'LL TRY TO RECRUIT.
I'M LIKE, WELL WHAT'S Y'ALL'S SCHEDULE? 24 48? NOPE.
I DON'T WANT TO COME WORK THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
BUT WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE ROSTER OF PEOPLE THAT I THINK RESPOND.
AND I JUST DON'T, I DON'T EVER WANT THAT TO GO DOWNHILL, EVER.
THIS IS THE BEST FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE WORLD.
WE'RE THE GREATEST FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE WORLD BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT WORK HERE AND THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS THEM IS A BIG ROLE OF THAT AS WELL.
I MEAN, LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, DON'T GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND KEEP OUR BEST PEOPLE.
WE GOTTA MATCH OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN AND WHERE WE CAN.
AND AND THAT'S TO TYLER'S FEAR OF LOSING OUR BEST PEOPLE.
OTHER AGENCIES OR NOT BEING ABLE TO HIRE THE BEST PEOPLE.
'CAUSE OUR SCHEDULE, OUR STAFFING, WHATEVER.
DO YOU MIND IF I, I KNOW OVERTIME'S COME UP A LOT.
UM, SO MAYBE, UH, JUST THROW A POP QUIZ QUESTION OUT THERE.
UH, GO BACK TO YOUR BUDGET, BUDGET CIRCLES.
UH, 'CAUSE I, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO SESSION DOWN THE ROAD IS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THINGS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT DOLLAR SIGNS AND DECIMALS A LOT.
BUT, UM, SINCE THE OVERTIME CAME UP A LOT, SO JUST $46 MILLION BUDGET THROWING THIS OUT THERE TO THE COMMITTEE.
WHAT, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK WE SPEND IN OVERTIME? PROBABLY A MILLION.
WHAT IS IT ANYWHERE? UH, I WAS LOOKING BACK, WE'VE GONE ANYWHERE ON THE LOW END, AROUND 2 MILLION, UP AS HIGH AS 3.5 MILLION.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE YEARS THAN EXPECTED.
IS THAT CORRECT? OR THAT HAS SAY THAT HAS A FULL SAY.
BUT WE CAN PUT TOGETHER, UH, A, A FULL HISTORY OF THAT WITH THE STAFFING OVERLAID ON THAT TO GIVE THE GREATER CONTEXT.
WHEN WE GET TO MORE OF THE FINANCIAL PRESENTATIONS, THE, UH, MUCH WHILE AGO, THE HIGHEST HOURS WORKED YEAR TO DATE.
SO OCTOBER ONE TO TODAY THAT FIREFIGHTER HAS WORKED OVER 2000 HOURS OF OVERTIME.
A FULL-TIME FIREFIGHTER ON A SCHEDULE OF 24 48 IS SCHEDULE TO WORK 2,912 HOURS PER YEAR.
MOST OF YOU WHO WORK ME, YOU DON'T WORK, YOU DIDN'T WORK WHEN HE WAS ON THE DEPARTMENT.
MOST OF YOU IN YOUR FULL-TIME JOBS ARE SCHEDULED 2080 HOURS.
SO THIS FIREFIGHTER HAS WORKED A FULL-TIME JOB ON OVERTIME IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS, THAT IS, UM, DALLAS PD.
I SHOT THE WRONG PERSON 'CAUSE I WORKED TOO MUCH OVERTIME AND NOW HE'S DEAD.
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, YEAH, I'M SURE YOU'RE, I'M SURE WE DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN BUT THAT IS, THAT IS TERRIFYING.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE APPARATUSES THAT WE ARE DRIVING.
LIKE, I MEAN, I WENT THROUGH THE COURSE AT 30 MILES AN HOUR IN ONE OF THOSE BAD BOYS.
UM, I CANNOT IMAGINE TRYING TO LISTEN CHIEF LEE, IT'S FINE.
BUT TRYING TO, THEY DON'T STOP ON A DIME.
THEY DON'T TURN ON DIVES EITHER.
THEY, THEY DO ACTUALLY THEIR TURN RADIUS IS A PLUS.
I DON'T, I'M NOT A GOOD DRIVER.
WHILE I'M LIKE WIDE AWAKE, LET ALONE AFTER THAT MUCH OVERTIME.
LIKE WATCH OUT WHERE OUT ANY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRE OFFICERS THAT ARE OVER THE AGE OF, I'M GONNA THROW RANDOM NUMBER.
THIS IS NOT SCIENCE, BUT OVER ABOUT 45, IF THEY HAVE A FIRE ON THEIR SHIFT, THEY'RE LIKELY TO BE OFF SICK THE NEXT SHIFT OR THE SHIFT AFTER.
SINCE
THE RECOVERY TIME IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT WAY THAT DCI I SPOT FIVE.
[01:50:01]
LOOK, I WENT DOWN A SLIDE AND BROKE MY NECK SO I GET IT.YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME.
ETSD, JUST WALKING THROUGH THE BUILDING.
IT'S A LITTLE ROUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT SO THE LIBRARY DOES CLOSE AT EIGHT.
SO WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVERTIME, WE DON'T WANNA GET OUR, OUR LIBRARY STAFF INTO OT CAN STAY LONGER IF WE NEED TO.
I THINK WE'VE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION AND A GOOD START.
BUT UH, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A, CAN WE HAVE A, UH, SCHEDULE THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT I THINK WITH
I JUST, UH, WITH THE SCHEDULE THAT WE HAD SENT OUT TO YOU ALL JUST WANTED TO COMMUNICATE THAT, THAT'S DEFINITELY PROPOSED AND WAS LOOKING FOR MAYBE A
ME, I HAVE LOTS OF FREE TIME NOW.
SO WITH THAT I WILL UM, GO AHEAD AND SEND OUT THOSE CALENDAR INVITES SO THAT YOU CAN GET IT ON YOUR SCHEDULE.
AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE COMMITTEE SCHEDULE, WE'VE JUST LAID OUT, UM, A POTENTIAL ROADMAP THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON COVERING THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE AS WE MAKE OUR WAY DOWN TO SOME, UH, PRELIMINARY AND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN MAY.
BUT ABOUT HALFWAY AS FAR AS CONTENT, CONTENT DELIVERY, WE'LL HAVE A CHECK IN FOR THE YEAR.
AND UM, AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL.
SO MAY 13TH IS AFTER THE MAY ELECTIONS.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNE DATE SO THAT IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T SUDDENLY LOSE A BUNCH OF THOSE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, IF YOU HAVE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS, I THINK YOU'RE TALKING THAT WAS PERFECT.
WOULD I KEEP LOOKING AT THAT LITTLE SPOT
AND THEN IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL HOUSEKEEPING DETAILS.
SO I WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT THE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR I HAVE FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF GARLAND NETWORK, IS A GOOD EMAIL ADDRESS.
I'M GONNA GO WITH A YES IF THAT WORKS.
SO AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SEND OUT THOSE CALENDAR INVITE.
WE HAVE SET UP A MICROSOFT TEAMS CHANNEL FOR THIS GROUP.
UM, IT'LL, IT'S TITLED FIRE AND EMS STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO JOIN THAT GROUP ALREADY.
THIS WILL BE WHERE WE STORE ALL OF YOUR MEETING MATERIALS, UM, IN A DIGITAL FASHION.
SO YOUR AGENDAS, MINUTES AND PRESENTATIONS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO PRINT MEETING MATERIAL AS WELL.
JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE ACCESSING, UM, TEAMS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE IT HERE THIS EVENING TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE SQUARED AWAY AND READY TO GO BEFORE WE BREAK UNTIL COMING BACK TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT MONTH.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S MY CONTACT INFORMATION IF YOU HAVE, UM, ANY QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY AND GIVEN OUR THUMBS UP ON THE SCHEDULE THAT MAKES OUR NEXT MEETING, UH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH.
THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, FOR EVERYTHING.
START UNTIL OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, JUDGE.