[00:00:08]
OH, I'M NOT ON THE WIFI, THAT'S WHY.
HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING TODAY? WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I THINK WE HAVE EVERYBODY HERE, RIGHT? YES.
NO, WE HAVE, WE'RE MISSING, UH, COUNCILMAN ADA, BUT WE'LL GET STARTED.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE MAY MEETING OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
MADAME CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL RULE COUNCIL MEMBER MICKEY RODRIGUEZ.
PRESENT, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO
THANKS EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THE APPROVAL OF LAST MEETINGS MINUTES, THERE'S THREE ITEMS FOR BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION, AND ONE ITEM THAT WE'LL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOUR.
UM, MEMBERS, YOU'LL HAVE WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UM, IT'S TIME FOR COMMENT.
WE'LL HAVE SEVEN MINUTES TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND THEN THREE MINUTES FOR FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
[Approval of Minutes ]
THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL 18TH MEETING.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? UH, MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
WE'LL NOW BEGIN WITH PUBLIC COMMENT.
DID WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY? WE HAVE NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
[Briefing and Possible Action on ]
BRIEFING ON ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON ANIMAL RELATED PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES.
I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR A C S ADVISOR, BOARD MEMBERS HERE TODAY, KAREN SPEAR AND SUSAN BELDEN FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SHANNON SIMS IS SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY AND IS OUT OF TOWN.
WE'LL PROVIDE UPDATES REGARDING DANGEROUS DOG INVESTIGATIONS, BITE INVESTIGATIONS, THE CANVASSING PROGRAM, THE FIELD OFFICER ACADEMY.
AND FINALLY, AN UPDATE ON SPADE NEW SERVICES IS ONE POINT TO EXPAND ON BEFORE GOING INTO THE DETAILS OF THIS PRESENTATION IS DANGEROUS.
IN A GENERAL SENSE, THEY CAN BE USED INTERCHANGEABLY, BUT WITHIN A C S ANY REFERENCE TO A DANGEROUS DOGS IS WHEN AN ANIMAL THREATENS OR ATTACKS A HUMAN.
WHILE AGGRESSIVE DOGS INVOLVE AN ANIMAL TO ANIMAL CASE.
ADDITIONALLY, DANGEROUS INVESTIGATIONS ARE GOVERNED BY STATE LAW, WHEREAS AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS ARE REGULATED THROUGH CITY ORDINANCE.
IN CHAPTER FIVE, BASICALLY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS MORE STRINGENT LAWS THAN THE STATE.
DANGEROUS DOG INVESTIGATIONS HAVE TWO CORE FUNCTIONS.
ONE, TO INVESTIGATE AFFIDAVITS RELATED TO DANGEROUS AND AGGRESSIVE DOGS.
AND TWO, TO FOLLOW UP ON COMPLIANCE FOR ANIMALS ONCE THEY'RE DESIGNATED.
ONE NOTE, DANGEROUS DESIGNATIONS ARE LIFELONG, MEANING THAT EVERY SINGLE YEAR OF AN ANIMAL'S LIFE, THE PET OWNER IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF COMPLIANCE.
THE NUMBER OF AFFIDAVITS SUBMITTED TO A C S MONTHLY FOR DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOGS HAVE INCREASED FROM 21 PER MONTH ON AVERAGE, BEFORE DELA TO 58 PER MONTH IN MARCH AND APRIL, WHICH IS ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MANY INVESTIGATIONS.
ONE BEING THAT RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE MORE AWARE ABOUT POTENTIAL DOG ISSUES IN DELA.
AND A C S IS CURRENTLY RAISING AWARENESS TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT DANGEROUS DOG PROCESS THAT INCLUDES REPORTING IN MARCH AND APRIL ALONE.
WE HAVE DESIGNATED A TOTAL OF 54 NEW DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS.
TO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS OVER THE SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO FEBRUARY RESULTED IN THE SAME NUMBER OF DESIGNATIONS.
SO AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE 113 DESIGNATED DANGEROUS DOGS AND 123 DESIGNATED AGGRESSIVE DOGS.
PLEASE NOTE THESE NUMBERS CHANGE EVERY DAY AS WE ARE DESIGNATING MORE DOGS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE LOSING NUMBERS DUE TO OWNER SURRENDER, EUTHANASIA AND ANIMALS MOVING OUTTA JURISDICTION OF THE 133 DESIGNATED DANGEROUS DOGS, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 50 OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
SINCE DOUBLE OCCURRED, A C S HAS SERVED 38 NOTICE OF HEARINGS FOR NON-COMPLIANCE.
THIS HAS RESULTED IN 14 SEIZURE WARRANTS, 13 OWNERS GETTING INTO COMPLIANCE, TWO OWNERS SURRENDERING THEIR DOG, AND TWO NON-COMPLIANT CASES WHERE THE ANIMAL WAS AWARDED TO THE STATE.
THE REMAINING SEVEN CASES HAVE BEEN GIVEN TIME TO COMPLY BY THE COURTS, NOT ON THIS SLIDE, BUT THERE'S ALSO AN ADDITIONAL FIVE NONCOMPLIANT PET OWNERS WHO SURRENDERED THEIR ANIMAL TO A C S PRIOR TO A COURT HEARING BEING REQUESTED.
[00:05:02]
THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE UNDERTAKING FROM A C S.THIS HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY REASSIGNING TWO SUPERVISORS TO FOCUS ON THE TASK OF FOLLOWING UP ON NON-COMPLIANT OWNERS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MUNICIPAL COURTS FOR DEDICATING DOCKETS SPECIFIC FOR THESE HEARINGS, AND SS A P D FOR ASSISTING A C S ON EVERY SINGLE NOTICE OF HEARING AND SEIZURE WARRANT.
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES CURRENTLY HAS 55 KENNELS FOR A QUARANTINE BUILDING, WHICH MEANS THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC BUILDING FOR ADOPTABLE PETS.
THIS INCLUDES BITE QUARANTINE ANIMALS, HOLDS FOR DANGEROUS DOG INVESTIGATIONS AND DOGS.
THE A C S HAS DUE TO CRUELTY CASES, WE HAVE BEGUN TO ALLOW FOR HOME QUARANTINES WHEN THE BITE WAS MILD AND THE ANIMAL WAS NOT FREE OF RESTRAINT.
AND THE OWNER CAN SHOW PROOF OF RABIES VACCINATION AT THE TIME OF THE BITE.
THIS WILL FREE UP KENNELS FOR MORE SEVERE BITES AND OTHER INVESTIGATIONS.
A C S RECEIVES AROUND 3,500 BITE CALLS PER YEAR, ON AVERAGE, DUE TO OFFICER CAPACITY OF FOUR BITE OFFICERS, WE'RE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE AROUND 65% OF THESE.
BECAUSE OF THIS CAPACITY, A C S PRIORITIZES SEVERE BITES OVER MODERATE AND MILD.
LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL SPEAK ON HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THIS THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM.
LASTLY, FOR BITE CASES, ALL BITES REGARDLESS OF SEVERITY, WHERE THE ANIMAL IS FREE OF RESTRAINT AND THE VICTIM AND OWNER ARE NOT THE SAME, THE PET OWNER WILL BE CHARGED WITH A CRIMINAL CITATION.
BEFORE FEBRUARY, AN OWNER, AN OFFICER, WAS GIVEN DISCRETION BASED ON THE SITUATION.
THE CANVASSING TEAM MODIFIED THEIR RESPONSE REGARDING ANIMALS FREE OF RESTRAINT FROM RETURNING THE DOG TO OWNER AND PROVIDING RESOURCES SUCH AS TETHERS AND HARNESSES TO NOW RETURNING THE DOG TO OWNER AND ISSUING A CITATION.
THE CANVASSING TEAM IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR HAVE RETURNED OVER 1400 ANIMALS TO THE OWNERS AND ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 900 CITATIONS.
ALSO, THE CANVASSING TEAM HAS MICROCHIPPED OVER 1200 ANIMALS.
THE TEAM HAS TRANSITIONED THEIR WORK FROM TARGETING SPECIFIC COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO NOW TARGETING AREAS WITH HIGH DENSITY BITES AND AGGRESSIVE CALLS.
I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT THAT WE HAVE POSTED THE APPRENTICE POSITIONS AND HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THE FIRST FIELD DAY AND CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS.
FIELD DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERESTED APPLICANTS TO COME TO A C S, MEET WITH FIELD SUPERVISORS AND PRACTICE ANIMAL HANDLING EXERCISES.
THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
THERE ARE OVER 60 APPLICANTS THAT ATTENDED FIELD DAY LAST WEEK.
THE 15 SELECTED CADETS WILL BEGIN THE 15 WEEK ACADEMY IN LATE JUNE AND BE IN THE FIELD BY OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR.
SINCE WE HAVE 28 FIRST RESPONSE OFFICERS FOR, FOR, FOR A 24 7 OPERATION, WE NEED TO ENSURE THE NEW OFFICERS CAN SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE VETERAN OFFICERS BEFORE A FULL TRANSITION IS MADE.
SO WE ENSURE THE NEW OFFICERS SPEND TIME ON TEAMS WITH THE VETERAN OFFICERS, AND THEN BEGIN AN INTERNAL TRANSITION OF THE VETERAN FIRST RESPONDERS TO THE INVESTIGATIONS TEAM AND FULL-TIME CANVASSING POSITIONS BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AS A REMINDER, THIS WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BITE AND DANGEROUS INVESTIGATION POSITIONS AND CREATE FULL-TIME CANVASSING POSITIONS FOR THE SPAY NEUTER UPDATE.
I'M GONNA HAND THIS OVER TO SHANNON OG.
HI, I AM SHANNON OSTER GABRIELSSON.
I'M THE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON SPAY NEUTER SERVICES BECAUSE WE BELIEVE SPAY NEUTER IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY TO ACHIEVING A SAFE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A PILLAR OF OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO ON THURSDAY, YOU GUYS WILL SEE A, UM, A VARIETY OF NEW CONTRACTS AND CONTRACTS AMENDMENTS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE GONNA STRENGTHEN AND IMPROVE OUR SPAY NEUTER SERVICES.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR SPAY NEUTER SERVICES ARE.
SO WE REALLY HAVE THREE BUCKETS OF SPAY NEUTER SERVICES.
WE HAVE IN-HOUSE SURGERIES WHERE ALL OF OUR ADOPTABLE AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS ARE SPAYED AND NEUTERED ONSITE.
WE HIRE HIGH VOLUME CONTRACT SPAY NEUTER SURGEONS THAT SPECIALIZE IN GETTING, UM, GETTING SEVERAL DONE IN ONE DAY, BASICALLY AN ASSEMBLY LINE KIND OF OPERATION.
SECOND, WE HAVE TWO LEASE CLINICS WHERE WE OWN THE CLINICS WHERE WE LEASE THEM, AND THEN WE SUBLEASE THEM OUT TO A VENDOR.
ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, WE HAVE THAT AT BRACKENRIDGE, AND WE HAVE BROOKS.
THEY PROVIDE THESE AT LOW COST TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT FREE ON AFTER THURSDAY IF APPROVED.
WE WILL BE OFFERING SOME OF THOSE AS FREE SURGERIES AS WELL, SO WE CAN REACH AS MANY CITIZENS AS POSSIBLE.
THIRD, WE HAVE OUR FREE COMMUNITY SPAY NEUTER, WHICH IS AN ENTIRELY FREE SURGERY.
AND WE DO THAT BASED ON TARGETED ZIP CODES AND A C S VOUCHERS FOR, SO WE CAN GET THOSE TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THEM THE MOST.
[00:10:01]
A SUB BUCKET, A SUBTYPE OF THESE FREE COMMUNITY SPAY NEUTER THAT WE STARTED THIS YEAR AND WE'RE S EXPANDING IS, UM, WE'RE NOW INCLUDING FERAL CATS.WE'RE GONNA BE DOING MORE TRAP NEUTER AND RETURN FREE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT WAY OUR OTHER FREE COMMUNITY SURGERIES, THAT 13,000 THAT WE HAVE, CAN GET TO THE OWNED PETS THAT NEED IT THE MOST.
SO THAT WAY WE STILL ARE SERVING OUR FERAL CATS, BUT ALSO OUR OWN PETS.
AND THEN FINALLY, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, THERE'S BEEN INTEREST IN A MOBILE SPAY NEUTER CLINIC.
IN FACT, A C S ACTUALLY HAD A MOBILE SPAY NEUTER CLINIC SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND WE AUCTIONED IT OFF JUST, I BELIEVE, JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
UM, WHILE IT WAS A GREAT USE AT THE TIME, THESE ARE BECOMING AN OBSOLETE PRACTICE BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE FOUND IN OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE FOUND IS THAT IT'S MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE AND WE CAN GET MUCH MORE DONE IN AN EFFICIENT WAY IF WE HAVE IT AT AN ACTUAL FACILITY WITH OUR CONTRACTED PARTNERS OR A LEASED FACILITY.
AND THE REASON WHY, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY IS IN A MOBILE CLINIC, YOU CAN GET 10 TO 25 DONE IN A, ON A DAY, WHICH IS STILL VERY GOOD.
BUT AT A FACILITY YOU CAN GET AT THE LOW END, 35 UP TO 90.
SO A GOOD DAY IN OUR CLINIC, WE'RE GETTING 90 SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES DONE.
SO IT'S JUST A MUCH FURTHER REACH.
NOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WITH THIS IS A C SS CAN'T TREAT OWNED ANIMALS.
SO IF WE HAD A MOBILE CLINIC, WE'D HAVE TO SUBCONTRACT IT OUT, WHICH IS, AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT WE MAYBE WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLORE.
BUT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET OUR PARTNERS OPERATING AT PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS AND GETTING THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS TO A POINT WHERE THEY CAN DO MORE THAN OUR 13,000.
WE'RE ASKING THEM AND START EXPANDING THAT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE.
WE'RE JUST NOT QUITE READY FOR IT TODAY.
HOWEVER, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF A MOBILE CLINIC IS THAT THAT MOBILE CLINIC CAN GO TO SPECIFIC AREAS OF TOWN THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THAT WAY WE'RE GETTING THE SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES IN THE P IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THEM THE MOST.
WELL, WHAT WE'VE D WHAT WE THINK WILL BE A GOOD STRATEGY IN THE INTERIM IS WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS.
SOME OF OUR PARTNERS ARE GONNA BE OFFERING VERY SOON TRANSPORT SERVICES.
WELL, THERE'LL BE PICKUP LOCATIONS, TRANSPORT THOSE ANIMALS TO THEIR CLINICS.
SO THEY MIGHT BE MEETING AT A PARKS LOCATION THAT'S JUST A HALF A MILE FROM THEIR HOUSE, TAKING THEM TO BRACKENRIDGE AND SPAY NEUTERING THEM, AND THEN TAKING THEM AT THE END OF THE DAY.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN ALSO IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IN, UH, IN, UM, A YEAR OR TWO, WE'D LIKE TO HIRE A WELLNESS OR TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR.
THIS ISN'T THE TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH LIVE RELEASE.
THIS IS SOMEONE THAT ACTUALLY IS A LOGISTICS COORDINATOR THAT'S GONNA HELP YOU, UM, MAYBE ON THE WEST SIDE THAT CAN'T GET ALL THE WAY TO BRACKENRIDGE.
WE'RE GONNA HELP ACTUALLY BE THAT LOGISTICS PERSON AND HELP COORDINATE YOU.
SO THEY'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HELP THEM GET THEIR WELLNESS AND SPAY NEUTER SERVICES.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE CHAIR FOR QUESTIONS.
I WANNA PICK UP RIGHT WHAT YOU LEFT OFF.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TRANSPORT? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, PICKING UP A, A, AN ANIMAL OWNER TO GET THEM TO A PLACE THAT THEY CAN SPAY AND NEUTER? YEAH.
SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ISSUES WITH PEOPLE GETTING TO THEIR SURGERIES RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE KNOW DROP OFFS ARE USUALLY BETWEEN SIX AND NINE IN THE MORNING, AND THEN THEY'RE IN THE EVENING.
SO IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO THE CLINICS THAT WE HAVE.
OUR PARTNERS THAT DO THE FREE COMMUNITY SPAY, NEUTER, THEY'RE KIND OF ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND THEN OUR TWO BRICK AND MORTAR FACILITIES ARE CENTRAL AND SOUTH.
SO WE'RE MISSING SOME EAST AND WEST SIDE.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO IS HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN ACTUALLY JUST TRANSPORT, THAT CAN HELP WITH TRANSPORT.
WE'VE GOT SOME LOGISTICAL ISSUES TO WORK THROUGH WITH LEGAL THAT WE'LL NEED TO DO THAT.
BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN ACTUALLY, UM, WORK WITH PROBABLY OUR CASE COORDINATORS OR OFFICERS WHO KNOW THOSE COMMUNITIES THE BEST.
PROBABLY SOME COUNSEL OFFICES, AND THEN HELP BE THAT BRIDGE.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY TAKING THE ANIMAL FROM HERE TO THE CLINIC.
SO IS THAT, IS THAT A NEW POSITION THAT'S BEING ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE BUDGET? OR IS THAT, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH WITH THE CITY MANAGER IN THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET THIS SUMMER.
AND IT'S INCLUDED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO IT WAS PART OF THE FORECAST DOCUMENT OKAY.
UM, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO SLIDE TWO.
WHEN YOU SAY NON-COMPLIANCE, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT CONTAINING THE AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS OR WHEN AN, WHEN AN ANIMAL IS DESIGNATED AS DANGEROUS, THEY, BY STATE LAW, THERE'S 10 REQUIREMENTS THEY HAVE TO MEET.
AND SO EVERY YEAR WE INSPECT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT, THAT'S PROOF OF INSURANCE.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE WITH US AND OTHER, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
BUT IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN KEEPING THEM CONTAINED.
UM, BUT ALSO LICENSING AND INSURANCE.
AND HAVING A MUZZLE WHEN YOU'RE WALKING THEM.
[00:15:01]
OH, OKAY.UM, AND THIS IS AFTER THEY'VE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN AGGRESSIVE THAT IS CORRECT.
ONCE THEY'VE BEEN DESIGNATED BY A C S.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME, UM, WHAT'S THE, THE DEFINITION OR THE CRITERIA OF WHAT AN AGGRESSIVE ANIMAL IS? SO FOR A, FOR A DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE, UH, OH, WELL, ARE THERE TWO DIFFERENT YEAH.
SO A DANGEROUS DOG IS WHEN THERE'S PROOF OF BITE FROM AN ANIMAL TO A ANIMAL TO HUMAN THAT IS SEVERE ENOUGH.
AND THERE'S AN AFFIDAVIT THAT'S NOTARIZED BY THE STATE.
SO, AND THEN AGGRESSIVE IS, AGGRESSIVE IS ANIMAL TO ANIMAL ATTACK.
SO SAY SOMEBODY'S WALKING THEIR DOG AND AN ANIMAL COMES OUT AND BITES THEM.
AND THOSE ARE CATEGORIZED IN THREE, UH, DEGREES OF, UH, AGGRESSIVE ONE, TWO, AND THREE, THREE BEING THE MOST SEVERE.
AND ARE THOSE DEFINITIONS BY STATE LAW? SO DANGEROUS IS DESIGN, UH, DEFINED BY STATE LAW.
AGGRESSIVE IS DEFINED IN CITY CODE CHAPTER FIVE.
SO, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, THE DISTINCTION IS, UH, UH, DANGEROUS IS TO A HUMAN AND AGGRESSIVE IS TO, UH, AN ANIMAL.
UM, I CHALLENGE THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UM, NEIGHBORS WALKING THEIR DOGS THAT ANOTHER DOG ATTACKS THEIR DOG, AND THEY'RE GONNA CALL THAT DANGEROUS.
MAYBE NOT BY THE STATE DEFINITION, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SEEMS TO REASON THAT IF IT'S GONNA ATTACK ANOTHER DOG, IT, IT MIGHT ATTACK A HUMAN.
UM, SO I WONDER IF WE COULD JUST DIVE INTO THAT A LITTLE DEEPER AND, AND MAYBE, UM, NOT GO AFOUL OBVIOUSLY, OF STATE LAW, BUT, BUT, UM, FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO AVOID SITUATIONS LIKE THAT.
AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO MENTION THAT STATE LAW DOES HAVE REQUIREMENTS FOR, FOR ANIMAL TO HUMAN ATTACK, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN STATE LAW FOR ANIMAL TO ANIMAL.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE STATE OF SAN ANTONIO ACTUALLY HAS MORE STRINGENT LAWS THAN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, SO THE REASON I ASK THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S COME UP, UH, SEVERAL TIMES IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT PEOPLE, UH, THINK THAT, WELL, NUMBER ONE, THESE PACKS OF DOGS, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST ONE DOG.
SOMETIMES WE'VE SEEN MORE STORIES OF, OF, OF DOG PACKS THAT, UM, MAYBE TOGETHER ARE AGGRESSIVE OR DANGEROUS.
IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY THAT ANY DIFFERENTIATE DIFFERENTIATION IN, IN OUR ORDINANCES, IN OUR POLICY AS FAR AS PACKS OF ANIMALS? NO.
SO WHAT, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'VE GOT TWO REAL METHODS.
WE DO HAVE A SUITES PROGRAM THAT IDENTIFIES, UH, PACKS OF DOGS NOW DUE TO THE DEMAND AND THE NUMBER OF, OF PACKS.
THEY'LL FOCUS ON SCHOOLS, UM, INSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND ALSO, WE HAVE THE CANVASSING PROGRAM THAT IS FOCUSED ON RTOS, WHICH IS RETURNS TO OWNERS.
AND BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE, WE'RE FINDING THE STRAY DOGS.
WE'RE GETTING THEM BACK HOME, AND WE'RE WRITING CITATIONS TO THAT, UH, PET OWNER.
AND I'M JUST GONNA TAKE A MINUTE, UH, TO ASK PEOPLE TO REMEMBER TO MICROCHIP.
UM, WE HAVE TO NUMBER ONE AS, AS, UH, PET OWNERS.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH MICROCHIPPING, 40% OF, UH, STRAY ANIMALS, STRAY ANIMALS ARE RETURNED BACK TO THEIR OWNER, UM, WITH OUR A C SS.
UH, SO I, I, I JUST IMPLORE PEOPLE TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES AND GET OUR DOGS MICROCHIPPED AND OUR, WELL, I GUESS JUST DOGS REALLY.
RIGHT? YOU CAN'T REALLY GET CATS.
SO, UM, THE OTHER, UH, ISSUE, IT'S KIND OF THE ALTERNATIVE SIDE OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN, IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE CONCERNED THAT A C S IS DESIGNATING ANIMALS AS DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE WHEN THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY FITTING THIS DEFINITION, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR, UH, TO KIND OF SAVE OUR, OUR EUTHANASIA RATE.
UM, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT CONCERN? HAVE YOU HEARD THAT? SO CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? I'M SORRY.
PEOPLE ARE, ARE, I'VE HEARD A CONCERN FROM GROUPS WHO ARE SAYING THAT WE AS A CITY ARE DESIGNATING ANIMALS AS EITHER DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE IN ORDER TO, UM, THAT, THAT NOT, MIGHT, MIGHT NOT TRULY BE DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE OUR EUTHANASIA RATE.
SO, SO I CAN MENTION THAT IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS WITH OUR 58, UM, AFFIDAVITS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, MOST OF IT BEEN UNFOUNDED.
SO WE'RE NOT, IF, IF WE GET AN AFFIDAVIT, WE STILL HAVE TO DO A, A FULL INVESTIGATION THAT MEET STATE STANDARDS FOR A DESIGNATED DANGEROUS DOG.
WHAT ABOUT AGGRESSIVE? SAME, SAME THING.
WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THE AEF AFFIDAVITS INCLUDE THAT AS WELL, AND THERE'S AN INVESTIGATION THAT GOES ON, AND MORE OF THOSE ARE FOUNDED UNFOUNDED THAN, THAN FOUNDED CASES FOR DESIGNATIONS.
SO A LOT OF, UM, I THINK MR. MCCAREY YEAH.
CHAIR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS PRETTY CLEAR IS THAT THE NUMBERS ARE STILL CALCULATED THE SAME.
SO BEING A DANGEROUS DOG DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T TAKE THAT CALCULATION WITH OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE.
SO ALL OF THAT IS COMBINED TOGETHER JUST TO SHARE THAT PART.
SO YOU'RE NOT, CALCULATION DOESN'T
[00:20:01]
CHANGE.SO THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT TO FUDGE THE NUMBERS, SO, SPEAK GOT IT.
UM, AND, AND NOW I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, YOUR OFFICERS.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE WAS TALK AT LEAST THAT WE WERE MAYBE SOME SHORT STAFFED.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM.
UH, I, I KNOW THAT, UH, ONE OF MY FIRST BUDGET I COUNTED AS A WIN WAS WE GOT A, AN A C S OFFICER, SPECIFICALLY FOR DISTRICT SIX.
I DID A RIDE ALONG WITH THE YOUNG LADY THAT WAS, THAT WAS HIRED TO DO THAT JOB.
IT WAS, IT WAS, SHE WAS HAVING TO GO TO BACKYARDS.
UM, NOT ONLY THE ANIMAL MIGHT BE AGGRESSIVE, BUT THE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE MIGHT BE AGGRESSIVE.
I MEAN, IT WAS A PRETTY, UM, HARROWING EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY ALSO BECAUSE WE, WE SAW ANIMALS WERE BEING NEGLECTED.
I MEAN, IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO SEE THAT.
UM, SO I, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FACT THAT I, I CONSIDER OUR A C S OFFICERS TO BE FIRST RESPONDERS AS WELL, OF POLICE AND FIRE AND OUR A C S OFFICERS.
WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH FOR OUR, OUR, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO INCLUDE A C S.
UM, HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, CAN YOU TELL ME, UM, HOW IS YOUR TURNOVER RIGHT NOW? SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UH, SEVEN VACANCIES, BUT MOST OF THOSE ARE DUE TO PROMOTIONS WITHIN A C SS.
AND SO WITH OUR, UH, ACADEMY, WE HAVE SEVEN TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS.
WE HAVE AN 80% SUCCESS RATE WITH THE ACADEMY.
AND SO I WILL SAY THAT LAST YEAR OUR TURNOVER RATE WAS PRETTY HIGH.
UM, WORKING WITH HR, THE CITY MAYOR'S OFFICE, WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO ADJUST RATES AND WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE OFFICERS A 21% RAISE FROM 36,000 TO 44.
AND THAT'S HELPED TREMENDOUSLY WITH RETENTION.
SO YOU'VE TAKEN STEPS YES, MA'AM.
AND THEN THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM, I THINK IS ANOTHER BIG STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, SO, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A, A TURN, UM, TO OUR VETERINARIAN.
HOW MANY VETERINARIANS DO WE HAVE EMPLOYED BY THE CITY? WE HAVE TWO.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A NATIONWIDE VETERINARIAN SHORTAGE, UM, WHERE IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, I THINK FOR ALL THE INITIATIVES THAT WE WANNA DO AS A COMMUNITY IS, ESPECIALLY REGARDING SPAY NEUTER, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
SO, IS IT, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT OR TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN INCREASE OUR SPAY NEUTER? YEAH.
SO WE HAVE THREE STAFF VETERINARIANS.
WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE OCCUPIED RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE WAITING ON SOMEONE GRADUATING.
UM, RIGHT NOW, THE BEST THING TO DO IS WE, OF COURSE, WE DO WANT MORE VETS.
UM, OUR VETS, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TREAT OWNED ANIMALS, SO IT WON'T NECESSARILY HELP OUR SPAY NEUTER NUMBERS.
UM, IT'LL HELP SOME OF OUR IN-HOUSE WITH ADOPTABLES, BUT THAT'S ALSO DEPENDENT ON OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THE ANIMALS PLACED IN ORDER TO DO SURGERY ON THEM.
UM, SO REALLY IT'S MORE ABOUT WITH VETERINARIANS INCENTIVIZING OUR PARTNERS AND HELPING OUR PARTNERS MAKE GOOD BUSINESS DECISIONS AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE A SOUND BUSINESS TO INCREASE OUR SPAY NEUTER SURGERY THROUGH THAT.
BUT THE, THE VETERINARY SHORTAGE IS HAVING AN IMPACT NATIONWIDE.
IT HAS AN IMPACT ON US, OUR PARTNERS, AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UNFORTUNATELY.
KIDS OUT THERE BE A VET, PLEASE.
UM, ALTHOUGH I HEAR IT'S, IT'S LIKE MEDICAL SCHOOL.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT, YOU CAN'T JUST GO GET, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH POSITION TO BE IN.
UM, I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED THOUGH.
UH, EARLIER YOU TALKED ABOUT TRANSPORTING PEOPLE TO GET THEIR ANIMALS SPAY AND NEUTERED, BUT THEN YOU JUST SAID, WE DON'T, WE DON'T TREAT OWNED ANIMALS, TREAT AN OWNED ANIMAL.
WE DO HAVE LEGISLATION PROPOSED TO TRY THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA GET THERE.
THIS, TO, TO BE ABLE TO TREAT OWNED ANIMALS, WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA GET THERE THIS YEAR.
UM, SO WE CAN'T TREAT THEM, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN TRANSPORT THEM TO ONE OF OUR PARTNERS SO OUR PARTNERS CAN TREAT THEM.
SO AC C S IS NOT TREATING 'EM, IT'S, IT'S PARTNERS.
WE CONSIDER WE OWN AN ANIMAL AFTER THE STRAIGHT WEIGHT HOLD, WHICH IS THREE TO FIVE DAYS.
SO THEN WE TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE ANIMAL AND THEN WE CAN TREAT THE ANIMAL.
SO I THINK THAT'S A, OR THEY'RE IN CERTAIN CONDITION, THAT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING.
THEN OUR VETS, THE VET, THE TWO VETS THAT WE HAVE ARE NOT TREATING OWNED ANIMALS.
THEY'RE NOT SPAY AND NEUTERING.
UM, YOU CAN'T TAKE YOUR PET TO A C S AND GET THEM SPAY AND NEUTERED.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THEM TO A PRIVATE OR A NONPROFIT.
NOW, IF WE GET THEM ON CAMPUS AND WE TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEM, THEN WE ABSOLUTELY CAN.
BUT IT'S, UM, IF YOU ADOPT A PET, WE ALWAYS ARE GONNA HAVE IT SPAYED, NEUTERED.
UM, IF YOU, IF A RESCUE COMES AND PULLS AN ORGAN, PULLS AN ANIMAL FROM US, WE'RE GONNA SPAY AND NEUTER THAT PET BEFORE THEY GO OUT TO THE RESCUE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THE, THE BROOKS AND, AND THE BRACKET SPECIFICALLY, THE BROOKS HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
AND I MEAN, EVENTUALLY, I'D LOVE TO SEE ONE OF THOSE IN, IN EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY.
UM, SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTING.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD, UH, SHORT TERM SOLUTION, BUT I THINK LONG-TERM TO REALLY BRING THE NUMBERS DOWN HERE, UM, NOT JUST STRAY, BUT OUR FREE ROAMING ANIMALS, UH, IS TO, TO INCLUDE THOSE CLINICS, UM, IN AS MANY PLACES AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WHAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO TASK YOU GUYS TO WORK WITH MY OFFICE TO HELP UP, COME UP WITH A PLAN TO INCREASE, UM, THESE, THESE CLINICS.
[00:25:01]
I HAVE BEEN KIND OF HANGING MY HAT ON THE MOBILITY CLINIC.I, I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH MY APPOINTEE TO THE, TO THE, UH, A C SS BOARD YESTERDAY THAT HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WEREN'T VERY EFFECTIVE.
THEY WERE MAYBE HELPING 20 ANIMALS A DAY, WHICH IS GOOD.
BUT IF YOU GO TO A PRIVATE OR A NONPROFIT, THEY COULD DO LIKE 400 A DAY.
SO IT'S, IT WASN'T A GREAT USE OF OUR, UM, RESOURCES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S NEEDED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, THE COST, HOW WE COULD PARTNER WITH MORE NONPROFITS.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A TON OF RESCUES OUT THERE THAT ARE, UH, WORKING ON TRANSPORTING.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON THAT AS WELL AS, UH, GETTING A TRANSPORT TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHO DON'T HAVE OUR, OUR STRAY ANIMAL PROBLEM.
UM, SO I, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY FRUSTRATED.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS MUST BE AS WELL.
I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE, UH, OUR OFFICERS ARE, UM, ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB.
AND, AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO INCREASE, UH, VETERINARIANS NOT JUST FOR SPAY NEUTER, BUT FOR CARE OF THE ANIMALS.
UM, BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE ONLY THING THAT'S GONNA SOLVE OUR STRAY ANIMAL PROBLEM IS SPAY NEUTER.
AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT, UH, THEIR, THEIR LAW AGAINST, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR CHATTEL.
THE, THEY'RE SEA ANIMALS AS AS PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK AROUND THAT.
UM, BUT I, I DO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND I'LL TAKE, UH, COMMITTEE QUESTIONS NOW.
ANYBODY CAS WANNA MAKE YOU RODRIGUEZ, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
I KNOW THAT, UH, A C S HAPPENS TO BE ON A NATIONAL FACEBOOK GROUP WHERE FOLK ARE SENDING IN ALL OF THE, UH, ANY SHELTER THAT ISN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT LIVE RELEASE.
AND THEY'RE PUTTING ALL OF OUR, OUR CONTACT INFORMATION ON THERE.
AND Y'ALL, AND SO I KNOW YOU GET A LOT OF CALLS, A LOT OF, UH, VERY THREATENING, UH, INSTAGRAM MESSAGES.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND, UM, SHARE THAT APPRECIATION.
UM, SWORN STATEMENTS HAVE TRIPLED SINCE FEBRUARY.
AND, UM, I KNOW THE LACK OF WITCH HAS BEEN A HURDLE IN ADDRESSING THESE CASES, ESPECIALLY WHEN FOLK ARE SCARED OF BEING, UM, IDENTIFIED BY THE PET OWNER AND MAYBE RETALIATED AGAINST.
UM, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH US A FEW OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH A HIGH NUMBER OF, UM, BITES AND CALLS FOR SERVICE AND SWORN STATEMENTS? ABSOLUTELY.
SO 65% OF ALL CALLS THAT ARE, THAT ARE RELATED TO BITES AND AGGRESSIVE ARE FROM DISTRICTS 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE, THE HIGH CONCENTRATED AREAS FOR THOSE.
AND I CAN GET YOU SPECIFICALLY, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN D TWO THAT WOULD, UM, FIT IN THAT BILL.
BUT THE, THE MAJORITY ARE GONNA BE IN THOSE FOUR DISTRICTS.
AND THEN ABOUT 10% OF THOSE ARE IN DISTRICT ONE AS WELL.
I GUESS I COULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT, UM, IF SOMEONE CALLS TO REPORT WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE A DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOG, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON AVERAGE, UH, BEGINNING WITH THE CALL FOR SERVICE? SO DEPENDING ON, DEPENDING ON SEVERITY, WE CAN, WE'LL, WE'LL CHECK OUT THERE IMMEDIATELY.
NOW, REALISTICALLY, THERE'S 3,500 BITE CALLS.
WE GET TO ABOUT 65% OF THOSE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT ACCEPTABLE WITH IT, BUT IT, WITH CAPACITY LIMITATIONS THAT WE HAVE, HAVING FOUR BITE OFFICERS, THAT'S THE REALITY OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS WHERE WE'LL PRIORITIZE SEVERE BITES OVER MODERATE AND, AND, UH, MILD JUST OUT OF NECESSITY AS FAR AS DANGEROUS DOGS, THEY'RE ALL INVESTIGATED WITHIN A WEEK.
AND YOU SAID ABOUT 65% OF THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET OUT TO? YES.
AND YOU MENTIONED CAPACITY LIMITATIONS.
WHAT IS, WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO GET TO 100%? AND, AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD, I THINK HAVING THESE 15 APPRENTICE POSITIONS POSTED ALREADY AND STARTING THAT ACADEMY IN, IN LATE JUNE AND GETTING THEM ON BOARD IS WHAT WE NEED.
BECAUSE THE CURRENT FIRST RESPONDERS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WILL THEN BECOME BITES OFFICERS AND DANGEROUS OFFICERS.
AND I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT INVESTIGATIONS FOR ALL AFFIDAVITS FOR AGGRESSIVE DOGS AND DANGEROUS DOGS.
AND WE EXPECT THAT WILL BE ENOUGH.
WE, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, WE, WE COULD ALWAYS USE MORE, BUT WE, UH, THAT WILL GET US WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOR RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD, AND WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR FOUR BITES OFFICERS, TWO DANGEROUS, AND FOUR CANVASSING POSITIONS? YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, COUNCILMAN.
I THINK BECAUSE WE ARE NOW SEEING TRIPLE AFFIDAVITS, I I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY SPEAKING UP AND ACTUALLY BEING ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS A DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOG IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT COULD CHANGE.
I JUST, I WANT TO BAIL BRAD OUT A LITTLE BIT ON THIS ONE.
THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE.
SO 15 WORKS FOR US NOW THAT WE NEED TO SOLIDIFY THAT, BUT IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE TO REASSESS FOR MORE.
AND I FEEL AS THOUGH THE GAME RIGHT NOW IS GET THIS READY, MAKE SURE COUNCIL APPROVES THIS AS PART OF THE MID, MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT.
I'M THINKING BEYOND THAT, AND I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, AS A RESPO, AS A RESPONSE TO FEBRUARY AND AS A
[00:30:01]
RESPONSE TO MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS IDENTIFYING A C S AS A PRIORITY, IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR MORE, I THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE IT.THERE'S MANY OF US WHO WANT TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT.
AND BECAUSE WE AREN'T IN A C S AND WE AREN'T THERE EVERY DAY, UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
AND SO IF THE 15 IS GONNA BE ENOUGH, COOL.
IF IT'S NOT, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT YEAH.
BASED ON THE DATA THAT THEY HAVE TODAY, 15 IS ENOUGH.
BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE TODAY, WE ALWAYS NEED TO RETOOL AND REASSESS.
BUT GOING INTO FFY 2024 IN THIS MIDYEAR, WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE 15 THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
UM, PROCESS WISE, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE RESPONSE WHEN THE ANIMAL IS A STRAY DOG VERSUS WHEN IT'S ROAMING PROCESS WISE? SO, TECHNICALLY, SO ROAMING DOGS ARE OWNED.
SO THE PROCESS WOULD BE IF, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE OWNED, WE CAN, UH, CITE THE OWNERS.
IF THEY'RE STRAYS, WE TAKE IN THE ANIMALS.
HAS CAPACITY BEEN AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF PICKING UP THE STRAY ANIMALS? YES.
AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ON AT A, AT ANY GIVEN POINT? UM, DO YOU HAVE TO TURN AWAY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DOGS ONCE IT GETS TO A CERTAIN PART OF THE DAY OR PART OF THE WEEK OR MONTH? SO WE HAVE 40,000 ROAMING DOGS IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, WE HAVE, WE DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PICK THEM ALL UP.
WE DO TRY TO PRIORITIZE DOGS THAT ARE, UH, AGGRESSIVE, DANGEROUS, AND INJURED DOGS OVER JUST ROAMING DOGS.
IF THEY'RE ROAMING, WE'LL TRY TO GET THEM HOME AND ISSUE A CITATION AND EVEN PROVIDE, UH, RESOURCES TO THE OWNER TO KEEP THEM ON PROPERTY.
SO IF A DOG IS JUST ROAMING THE, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY'RE LESS A PRIORITY THAN AGGRESSIVE DOGS BITE DOGS AND INJURIES.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS, UM, FOR SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS IS THAT, UM, AND MAYBE THE EXPECTATION JUST HASN'T BEEN, UH, FULLY EXPLAINED AND ADDRESSED IS THAT WHEN SOMEONE CALLS, UH, A C S OR THEY CALL MY OFFICE AND THEY REPORT A STRAIGHT ANIMAL, I THINK THEY'RE EX, THEY'RE EXPECTING THAT SOMEONE'S GONNA GO OUT AND PICK THAT ANIMAL UP.
THEY'RE GONNA GO LOOK FOR 'EM.
THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S A ROAMING ANIMAL, SO IT'S, OR IT'S LITERALLY ROAMING AROUND.
SO YOU MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO FIND IT.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE MEET THAT EXPECT, I DON'T SEE A WAY FOR US TO MEET THAT EXPECTATION WITH CURRENT RESOURCES TO, TO MEET THAT EXPECTATION.
WE WOULD NEED A LOT MORE KENNEL SPACE MM-HMM.
AND I THINK THE STRATEGIC PLAN ADDRESSES A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
SO IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING KENNEL CAPACITY AND ALSO, UH, OFFICERS AND I WILL ADD THAT THE, THE FIVE YEAR, THE STRATEGIC PLAN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE TALK ABOUT THESE 15 CADETS WHERE WE ALSO HAVE NINE FIRST RESPONDERS IN THERE, MORE CRUELTY OFFICERS, MORE DISTRICT OFFICERS.
SO THERE'S MORE POSITIONS DOWN THE LINE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UM, AND THEN, I GUESS I WONDER, SO AESTHETICALLY MANY OF MY NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BENEFIT, UM, FROM NEW FENCES, BUT IT ALSO HELPED TO CONTAIN A PET WHO MAYBE ROAMERS, I UNDERSTAND AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A PROGRAM, UH, THAT PROVIDED FENCE REPAIR, UM, FOR SOME PET OWNERS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS STILL ONGOING OR IS IT KIND OF A DORMANT PROGRAM? IT'S, IT'S A DORMANT PROGRAM.
A C S DOES NOT HAVE A CONTRACT RIGHT NOW FOR FENCE REPAIR.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU GET A CONTRACT FOR THAT, UM, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO GO OUT THERE AND, UH, DO DO A SMALL PORTION OF THE FENCE.
THEY WANTED THE WHOLE FENCE TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIES OF SCALE.
AND SO IT'S, IT HASN'T BEEN A VERY COST EFFECTIVE PROGRAM FOR US ON THAT STANDPOINT.
SO, I KNOW THAT, UH, STATE LAW DOESN'T ALLOW US TO, UM, TO SPARE NEUTER A AN OWNED PET.
UM, HAVE WE EVER HAD A LEGAL TEAM LOOK AT, CAN SOMEBODY COME IN AND SURRENDER THEIR PET AND THEN WE SPAY AND NEUTER IT AND THEN THEY ADOPT IT FOR $10? RIGHT.
AFTERWARD? SO WE DO HAVE SOME PROGRAMS WHERE SOMEONE, UM, COMES IN THEIR DOG'S LEG IS BROKEN, THAT WE CALL THE DIVERSION PROGRAM.
WE DON'T WIDELY PUBLICIZE THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TREAT THAT MANY OWNED ANIMALS.
WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT USING THAT PROGRAM FOR SPAY AND NEUTER? UM, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.
I WILL SAY, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO CAPACITY.
WE NEED TO BE TREATING OUR PETS ON OUR CAMPUS BEFORE WE CAN START TREATING THE COMMUNITIES OWNED PETS.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD RATHER HAVE THEM GO TO OUR PARTNERS AND GET A FREE SURGERY OR A LOW COST SURGERY, GET THEIR MICROCHIP, GET THEIR VACCINES AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, SO WE'RE GONNA HELP THEM GET TO THE OTHER PLACES WITH A VOUCHER SOME OTHER WAY.
[00:35:01]
WHAT WE NEED TO DO, MAYBE, IS JUST INCREASE FUNDING FOR OUR PARTNERS AND FOR VOUCHERS TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FREE AND LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTER.BECAUSE I, THAT'S THE GOAL FOR ME YEAH.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MY IDEA, IT'S JUST WHAT YEP.
AND I DO THINK ON THURSDAY, IT'S THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
ONE THING THAT WE FOUND THROUGH THE PANDEMIC IS WE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE NEED TO MAKE SPAY AND NEUTER A STRONG BUSINESS OPTION.
NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT MAKES A NONPROFIT PARTNER FEEL GOOD, THAT THEY'RE DOING OUTTA THE KINDNESS WITH THEIR HEARTS ON A BOOTSTRAP BUDGET.
WE NEED TO MAKE IT SOUND BUSINESS DECISIONS FOR THEM TO DO AS MUCH SPAY NEUTER AS POSSIBLE AND DO IT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO HIT OUR CAPA OUR TARGET NUMBERS.
NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE REBUILDING.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING FOR FUNDING TO START INCREASING THAT, TO START HITTING EVEN HIGHER.
SO YOU'RE ASKING FOR THAT FOR, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S SEVERAL CONTRACTS WE'RE EXPANDING, OUR PARTNERS ARE FOR FREE FROM THREE TO SIX PARTNERS.
UM, WE'RE OPENING BROOKS, AND THEN WE'RE CHANGING THOSE LEASE AGREEMENTS SO THAT WAY THEY CAN DO MORE FREE SURGERIES INSTEAD OF LOW COST.
SO THEY HAVE SOME MORE TOOLS IN THEIR BELT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, I CAN'T PAY 1 25 FOR A SURGERY, THEY CAN HELP.
UM, AND THEN ALSO OFFERING FREE FERAL CAT SURGERIES, SO THAT WAY OUR TARGETED COMMUNITY SURGERIES GO TO OWN PETS INSTEAD OF FERAL CATS.
SO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BUCKET NOW.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, IN, UM, NOT ASKING FOR FUNDING 2024 FOR MORE, BUT THEN, UM, TO DO ADDITIONAL SURGERIES, JUST RIGHT-SIZING SOME OF WHAT OUR EXISTING PARTNERS ARE DOING.
AND THEN WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN HELP CONTINUE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, MAKING THEM GROW, MAKING THEM MORE OF A SOLID BUSINESS.
AND THEN IN 2025, THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE THAT IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO START REALLY GROWING THAT.
AND THAT INCLUDES LOOKING ON THE EAST SIDE AND WEST SIDE IS REALLY TWO AREAS THAT WE HAVE TO GET TO.
BRAD, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT? YEAH, WE'RE GOOD.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE WE NEED TO ADD CAPACITY ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE I MEAN, I HEAR FROM SOME PEOPLE, EVEN IF YOU CAN AFFORD SPAY AND NEUTER, PEOPLE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING AN APPOINTMENT SOMEWHERE.
UM, I KNOW, UM, MY MOM TO GET HER CAT, UH, NEUTERED RECENTLY, UH, OR SPAYED, I THINK SHE HAD TO GO OUTTA TOWN.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WENT TO LIKE BERNIE OR FREDERICKSBURG OR SOMETHING.
AND IT WAS BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT WAS JUST GONNA BE LIKE TOO LONG BEFORE SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT.
UM, WHEN, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS 50 DOGS OUT OF COMPLIANCE ON SLIDE TWO AGAIN, AND LIKE, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE PROCESS THERE LOOK LIKE FOR WHEN SOMEBODY'S OUT OF, I MEAN, HOW MANY, DO THEY GET THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT, OR WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO WHEN A, WHEN A DOG IS DESIGNATED DANGEROUS, WE'LL GIVE THEM TIME TO COMPLY.
UH, THAT'S MEANING IT'S 10 STATE REQUIREMENTS.
IF THOSE ARE NOT MET WITHIN 30 DAYS, WE WILL, UH, ISSUE A NOTICE OF HEARING FOR THEM TO APPEAR IN COURT.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, THE, THE, THEY CAN EITHER, UH, SHOW THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE OR FIND A CITATION, UM, OR THEY SURRENDER THE, THE ANIMAL.
IF THEY CANNOT MEET COMPLIANCE AND HAVE NO DESIRE TO, WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP IN COURT? THEN A DEFAULT IS ISSUED AND THERE'S A SEIZURE WARRANT THAT FOLLOWS THAT.
OKAY, SO WE'LL HAVE 72 HOURS TO, UH, IMPOUND THE ANIMAL.
WHAT? WELL, WHAT IF YOU JUST HAVE A BAD ACTOR TOO? WHAT IF IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL, THEY KNOW THEY'RE OUT OF COMPLIANCE, SO THEY PUT A MUZZLE ON THE DOG, OR THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY COME INTO COMPLIANCE WHEN YOU COME TO DO THE REINSPECTION AND THEN THEY GO RIGHT BACK OUT OF COMPLIANCE AGAIN.
AND, AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS CAPACITY, WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, WE INVESTIGATE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF ALL DANGEROUS DOG AFFIDAVITS AND CASES.
OUR FOLLOW UP FOR MAKING SURE THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR US DUE TO CAPACITY.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TWO SUPERVISORS THAT HAVE BEEN REASSIGNED AND, AND DESIGNATED TO, UM, DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE THAT THE, UH, NON-COMPLIANCE ISSUE IS, IS CAUGHT UP.
UM, I GUESS THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
UM, THERE WAS A TIME, DAVID, WHEN, UH, COUNCILMAN SALANA WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD, UH, WOULD REMIND YOU THAT YOU WERE, WHAT, WHAT DID HE CALL YOU? THE, THE DUKE OF DETRITUS AND THE BUSA BARON AND ALL.
I GUARANTEE YOU, IF HE WERE HERE, HE'D CALL YOU LIKE THE SAVIOR OF STRAYS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR, FOR DOING THE WORK.
UH, AND, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS NOT EASY.
THIS IS, THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT CODE TO CRACK RIGHT.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME EFFORTS UNDERWAY IN AUSTIN TO, TO PUT WIND IN OUR SAILS AND TO HELP US.
AND SO I SEE THAT JEFF COYLE'S HERE.
AND, AND JEFF, IF I CAN IMPOSE UPON YOU JUST TO, TO REMIND US WHAT'S, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT UP THERE THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL OR, OR UNHELPFUL.
[00:40:01]
UM, TWO BILLS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THESE TOPICS.THE FIRST IS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE COMPOSTS BILL REGARDING DANGEROUS DOGS.
IT INCREASES THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT, UH, UH, UH, AN ATTACK FROM A DOG CAUSES DEATH, IT BECOMES A THIRD DEGREE FELONY, WHICH IS NOT IN STATUTE TODAY.
IT, IT ALTOGETHER STEPS UP THE, UH, THE PENALTIES.
IT ALLOWS SOMEBODY WHO FILLS OUT AN AFFIDAVIT FOR THEIR, THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO BE PROTECTED FROM OPEN RECORDS REQUEST.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO SHOW UP AND TESTIFY AT, AT A HEARING IF THERE WAS AN APPEAL, BUT IT WOULD ALLOW US TO WITHHOLD PRIVATE INFORMATION AS AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO FILE THOSE.
AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, FOR OUR, SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S BRACKETED TO SAN ANTONIO.
IT WOULD ALLOW OFFICERS A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE A DANGEROUS DOG DETERMINATION.
THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE AN AFFIDAVIT IF THEY REVIEWED OTHER EVIDENCE.
UH, THEY COULD MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
THAT BILL, UM, HAS BEEN PASSED OUT OF THE HOUSE, AND IT IS PENDING IN THE SENATE RIGHT NOW.
UH, HAS NOT HAD A HEARING YET IN THE SENATE SIDE.
AND THERE'S A CHANCE, THE VET CARE BILL THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, A SIMILAR SITUATION THAT WOULD ALLOW OUR VETS AT A C S AND OUR NEW ANIMAL CARE HOSPITAL TO PROVIDE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS WITH VET CARE, UH, FOR THEIR PETS.
UH, IT HAS MADE IT OUTTA THE HOUSE.
ONE LOWERED THE ADJUSTED MEDIAN INCOME DOWN TO 50%.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY LOW INCOME, UH, AS A THRESHOLD.
BUT THERE'S SOME TALK ABOUT THAT BILL GETTING HEARD THIS WEEK IN THE SENATE.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, THE BILL THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AD NAUSEUM THIS SESSION, THE, THE SUPER PREEMPTION BILL, UH, REALLY KIND OF HAS AN UNKNOWN EFFECT ON ANIMAL REGULATIONS OVERALL.
IT PROTECTS OUR EXISTING RETAIL PET SALES ORDINANCE AND JUST DOESN'T ALLOW ANY NEW ONES TO BE PASSED ACROSS THE STATE.
BUT, UH, VETS ARE IN THE OCCUPATIONS CODE.
LOTS OF ANIMALS ARE REFERENCED IN THE AG CODE.
AND SO HOW ANY LOCAL REGULATIONS AROUND THOSE THINGS WOULD BE PREEMPTED BY THIS IS, IS A BIT UNKNOWN AND PROBABLY SORTED OUT IN THE COURTS, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE WITH THAT BILL.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE WE INVOLVED BRIAN DILLARD AND HIS INNOVATION DEPARTMENT, UM, IN HELPING YOU GUYS FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? YEAH, SO, UM, INNOVATION DIVISIONS, DEPARTMENT'S BEEN GREAT.
THEY WERE ACT ACTUALLY THE ONES THAT CAME IN LAST YEAR AND DID A STUDY ON OUR CLINIC OPERATIONS.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT OUR, UM, OUR NEEDS AND RESOURCES.
AND IN LAST FISCAL YEAR FOR FISCAL 2023, WE HAD THOSE NINE CLINIC POSITIONS THAT WAS ACTUALLY BASED OFF OF, UH, INNOVATIONS, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, I SUGGEST, RIGHT.
UM, IS INVITING THEM TO LOOK AT THE, UM, THE PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, RIGHT.
IS THERE AN ANIMAL CARE SERVICES APP? YES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I RECOMMEND IS MAYBE, MAYBE HAVING THEM LOOK AT WAYS TO MAKE THAT MORE ATTRACTIVE, MAKE IT, UM, SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO ENGAGE WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, I, I, I, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO TODAY'S MEETING, I'D NOTICED THAT I THINK PETCO HAD SET ASIDE $2 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR GRANTS FOR INNOVATION.
AND SO, SO DID THE HUMANE SOCIETY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S MONEY THERE TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, WAY WAYS TO DO THINGS BETTER AND, UM, QUICKER.
AND SO PLEASE, PLEASE LOOK, LOOK INTO THAT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THESE GUYS THAT WE'VE GOT OVER IN BRIAN DILLARD'S DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE REALLY GOOD AT THIS STUFF, RIGHT? AND, AND REALLY SORT OF THINKING THROUGH, UH, SOLUTIONS FOR OLD, NEW SOLUTIONS FOR OLD PROBLEMS. RIGHT.
SO, YEAH, I YOU FOR THE SUGGESTION, AND THEY'VE, THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT.
ANY OTHER, UH, FOLLOW UP? UH, COUNCILMAN RODRIGUEZ.
UM, AND WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK IS WHAT DOES PROACTIVITY LOOK LIKE IN A FUTURE SAN ANTONIO WITH A SPECIFIC ISSUE? UM, AND I IMAGINE THAT IF WE OVERLAID ISSUES OF POVERTY, RACE, HOUSING, HEALTH EQUITY, UM, AND OTHER SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ACROSS SAN ANTONIO, WE WOULD SEE A, UH, A PATTERN OF HIGH EQUITY AREAS EXPERIENCING A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF DANGEROUS AND AGGRESSIVE DOGS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, BASED ON THE DISTRICTS THAT YOU TOLD ME, OR THAT YOU JUST, UH, LISTED FOR US THAT THAT IS THE CASE.
AND WE RECEIVE CALLS FOR PACKS OF DOGS THAT ARE TERRORIZING NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, RUNNING UP TO PEOPLE'S PORSCHES.
AND I HAD A WOMAN CALL ME THE OTHER DAY, UH, BECAUSE HER MOTHER WAS TRAPPED IN HER HOUSE BY A DOG.
SHE BELIEVED TO BE A DANGEROUS STRAY ANIMAL.
[00:45:01]
IT COULD HAVE BEEN OWNED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANY OF THOSE THINGS, BUT THAT'S WHAT SHE BELIEVED.AND THAT'S ANOTHER BURDEN, BURDEN LARGELY PLACED ON LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES WHERE, WHERE THESE INSTANCES ARE TAKING PLACE.
AND SO WHAT DOES PROACTIVITY LOOK LIKE IN A FUTURE SAN ANTONIO? I WOULDN'T DESCRIBE US AS PROACTIVE IN MANY AREAS.
AND A C S IS ONE OF THOSE WHERE WE ARE LITERALLY AND METAPHORICALLY CHASING AN ISSUE.
AND I THINK, I THINK TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, IT'S TWOFOLD.
ONE IS GONNA BE THE TRADITIONAL DISPATCH SINCE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
AND SECOND IS WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE INVESTING A LOT INTO, IT'S GONNA BE OUR INVESTIGATIONS.
IT'S GONNA BE OUR DISTRICT OFFICERS, IT'S GONNA BE OUR CANVASSING TEAM.
AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS HAVE OUR DISTRICT OFFICERS, UH, AND OUR CANVASSING TEAM EVENTUALLY OPERATE IN SIMILAR TO SAY LIKE SS A P D SAFE OFFICERS, WHERE THEY'RE GOING OUT AND ADDRESSING ISSUES AND SOLVING PROBLEMS. RIGHT NOW WITH MAJORITY OF OUR, OUR STAFF IS, IS, IS REACTIVE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE DISPATCHED BASED ON THE CALLS THAT ARE COMING IN.
WE WANNA GET OUT THERE AND, AND IDENTIFY THE ISSUES.
WE JUST NEED TO HAVE THE STAFF TO GET OUT THERE AND GET THEM.
AND I GUESS THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION, BUT, UM, THEY'RE KEPT, I HEARD A FEW REFERENCES TO ENCOURAGING OUR PARTNERS TO MAKE GOOD BUSINESS DECISIONS.
IS THAT AN ISSUE RIGHT NOW? NO, I AM NOT.
IT'S, WHAT WE REFER TO IS DURING THE PANDEMIC, I THINK ALL OF US SAW ANY SORT OF STAFFING SHORTAGES, OR WE WERE JUST OPERATING AT THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF STAFFING IS ONE OF THEIR STAFF MEMBERS GOT SICK AND THEY HAD TO SHUT DOWN A CLINIC.
SO WE NEED TO HELP THEM, UM, BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RIGHT STAFFING, PAY THEIR STAFF.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE CAN'T JUST START THROWING MONEY AT SPAY NEUTER IS BECAUSE OUR PARTNERS HAVE TO HIRE, TRAIN, GET THE RIGHT STAFF, AND THEN RETAIN THEM.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP MAKE, UM, HELP MAKE THEM A GOOD BUSINESS OPERATION AND WHAT CAN WE, AS THE CITY DO TO HELP SUPPORT YOU.
SO, NO, THEY WERE, THEY WERE DOING GREAT.
WE'RE GONNA HELP THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND I GUESS, UM, BECAUSE I ASK THIS A LOT, AND I THINK WE ALL DO, UH, QUITE A BIT ABOUT SPAY NEUTER, AND LET'S POUR, LET'S SPEND MORE MONEY ON SPAY NEUTER, LET'S DO IT.
IF THE BARRIER THEN IS TRAINING AND HIRING FOLK, ESPECIALLY IN OUR PARTNER AGENCIES, THEN MAYBE THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BE INVESTING SOME MONEY IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGET AND MM-HMM.
SO MAYBE THERE'S, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE RESOURCES TO BE ADDED THERE.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE US, UH, GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN START DOING SPAY NEUTER AT A MUCH LARGER SCALE.
CAN I ADD TO WHAT THE TEAM HAS SHARED? ONE OF THE THINGS I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO MISS IS OUR DANGEROUS DOG OR OUT OF CONTROL.
WE HAVE SO MANY DANGEROUS DOGS THAT WE DON'T REALIZE ARE DANGEROUS DOGS AT THE TIME, BUT WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AND MORE AGGRESSIVELY HOLDING, UM, OWNERS THAT ARE IRRESPONSIBLE WITH THESE PETS MORE ACCOUNTABLE.
WE, WE HAVE TO, PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE SAFETY OF OUR PUBLIC IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, AS WELL AS WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT BALANCE WITH THE LIVE RELEASE RATE.
SO NO ONE EVER SAID, THIS WOULD BE EASY, OF COURSE, BUT EVEN LAST NIGHT, I GOT TWO CALLS FOR DANGEROUS DOGS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY ATTACKED ONE GENTLEMAN AND ONE LADY IN TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
WE CONTACTED THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THAT, BUT IT IS AGGRESSIVE.
SO WE HAVE TO MATCH THAT IN INTENSITY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DO OUR PART TO HOLD OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE AND TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DON'T DO THE SOFT SHOE.
THAT'S WHY WE REALLY APPRECIATE MUNICIPAL COURTS BECAUSE AS IT STACKS UP, WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT.
SO JUST DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO FORGET THOSE DANGEROUS DOGS THAT WERE REALLY OUT OF CONTROL.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, I SEE A LOT OF BULLET POINTS FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, ACTIVITY SINCE FEBRUARY AND WOULD FOR IN FUTURE, I JUST WANNA MAKE A REQUEST IN FUTURE PRESENTATIONS.
IF YOU COULD GIVE US MAYBE SOME BAR CHARTS WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY WHAT THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN, SO WE JUST HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPARE IT TO.
I THINK THAT'S BE HELPFUL CONTEXT FOR US AND, AND FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING.
SHANNON'S GETTING SOME REST TOO.
UM, SO THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, FIRE.
WE'LL HAVE HIM COME ON UP PLEASE.
[00:50:01]
GOOD MORNING.UH, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
WE JUST CAME FROM AN OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE, UH, FEMA URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK FORCE CONFERENCE AT IS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE DID THE OPENING CEREMONY, WE SPOKE, WE DRESSED, AND I WANT THANK MY STAFF FOR BEING HERE WITH ME.
I HAD HOPED YOU WERE DRESSING UP FOR US, BUT, OKAY, I GET IT.
UH, AND WE ARE, UH, READY TO PRESENT, BUT WE JUST HAD A, UH, 87 YEAR OLD FEMALE YESTERDAY TRANSPORTED FROM A PIT BULL ATTACK.
UM, IN CRITICAL CONDITION TRANSPORT IS A PRIORITY ONE.
SO AGAIN, THESE THINGS ARE OUT THERE.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BASICALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO.
AND SO, UH, ALL OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, PRETTY MUCH.
WE ARE A, A FIRE BASE ALL HAZARDS DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS FOR 22, UH, YOU'RE AGAIN LOOKING AT 240,000, UH, PLUS RUNS.
UH, YOU FACTOR IN OUR, OUR RESPONSES AS FAR AS UNIT RESPONSES.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT NUMBER, WHICH AGAIN IS 44, UH, 444,000 UNIT RESPONSES.
SO WE TALK ABOUT A STANDARD OF COVER.
SO FOR A LOT OF THESE INCIDENTS, WE ARE SENDING MORE THAN ONE UNIT.
WE'LL DIVE INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION, EMERGENCY MEDICAL, UH, SERVICES Y, LAND TECHNICAL RESCUE, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE.
OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, UH, IS MANAGED BY CHIEF NORRIS BEHIND ME.
AND THEN OUR MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE, UH, CHIEF ESTRADA AND, UH, CHIEF CASANOVA MANAGE THAT AVIATION AND FIRE RESCUE.
A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS DO NOT MANAGE AVIATION WITH THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
WE DO OUR, OUR FUSION CENTER AND OUR, OUR MEDICAL SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNITS.
AND WE CONTINUE WITH, UH, PLANNING TO, UH, HAVE PANDEMIC RESPONSES IF NECESSARY.
SO AGAIN, VERY BUSY DEPARTMENT, UH, A FULL SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, MEDICAL INCIDENTS, UH, SINCE 2014, BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR MEDICAL INCIDENTS HAVE GONE UP 36% AND OUR NON-MEDICAL HAVE GONE UP 97%.
SO I'M LOOKING OVER HERE TO THE SIZE.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO, TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS UP THERE FOR ME.
UM, INCIDENT BY TYPE, UH, AND YOU ARE AGAIN LOOKING AT, UM, THE YEARS OF, UH, 21, 22, BUT THERE AGAIN, WE ARE LOOKING AT, AT 23 AND 2023 OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH THE 30TH.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS CLIMBING IN THOSE YEARS, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE A DOWNWARD TURN, UH, IN THE RED AS FAR AS NON-MEDICAL RESPONSES.
AND, UM, OUR CALLS HAVE GONE UP ABOUT 2.1% RIGHT NOW.
UH, UNIT RESPONSES AND, AND AGAIN, UNIT RESPONSES ARE THE TOTALS.
AND SO, UH, WE, WE TAKE A LOT OF CREDIT WITH M I H WITH GOOD SAM.
YOU CAN SEE THOSE 21 NUMBERS TO 22 TRENDING DOWN.
AND SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT.
UH, WE TALK ABOUT INVESTING IN E M S UNITS, AND I WAS HERE THE OTHER DAY AND COUNCILMAN PERRY ASKED ME, UM, WHEN I GET ANOTHER UNIT, UH, IT, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR ME TO ADD TO THE SA CORE.
IT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO ADD TO CLINICAL DISPATCHERS BECAUSE SUSTAINABILITY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADD E M S UNITS, BUT IF WE'RE NOT ATTACKING THE PROBLEM OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE CALLING, UM, THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA DO OUR JOB.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE SUSTAINABLE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO ADD RESOURCES THAT ARE GONNA TRANSPORT WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO ELIMINATE AS MANY OF THESE RUNS AS POSSIBLE.
CURRENTLY, OUR TRANSPORT TRANSPORT RATES ABOUT 30%.
SO A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE GO ON, WE ARE NOT TRANSPORTING THEM.
AND SO, AND THAT IS A GOOD THING BECAUSE WE'RE KEEPING OUR RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRE, UM, FIRE DIVISION, BASICALLY THAT NUMBER'S GOING UP.
UM, IN, UM, IN 21, UH, BOTH NUMBERS WENT UP.
BUT WE SEE A DOWNWARD TURN IN F Y I 22.
AND THEN, UH, WHERE WE ARE TRENDING RIGHT NOW, FROM OCTOBER TO UH, APRIL, IT'S GONE DOWN ABOUT 1%.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE A FIRE SLIDE COUNCIL, WE HAD A BUNCH OF FIRES LAST YEAR.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE, THOSE HAVE SLOWED DOWN.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF A WAVE OF, OF HOW WE'RE TRENDING.
WE LOOK AT WORKING STRUCTURE FIRES, AND SO WORKING STRUCTURE FIRE IS, IS A HOUSE FIRE, A BUILDING FIRE WAREHOUSE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING UP WITH MULTIPLE UNITS, UM, DOING A, A MULTITUDE OF FUNCTIONS AT ONE TIME TO PUT THAT FIRE OUT TO RESCUE PEOPLE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, WE HAD A BIG INCREASE LAST YEAR, AND SO WE WERE AVERAGING ALMOST TWO WORKING STRUCTURED FIRES A DAY.
UH, THAT ALSO CORRESPONDED WITH A FATALITY NUMBER THAT YOU WILL SEE IN A SECOND AS FAR AS THAT NUMBER WAS
[00:55:01]
HIGH LAST YEAR ALSO.SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE AVERAGE ABOUT ONE AND A HALF FIRES A DAY.
BUT AGAIN, UH, WE DO SEE A LOT OF FIRES STILL HOARDING AS A CHALLENGE FOR US.
UH, SOME OF OUR STRUCTURES AROUND UNHOUSED AREAS CAN, CAN, CAN BE A, A CHALLENGE FOR US.
BUT, AND, AND THEN OUR ELDERS AS FAR AS HOW DO WE GET OUT AND EDUCATE.
WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH YOUR DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND, AND, UM, AS FAR AS SMOKE DETECTORS AND EDUCATION FOR OUR SENIORS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET THE STOP DROP AND ROLL, THEY DON'T GET THE THINGS THAT OUR CHILDREN GET.
SO WE AGAIN, NEED TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THEM.
UM, WE ARE ENTERED INTO THE SPRING, SO HOPEFULLY WE WON'T SEE A LOT OF THOSE TRAGIC, UH, SENIOR FIRES THAT WE SEE BECAUSE OF HEATING ISSUES.
SO IT'S OUR JOB TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY BEFORE IT STARTS TO GET COLD.
AS FAR AS STRUCTURE FIRES, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S, UH, IT, IT CREPT UP TO THE HIGHEST EVER IN 22.
AND SO WE HAVE, UM, GONE DOWN RIGHT NOW AND WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT THE REST OF THE YEAR LOOKS LIKE FOR US.
FIRE FATALITIES, UM, ANY FIRE FATALITIES IS TOO MUCH.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, WE WENT FROM FIVE TO 140% INCREASE WITH 12 FATALITIES.
AND, AND A LOT OF THESE FATALITIES ARE OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION.
OUR SENIORS, UM, PEOPLE IN, UM, PEOPLE IN, IN SITUATIONS OF SQUALOR.
AND AGAIN, HOARDING WAS AN ISSUE IN, IN SEVERAL OF THESE FIRES.
SO OUR NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN 50% AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE THEM STAY THAT WAY IF WE POSSIBLY CAN.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A HOARDING FIRE, OUR RESPONSE TO A HOARDING FIRE, IT'S VERY, IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO GET OUT OF A FIRE THAT, UM, THEIR BEDROOMS, THEIR GARAGE, THEIR LIVING AREAS ARE BASICALLY A, A BIG STORAGE ROOM.
IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO GET OUT.
THERE'S AN INCREASED FUEL LOAD BECAUSE OF ALL THE STUFF IN THE HOUSE.
UH, AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO MAKE, UH, A SAFE, UH, INGRESS INTO THESE TYPES OF FIRES.
UM, WHEN WE GO ON E M S RUNS, UH, WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO ADVISE PEOPLE OF THE SITUATION THEY'RE IN AS FAR AS HOARDING, HOARDING SOMETIMES CAN BE BEHAVIORAL.
WE TRY TO EDUCATE, BUT THE OTHER THING WE DO IS WE FLAG THAT ADDRESS.
SO WHEN WE RESPOND TO IT AT FOUR IN THE MORNING, WE KNOW THAT IT'S A HOARDER RE A HOARDER RESIDENCE MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR US.
WHEN WE PULL UP AND THERE'S FIRE COMING OUT OF EVERY WINDOW AND DOOR, THE CHANCE OF SOMEONE SURVIVING ANY SITUATION LIKE THAT IS JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE A DECREASE IN THESE NUMBERS.
UH, GEORGE FLOYD LAW HAS KIND OF, UM, MADE THIS NUMBER INCREASE.
SO WE GET A LOT OF CALLS TO ASSIST PD.
A LOT OF TIMES IT IS TO CHECK VITALS, TO WASH BLOOD OFF OF SOMEONE, TO TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE.
SO WE GET A LOT OF CALLS FOR PD AND UH, IT COULD BE THEY NEED A LADDER.
IT COULD BE THEY NEED A PIECE OF A, A, A TOOL FROM US OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT IS A NUMBER THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE, AND THAT IS AN INCREASE.
UH, WE ARE SO HAPPY ABOUT THE GOOD SAM PROGRAM.
WE TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, WE TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY.
WE TALK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PUT A PARAMEDIC IN YOUR LIVING ROOM WITHIN SECONDS.
THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS DOING.
AND SO I WANT TO GO TO THIS SLIDE.
UH, AND IF WE LOOK AT FROM, UH, OCTOBER 22 TO CURRENT, UH, THE GOOD SAM HAS BEEN USED OVER 6,000 TIMES.
AND YOU, YOU REMEMBER THE RESOURCES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IS SAVING ABOUT 4,000, 4,500 UNIT RESPONSES.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE'S LESS EXPOSURE TO TRAFFIC, WHICH IS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE KILLERS FOR FIREFIGHTERS.
UM, LESS EXPOSURE FOR FIREFIGHTERS, LESS EXPOSURE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
THOSE RESOURCES ARE STILL IN SERVICE AND, UH, THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR A MORE CRITICAL CALL.
SO WE CALL A SAVE WHEN YOU CALL US AND WE SPEND THAT 11 MINUTES AND 29 SECONDS WITH YOU THAT WE ARE NOT SENDING A FIRETRUCK OR AN AMBULANCE TO YOUR HOUSE.
THAT WE ARE FINDING A BETTER WAY TO NAVIGATE WHATEVER YOUR ISSUE IS, WHETHER IT'S A TAXI CAB, WHETHER IT'S A CALL TO A, A DOCTOR AT ANOTHER TIME, WHETHER IT'S TO HELP YOU GET A PRESCRIPTION.
A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, UH, PEOPLE IN THE PAST WOULD CALL A FIRETRUCK THREE IN THE MORNING, I'M LONELY, I NEED SOMEBODY TO COME AND LOOK AT ME THIS WAY.
WE PUT THEIR FACE ON THE SCREEN, WE CAN LOOK AT THEIR VITALS, WE CAN LOOK AT THEIR PULSE RATE, WE CAN LOOK AT THEIR SURROUNDINGS, AND IT'S ELIMINATING US, UH, TAKING PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL THAT DON'T NEED TO GO.
IT HAS BEEN ESCALATED THOUGH, AS FAR AS 223 TIMES WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE CALL AND SAY, HEY, UM, I CUT MY HAND AND YOU'LL LOOK AT, AND THEIR HANDS HANGING OFF.
SO AGAIN, A LOT OF TIMES WE DO ESCALATE AND YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT
[01:00:01]
IT IS ESCALATED.AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS AVERAGE E M S, UH, USED AND THE E M S, UH, PER RESOURCES SAVED THOSE RESOURCES SAVED EQUATE, UH, ALMOST TWO E M S UNITS.
SO AGAIN, THE MORE WE CAN KEEP THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND NOT RESPONDING ON SOME OF THESE CALLS, IT'S, IT'S JUST, UM, IT'S GONNA BE THE KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR SYSTEM.
I'M SO PROUD OF THIS SYSTEM BECAUSE NO OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT'S DOING THIS AS FAR AS WHAT WE DO, THE PHASE TWO UTILIZE.
SO IF YOU CALL AND SAY, HEY, THERE'S A FIRE DOWN THE STREET, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, DON'T GET TOO CLOSE.
TURN YOUR PHONE AROUND AND TRAIN IT ON THAT FIRE TO WHERE WE CAN SEE IT IS A ACTUAL WORKING FIRE.
SO THAT'S A GOOD SAM CONFIRMED FIRE.
WE CAN SEND THAT INFORMATION TO OUR RESPONDING UNITS AHEAD OF TIME.
SO THEY HAVE A GOOD IDEA AS FAR AS WHAT'S GONNA GO ON WHEN THEY GET THERE.
SO AGAIN, WE ARE SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
SO WE ARE SAVING ABOUT 5% OF OUR RUNS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE USAGE, UM, WE'RE USING IT A LOT.
AND IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL PILOT.
WE'VE ADDED POSITIONS LAST YEAR, UH, TO HELP US OUT.
SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND THIS IS A WAVE OF THE FUTURE.
UM, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AS FAR AS THE GOOD SAM, AGAIN, UM, OUR EQUITY SCORES, WE ARE HITTING THE POPULATIONS THAT, THAT ARE PROBABLY OUR MOST VULNERABLE, THAT ARE USING THIS, TRYING TO FIND OTHER SOLUTIONS FOR THEM.
UH, AGAIN, IF YOU EVER WANT TO GO DOWN TO THE DISPATCH CENTER AND SIT IN AND MONITOR THOSE RUNS AND SEE WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WE WILL INVITE YOU DOWN ANY TIME.
SO THIS CONCLUDES I WILL STAND BY AND, UH, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UH, I THINK SOME OF US WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER.
UM, ANYTIME YOU WANNA DO RIGHT NOW.
WE JUST HAVE TO BE BACK FOR TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT OUR SENIORS AREN'T GETTING THE SAME TRAINING, I GUESS AS IT WERE, UH, THAT KIDS GET THAT WE ALL GOT PROBABLY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABOUT, UH, POTENTIAL FIRE.
DO YOU ALL GO OUT TO THE SENIOR CENTERS AND TALK WITH, UM, AND, AND DO SOME OF THAT SAFETY TRAINING? WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAD THE BIG SPIKE, UM, PRE COVID, I WENT TO EVERY SENIOR CENTER.
WE TOOK SPARKY TO SENIOR CENTER WITH US SOME DAYS.
WE WENT AND, AND HUNG OUT WITH THE SENIORS AND WE TALKED THEM ABOUT THESE THINGS BECAUSE MY GRANDMOTHER, YOUR GRANDMOTHER, IF THEY GOT A BURN, THEY WOULD PUT BUTTER ON IT.
IF SOMETHING CAUGHT ON FIRE, THEY WOULD PUT SALT OR SUGAR ON THAT FIRE.
UH, WE HAD A, A LADY SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT WAS ON THE TELEPHONE.
THERE'S A FIRE IN HER WAIST BASKET.
SHE'S ON THE PHONE WITH HER SISTER IN HOUSTON, DIDN'T CALL 9 1 1.
SHE WENT OVER TO HER, UH, PANTRY AND GOT FLOUR AND ATTEMPTED TO GO PUT FLOUR ON THAT FIRE.
WE FOUND HER DEAD BY HER WALKER WITH THE FLOWER.
AND IF SOMEONE WOULD'VE SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.
CALL 9 1 1, GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER.
WE DON'T USE SUGAR FLOUR, ANY OF THESE THINGS.
SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDING THESE THINGS TO OUR SENIORS AND THEN ALSO TO THEIR CAREGIVERS, TO THEIR NEIGHBORS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN MS. SMITH, GO CHECK ON MS. SMITH.
IF YOU KNOW MS. SMITH IS A HOARDER, LET SOMEBODY KNOW.
SO WE TRY TO EDUCATE AS OFTEN AS WE CAN, AND WE ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
WE WENT TO, UH, ONE OF THE DISTRICTS NOT TOO LONG AGO AND HANDED OUT SMOKE DETECTORS, UH, WITH, WITH ONE OF THE COUNCILWOMEN.
SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU WITH THAT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THOSE FATALITY NUMBERS DOWN.
AND I WILL SAY, EVERY TIME WE HAVE A COMMUNITY EVENT, WE INVITE YOU GUYS EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GO OUT, YOU GO OUT WITH, UM, ALL KIND OF INFORMATION AND TALK TO PEOPLE ONE-ON-ONE ABOUT SAFETY.
SO I I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I KNOW THAT YOU, UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF ON YOUR OFF TIME, SO I APPRECIATE THAT THEY DO THAT.
UM, I KNOW WHAT, THIS ISN'T EX, WE'RE NOT EXACTLY GOING INTO A COLD SEASON RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, DO WE, WE GIVE OUT SMOKE DETECTORS.
DO THEY ALSO, ARE THEY DUAL, UH, CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS OR NOT THE ONES THAT WE GIVE OUT.
I, I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, NOT, NOT NOW, OBVIOUSLY, BUT GOING INTO WINTER TIME, BECAUSE OF COURSE WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE USING, UM, SPACE HEATERS THAT ARE DANGEROUS.
WE'VE HAD SOME FATALITIES, UH, OF PEOPLE USING NOT EVEN SPACE HEATERS, BUT OVENS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO AS WE GO INTO, UH, OR AS WE, WE TALK ABOUT GOING INTO THE, THE, UH, THE WINTER SEASON THIS YEAR, IF WE HAD SOMETHING TO GIVE AWAY TO PEOPLE, AND A LOT OF OUR TO UNDERSTAND, A LOT OF OUR SMOKE DETECTORS ARE DONATIONS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD PROBABLY WORK WITH AND WORK WITH YOU GUYS ALSO.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE SMOKE DETECTORS THAT WE GET, THEY ARE DONATED TO US AND WE KEEP
[01:05:01]
THEM ON THE FIRE TRUCKS.SO IF SOMEONE HAS A MEDICAL EVENT, UM, ONCE WE GET DONE WITH THAT PERSON, IF WE HAVE THE TIME, WE'RE GONNA CHECK THAT SMOKE DETECTOR AND, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ONE.
IT, IT'S REALLY BAD FOR US TO SHOW UP AT A HOUSE TWO DAYS LATER, SOMEONE DIES IN A HOUSE FROM A FIRE.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALWAYS CHECKING THOSE WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND JUST QUICKLY TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN, UM, TO HELP WITH OUR FIREFIGHTERS MENTAL HEALTH.
I MEAN, WALKING IN TO FIND THAT WOMAN NEAR HER WALKER WITH A FLOWER WHO, WHOEVER HAD TO FIND THAT WAS, UH, HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
THAT'S, THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF, UH, MANY UNFORTUNATELY THAT Y'ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERY DAY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT, UM, ABOUT STRUCTURE FIRES WITH VACANT BUILDINGS.
AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, WHICH WE'RE INVESTING IN RIGHT NOW, UM, I, I TRY TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE COST SAVINGS.
'CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO INVEST IN HOUSING HOMELESS, RIGHT? WE GET SOME RESISTANCE FROM PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE COST SAVINGS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY, UM, ABOUT, UM, I GUESS IT WAS LAST WINTER, UM, OR PRIOR TO LAST WINTER, I REMEMBER THAT, UH, THERE WAS A LARGE STRUCTURE OVER OFF OF URBAN LOOP NOT FAR FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS OWNED BY THE, THE DOUG MILLER AND THE MILLER FAMILY.
AND I WENT AND I TOURED THE BUILDING WITH HIM ONE DAY, AND I WAS CONFRONTED BY A PERSON WHO WAS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING IN HIS BUILDING.
UM, AND I SAW THAT ON THE GROUND FLOOR THEY HAD CARPET AND SOMEBODY HAD BUILT A CAMPFIRE ON THE CARPET, DIRECTLY ON THE CARPET.
AND SO SHORTLY AFTERWARD, I REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS A COLD SNAP, THAT BUILDING BURNED TO THE GROUND, RIGHT? AND SO THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE COST SAVINGS TO THE PUBLIC.
THERE ARE COST SAVINGS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS INTO A, A STABLE LIVING SITUATION.
AND I'M WONDERING, DO YOU ALL TRACK THESE STRUCTURE FIRES IN VACANT BUILDINGS WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY WAS, UM, SQUATTING OR, OR UNAUTHORIZED PEOPLE IN THAT VACANT BUILDING WHO MAY HAVE BURNED IT DOWN? IS THERE, DO YOU HAVE DATA ON THAT? UM, YEAH, WE DO.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE GET A SITUATION LIKE THAT, IF IT'S A SQUATTER, UM, THAT SET THIS BUILDING ON FIRE, A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S NO EVIDENCE LEFT.
THE BUILDING IS GONE, IT'S VACANT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF FACTORS, BUT THE MAIN FACTOR FOR ME IS THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T WANT THEM RUNNING INTO UNSAFE VACANT BUILDINGS BECAUSE AGAIN, THE FLOORING HAS BEEN TORN APART.
THE WALLS, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THIS BUILDING IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE BOARDED UP AND FENCED UP, BUT SOMEONE THAT'S HOMELESS HAS GOTTEN IN AND WE DON'T KNOW THEY'RE THERE.
SO AGAIN, WE DO SEE FIRES LIKE THIS.
UM, I WAS READING AN ARTICLE IN THE N F P A AS FAR AS UNHOUSED, UH, STRUCTURED FIRES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
YOU DO SEE IT GO UP QUITE A BIT IN THE WINTERTIME BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO STAY WARM.
UM, I COULD SHOW YOU A VIDEO FROM LA WHERE IT WAS A BUNCH OF SHOPPING CARTS NEXT TO A WAREHOUSE.
IT ENDED UP BURNING UP A BLOCK.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE FIRES THAT WE END UP GOING ON THAT YOU SEE ON THE FREEWAY, RAMPS UNDERNEATH THE FREEWAY, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WHEN THEY CATCH ON FIRE.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN ENCAMPMENT STYLE OF FIRE.
THE THING THAT WE HAVE DONE FOR A LOT OF OUR BUILDINGS WORKING WITH D S D IS TO PUT A BIG RED X ON THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S AN UNSAFE STRUCTURE FOR US THAT'S GONNA CHANGE THE WAY WE, UM, UH, UTILIZE OUR TACTICS AND STRATEGY ON THIS BUILDING.
I'M NOT GONNA RUN INTO THAT BUILDING OR EXPECT MY FIREFIGHTERS TO ATTACK THAT BUILDING WITH THE SAME TACTICS THAT THEY WOULD ON SOMETHING THAT IS STABLE THAT SOMEBODY LIVES IN.
SO IT IS A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR US, AND IT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE IN ALL OF YOUR DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE MANAGING THOSE, BUT A LOT OF THAT FALLS ON RESPONSIBILITY OF BUILDING A PROPERTY OWNERS.
BECAUSE IF IT LOOKS FENCED AND IT'S BOARDED UP, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT IN SEVERAL FIRES THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, SO I'LL TALK ABOUT GOODS, SAM FIRST, AND I LOVE THAT IT'S A SMART DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE TEND TO SEE A HIGH NEED AND BELIEVE WE NEED TO, AND I'M GUILTY OF THIS TOO, BELIEVE WE NEED TO DEPLOY, UH, MORE TRADITIONAL RESOURCES, LIKE MORE STAFF FOR MORE BUILDINGS IN AN AREA.
UM, BUT THE GOOD SAM PROGRAM IS A MORE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF, UM, OR DEPLOYMENT OF INNOVATIVE RESOURCES THAT I BELIEVE, UH, IS LEVERAGING
[01:10:01]
THE BEST THAT WE HAVE IN TECHNOLOGY, UM, TO SERVE SOME OF THE AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST NEEDS.AND SO, WHILE WE MAY STILL NEED MORE STAFF IN BUILDINGS AND RESOURCES LIKE THAT, UM, WE CAN NOW ASSIGN THOSE RESOURCES MORE EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
UM, AND IT'S A GREAT STEP FORWARD FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THE CITY.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS INNOVATIVE EFFORT, AND I HOPE WE CAN, UH, DO MUCH MORE LIKE THIS IN IN SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND AGAIN, WE WELCOME YOU TO COME AND SIT AND HEAR THOSE 9 1 1 CALLS COME IN, AND SOME OF THEM ARE GONNA BE, MAN, THERE'RE GONNA BE, FIRES, GONNA BE A HEART ATTACK, SHOOTING, WHATEVER, BUT THERE'S GONNA BE THAT ONE PERSON THAT CALLS WHILE YOU WERE THERE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT? I JUST WANT SOMEBODY TO LOOK AT MY MOM.
AND WE CAN LOOK AT HER AND SAY, OKAY, SHE'S APHASIC, SHE'S HAD A STROKE.
WE CAN CONTACT A STROKE CENTER WHILE WE'RE SENDING RESOURCES THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE HAS THE BEST OUTCOME.
SO THE OUTCOMES COULD BE THAT WE SEND NO RESOURCES.
THE OUTCOME COULD BE THAT WE SEND YOU TO A SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL RIGHT AWAY, AND WE KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS BEFORE WE EVEN GET THERE.
SO I ENCOURAGE ANY OF YOU TO COME DOWN AND AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, AND I GUESS, UH, I WASN'T REALLY SURPRISED BY ANYTHING IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE THE REASON IS THAT HIGH EQUITY AREAS UTILIZE THE, UH, GOODS AMP PROGRAM MORE THAN LOW EQUITY AREAS? AND WERE THERE NOT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE? YOU KNOW, I WONDER WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE I, I WOULD'VE INITIALLY THOUGHT WHEN YOU PROPOSED A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, THAT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WOULD'VE BEEN A, A, A HUGE BARRIER.
RIGHT? AND I IMAGINE IT STILL IS, BUT I WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE REASON FOR, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT BECAUSE, UM, I SAW A DUDE THE OTHER DAY, I WAS, UH, IN BALTIMORE AND HOMELESS DUDE, YOU'D HAVE NEVER THOUGHT HE HAD A PHONE.
SO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE THAT WE TALK ABOUT, UM, I DON'T SEE IT AS BEING THAT GREAT ANYMORE.
BUT THE THING IS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE OF THESE TO ACCESS THE GOOD SAM.
AND ONCE YOU SEND THAT, ONCE WE SEND THAT LINK, WE'RE GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE WE WOULD'VE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO RESPOND TO WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY IF THEY HAD SMARTPHONES.
I GUESS THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT MAYBE AS A COUNCIL WE SHOULD EXPLORE AND SOME OTHER, IN SOME OTHER WAY.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING I THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, JUICY IN MY DISTRICT.
UM, SO WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE, THE FIRES THAT HAPPENED AND THE RUMBLINGS IN MY, IN MY DISTRICT WHEN THE FIRES HAPPENED, IT'S LARGELY IN, OR, YOU KNOW, FEELS LIKE DIGNITY, WITTY HILL GOVERNMENT, HILL DENVER HEIGHTS, JEFFERSON HEIGHTS EVEN.
UM, AND THE THOUGHT IS THAT IT'S DEVELOPERS WHO ARE SETTING THEIR BUILDINGS ON FIRE BECAUSE IT, THEY CAN GET THE INSURANCE MONEY.
IT'S CHEAPER THAN HAVING TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING ELSE.
IS THAT BASELESS? UM, FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU NOTICE WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT STRING OF FIRES THAT WE HAD IN THE, THE, THE, THE FEAR IN YOUR DISTRICT.
UM, AGAIN, WE, WE DID NOT INVESTIGATE OR FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT BELIEF.
SO AGAIN, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE THE STRAY DOGS.
WE DO HAVE MORE FIRES PROBABLY IN YOUR DISTRICT AND ON THE WEST SIDE.
AND THERE WERE MORE FIRES, I THINK, IN D FIVE THAN EVEN YOUR DISTRICT.
BUT, UM, I WON'T SAY IT'S BASELESS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING THAT, THAT WE CAN VERIFY WITH ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
AND WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AT THAT.
WE REALLY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING.
I I WOULDN'T, I, I WOULD EXPECT YOU TO FOR SURE.
AND THE, THE GOOD SAM PROGRAM.
SOUNDS LIKE IT'S HITTING, HITTING THE TARGETS THAT ALL OF US WANT TO HIT.
I I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING ON, UH, WACH, UM, BETWEEN I 10 AND FREDERICKSBURG.
UM, THERE WAS A FIRE, PRETTY NASTY ONE, UM, AT THE FORMER JAPANESE RESTAURANT CALLED FUJI.
I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER THAT.
A LOT OF US WHO WERE YOUNGER USED TO GO THERE.
THAT WAS A SERIOUSLY, I KNOW, I KNOW.
THAT WAS A RESTAURANT WE ALL LIKED.
UH, THAT'S AN ABANDONED BUILDING.
WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF INCIDENTS THERE OF PEOPLE BREAKING IN, UM, AND HANGING OUT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE UP TO NO GOOD IN MANY INSTANCES.
WE FIND A LOT OF HYPODERMIC NEEDLES, UH, AROUND AND INSIDE AND UNDERNEATH THE RESTAURANT.
PEOPLE CAN CRAWL UNDER THE RESTAURANT 'CAUSE IT'S ONE OF THESE PIER AND BEAM FOUNDATIONS.
UM, WE'VE HAD IT BOARDED UP NUMBER OF TIMES, SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ARRESTS.
[01:15:01]
WAS AN ARREST, UM, WE HAD TWO GUYS ON PAROLE TRYING TO BREAK IN AGAIN.UM, WE'VE DISCOVERED MULTIPLE, UM, INDICATORS THAT BONFIRES ARE BEING STARTED INSIDE THE BUILDING.
WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE RUNNING, UM, EXTENSION CORDS TO THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR.
UH, THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR IS VERY WORRIED BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMING ONTO HIS PROPERTY AND, UM, THEY'RE UP TO NO GOOD.
UM, AND SO THIS MORNING WE HAD A FIRE, UH, A BIG ONE.
AND, UM, I, I PASSED BY AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR CREW IS DOING A GREAT JOB AT PUTTING IT OUT.
UM, IF THIS FIRE WAS CAUSED, AGAIN, BY PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THERE WITH BONFIRES, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS, UM, JUST FAULTY WIRING.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THIS BUILDING IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM FOR US.
SO TO WHAT EXTENT DOES AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, GET WORKED ON BY YOUR TEAM AFTERWARDS? UM, AND THEN THE DARK TEAM AND CITY ATTORNEY AND CODE TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS THE KIND OF BUILDING THAT REQUIRES DEMOLITION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A, UM, LARGE FIRE, WHAT WAS IT? DANCE HALL? MIDNIGHT, WHAT WAS IT? MIDNIGHT RODEO.
WE HAD A LARGE FIRE AT MIDNIGHT RODEO ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
AND D S D WAS WORKING ON THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING.
UM, AND THE UNHOUSED HAD GOTTEN IN SOMEHOW THROUGH THE ROOF.
NOBODY KNEW THEY WERE IN THERE FOR A WHILE.
SO PD, D S D, EVERYBODY WAS WORKING ON THAT FIRE, ON THAT BUILDING, AND THEN A FIRE OCCURRED.
SO WE, WE GOT INTO THAT BUILDING AND ONCE WE MADE SURE EVERYBODY WAS OUT, WE WENT DEFENSIVE ON THAT FIRE AND WE ALLOWED IT TO BURN BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFE OR WAS NOT A SAFE STRATEGY FOR US TO TRY TO DO ANYTHING ELSE AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, WITH A BUILDING OF ONE YOU JUST MENTIONED, CHANCES ARE THERE WAS NOT ELECTRICAL.
THE POWER'S PROBABLY BEEN CUT.
SO AGAIN, THE, THE, THE COMMON DENOMINATOR ON THAT FIRE IS PROBABLY HOMELESSNESS.
SO AGAIN, WE WORK WITH D S D, WE WORK WITH THE, THE OWNERS OF THOSE PROPERTIES TO GET THEM FENCED UP, TO GET THEM BOARDED UP.
UM, WE DO DRIVE-BYS WHEN WE'RE OUT AND ABOUT.
IF YOU HAVE A VACANT BUILDING IN YOUR FIRST DUE, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD GO BY IT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS.
BUT A LOT OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY GOES BACK TO THE OWNERS AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO US WORKING WITH D S D OR IDENTIFYING A, A PROBLEM OF A, OF A VACANT STRUCTURE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF, WHETHER IT'S, UH, DEMOING IT OR SECURING IT BETTER.
AND, AND I WANNA BE CAREFUL AND MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT JUST BLAMING HOMELESS PEOPLE.
MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT WE'VE CAUGHT THERE LITERALLY LIVE ACROSS THE STREET.
THEY'RE, THEY, UH, THEY RENT APARTMENTS ACROSS THE STREET.
THEY JUST HANG OUT INSIDE AND AROUND THIS PROPERTY TO SHOOT UP AND DO STUPID THINGS.
AND SO, UM, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS THAT WE'VE GOT WITH PEOPLE NOT HAVING, YOU KNOW, SAFE AND CLEAN PLACES TO LIVE, BUT, UM, TO SOME DEGREE THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING IS, IS, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT NEIGHBORS LITERALLY ACROSS, I'M, I'M SORRY, ON THE BACK FENCE, RIGHT.
HOMES BACK UP TO THIS RESTAURANT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DRY, UM, OVERGROWTH BACK THERE, YOU KNOW, ONE FIRE.
UM, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT IS PERFECTLY REASONABLE TO BELIEVE THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD BECOME YET ANOTHER HU HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
PEOPLE WHOSE HOUSE IS BURNED DOWN.
UM, AND SO I'M, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ASKING THE RIGHT PERSON, RIGHT, MAYBE IT'S CODE, RIGHT? MAYBE IT'S THE CITY ATTORNEY, MAYBE IT'S POLICE.
RIGHT? BUT I, I NEED HELP WITH THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
I I, I, I THINK, I THINK BEN, BEN WILL GET, BEN WILL GET ON D S D.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF FIRES AND ALLEYS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF FIRES IN WE WOOD, WOODED, FENCE ALLEYS.
EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW IS GREEN.
AND THOSE ARE GONNA BE ISSUES THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE HOMEOWNERS ON THOSE THINGS.
AND JUST EDUCATION AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THAT DEBRIS CUT DOWN, GET IT MOVED AWAY FROM BUILDINGS.
ALL OF THIS STUFF IS FIRE PREVENTION.
AND SO IF WE GET SOMEBODY THAT IS TAKING CARE OF THAT, THEN AGAIN, THAT'S SAVING A FIRETRUCK FROM RESPONDING ON THAT WHEN THEY COULD BE GOING ON A CHILDBIRTH OR HEART ATTACK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT, IT'S, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT WITH EVERYBODY ON THESE STRUCTURES, THESE ALLEYWAYS, UH, OVERGROWTH, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND WITH THAT, UH, WE ARE, UM, THAT COMPLETES THE REST OF OUR AGENDA.