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[Community Meeting / Fire Department Overview ]
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.I'M DAVE CARNEY, WEST COVINA, CITY MANAGER.
WE'RE VERY GLAD YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING.
I'M GONNA ASK, UM, GLENN KENNEDY TO COME FORWARD AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, READY TO BEGIN OF THE UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND CHOOSE THE REPUBLIC FOR WITNESS NATION, GOD FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE FINDING THE TIME TO JOIN US TONIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A SERIES OF THESE KIND OF MEETINGS AT THE SUGGESTION OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, THAT WE TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SPECIAL MOMENT TO REVIEW SOME OF THE CITY'S ISSUES SEPARATELY AND OFF CALENDAR.
GIVE US A CHANCE TO GO IN DEPTH AND TO ENGAGE WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THESE TOPICS.
TONIGHT WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE WITH US OUR FIRE CHIEF IN CAPELLI.
HE HAS A REALLY NICE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION HE'S GONNA GO THROUGH.
AND THEN WE WILL BE, UM, QUITE OPEN TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
SO, UM, WELCOME CHIEF CAPELLI.
I ALSO LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR TAKING THE TIME AND COMING OUT THIS EVENING AND BEING HERE WITH US TO LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, UH, AND THEN WE WILL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE HOLD 'EM TO THE END AND WE'LL ANSWER AS BEST AS WE CAN.
UM, THE PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE AN OVERVIEW OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME RESPONSE TIMES.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME NEEDS, AND WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS SOME OVERTIME.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL START THE PRESENTATION.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT I'M THE WEST COMMUNITY FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE CHIEF, AND I'M VERY PROUD AND PRIVILEGED TO WORK FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO WORK WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS, MEN AND WOMEN IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY GOVERNMENT, EVERYBODY.
IT'S REALLY A PRIVILEGE TO WORK HERE AND I'M REALLY GLAD I GET TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM.
UH, REAL QUICK, JUST WANT TO GO OVER IF EVERYBODY'S, NO, WE HAVE FIVE FIRE STATIONS THAT ARE STRATEGICALLY PLANNED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THOSE THREE, THOSE FIVE FIRE STATIONS HOLD DIFFERENT APPARATUS, DIFFERENT RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO CALLS.
UH, STATION ONE, WHICH IS IN THE BLUE AREA, HAS AN, HAS A FIRE ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE.
UH, STATION TWO CURRENTLY HAS A FIRE TRUCK, HAS A PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE, AND IT HOUSES OUR COMMAND UNIT, WHICH IS IN THE GREEN STATION.
THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CITY HAS ONE FIRE ENGINE THAT'S IN THE PINK, GO DOWN TO THE YELLOW AREA.
THERE'S CURRENTLY ONE FIRE ENGINE THERE AND A PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE.
THEN YOU HAVE STATION FIVE, THE SOUTH END OF THE CITY, UH, WITHIN THE RED WE HOUSE ONE FIRE ENGINE THERE.
AND ON DUTY DAILY WITH ALL THOSE RESOURCES, WE HAVE 23 PERSONNEL.
UH, UP HERE ON THIS SLIDE IS OUR, IS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S GOT THE FIRE CHIEF, UH, WHICH MANAGES THE OPERATIONS, THE PREVENTION AND ADMINISTRATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE AID.
WE HAVE TWO ADMINISTRATIVE AIDS, ONE'S FOR FIRE PREVENTION, ONE'S FOR THE OPERATIONS, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO PART-TIME FIRE PROTECTION SPECIALISTS, AND THERE'S ALSO AN LA INSPECTOR THAT'S THE FIRE CHIEF IS THE L E A FOR THE CITY AND THE BKK, UH, LANDFILL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE SHIFT COMMANDERS THAT RUN THE DAILY OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE THREE OF THOSE ONE EACH DAY.
AND WE ALREADY BROKE DOWN ONE'S AT EACH FIRE STATION.
CONTINUE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES.
THE FIRE ADMINISTRATION DIVISION, IT'S THE OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF, UH, AS I STATED, THE FIRE MARSHAL AND THE LOCAL ENFOR ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
UH, WE MANAGE THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TRAINING, MANAGEMENT SAFETY OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND ALL THE PERSONNEL OUT OF THE FIRE ADMINISTRATION, PORT DIVISION, FIRE PREVENTION DIVISION, OR THE COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION DIVISION.
UH, HANDLES MANDATED FIRE INSPECTIONS, PLAN CHECKS, COMPANY FIRE INSPECTIONS, LIFE SAFETY INSPECTIONS, AND ANY COST RECOVERY THAT'S RELATED TO INCIDENT RESPONSES.
AND THE FIRE SUPPRESSION DIVISION, WHICH IS THE OPERATIONS, HANDLES ALL EMERGENCY RESPONSES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, FIRE AND RESCUE.
AND THEY ALSO DO THE DAY-TO-DAY TRAINING ACTIVITIES REQUIRED FOR THE OPERATIONS SECTION.
SO, REAL QUICK, GOOD OVERVIEW OF WHAT SOME OF APPARATUS IS.
MIGHT BE AN OVERVIEW FOR SOME PEOPLE OR MAY BE SOME NEW INFORMATION.
WANNA EXPLAIN WHAT A FIRE ENGINE COMPANY IS? A FIRE ENGINE COMPANY IS A FIRE ENGINE THAT IS AN APPARATUS THAT PROVIDES, UH, THREE MAIN FUNCTIONS.
THEY HAVE A PUMP WATER TANK AND FIRE HOSE, AND THEY HAVE A FIRE CAPTAIN, A FIRE ENGINE, A FIREFIGHTER.
THOSE THREE PERSONNEL ON A FIRE ENGINE MAKE UP, UH, AVAILABLE RESOURCE TO RESPOND TO FIRE AND EMS AND RESCUE OPERATIONS.
IN WESTCO, WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE PARAMEDIC ON ALL OF OUR FIRE ENGINES.
SO WE HAVE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CAPABILITIES TO HANDLE AND MITIGATE A LIFE, LIFE-THREATENING, UM, MEDICAL NEEDS UPON THEIR ARRIVAL.
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NEXT, WHAT IS A FIRETRUCK? FIRETRUCK HAS THE BIG LADDER ON TOP.YOU SEE IT GOING AROUND ALL THE TIME.
A TRUNK COMPANY HAS THE APPARATUS THAT UTILIZE TO SUPPORT ENGINE COMPANY OPERATIONS DURING FIRE AND RESCUE OPERATIONS.
UH, IT HAS A LOT OF THE VENTILATION EQUIPMENT, HEAVY RESCUE EQUIPMENT.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE QUINT FIRE TRUCKS, WHICH MEANS THEY ALSO CARRY A WATER AND A PUMP TO PUT OUT FIRES AS WELL.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY USING OUR FIRETRUCK AS A FIRE ENGINE.
AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, WE ARE DOWN ONE FIRE ENGINE.
SO AT STATION TWO, JUST THE QUINT RESPONDS, UH, OUT OF THERE.
AND, UH, THAT HOUSES THAT CARRIES ONE FIRE CAPTAIN, ONE FIRE ENGINEER, AND TWO FIREFIGHTERS, A COMPLIMENT OF ONE FIREFIGHTER OR ONE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC DEPENDING ON THE DAY.
IT ALSO IS AN ALS ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, UM, CAPABLE RESOURCE.
SO UPON ARRIVAL, THEY CAN HELP MITIGATE ANY LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCIES UPON A RESPONSE TO A CALL.
NEXT, WE HAVE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.
THAT'S THE PARAMEDIC UNITS, UH, PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCES.
WHAT IS THE PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCE ONE? IN WEST COVINA, WE HAVE A PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCE THAT CAN TRANSPORT SICK AND INJURED PATIENTS UPON THE NEED.
UH, WHEN THEY RESPOND TO A CALL, UH, THEY HOUSE, THEY CARRY TWO FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS ON AN APPARATUS, AND THAT'S PER OF THE MANDATE FROM THE COUNTY TO BE A PARAMEDIC.
THE PARAMEDIC UNIT IN LA COUNTY MUST HAVE TWO FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS ON THERE JUST FOR DEFINITIONS.
THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED A PARAMEDIC RESCUE SQUAD.
UH, WHAT IS A PARAMEDIC RESCUE SQUAD? IT IS JUST LIKE AN AMBULANCE.
UH, OTHER THAN IT CAN'T DO TRANSPORTATION, IT ALSO HAS TWO FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS ON IT.
AND SOMETIMES WE UTILIZE OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR MUTUAL AID, AND YOU MAY SEE THEM IN THE CITY RESPONDING TO YOUR HOUSE OR YOUR CALL.
THE DIFFERENCE IS WE NOW HAVE TO FIND A PRIVATE AMBULANCE OR ANOTHER AMBULANCE TO DO TRANSPORTATION FOR ANY SICK AND INJURED FOLKS, UH, TO CONTINUE ON APPARATUS.
UH, IN THE CASE, WE DON'T HAVE ONE OF OUR RESPONDING AMBULANCES TO COME THAT HAVE THE PARAMEDICS ON IT.
THEN WE'LL GET A BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCE COME THAT DO NOT HAVE PARAMEDICS ON IT.
THEY CAN'T DO ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.
THEY CAN'T HELP A CRITICAL PATIENT.
THEY BASICALLY ARE A TRANSPORTATION TO THE HOSPITAL AND SOMETIMES WE UTILIZE THEM WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A RESCUE AMBULANCE AVAILABLE, OR WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE MUTUAL AID SQUADS THAT COME IN.
WE NEED A TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
WE HAVE A COMMAND VEHICLE THAT'S THE DAILY, UH, SHIFT COMMANDER, THE ASSISTANT CHIEF.
HE RIDES AROUND IN A COMMAND VEHICLE.
HE RESPONDS TO EVERY INCIDENT THAT NEEDS SOMEBODY TO MANAGE THE INCIDENT, MANAGE THE OPERATION, DEVELOP A PLAN TO MITIGATE THAT EMERGENCY, AND THEY HAVE A COMMAND VEHICLE THAT HAS ALL THE RADIOS AND EQUIPMENT TO DO ALL THAT.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, IS INVOLVED A NUMBER OF, UH, EXISTING PROGRAMS. WE DO A LOT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
WE GO TO PUBLIC EDUCATION TO, UH, PREVENT LOSS OF LIFE, TO TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT FIRE SAFETY.
WE DO THESE PROGRAMS AT SCHOOLS, AT SENIOR CENTERS.
ANYTIME THERE'S REQUEST FOR 'EM, WE WILL GO.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A FIRE EXPLORER PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST FIRE EXPLORER WITH A LOT OF, UH, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THERE THAT ARE PREPARING FOR A FIRE SERVICE, UH, CAREER.
UH, THEY COME AND THEY VISIT, UH, THEY DO TRAINING.
THEY'RE EVALUATED, UM, AT A POINT THEY DO SOME TRAINING.
THEY BECOME ELIGIBLE TO DO RIDE ALONGS, AND YOU CAN SEE THEM RIDE ALONG WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT APPARATUS PERSONNEL AND GO ON CALLS AS WELL TO HOPEFULLY HAVE A CAREER IN THE FIRE SERVICE.
AND THEY'RE FROM THE AGES OF 15 TO 21.
ANOTHER EXISTING PROGRAM WE HAVE IS WE HAVE A SWAT MEDIC PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE TRAINED FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS, UH, AT, AT ALL RANKS, CAPTAIN, ENGINEER, FIREFIGHTER THAT ASSIST OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN THERE'S A CALL OUT.
UH, THE REASON WE HAVE THAT IS SO IF THERE'S ANY LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY TAKE PLACE AT THAT CALL, ANY CIVILIANS THAT GET HURT, ANY POLICE OFFICERS THAT GET HURT, UM, WE HAVE IMMEDIATELY CARE IMMEDIATELY CAN CARE FOR THAT TRAUMA INCIDENT UPON, UH, IT TAKING PLACE AT A SWAT CALL OUT AND WE SEND FOUR MEDICS TO EVERY SWAT CALL OUT.
WE ALSO HAVE THE AMBULANCE SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM WHERE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY CAN FOR $69 JOIN THE AMBULANCE SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM.
EVERYBODY IN THAT HOUSEHOLD, IF THERE'S A CALL FOR SERVICE AT YOUR HOUSE, WHEN YOU GET THE, UH, BILL FOR SERVICE, IT DOESN'T, YOU DON'T GET CHARGED.
IF YOU'RE PART THE SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM, MOST EVERY INSURANCE COMPANY THERE IS A, A, UM, CO-PAYMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY.
YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THE CO-PAYMENT.
WE WOULD ACCEPT WHATEVER YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY PAYS.
IT COVERS ANY OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES.
A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THAT, UH, WE ARE LACKING GETTING PERSONNEL TO GET THERE AND INSPECT THOSE.
WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THAT PROGRAM.
AND THE BUSINESS INSPECTION PROGRAM WILL HELP KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFE, SAFE, HELP UNDERSTAND, UH, THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT'S OUT THERE.
SO WHEN YOU GO TO ANY BUSINESS OF CITY, YOU FEEL SAFE AND EVERYTHING IS SAFE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS THERE.
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WE ALSO ARE TRYING TO REVAMP OUR CERT PROGRAM.WE HAD A SOMEWHAT OF A REB, ROBUST, ROBUST, ROBUST CERT PROGRAM IN THE PAST.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF EQUIPMENT.
WE'RE SENDING PERSONNEL THROUGH SOME GRANTS TO GET TRAIN THE TRAINER.
THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY THAT ARE ALREADY TRAINED, THE TRAINERS.
WE HAVE SOME FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES THAT ARE TRAINING THE TRAINER.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO REALLY BUILD THIS PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT, UH, 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
UM, AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE ARE THERE.
SO ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS WE'RE DOING OUR, UM, PLANS TO PREPARE FOR AND, AND RESPOND TO DISASTERS, WELL, WE WANNA HAVE THE COMMUNITY'S INVOLVEMENT AT THE, ON THE COMMUNITY RE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM IS A WAIT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
SOME PROGRAMS WE'VE DONE RECENTLY TO HELP, UH, KEEP COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY SAFE IN THE COMMUNITY.
RISK REDUCTION, UM, PORTIONS, FIRE PREVENTION PORTIONS OF THE CITY IS, UH, WE, WE, WE PARTNERS WITH SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, IN THE REGION.
AND WE GOT A SOFTWARE AND A COMPANY THAT MONITORS THE FIRE PROTECTION PROTECTION SYSTEMS TO OUR BUSINESSES IN THE CITY SPRINKLER SYSTEMS. AND THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE ACTUALLY KEEPS TRACK AND LOCATES EVERY SPRINKLER SYSTEM IN THE CITY.
THEY DETERMINE WHICH ONES DO NOT HAVE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS THAT ARE UP TO DATE.
THEIR SIX MONTH TESTS, THEIR FIVE YEAR TESTS, ALL THE DIFFERENT TESTS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW.
THEY REACH OUT TO THOSE BUSINESSES AND THEY SAY, HEY, YOU NEED TO GET THAT.
HOW THAT HELPS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT KEEPS THE CI, KEEPS THE CITY SAFE, KEEPS US KNOWING WHAT'S THERE, AND KEEPS, KEEPS KNOWING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOES THERE IN AN EMERGENCY THAT THE SYSTEM'S WORKING PROPERLY.
WE ALSO DO A PROGRAM CALLED EMERGENCY INCIDENT BILLING.
SO WE GO TO A CALL IF THERE'S A FLOODING AT YOUR HOUSE, A CAR ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, A FIRE.
WE WILL BILL THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR SERVICES THAT ARE RENDERED, UM, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT MAKING THE MONEY BACK TO WHAT WE SPEND.
UH, THE INDIVIDUALS DO NOT GET CHARGED.
WE'RE NOT GONNA SEND YOU A BILL.
IT'S ONLY WHAT'S COVERED IN YOUR INSURANCE PLANS.
WE TAKE THAT STREAMLINE INSPECTIONS, ANOTHER WAY TO HELP MAKE THE CITIZENS SAFE AND THE COMMUNITY SAFE AND THE FIREFIGHTERS SAFE AND RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY.
WE HAVE STREAMLINED, WE HAVE A COMPANY CALLED STREAMLINE INSPECTIONS, WHICH MANAGES ALL OUR FIRE INSPECTIONS.
THAT'S HOW WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT, UM, FOLLOWING AND FINDING ALL THE BUSINESS THAT NEED TO BE INSPECTED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
UH, THE BUSINESS CAN GO ONLINE, SEE WHAT THEIR VIOLATIONS ARE, OR THAT THEY'RE UP TO CODES OR WHAT CODES MAY BE CHANGED.
AND WHEN WE GO OUT THERE, DO INSPECTION, WE UPLOAD THAT IN THERE AND THEY CAN GET A PASS OR A FAIL AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED FOR THEIR INSPECTIONS.
JUST A BETTER, BETTER WAY TO UNDERSTAND OUR INSPECTIONS.
WE HAD A FALSE ALARM PROGRAM THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT A LITTLE BETTER.
WE GO, THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT GO TO A LOT OF FALSE ALARMS, FIRE ALARMS, BURGLAR ALARMS, AND UH, IT, IT TAKES AWAY FROM US BEING AVAILABLE TO GO TO ANOTHER CALL.
AND THOSE CAN BE MITIGATED BY PEOPLE PROPERLY HAVING THEIR SYSTEMS CORRECT.
AND, UH, THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE ARE WORKING TO ENHANCE IT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR EXISTING STAFFING MODEL AT THIS TIME SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO.
UH, CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 23 DA DAILY STAFFING THROUGH, UH, THE FIVE FIRE STATIONS WITH NINE VEHICLES.
AND THIS OUTLINES THE NINE VEHICLES, FOUR FIRE ENGINES, ONE FIRE TRUCK, THREE PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCES, ONE COMMAND VEHICLE MAKING UP THE NINE DAILY STAFFING 23 PERSONNEL.
SO IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL, UH, SERVICES REQUEST, SOMEBODY CALLS 9 1 1 THAT THEY'RE HAVING SHORTNESS OF BREATH, CHEST PAIN, UM, ANYTHING SIMPLE, THEY BROKE THEIR LEG OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE WILL RESPOND TO THAT AND WE WILL RESPOND TO THAT WITH A FIRE ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCE.
THE FIRE ENGINE WILL GET THERE, UH, MOST LIKELY FIRST, AND THEY DO MOST OF THE LIFESAVING TASKS.
FIRE ENGINE GETS THERE, THEY STOP PEOPLE THAT ARE CHOKING, THEY HELP START CPR RIGHT AWAY.
SO THE FIRE ENGINE IS USUALLY THE FIRST ONE THAT GETS THERE AND SOMETIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSE RESOURCE TO A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY.
AND WE ALSO, AND OBVIOUSLY I STATED, HAD A CAPTAIN ENGINEER AND A FIREFIGHTER ON THOSE, UM, APPARATUS, AND ONE OF THEM IS A PARAMEDIC ON ALL OF OURS.
THEN WE ALSO SENT A PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE THAT GOES THERE, AND THEY'RE THE PARAMEDICS THAT CAN CONTINUE THE LIFESAVING MEASURES THAT, UH, WAS STARTED BY THE FIRE ENGINE AND ALSO TRANSPORT THE SICK AND INJURED PERSON TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND, UH, I'LL CONTINUE, HOLD ON.
IT SAYS TWO APPARATUS OF FIVE PERSONNEL.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF THE MEDICAL RESPONSE IS GOING ON WITH TWO APPARATUS OF FIVE PERSONNEL, THE CITY NOW HAS AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO GO TO ANOTHER MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR TO A FIRE AND RESCUE RESPONSE OF SIX APPARATUS 16 PERSONNEL.
SO THE PORTION ON THE SIDE TELLS YOU WHAT'S AVAILABLE WITH JUST ONE EMS RESPONSE, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE ONE EMS RESPONSE.
WE MIGHT HAVE 2, 3, 4 THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE ABSOLUTE SAME TIME.
SOME OF 'EM MAY NOT BE CRITICAL.
IF THE FIRE ENGINE, THE PARAMEDIC ANALYSTS ARE ON A CALL AND DETERMINES THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS NOT THAT CRITICAL.
WE'VE MITIGATED THE EMERGENCY, WE'VE HELPED THE PERSON, AND ANOTHER CALL COMES OUT.
THOSE RESOURCES, IF THEY'RE THE CLOSEST UNIT, CAN NOW BREAK AWAY FROM THAT ONE
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CALL THAT ARE ON THE FIRE ENGINE OR THE PARAMEDIC, DEPENDING WHAT, WHAT IS NEEDED.SO WE DO THAT AND MANAGE THAT THROUGH THE DISPATCH CENTER AND TO THE ON SCENE RESOURCES.
SO A STRUCTURE FIRE RESPONSE OR A, UH, MULTI-UNIT RESPONSE THAT NEEDS A NUMBER OF VEHICLES.
SO ONE STRUCTURE RESPONSE WILL TAKE UP EIGHT OF OUR VEHICLES.
FOUR FIRE ENGINES, A TRUCK, TWO AMBULANCES, TWO PARAMEDIC AMBULANCES, AND ONE COMMAND VEHICLE FOR A TOTAL OF 21 STAFF.
AND HERE, HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT.
WE SEND FOUR FIRE ENGINES, ONE FIRE TRUCK, A PARAMEDIC, TWO PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCES IN A COMMAND VEHICLE, EIGHT APPARATUS AND 21 PERSONNEL TO A REPORT OF A STRUCTURED FIRE.
NOW WHAT DOES THAT LEAVE US IN THE CITY FOR? ANOTHER CALL ONE PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE WITH TWO FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS TO GO TO ANY OTHER CALL IN THE CITY, THE WHOLE CITY.
A STRUCTURE FIRE CAN LAST ONE TO TWO HOURS, SOMETIMES LONGER, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
NOW, AS THE FIRE EMERGENCY IS MITIGATED AND RESOURCES CAN COME, COME AVAILABLE, THOSE RESOURCES WILL RESPOND TO OTHER CALLS.
BUT THERE'S THINGS THAT HAPPEN THERE TOO.
IF THEY FOUGHT FIRE, THEY HAVE TO GET THEIR, THEIR EQUIPMENT CLEANED UP.
IF THEY DON'T CROSS-CONTAMINATE ANY CARCINOGENS FROM FIGHTING THAT FIRE.
SO THERE'S TIME DELAY FOR THEM TO RESPOND AS WELL.
SO WE GOT A, A LITTLE CHART HERE OF CALLS FOR SERVICE, UH, FOR 19 20, 21 AND 22.
WE WERE ROUGHLY 39 CALLS FROM 10,000 CALLS.
AND WE HAD A FIRE LOSS OF ROUGHLY 7 MILLION.
AND THAT'S CALCULATED FROM THE ON SCENE, UH, COMPANY OFFICERS AND ASSISTANT CHIEFS THAT CREATE THE REPORTS.
THEY DETERMINED THE LOSS OF THE CONTENTS INSIDE THE PROPERTY AND THE PROPERTY VALUE AND HOW MUCH OF THE PROPERTY WAS LOST.
SO THE WAY A FIRE AND EMS RESPONSE WORKS, UH, SOMEBODY CALLS 9 1 1, IT GOES TO WHAT'S CALLED THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANSWERING POINT.
DISPATCH CENTER, OUR COMMUNICATION CENTER IN WEST COA, THAT IS, UH, A POLICE, POLICE OFFICER, POLICE, POLICE DISPATCH, POLICE FIRE DISPATCH CENTER HERE IN THE CAMPUS HERE AT CITY HALL.
AT THAT POINT, THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANSWERING POINT WILL DISPATCH THE CALL.
ONCE THEY DETERMINE THROUGH THE COMPUTER DAY TO DISPATCH WHAT THE PROPER, UM, RESOURCES ARE NEEDED FOR THAT TYPE OF EMERGENCY, THE RESOURCES THEN RESPOND TO THE INCIDENT.
THE RESOURCES ARRIVE ON SCENE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES, THE DISPATCH CENTER WILL REACH OUT TO TRY TO GET SOME MUTUAL AID RESOURCES OR IF WE'VE ALREADY HAVE AN AUTOMATIC AID, UH, AGREEMENT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE TO COME HELP IN THAT CERTAIN LOCATION IN THE CITY.
AND THAT'S ALL DONE IN THE COMPUTER AID DISPATCH.
SO SOME THINGS THAT AFFECTS OUR, OUR RESPONSES, UH, NUMBERS THAT WE GO BY THAT SHOWS THAT WE'RE MEETING THE STANDARDS FOR RESPONSES AS N F P A 1710 IS A STANDARD.
IT OUTLINES THE MINIMUM AND REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRE EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, AND CAREER DEPARTMENTS ON HOW LONG IT TAKES THAT STANDARD FOR US TO RESPOND TO A CALL FOR DISPATCHER PICKING UP THE PHONE AND FOR THE FIRST ARRIVING DEPARTMENT UNIT ON SCENE.
AND THIS CHART HERE JUST BASICALLY OUTLINES WHAT'S STATED IN N FFA 1710.
I BREAK THAT DOWN A LITTLE FARTHER INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO READ THIS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, N F P A 1710 RESPONSE TIMES, IT TALKS ABOUT UNIT TRAVEL TIME.
I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT TRAVEL TIMES.
IT STATES THAT THE FIRST DUE RESOURCE OF RESPONDING TO A STRUCTURED FIRE SHOULD GET THERE IN ROUGH, ROUGHLY FOUR MINUTES.
THE SECOND DUE, WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE THERE IN SIX MINUTES.
THIS IS FOR HELP FOR SURVIVABILITY OF VICTIMS, HELP FOR FIREFIGHTER SAFETY AND MITIGATING THAT EMERGENCY TOTAL RESPONSE TIME, WHICH INCLUDES THE DISPATCH, THE CALL TO THE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE ANSWERING REPORT, THE TURNOUT TIME FIREFIGHTERS AND RESOURCES TO GET IN THEIR VEHICLE AND GO.
THE UNIT TRAVEL TIME IS RECOMMENDED TO BE THERE IN SIX MINUTE AND FOUR SECONDS.
THAT IS THE RECOMMENDED TIME TO WHICH INCREASE THE SURVIVABILITY OF VICTIMS. AND FOR SAFETY FOR FIREFIGHTERS.
WELL IN WEST COVINA IN 2022, UH, THROUGH OUR DISPATCH CENTER, WE NOW HAVE A ROBUST PROGRAM THAT CALCULATES ALL THE TIMES WE HAVE.
AND IN 2022, OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME, THAT'S THE TRAVEL TIME FROM LEAVING THE STATION OR WHEREVER THEY'RE AT FROM ANOTHER CALL TO GET ON SCENE WAS EIGHT MINUTES AND 41 SECONDS.
TO CONTINUE WITH THAT, THE TOTAL RESPONSE TIME FOR 2022, 9,961 CALLS, OUR AVERAGE WAS NINE MINUTES AND 18 SECONDS IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
SO SOME QUICKLY SOME THINGS WE NEED, UH, AN ENGINE COMPANY TO HELP MITIGATE THOSE, UH, EMERGENCIES TO HELP FIREFIGHTER SAFETY, SURVIVABILITY OF VICTIMS. TO DECREASE THOSE RESPONSE TIMES, WE WOULD NEED TO BRING BACK THE ENGINE COMPANY THAT WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT ARE EMS. SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD TRY TO IMPLEMENT, UH, ANOTHER PARAMEDIC, UH, RESCUE AMBULANCE.
WE DO NEED PERSONNEL TO HELP WITH THE TRAINING, TO HELP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THESE PERSONNEL.
WE'RE, WE'RE OUTDATING SOME MANDATES, UH, RELATED TO TRAINING AND IN OUR FIRE PREVENTION.
AND WE NEED FIRE PREVENTION PERSONNEL TO HELP WITH THE INSPECTIONS THAT WE ARE NOT COMPLETING.
WE NEED THE CITY OF WEST CONVENIENT DOESN'T HAVE A TRAINING TOWER.
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TRAINING TOWER.WE'RE LACKING IN THE ABILITY TO, UH, UH, KEEP UP MAINTAINING OUR SKILLS FOR FIRE GROUND OPERATIONS, UH, FOR HAZARD MATERIALS, RESPONSES FOR RESCUE RESPONSES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
SO FIREFIGHTERS ACTUALLY CAN GO TO AND LEARN THESE, UH, THESE TRADE AND, AND WORK ON THEIR CRAFT AND, AND, AND LEARN THE NEW THINGS THAT TAKE PLACE.
SO IT'S VERY EVOLVING REGULARLY ON HOW WE DO STUFF.
AND WE NEED TO MEET THE STANDARDS.
AND WE NEED A TRAINING OFFICER.
IT'S MANDATED THAT WE, WE SHOULD HAVE SOMEBODY THAT MANAGES OUR TRAINING, THAT WOULD HELP WITH A LOT OF OUR, UM, POTENTIAL INJURIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT IN THE COMMUNICATION CENTER NEEDS.
WE NEED A DEDICATED FIRE DISPATCHER.
RIGHT NOW IT'S SHARED WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS.
THE POLICE DISPATCHERS DO POLICE AND FIRE.
THEY MAY DISPATCH IT, BUT THEN THEY MAY HAVE TO ANSWER ANOTHER CALL FOR SERVICE, SERVICE INTO THE PAP.
AND THEY CAN'T ANSWER THE FIRE RESOURCES THAT ARE, THAT ARE ON A FIRE POTENTIALLY, OR OTHER CALLS THAT COME IN FOR SERVICE.
THEY CAN'T DO THAT WHEN WE'RE WORKING A FIRE.
THERE SHOULD BE A DEDICATED FI THE DEDICATED PERSON ANSWER OUR CALLS.
WHAT THIS TIME THERE'S NOT A DEDICATED PERSON THAT CAN ANSWER A CALL.
IT'S NOT A DEDICATED PERSON THAT CAN HELP YOU IF YOU ARE NOT BREATHING OR BLEEDING, THEY MAY HAVE TO ANSWER ANOTHER 9 1 1 CALL.
THEY HAVE TO ANSWER A POLICE OFFICER.
THEY MIGHT HAVE TO ANSWER ANOTHER FIRE APPARATUS OR EVEN CALL ANOTHER AGENCY TO HELP COME TO A CALL IN WEST COA.
SO WE NEED TO ENHANCE OUR COMMUNICATIONS CENTER WITH, UH, DISPATCHERS.
AND, UH, ANOTHER, UH, AREA THAT WE CAN HELP OUT IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS CENTER, SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED TIERED DISPATCH.
IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A SYSTEM THAT THE DISPATCHER CAN EVALUATE WHAT RESOURCES NEED TO GO TO A CALL, MOSTLY RELATED TO, UH, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES CALLS BEING A, UM, A CUT FINGER VERSUS A, UH, A GUNSHOT WOUND VERSUS A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.
AND THAT DETERMINES WHAT RESOURCES WILL GO TO THE CALL.
WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES IN THE DISPATCH CENTER TO DO THAT.
UH, ANOTHER SERVICE THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE DO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH.
THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S NOT THE RESOURCES IN THERE TO HELP WITH MITIGATED EMERGENCY ON SCENE AND GIVE PRE-ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS.
YOU CALL 9 1 1, YOU'RE CHOKING.
THE DISPATCHER CAN SIT ON THE PHONE AND HELP YOU.
BUT THIS TIME WE CAN'T UTILIZE OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO BUSY HAVING A CALL FOR RESOURCES.
ANSWER ANOTHER NINE ONE ONE CALL OR DO DUAL DUAL SERVICE.
SO THERE WAS SOME EVALUATIONS OF OUR SERVICE DELIVERY.
THERE WAS THE STANDARDS OF COVERAGE DONE IN, UH, 2007.
THERE WAS A REPORT BY A, A GROUP, A MESSINA GROUP THAT DID IN 2021.
AND THEN THE, THE LA LAFCO DID A REPORT IN 2020.
A LOT OF THESE TALKED ABOUT SERVICES OF THE FIRE, FIRE DEPARTMENT, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS, AND PREVENTION.
WE'RE GONNA HIGHLIGHT JUST A COUPLE OF THOSE.
UM, SOME OTHER REPORTS WE NEED IS WE DO NEED TO DO AN UPDATED STANDARDS OF COVERAGE.
OBVIOUSLY HASN'T BEEN DONE IN 15 YEARS.
WE DO NEED TO DO A COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT.
UH, WE NEED TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I HAVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANNING HERE, BUT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
AS A LOT OF YOU SEEN AT THE RECENT COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'RE PLANNING ARE, WE'RE ALREADY DOING THE, UH, ANNEXES RELATED TO EMERGENCY PLANNING AND, UH, OPERATIONS RESPONSE.
SO, UH, I WANTED TO COMPARE SOME OTHER CITIES, UH, TO EVERYBODY.
CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF, WHOA, WHAT'S WEST COVINA SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND HOW DO WE DO IT COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES? THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE BASICALLY TALKS ABOUT OTHER CITIES THAT ALSO HAVE POLICE AND FIRE, WHICH MEANS THE BUDGET IS REQUIRED TO HAVE POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES.
THREE OTHER CITIES IN, UH, LA COUNTY HAVE DUAL SERVICE THAT DO NOT HAVE ANY EXTRA REVENUE SOURCE.
THAT WOULD BE MANHATTAN BEACH, BEVERLY HILLS AND PALOS VERDE'S.
AND THIS COMPARES, UH, WESCO, WHO DOES NOT HAVE AN EXTRA REVENUE SOURCE TO HELP FUND PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THERE THE COST PER CAPITA, HOW MUCH THOSE CITIES, UH, ACTUALLY PAY COST PER CAPITA.
THE NATIONAL STANDARD ON THIS SLIDE YOU CAN SEE IS $348.
THE CALIFORNIA STANDARD IS $414.
WEST COVENA, UH, ALLOCATES OUT OF THE BUDGET.
$190, UH, PER CAPITA AT THIS TIME.
FIREFIGHTERS PER CAPITA, THE NATIONAL STANDARDS, ONE TO 1000.
THIS ALSO OUTLINES, UH, HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS THEIR SQUARE MILES AND THE CALLS TO SERVICE THOSE, UH, DEPARTMENTS HAVE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, COMPARES WEST COVINA, UH, SERVICE DELIVERY TO DEPARTMENTS, UH, AGENCIES THAT HAVE A EXTRA REVENUE SOURCE AND DUAL SERVICE POLICE AND FIRE, WHICH MEANS THEY DO HAVE, UH, THE SALES TAX, USER, UTILITIES, TAX OR WHAT HAVE YOU TO HELP FUND PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A COUPLE COMPARISON THERE TO SEE THAT ARE ALMOST THE EXACT SAME, UM, POPULATION AS US 105 IN BURBANK, 111 IN DOWNEY.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY PAY FOR, UH, COST PER CAPITA, HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS THEY HAVE PER CAPITA IN RELATION TO HOW WE SERVICE OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THIS JUST SLIDE JUST HELPS SHOW THAT AND HOW MUCH CALLS FOR SERVICE THEY HAVE AS WELL.
[00:25:01]
WE'RE THE LOWEST OF EVERYBODY WITH DUAL SERVICE.THAT HAS AN EXTRA REVENUE SOURCE AS WELL.
IN 2007 LAST TIME STANDARDS OF COVERAGE WAS DONE.
UH, WE HAD SIX HOURS, 3 43 CALLS.
WE, WE FIELDED DAILY 10 10 APPARATUS.
10 10 RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO CALLS.
WE HAD SIX CIVILIAN PERSONNEL.
UH, ONE OF THOSE WAS PART-TIME.
AND WE HAD A BUDGET OF, UH, 15 MILLION ROUGHLY.
AND IN 2022, WE RAN 9,961 CALLS.
WE HAVE 70 SWORN PERSONNEL AND FIVE CIVILIAN.
HOWEVER, TWO OF THOSE ARE PART-TIME.
AND OUR BUDGET WAS, UH, 20 MILLION.
SOME THINGS TO TAKE, TAKE AWAY FROM THAT IS THERE'S 3,618 CALLS.
IN THAT 15 YEARS WE'VE INCREASED.
UH, WE CLOSED THE FIRE ENGINE AND WE DECREASED, UH, 11 PERSONNEL TO SERVICE THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS HOW OUTLINES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THE STANDARDS OF COVERAGE 15 YEARS AGO STATED THAT WE WERE NOT MEETING N FFA 1710 ON SCENE RESPONSE.
UH, NONE OF THE CALLS WE'RE RESPONDING TO.
AND THIS JUST REITERATES THE AMOUNT OF CALLS WE RAN ON IN THE PERSONNEL.
UH, THE MEINA MEINA GROUP REPORT BASICALLY TALKED ABOUT THE SAME STUFF THAT WE ALSO SAID.
UH, WE DO NEED FIRE PREVENTION ENHANCEMENT.
WE NEED TO INCREASE THE DISPATCH SYSTEM FOR FIREFIGHTER SAFETY AND, UH, STATION UPGRADES.
UH, WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF STATION UPGRADES, UH, REPAIRED SOME ROOFS AND DONE SOME, UH, UM, FLOORING AND PAINTING AND STUFF THAT, SO WE HAVE DONE THAT.
BUT THERE IS SOME OTHER, UH, UPGRADES THAT NEED TO BE DONE CONTINUE THROUGH OTHER STATION, STATION THREE AND STATION ONE NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AS WE ALL ARE AWARE OF THAT.
AND IT ALSO NOTICED SOME IMPACT FEES.
WE DO TRY TO GET SOME IMPACT FEES FOR NEW BUSINESSES AND NEW RESIDENCIES THAT COME IN, WHICH WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE THE INCREASED CALLS FOR SERVICE, INCREASED WEAR AND TEAR ON EQUIPMENT.
THERE WAS A, UH, A MUNICIPAL SERVICES REVIEW ON THE, ON THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION, DIFFERENT LOS ANGELES.
AND IT'S OUT THERE AND IT JUST TALKS ABOUT WHAT'S AROUND WEST COVENA.
AND IT HIGHLIGHTED SOME STUFF ON WESTCO AND IT, IT JUST BASICALLY TALKS ABOUT, UH, SERVICES THAT COULD BE RENDERED AND HELP, UH, THE COUNTY SERVICE AND IT COULD HELP WEST COVINA IS WHAT THAT REPORT SAID.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OVERTIME, KIND OF A BIG SUBJECT.
EVERYBODY'S PROBABLY HERE FOR THAT, BUT, SO WE'RE THERE.
NOW, OVERTIME, UH, IS ENACTED WHEN WE NEED TO HAVE CONSTANT STAFFING.
AND CONSTANT STAFFING MEANS, REQUIRES ONE FOR ONE BACKFILL.
AND THE ONE-FOR-ONE BACKFILL MEANS IF THERE'S A A, A SPOT ON ANY OF OUR APPARATUS, DAILY STAFFING APPARATUS, WE BACKFILL THAT WITH AN OVERTIME PERSON TO KEEP THAT RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY CALL FOR SERVICE.
IF WE DON'T BACKFILL THAT POSITION, THAT VEHICLE, THAT RESPONSE UNIT, THAT RESOURCE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND AND MITIGATE THE EMERGENCY IT'S INTENDED TO MITIGATE.
THOSE BACKFILLS ARE FILLED WITH PERSONNEL FROM OTHER SHIFTS, EITHER VOLUNTARY OR WE FORCE THEM.
UH, WE REGULARLY HAVE A NUMBER OF FORCES DAILY WHERE WE FORCE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING HOME AT ALL.
YOU'RE STUCK HERE, YOU ARE WORKING, YOU HAVE TO WORK THIS SPOT.
UM, SOME THINGS THAT AFFECT, UH, THE CONSTANT STAFFING IS THERE'S BENEFIT TIME.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS ARE AFFORDED LEAVE TIME, JUST LIKE EVERY BUSINESS.
YOU GET VACATION, YOU GET SICK.
THE DIFFERENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IF THE CAPTAIN ON ENGINE, UH, THREE HAS A VACATION DAY, WE HAVE TO BACKFILL THAT WE CAN'T LEAVE IT OPEN.
SO, UH, THE, THE MEMBERS ARE, UH, AFFORDED THIS LEAVE TIME, VACATION TIME, SICK TIME, BEREAVEMENT TIME, HOLIDAY AND COMP TIME.
THAT'S THE LEAVE TIMES THAT IS PART OF THE BENEFIT FOR THE, UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THIS OVERTIME AND THIS BENEFIT OF TIME DOESN'T INCLUDE NOW VACANCIES THAT OCCUR, INJURIES ON DUTY, WORKER'S COMP, UH, MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND OTHER LEAVE NEEDS.
SO WITH THAT, FOR THE UH, FISCAL YEAR OVERTIME BUDGET FOR 2223, UH, THE BUDGET HAD A 3,233,000 $160 ALLOCATED FOR OVERTIME.
AND WHAT THAT MONEY IS TO COVER IS TO COVER CONSTANT STAFFING FOR BUDGETED AND KNOWN LEAVES OF APP ABSENCE.
LIKE I STATED, VACATION, SICK BEREAVEMENT, COMP TIME, HOLIDAY IN LIEU.
SO WE HAVE TO FUND THAT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO FAR FROM JULY 1ST, THERE HAS BEEN 17,000 185 HOURS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR BENEFIT TIME, WHICH IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 1.2 MILLION.
THE WAY WE CAME UP WITH THAT WAS WE TOOK, OKAY, AN AN AVERAGE CAPTAIN OVERTIME RATE AND HOW MANY CAPTAINS WERE OFF ON THOSE LEAVES.
AND WE, THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THAT.
WE DID IT BY EACH AND EVERY RING.
SO THESE NUMBERS MAY NOT BE EXACT, BUT UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT 2.8 FOR THE YEAR.
UNFORESEEN OVERTIME COSTS CURRENTLY THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH INCLUDES WORKERS' COMPENSATION, WHICH IS UNKNOWN, WHO'S GONNA GET INJURED AND HAVE TO HAVE THE OFFER FOR SOME TIME.
WE'RE UNKNOWN PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE OFFER FOR COVID, EITHER COVID FAMILY OR COVID THEMSELVES.
AND THEN UNKNOWN VACANCIES THAT WE HAVEN'T FILLED YET, DUE TO A NUMBER OF REASONS.
[00:30:01]
FROM JULY 1ST TILL MARCH, UH, 15TH, UH, WE'VE SPENT 25,804 TOTAL HOURS TO BACKFILL THOSE, UH, UNFORESEEN UH, VACANCIES FOR A AMOUNT OF 1.6 MILLION THIS YEAR TO DATE.AND AGAIN, WE USE THE SAME, UH, METHOD, UH, METHOD METHODOLOGY WAS THE AVERAGE HOUR RATE PER RANK AND THE RANK HOURS THAT WERE OFF ON THOSE LEAVE TIMES.
AND THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THAT.
TO DIVE DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THAT, LIKE I STATED, JULY 1ST OF MARCH 15, INJURY ON DUTY SINCE JULY 1ST, WE'VE HAD 17 DIS DIFFERENT PERSONNEL THAT HAVE BEEN EITHER ON OR OFF DUTY.
SOME HAVE BEEN OFF SINCE THEN, SOME HAVE HAD SURGERIES AND IT'S COST US ROUGHLY ABOUT $900,000 OUTTA THAT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET FOR OVERTIME TO BACKFILL AND KEEP RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND RESPOND TO EVERY AND ALL EMERGENCIES IN THE CITY OF WEST COA.
AND, AND THAT'S A ROUGH ESTIMATE, UH, OF HOW I TOLD YOU HOW WE GOT TO THOSE NUMBERS.
COVID 19, WE'VE HAD TO BACKFILL EIGHT DIFFERENT PERSONNEL, ROUGHLY AROUND $31,000.
SO VACANCIES WE'VE HAD TO COVER OUT OF THAT BACKFILL VACANCIES FOR $614,000 OFF-DUTY INJURY.
THIS IS A PERSON WHO HAD TO TAKE LEAVE CAUSE THEY HURT THEMSELF OFF DUTY AND DIDN'T USE THE, UH, WORKER'S COMPENSATION OR I O D PORTION OF LEAVE TIME.
AND LIKE I SAID, TOTAL UNFORESEEN OVERTIME EXPENSES SO FAR HAS BEEN ROUGHLY ABOUT 1.6 MILLION TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THAT VACATION.
SICK HOLIDAY, INU AND COMP TIME AND ALSO BEREAVEMENT.
UH, THIS IS A NEGOTIATED TIME THAT'S AFFORDED TO ALL PERSONNEL.
SO THAT'S CAUSED US SOME LEAVE TIME AND OVERTIME.
AND THE SOLUTION IS THAT IT'S RELATED TO THE MOU AND, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE, OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE GONNA GET VACATION TIME, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SICK TIME, THEY'RE GONNA GO ON BEREAVEMENT.
AND THAT'S STUFF THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER PERSON IN ANY OTHER BUSINESS, ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION.
ADRIAN, ON DUTY, UH, HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM, OUR STAFF ARE BEING ASKED TO RUN MORE CALLS WITH LESS EQUIPMENT.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING INJURED MORE, THEY'RE RUNNING WAY MORE CALLS THAN WE EVER DID BEFORE.
INCREASED STAFFING WOULD HELP DISTRIBUTE THE WORKLOAD, HELP HOPEFULLY BRING DOWN THOSE INJURIES ON DUTY.
CONTINUING THIS COVID 19 IS ACTUALLY A GOOD NUMBER WHEN YOU TALK TO OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
WE DID SOME STUFF RIGHT AWAY TO IMPLEMENT POLICY PROCEDURES TO HELP LIMIT EXPOSURES IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE, WE WE, WE PURCHASED P P E TO REDUCE EXPOSURES.
TO REDUCE EXPOSURES AND THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, UH, OUR, OUR NUMBERS WERE LOWER THAN MOST LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND RELATED TO COVID, UH, BACK FILLING AND NEEDS WITH OUR PERSONNEL CONTINUING FOR VACANCIES.
UH, SO WE SPENT ABOUT $614,000 TO DO VACANCIES AND A NUMBER OF THAT IS IN A FIREFIGHTER PERMIT RANK.
IT'S JUST, IT'S A PROBLEM IN THE FIRE SERVICE RIGHT NOW, GETTING QUALIFIED PERSONNEL TO COME GET HIRED.
AND WE SPENT ABOUT $444,000 IN VACANCIES TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TEST, UH, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A RETENTION PROBLEM, PEOPLE LEAVING TO GO OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND WE HAVE TO BACKFILL THEM UNTIL WE CAN HIRE VACANCIES.
WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR WAS WE IDENTIFIED THAT WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE HIRING PEOPLE.
SO WE TOOK THREE FIREFIGHTERS AND WE SENT THEM TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
NOW WE HAD TO PAY THEIR SPOTS THAT ARE OPEN UNTIL THEY CAME BACK AND NOW THEY'RE FILLING FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC OVERTIME RIGHT NOW.
SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A MUCH WIN FOR THE COMMUNITY OF WEST COVENA AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO WE HAD PROMOTIONAL LISTS WHERE WE, UH, CONTINUE WITH THE CAPTAINS AND ENGINEERS PROMOTING INTO THOSE OPEN VACANCY SPOTS THAT WE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $170,000, UH, DOING THOSE LISTS, UH, UH, COMING UP THOSE LISTS OF ACTUALLY PROMOTE PEOPLE.
AND THAT WAS, THAT'S A VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT FOR OPEN SPOTS FOR PROMOTIONALS CUZ YOU NEVER KNOW HOW WHEN SOMEBODY'S GONNA RETIRE, SOMEBODY'S GONNA LEAVE, UH, TO GO TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE A PRO LIST TO PROMOTE THESE PEOPLE.
SO DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'RE A LEADER IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU'RE GETTING THE BEST OF THE BEST RESPONDING TO YOU ON EVERY SINGLE APPARATUS COMING TO YOU.
WE, WE ARE, WE ARE IDENTIFIED BY THE LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES ON OUR RETURN OF SPONTANEOUS, UH, CIRCULATION.
PEOPLE THAT HAVE STOPPED BREATHING.
WE ARE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTY AND WE GET RECOGNIZED EVERY SINGLE YEAR ON OUR, WHAT'S CALLED OUR ROSK SAVES.
AND, AND, AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WE HAVE DONE STUFF TO GET GRANTS.
WE WROTE GRANTS TO GET, OR SOMETHING CALLED THE LUCAS DEVICE TO HELP US DURING CPR THAT HELPS GIVE ADEQUATE CPR DURING SOMEBODY WHO'S IN A, IN A CARDIAC ARREST.
AND WE'VE ALSO DONE SOME HUMAL IOS, WHICH IS A BETTER WAY TO GIVE IVS WHEN PEOPLE'S IN A CRITICAL SITUATION.
AND SO WE'RE THE LEADER IN A LOT OF THAT STUFF.
AND, AND 87% OF OUR PERSONNEL ARE ALL PARAMEDICS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT THAT COST.
AND UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOMEBODY IN RESPONSE TO EVERY SINGLE CALL, SOME PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS WE HAVE THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE HAVE THE TACTICAL EMERGENCY MEDICINE, THE SWAT MEDICS THAT HELP MITIGATE A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY TAKES PLACE.
ANY SWAT CALL OUT TO ANY CIVILIANS, ANY POLICE PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY.
WE ARE PART OF URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE.
WE HAVE TRAINED A NUMBER OF PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY, UM, COLLAPSES, ANY EARTHQUAKES OR ANYTHING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
WE WERE GONNA BE RELYING ON OTHER MUTUAL AID DEPARTMENTS
[00:35:01]
TO WHICH WE HAVE BUILT A PROGRAM HERE.SO WE CAN HELP ME TO GET THAT.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO WITH THAT.
AND WE ARE, WE HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL THAT ARE TRAINED AND EXPERTS.
THEY ARE, WE ARE NOW PART OF A REGIONAL TASK PART TASK FORCE, TASK FORCE TWO.
ABOUT AN HOUR AGO WE GOT REQUESTED TO GO UP TO BAKERSFIELD TO A NUMBER OF SEARCH AND RESCUE ISSUES FOR COLLAPSES IN THE AVALANCHES.
SO OUR MEMBERS FROM OUR URBAN SEARCH ION ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE RESPONDING TO HELP OUT OUR NEIGHBORING MUTUAL AID, WHICH IS, UH, FULLY REFUNDABLE BY THE STATE.
WE HAVE A ROBUST ARSON INVESTIGATION TEAM THAT WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND TO ANY, UM, CALLS FOR SERVICE WHERE WE HAD AN ARSON AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, EVALUATE THAT, INVESTIGATE THOSE AND ARREST PEOPLE AND, UM, GET THOSE CRIMINALS OFF THE STREET MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
WE ALSO ARE PART OF A REGIONAL SYSTEM FOR THE, UH, FOR A UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.
DRONES, UH, WE'VE GOT GRANTS FROM THE COUNTY AND FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP A DRONE PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE A REGIONAL RESPONSE, WHICH IS REFUNDABLE, WHICH IS REIMBURSABLE I SHOULD SAY IF WE RESPOND TO THAT REQUEST AND ENHANCES OUR ABILITY TO MITIGATE EMERGENCIES HERE IN WEST COA.
AND WITH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME, UM, ACTION SHOTS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOING SOME HAZARD MATERIALS TRAINING, RESPONDING TO REAL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSES FOR FIRES, DOING SOME SEARCHES, UH, AND A RESCUE OF, UH, SOMEBODY TRAPPED OTHER FIRES, CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE CANAL, A BRUSH FIRE.
AND THAT'S JUST SOME ACTION SHOTS FOR Y'ALL.
AND WITH THAT, THAT'S THE END OF MY, UH, PRESENTATION.
I HOPE I GAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION AND I'M SURE WE HAVE A TON OF QUESTIONS.
UM, THANK YOU CHIEF, IF WE COULD JUST TAKE A BREATH FOR A MOMENT.
REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE.
THIS MEETING IS BEING RECORDED AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE YOUTUBE.
IF WE COULD TALK ONE AT A TIME, I'M HAPPY TO PASS OUT THE MICROPHONE.
WE CAN SHARE IF YOU'LL RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE'LL, UM, WELCOME THOSE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAVE, UH, CAPTAIN SEAN WISE AND WE HAVE ASSISTANT CHIEF MIKE BROWN THAT'S GONNA WALK AROUND WITH SOME MICROPHONES.
AND FEEL FREE TO ASK YOUR QUESTION, TRY NOT TO MAKE 'EM TOO HARD OF QUESTIONS.
UM, IF I BELIEVE SO, A QUINT WAS AT ONE TIME AT STATION FIVE.
DO THEY MOVE AROUND FROM STATION TO STATION? THAT'S QUESTION ONE BECAUSE NOW IT'S AT STATION.
CAN YOU ELABORATE WHAT A COMMAND UNIT IS? THANK YOU.
UH, THE QUINT UH, THE QUINT THE TRUCK COMPANY WAS MOVED WHEN WE SHUT DOWN ENGINE FOUR IN 2018 FROM STATION TWO TO STATION FOUR.
UH, AFTER SOME TIME OF IT BEING THERE, WE, WE WERE REALIZING THAT IT WASN'T BEST SERVED THE COMMUNITY THERE.
A UH, STATION FOUR'S DISTRICT HAS A LOT OF HILLS, IT HAS GALER PARK, IT HAS SOME LOCATIONS THAT THE TRUCK, WHICH IS A VERY LARGE VEHICLE, NOT INTENDED TO GO ON DAY-TO-DAY EMERGENCY RESPONSES AND BE BASICALLY POUNDED IN THE GROUND.
AND WE WERE WEARING AND WE WAS A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON IT.
AND UH, IT WAS SLOW TO GET TO THE CALLS IN THOSE LOCATIONS AND WE HAD TO FIRE A GALER PARK TO WHERE THE TRUCK WAS THE FIRST ONE THERE AND IT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE APPROPRIATE VEHICLE TO GO ON THAT CALL FIRST.
SO WE DID A LITTLE CHANGE OF OUR, UH, DEPLOYMENT MODEL.
WE MOVED IT TO STATION TWO AND OBVIOUSLY SINCE THE ENGINE COMPANY WAS AT STATION TWO, WE MOVED THAT TO ENGINE FOUR AND IT'S JUST A NUMBERING THING.
WE NOW OPENED ENGINE FOUR AND CLOSED ENGINE TWO.
WE STILL HELP, WE WERE STILL DOWN ONE ENGINE COMPANY.
UH, SECOND QUESTION, WHAT IS A COMMAND UNIT? SO, UH, THE DAY-TODAY OPERATIONS NEED TO HAVE A SHIFT COMMANDER IN WEST COVINA WE CALL OUR SHIFT COMMANDERS, ASSISTANT CHIEFS, OTHER CITIES CALL THEM BATTALION CHIEFS, DIVISION CHIEFS, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT NAMES FOR 'EM.
BASICALLY THEY RUN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF ALL THE PERSONNEL THEY'RE WORKING.
THEY MANAGE AND MITIGATE AND COMMAND ANY EMERGENCY THAT TAKES, UH, MULTIPLE RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE.
UH, BE IT A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, A PIECE OF PEOPLE'S TRAPPED, UH, BE IT A COLLAPSE, A STRUCTURE FIRE, SOMEBODY OVER INTO THE CANAL, HAZARD MATERIALS RESPONSE.
WE NEED SOMEBODY THERE THAT'S ACTUALLY AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL OPERATIONS AND THEY'RE OUTSIDE MANAGING RESOURCES, ASSIGNING RESOURCES, LISTENING TO THE RADIOS READY FOR ANY MAYDAY, ANY, ANY, ANY PERSONNEL TO GET INJURED.
AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, OUR SHIFT COMMANDERS DO WHAT MOST OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO.
THEY ALSO MANAGE THE OTHER CALLS THAT ARE GOING ON THE CITY, MAKING SURE DISPATCH IS GETTING MUTUAL AID AND AUTOMATICALLY TO COVER OUR STATIONS WHILE WE'RE MITIGATING THAT EMERGENCY.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING THAT AT THE SAME TIME AT THE COMMAND UNIT.
COMMAND UNIT HAS TO HAVE A NUMBER OF RADIOS CUZ WHEN WE'RE MITIGATING EMERGENCY, THERE'S A, UH, ADMINISTRATION RADIO CHANNEL THAT PEOPLE COMING TO THE FIRE OR THE UH, EMERGENCY, THERE'S A COMMAND, UH, CHANNEL, THERE'S A TACTICAL CHANNEL, THERE'S EMERGENCY, UH, UH, RESPONSE CHANNEL WHAT FOR FOR EMERGENCY SAFETY PROBLEM ON THE FIRE.
SO THEY HAVE TO MANAGE ALL THAT AND THEY KEEP TRACK AND THEY DOCUMENT THE INCIDENT AS IT GOES ON.
HOPE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WITH THE INCREASE OF FIRES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF IT IS A ELECTRIC VEHICLE IN INVOLVED OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, A HEATING RELATED ISSUE LIKE WE'VE HAD IN THE
[00:40:01]
LAST COUPLE WEEKS? AND THEN SECONDLY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE OVERTIME ISSUES, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF HAVING PEOPLE TRAINED TO FILL IN, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY YOU HIRE A CREW TO FILL IN VACANCIES AND BE TRAINED IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THEY COULD HELP FILL IN SO THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE DO OVERTIME, BUT PERHAPS A PERSON THAT CAN EITHER DO INSPECTIONS IF EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, THERE OR FILL IN FOR VACANCIES.TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, THAT'S A REALLY IN-DEPTH QUESTION.
IT WOULD TAKE A DIVING INTO AND GO INTO EVERY SINGLE CALL AND SEE WHAT THE CAUSE OF THAT CALL WAS AND DETERMINE WHICH ONES ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
WE DO A, A MASS UPLOAD TO THE NATIONAL FIRE INCIDENT REPORTING SYSTEM AND THEY CALCULATE ALL THAT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THERE'S REPORTS THAT COME OUT ANNUALLY, UM, THROUGH THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION AND, AND ALL THE DIFFERENT, SOME AGENCIES THAT DETERMINE WHAT FIRES WERE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT READILY AVAILABLE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT 34 OF OUR CAR FIRES WERE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND SIX OF OUR FIRES WERE FROM A HEATING SOURCE.
UM, THAT'S, WE DON'T HAVE THAT READILY AVAILABLE TO GIVE YOU THAT NUMBER.
TO ANSWER YOUR OTHER QUESTION.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN EVEN HARDER QUESTION TO ANSWER.
UM, EITHER WAY TO FILL THAT SPOT TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE STILL GO, YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOU, IT WOULD BE BACKFILLED WITH AN OVERTIME SPOT.
IF I HEAR YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY HAVE EXTRA PEOPLE ON DUTY EVERY DAY.
THAT'S STILL A CORRECT, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO PAY THEM A SALARY.
SO IT'S EITHER, UH, WITH THAT SALARY YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY THEIR SALARY, THEIR BENEFITS, THEY GET TIME OFF AS WELL.
SO THE COST FOR HAVING AN EXTRA CAPTAIN ON EVERY DAY OR YOU WOULD NEED WHAT, FIVE CAPTAINS ON EVERY DAY.
IF ALL FIVE OF THOSE CAPTAINS TOOK THE DAY OFF, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE FIVE FLOATERS I THINK IS THE TERM THAT'S BEEN USED BEFORE.
BUT NOW WE'RE PAYING THEM A FULL SALARY.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY CHEAPER CUZ OVERTIME IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO UTILIZE DAILY TO FILL THE RESOURCES AND HAVE THEM CONSTANT STAFFING.
THEN HAVING A FULL-TIME SALARY.
IF, IF ONE CAPTAIN WAS GONE, LET'S SAY A SPOT IS GONE EVERY SINGLE, LET'S SAY A CAPTAIN WAS ON INJURY FOR THE WHOLE YEAR AND WE FILLED THAT IN WITH OVERTIME THE WHOLE YEAR.
IT'S CHEAPER THAN HIRING A F SIXTH CAPTAIN THAT'S ON DUTY THAT DAY AND HIS BENEFITS AND SAVING AND SALARY TO FILL THAT SPOT.
IF MY MEMORY IS CORRECT, THE CITY MANAGER HAS DONE REPORTS THAT INDICATED YOU'RE GETTING WHAT YOU, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT OUT OF COVID MONEY.
IT SEEMS TO ME YOU GOT EQUIPMENT LIKE AN ENGINE OR A QUINT OR SOMETHING IF YOU DID, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT? VERY GOOD QUESTION.
UH, SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE THROUGH THE COVID ARPA MONEY, WE RECEIVED FUNDS THROUGH THE BUDGET TO UH, ORDER TWO FIRE ENGINES AND ONE TRUCK, WHICH IS ALSO A QUINT CABLE TRUCK.
THEY BOTH ARE CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION AND BEING BILLED.
OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN BACK TO, UH, THE FACTORY AND THEY HAVE BUILT, THEY HAVE DONE THE SPECS AND THEY SHOULD BE HERE.
FINGERS CROSSED WE WERE PROMISED MAY, BUT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT AUGUST, SEPTEMBER.
ON THAT NOTE TO LET YOU KNOW IF WE ORDERED A FIRE ENGINE RIGHT NOW TODAY, ANY FIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES WHO ORDERED A FIRE ENGINE FROM A NUMBER OF, UH, VENDORS THAT MAKE FIRE ENGINES, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A THREE YEAR DELIVERY TIME.
I'M TRYING TO SAY MY NEXT SENTENCE IS OBJECTIVELY AND CALMLY AS I CAN, WILL THESE NEW EQUIPMENT BE ELECTRIC VEHICLES? I'VE READ THERE'S FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE GOING EV I CAN ANSWER THAT ONE WORD NO.
ANYWAY, MY, MY QUESTION IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, BUT IT STARTS IN THE SAME PLACE SHE DID, WHICH GOES BACK TO THE COVID MONEY.
UH, I OBJECTED AT THE TIME AND I'M STILL OBJECTING TO A, UH, ALLOCATING THE COVID MONEY ALL TO ENGINES.
UH, FROM EVERYTHING I'VE STUDIED AND I'VE STUDIED THIS ISSUE A LOT.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO DISPATCH IS CALLED TIERED RESPONSE.
AND THE REASON IT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE IS YOU CAN TAILOR THE RESPONSE TO EXACTLY WHAT THE SITUATION IS AND SAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES.
UH, AND I'LL JUST GIVE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF CALLS FOR UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICES ARE FOR MEDICAL SERVICES.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF MEDICAL SERVICES CALLS ARE NOT FOR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.
THEY'RE FOR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.
AND THE CITY HAS NO STAFFING FOR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.
THEY ONLY HAVE STAFFING FOR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AND FOR FIRES.
AND YET WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, NATIONAL DATA,
[00:45:01]
IT THE VAST THE NEED IS FOR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.SIMPLE THINGS LIKE I FELL DOWN AND I CAN'T GET UP.
YOU DON'T NEED FIVE PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
BUT THE CITY, THAT'S WHAT THE CITY DOES.
THEY TAKE FIVE PEOPLE TO RESPOND AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TIERED RESPONSE.
TIERED RESPONSE IS YOU SIZE THE RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION.
BASICALLY IF SOMEBODY FALLS, YOU SEND AN EMT.
AND I, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING THIS FOR ACTUALLY WAY BEFORE THE CURRENT PEOPLE ARE HERE.
UH, THE CURRENT COUNCIL, CURRENT FIRE CHIEF, CURRENT CITY MANAGER.
UH, AND I I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE CITY CHOSE NOT TO SPEND ANY OF ITS VAST RESOURCES.
20 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, DIDN'T SPEND ANY OF IT, UH, TO FURTHER EFFECTIVE USE OF THE PERSONNEL.
I'M, I'M MORE OF A, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE AND I SPENT A LOT MORE TIME STUDYING IT THAN I JUST FINISHED TALKING ABOUT IT.
BUT I REALLY THINK THIS DESERVES SERIOUS INQUIRY, UH, AND UH, SERIOUS CONSIDERATION OF, UH, UH, ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UH, AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A MODEL THAT I'M AWARE OF.
CAN WE TAKE SOME OF THAT AT A TIME? CUZ YOU ASKED A LOT.
I WANNA, I DON'T WANNA FORGET 'EM.
JUST ONE LAST THING, JUST AN EXAMPLE.
LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT USES TIERED FIRE.
THEY NEVER SEND FIVE PEOPLE ON A RESPONSE.
THE MO THEY SEND FOUR FOR A, A, A, A STRUCTURE FIRE AND TWO FOR MEDICAL.
AND, AND THE COST IS REASONABLE.
FOUR MINUTES INCLUDING THE DISPATCH TIME AND THE PREP TIME.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT MODEL SHOULD BE COPIED.
I'LL START OFF WITH YOUR FIRST POINT.
UM, JIM WAS YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE, THE COVID ARPA MONEY AND THAT WE SPENT ALL THE MONEY ON FIRE APPARATUS AND YOU DISCRETED THAT WE ALSO SPENT, I CAN SPEAK FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER ALL THE STUFF THAT WAS SPENT WITH THAT, WITH THOSE FUNDS, BUT WE BOUGHT, UH, NEEDED UH, UM, EKGS WITH THAT MONEY.
WE HAD TO, WE HAD, UM, OUR EDS WERE LIKE 15, 16 YEARS OLD, SO WE UPDATED THOSE.
WE ALSO, UH, ARE BUYING SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS.
WE ALSO PURCHASED TWO AMBULANCES, WHICH IS A WHOLE NOTHER STORY, A LITTLE DELAYED ON UH, ON GETTING THEM HERE.
UH, WE ALSO, UM, I THINK WE DID SOME NEEDED, UH, MANDATED RES RENOVATIONS OF THE FIRE STATION WITH THOSE.
SO WE DIDN'T JUST BUY FIRE ENGINES.
UM, BUT NOW I'LL GO TO THE TIER DISPATCHING.
WE DO NEED DEDICATED DISPATCHES TO TIER DISPATCHING, BUT AF FROM BEING IN THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 37 YEARS AND GONE ON HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CALLS, I WOULD NEVER JUST WANT TWO EMTS SENT TO A FALL BECAUSE THE PERSON CALLING THE NINE ONE ONE CALL IS NOT A DOCTOR OR AN EMT OR A PARAMEDIC OR SOMEBODY THAT'S TRAINED IN ANY LIFE SUPPORT MO LIFE LIFESAVING SERVICES.
A LOT OF TIMES THOSE FALLS ARE HEAD INJURIES.
THEY'RE BLEEDING OUT A BROKEN NECK, A BROKEN LEG.
TWO PEOPLE IN EMTS ARE NOT GONNA MITIGATE THAT EMERGENCY.
YOU DO NEED THE FIVE PERSONNEL.
SO TIER DISPATCH WILL HELP WITH UNDERSTANDING SMALLER CALLS THAN THAT, A BROKEN FINGER, A CUT FINGER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND TAILOR THAT TIER DISPATCH AND WILL STILL SEND MOST OF OUR CALLS, THE FIVE PERSONNEL.
AND THAT IS THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO MOST OF THOSE CALLS.
WE NEED TEAR DISPATCHING AND WE DO NEED EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCHING.
NOW TO YOUR LA CITY, YOU REFERENCE LA SAID I'LL BRING THAT TO YOU.
LA CITY DOES HAVE BASIC LIFE SUPPORTS AND THEY FUND THAT WITH, THEY FILL THAT WITH TWO FIREFIGHTERS AND THOSE FIREFIGHTERS AVAILABLE TO ALSO GO ON ON CALLS.
THE COST FOR THAT IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND THEY DO NOT JUST SEND TWO FIREFIGHTERS ON MOST OF OUR CALLS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT INFORMATION COME FROM.
I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU FURTHER TO HELP YOU GET THAT INFORMATION PROPERLY.
AND THEY DO NOT JUST SEND FOUR PERSONNEL TO A FIRE.
THEY ACTUALLY SEND, PROBABLY AN CAPTAIN WISE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE VERSED ON ME.
I THINK THEY SEND ABOUT SIX MORE PERSONNEL ON A STRUCTURE FIRE THAN US ON EVERY SINGLE STRUCTURE RESPONSE.
SO, UH, AND THEIR AND THEIR STAFFING IS FOUR FIREFIGHTERS OR FOUR PERSONNEL ON EVERY SINGLE FIRE ENGINE AND FIVE ON EVERY FIRETRUCK.
AND WE ARE, LIKE I STATED, THREE AND FOUR, WHICH THE FIVE AND FOUR IS THE INDUSTRY STANDARD.
SO WE'RE NOT EVEN MEETING THE INDUSTRY STANDARD TO FIELD OUR RESOURCES WITH THE PROPER, UM, PEOPLE HAVE.
HAVE YOU ANYTHING FURTHER WITH THAT OR QUESTIONS WITH THAT OR, OH WAIT, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF THAT, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDUSTRY STANDARD AND WHAT'S A REQUIREMENT IN STAFFING? SO, UH, THERE'S N F P STANDARDS THAT TALKS ABOUT WHAT, WHAT A, WHAT A FIRE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE ON IT, WHAT A PARAMEDIC YOU SHOULD HAVE ON IT.
UH, LA COUNTY DECIDES WHAT, HOW, WHAT PARAMEDICS NEED TO BE ON A CERTAIN APPARATUS IF IT'S A ASSESSMENT ENGINE OR IF IT'S A ASSESSMENT TRUCK OR IF IT'S A, UH, PARAMEDIC UNIT AND THEY DICTATE HOW MANY PERSONNEL TO BE ON IT.
THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS, WHAT WE'VE DETERMINED THAT HELPS WITH
[00:50:01]
VICTIM SURVIVABILITY.WE'VE, THE, THE, UH, INDUSTRY OF THE FIRE SERVICES EVALUATED CALLS AND THE TYPES OF FIRES WE GO ON EVERY DAY.
IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S A, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE HOW MUCH TESTING THEY DO.
AND THEY'VE DETERMINED THAT, HEY, IF YOU SEND THIS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ON THE FIRST UNIT TO GET THERE, THE SURVIVABILITY OF THE VICTIMS THAT ARE IN THAT FIRE, THE SURVIVABILITY OF THE FIREFIGHTERS, SAVING THOSE VICTIMS WITH A CALL, YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS PERSONNEL GOING AND THEY SHOULD GET THERE IN THIS TIME.
IF THEY GET THERE OUTSIDE THAT TIME, THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOMEBODY SURVIVING THAT CALL IS LITTLE TO NONE.
THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THE INDUSTRY STANDARD OR WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
I THOUGHT JIM HAD MORE TO SAY.
UM, I MEAN THIS IN THE MOST RESPECTFUL WAY.
WHAT DOES THE FIRE CHIEF DO? LIKE WHAT DO THEY OVERSEE? UH,
UH, TWO, IF WE GO BACK A COUPLE SLIDES WHERE YOU COMPARE THE COST, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 2017 AND 2022, THERE'S LIKE A 5 MILLION DIFFERENCE.
IS THAT DUE TO, UM, THE BARGAINING UNITS GETTING INCREASES FOR, UM, ALL THE FI OR THE STAFF OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT MADE UP OF? AND THREE, RECENTLY THERE WAS AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT, IF YOU WANNA CALL IT THAT, OF THE OVERTIME.
WE WERE NEVER GIVEN AN ANSWER AS TO HOW THE OVERTIME IS APPROVED.
LIKE WHAT IS THAT PROCESS? SO TO ANSWER TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WHAT DOES THE FIRE CHIEF DO? UM, THAT COULD BE A WHOLE NOTHER TWO HOUR MEETING CUZ YOU KNOW, UH, SO THE FIRE CHIEF MANAGES ALL THE ADMINISTRATION, FIRE PREVENTION OPERATIONS OVERSEAS, EVERYTHING, HIRING, UM, EVERYTHING.
UH, ALSO, UH, I MANAGE THE, UH, FIRE AS THE FIRE MARSHAL HANDLE ALL THE PLAN CHECKS.
EVERYTHING COMES FROM FIRE PREVENTION, FIRE INSPECTIONS, MANAGE ALL THE PERSONNEL.
UM, UH, BASICALLY, UH, I, I, I ALSO, UH, WRITE ALL THE REPORTS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE, YOU KNOW, STAFF REPORTS, STUFF LIKE THAT AND DETERMINE WHAT OUR BUDGET'S GONNA BE AND MANAGE ALL THAT.
UH, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY PERSONNEL IN FIRE ADMINISTRATION THAT'S, THAT'S ASSISTING ME.
I'M, I'M, I'M A ONE MAN SHOP BASICALLY.
SO IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN ALMOST EVERY FIRE DEPARTMENT IN OUR REGION, I'M ALSO THE LOCAL ENFORCEMENT AGENT TO OUR BKK LANDFILL, WHICH MEAN I MANAGE AN INSPECTOR THAT GOES OUT AND INSPECTS THE PORTION THAT THE, THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO ENFORCE, UH, VIOLATIONS AND INSPECTIONS THERE.
AND I ALSO MANAGE THAT, WHICH IS, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, MEETINGS AND DETERMINING INDUSTRY STANDARD AND HELPING WRITING POLICIES AND DIRECTING PERSONNEL AND GOING OUT TO THE CRUISE.
AND I TRAIN WITH THEM AND I GO ON CALLS WITH THEM TOO.
IF THERE'S A BIG FIRE, BIG EMERGENCY.
I'M THERE, I'M THERE TO SUPPORT MY TEAM, WHICH IS EITHER MAYBE, UH, COMMUNICATING WITH THE CITY GOVERNMENT TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THAT CALL DEALING WITH, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING THERE, MAKE SURE THEY'RE FED, THEY GOT FOOD, THEY GOT EQUIPMENT.
MAKE SURE OTHER RESOURCES ARE ON THOSE CALLS.
SO IF THERE'S A FIRE AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, THE DISPATCH CENTER CALLS ME AND WAKES ME UP AND I COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER AGENCIES, MAKE SURE WE HAVE AMBULANCES COMING.
WE HAVE FIRE ENGINES COMING FROM DIFFERENT AGENCIES WHILE I'M, WHILE I'M THERE.
AND I HELP WITH THAT CUZ THE INSTANT COMMANDER IS RUNNING THE CALL.
DISPATCH IS ANSWERING THE CALLS.
THEY NEED SOMEBODY TO DO THAT.
SO I DO THAT MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE HAVE A, A FIRE YOUR CALL, UH, THE COMPARISON WAS 2007 TO 2022.
UM, I THINK YOU ASKED WAS THE 5 MILLION, UM, I MEAN THAT, THAT, THAT EQUATES TO, I BELIEVE IT WAS 1.6% A YEAR.
UH, INFLATION IS MORE THAN THAT.
AND MOST OF THE TIME WE SHOULD BE GOING UP ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO 4% A YEAR IN COST, UH, TO PUT MONEY AWAY TO BUY FIRE ENGINES, FIRE EQUIPMENT, UH, FIRE AMBULANCES TO PREPARE FOR TRAINING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO WE SHOULD BE HAVING THAT THERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT FIVE MINUTE, 5 MILLION WAS.
IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY SMALL AMOUNT FROM THAT 15 YEARS.
AND THEN THE, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION, I APOLOGIZE.
WHAT WAS YOUR QUE I WAS APPROVED.
SO WE HAVE A CONSTANT STAFFING.
WE FIELD TW 23 PERSONNEL A DAY, WHICH COMES DOWN TO FIVE CAPTAINS, FIVE ENGINEERS, ONE SHIFT COMMANDER, AND THEN THE FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS ON THE APPARATUS.
AND WHEN A, WHEN THERE'S A VACANCY, WELL, HOWEVER THAT VACANCY TAKES PLACE, JUST THAT ONE VACANCY OF THAT DAY.
IF SOMEBODY CALLS IN SICK, SOMEBODY'S OUT ON BEREAVEMENT, SOMEBODY'S OUT ON INJURY THAT IS FILLED AND THERE'S A SYSTEM THAT'S IN THERE.
NOBODY GETS TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN OVERTIME.
IT'S A SYSTEM THAT DETERMINES WHO'S UP NEXT.
IT TELLS YOU, HEY, SO SOMEBODY CAN'T GO, YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANT THIS OVERTIME, I'M GONNA TAKE THE DAY OFF.
THE SYSTEM TELLS WHO'S NEXT FOR THE OVERTIME AND WHO'S AVAILABLE TO TAKE AN OVERTIME.
IT ALSO TELLS WHO'S FORCED TO TAKE AN OVERTIME.
CUZ MOST OF THE, MOST OF THE, UH, FIREFIGHTERS DON'T, DON'T WANNA WORK.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, OUR DAILY SCHEDULE, PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO WORK AND WE TELL THEM, YOU'RE NOT GOING HOME TODAY.
THE SYSTEM TELLS THAT WHO'S UP FOR THAT? BY HOW MANY TIMES THEY'VE BEEN FORCED, HOW MANY TIMES THEY'VE BEEN ON OVERTIME, VOLUNTARY,
[00:55:01]
INVOLUNTARY.AND IT, AND THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY PICKS IT.
SO, UM, WHAT IS APPROVED IS LEAVES.
IT'S VERY LITTLE, UM, DUE TO CO CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS OF VACATION DAYS THAT ARE TAKEN OFF.
UH, AND WHEN THEY, WHEN THAT CAN HAPPEN, WHO'S AVAILABLE? CUZ WE, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE EVERY SINGLE 23 PEOPLE TAKEN OFF A VACATION DAY AND THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE 23 OVERTIME.
IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO THERE'S SOME LEEWAY THERE TO MITIGATE THAT.
AND SOMETIMES GUYS' VACATIONS ARE, ARE CANCELED.
I HEAR THE COMPLAINTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I HAD VACATION GOING HERE AND IT WAS, WAS CANCELED CAUSE I GOT FORCED THESE TWO DAYS AND, AND THEN I, AND I HAVE TO HEAR IT FROM FAMILIES TOO THAT CALL.
CAUSE WE'RE FORCING PEOPLE TO WORK.
THIS IS, I'M GONNA BLAME THIS ON MARSHA CUZ SHE ASKED ME TO TALK SOME MORE.
UH, MY OTHER FAVORITE SUBJECT, UH, AND THIS STARTED AGAIN WAY BEFORE THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT ERA COUNCIL, UH, EACH AND EVERY YEAR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS OVERDRAFTED IT'S ADOPTED BUDGET, UH, BY AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS, MOST OFTEN BY $2 MILLION.
AND, AND, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SPENDING IN THE DEPARTMENT, EACH AND EVERY YEAR, THE PATTERN IS CONSISTENT.
THAT THE REASON FOR THIS OVERDRAFT IS ESSENTIALLY OVERTIME.
AND I THINK THERE'S, AND I'VE SAID THIS IN PUBLIC AT COUNCIL MEETINGS SEVERAL TIMES, I THINK THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A BUDGET IS.
A BUDGET IS A PLAN OF WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SPEND IN THE YEAR.
AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STICK WITH IT.
IT ACTUALLY IS ADOPTED COUNCIL POLICY THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STICK WITH YOUR BUDGET.
AND YET EACH AND EVERY YEAR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T.
AND IT'S UNIQUE BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT.
POLICE HAS HAD THE PROBLEM IN THE PAST, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE IT CURRENTLY.
UH, THE UH, AND THE REASON I'M EXERCISING ABOUT THIS IS I'VE DONE BUDGETS ALL MY LIFE.
I'VE, THE LAST 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE, I ACTUALLY SPECIALIZED IN BANKRUPT AGENCIES.
UH, AND WHY DID THEY, WHY WERE THEY BANKRUPT? THEY SPENT MORE THAN THEY TOOK IN.
AND WEST COVINA HAD THAT PROBLEM UNTIL THE MON
BUT, UH, THE PROBLEM WILL DEVELOP AGAIN IF BUDGET ISN'T MANAGED.
AND, AND MY POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE WITH THIS LITTLE SPEECH, CUZ IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION, IS I THINK THERE'S A CONCEPTUAL PROBLEM.
YOU USE THE PHRASE UNANTICIPATED OVER TIME IN YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.
IF IT HAPPENS EACH AND EVERY YEAR, IT'S NOT AN UNANTICIPATED, UH, IT EITHER SHOULD BE BUDGETED FOR FROM THE, OR MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE PROGRAM TO MATCH THE BUDGET.
UH, TO ME, THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO VALID CHOICES, UH, IF AN AGENCY IS TO BE RUN PROPERLY, MANAGED PROPERLY.
AND, UH, AND I, THIS YEAR, I I JUST DID AN ANALYSIS OF YOUR CURRENT SPENDING PATTERN AND YOUR CURRENT ADOPTED BUDGET, AND YOU'RE GONNA OVERDRAFT AGAIN BY AT LEAST A MILLION.
AND THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE WITH ALL OF THIS IS THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CHANGE THIS PATTERN.
UH, THERE IS GOING TO COME A TIME NOT VERY DISTANT FUTURE WHERE THE CITY'S AGAIN AND GONNA FACE MONEY PROBLEMS. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GONNA SOLVE IT IS BY MANAGING YOUR BUDGET.
AND I KNOW THE MONEY PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO UN UNBELIEVABLY EXPENSIVE PENSION COSTS.
I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THAT'S THE UNDERLYING ISSUE, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO MANAGE IT REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CAUSE IS.
SO, SO THERE WAS A QUESTION IN THERE, JIM.
BASICALLY YOU ASKED ABOUT MANAGING THE BUDGET AND WHAT IS ADOPTED BUDGET AND, UM, UNFORESEEN, THE UNFORESEENS DON'T HAPPEN EVERY YEAR.
WE DON'T HAVE, THERE WAS A TIME IN THE PAST PRIOR TO THE CURRENT COUNCIL OF THE CURRENT, UH, MANAGEMENT TEAM, WELL, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT WERE, WE'RE NOT FUNDED.
AND IT COSTS A LOT TO FILL THOSE TO PAY FOR THOSE VACANCIES.
THAT WAS THE OVERTIME PROBLEM BEFORE.
NOW WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO KEEP THESE VACANCIES UNDER CONTROL AND THEY RARELY HAPPEN.
AND OUR FINANCE TEAM DOES AN AMAZING JOB EVALUATING HOW MUCH THEY'RE GONNA COST TO FUND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY ALLOCATE TO US.
AND LIKE I STATED IN THE SLIDE, WE HAD 17 PERSONNEL THAT WERE INJURED, OVERWORKED, NOT ENOUGH PROPER EQUIPMENT FOR THEM TO GO ON WORKING ON OLD FIRE ENGINES, DOING THE JOB FOR YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THEY DON'T WANT TO GO OUT AND GET THESE SURGERIES.
THAT OVERTIME BUDGET IS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH WOULD TAKE US UNDER THE BUDGET AMOUNT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE 17 INJURIES.
AND A WAY TO FIX THAT AS WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT.
SO I DISCUSSED HOW MUCH WE'VE PAYING FOR OUR BUDGET AND OUR BUDGET SHOULD BE MORE TO ACTUALLY
[01:00:01]
SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND THE RESOURCES WE NEED, OUR MATERIALS AND SAFE, OUR MATERIALS AND SERVICES IS VERY LOW AMOUNT ON, UH, TWO QUESTIONS.FIRST ONE WOULD BE IF YOU COULD ELABORATE ON THE CRITERIA THAT BRINGS BEVERLY HILLS, HOLLOW VERDE AND MANHATTAN BEACH INTO LOCAL COMPARISON WITH WEST COVINA, AS WAS ON YOUR SLIDE.
UH, AND THEN SECOND QUESTION WAS, UH, CURIOSITY KIND JIM'S POINT WITH REGARDS TO THE PENSIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING PAID OUT PENSIONS AND WHAT DOES THAT, UM, PAYOUT LOOK LIKE YEARLY? SO THE SLIDE WITH THE BEVERLY HILLS, MADDEN BEACH AND, UM, PALO VERDES WAS THAT THEY ARE THE, THEY ARE THE OTHER CITIES IN LA COUNTY WHO HAVE DUAL SERVICE.
THEY ALSO HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT ORGANIZATION, THAT CITY HAS TO FUND BOTH OF THOSE.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMPARISON TO US.
WE HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AS WE KNOW, NOT EVERY CITY HAS A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WHAT'S COMPARISON TO WEST CONVENIENT THOSE CITIES IS THEY DO NOT HAVE A EXTRA TAX TO HELP FUND PUBLIC SAFETY.
MEANING USERS, UTILITIES, A SALES TAX, SEWER, THEY DON'T HAVE THE EXTRA TAXES THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH, UM, VOTERS TO HELP FUND THAT STUFF.
THAT'S HOW THAT SLIDE COMES UP.
THAT'S HOW WE COMPARE TO THOSE.
AND THEY STILL, WITHOUT THOSE TAXES, GIVE THE MONEY TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO FILL THE PROPER RESOURCES AND AMOUNT OF FUNDS NEEDED TO MITIGATE ANY EMERGENCY.
AS AN ALL RISK FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHEN ROME HAS A PD AND A FIRE, THEY WOULDN'T COMPARE DUE TO WHAT ASPECT.
SO THE WAY I, AND THAT WAS THE NEXT SLIDE ON THAT SLIDE, WHAT I COMPARED WAS THOSE ARE CITIES WITH DUAL SERVICE, POLICE AND FIRE.
SOME OF THOSE CITIES WERE ALMOST THE SAME SIZE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SAME SIZE COMMUNITY.
THEY DO HAVE AN EXTRA TAX TO HELP MITIGATE, TO HELP FUND THOSE SERVICES.
POLICE AND FIRE, THEY DO HAVE A SALES TAX, THEY DO HAVE A USER UTILITY TAX, THEY DO HAVE SERVER TAX THAT'S VOTED UPON THE PEOPLE TO HELP FUND THOSE.
YOU CAN GO THERE AND LOOK, THEY DO HAVE THOSE AND THOSE COME IN EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT GOES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
THEY ACT, SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY HAVE ATAC THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS TO FUND PUBLIC SAFETY CHIEF, CAN I ANSWER THAT QUESTION FROM A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE? YES.
WE'RE REALLY BLESSED TO HAVE A, A FINE PAID, PROFESSIONAL, INDEPENDENT CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS THAT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEY GIVE THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT THE MOST AMAZING THING ABOUT THIS BUSINESS WE'RE IN AND THE FIELD OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH KNOWN PRINCIPLES, KNOWN BEST PRACTICES AREN'T FOLLOWED IN HIS SLIDES.
THE CHIEF WENT OVER THIS, BUT WE WENT OVER IT PRETTY QUICKLY.
HE TALKED ABOUT STANDARDS OF COVERAGE IN THE LITERATURE, IT'S WELL KNOWN THAT THE BEST WAY TO STUDY THESE QUESTIONS IS TO ENGAGE IN A PROCESS OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL AND EMS MASTER PLANNING THAT WE MIGHT THEN DECIDE WHAT'S AT RISK IN THE COMMUNITY, HOW MANY HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS, HOW MANY BABIES, HOW MANY GRANDMAS AND, AND WHAT ARE ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF RISK.
THAT IS THE IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN TO YET.
I THINK IT'D BE A NECESSARY STUDY BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE GOOD GAIN AGAINST SOME OF THESE NATIONAL STANDARDS, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE USE THE RECOVERY ACT MONEY TOWARD FIRE EQUIPMENT IS BECAUSE OUR, OUR EQUIPMENT WAS ON ITS LAST LEGS.
AND, AND WE CAN'T ASK OUR, OUR PAID PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS AND AND EMS PERSONNEL TO RUN ON CALLS IN EQUIPMENT THAT'S AT THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE.
WE PUT ASSETS INTO SERVICE AND WE RUN IT UNTIL IT FAILS AND THEN WE ACT SURPRISED.
AND SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION AROUND THOSE RECOVERY ACT MONIES IN THIS ROOM WITH SOME OF THESE SELF SAME PEOPLE.
WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES? AND, AND MY ANSWER WAS, I DON'T WANNA DO BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.
I WANT TO GET THE CITY PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES TO STANDARD.
I MEAN, OUR NEW LADDER TRUCK BEING BUILT BY THE PIERCE PEOPLE IN APPLETON, WISCONSIN IS 1.8 MILLION WITH AN M.
THE NEW PUMPER ENGINES, SAME STORY.
IT'S, IT'S QUITE EXPENSIVE TO DO THIS AND DO IT CORRECTLY.
BUT I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND MAYBE AS PART OF THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR IF WE CAN FIND OUR WAY CLEAR TO, TO DO IT TO THE COUNCIL THAT THEY ENGAGE IN THIS S O C STANDARDS OF COVERAGE.
AND LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS A COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S AT RISK AND WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE.
IF YOU'VE GOT A FIRE IN YOUR HOME, A KITCHEN FIRE DOUBLES IN SIZE EVERY FIVE MINUTES.
AND SO YOU WANT THE, THE TEAM THERE LIKE NOW.
BUT, BUT YOU CAN SEE BY THIS DATA THAT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
WE'VE MADE GOOD GAIN, BUT, BUT WE STILL
[01:05:01]
HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO.OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS UNDERFUNDED TO, TO FOLLOW WITH THAT AS, AS THE SEA MANAGER STATED, THE STANDARDS OF COVERAGE IS WE DID ONE IN 2007, THE CITY WENT OUT AND DID A RISK ASSESSMENT AND STANDARDS OF COVERAGE 2007 AND STATED THAT WE WERE UNDERFUNDED UNDERSERVED RESOURCES TO MITIGATE EMERGENCIES.
AND WE'VE GONE BACKWARDS SINCE 2007, 15 YEARS.
SO THAT WAS THAT COMPARISON OF RISK ASSESSMENT AND STANDARDS OF COVERAGE CHIEF, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE COMMUNITY MEETING.
IT'S A MUCH MORE, UH, IT'S A FORMAT THAT'S MUCH MORE CONDUCIVE TO ACTUALLY HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH WITH OUR CITY'S LEADERSHIP.
YOU MENTIONED THAT AS FIRE CHIEF, YOU'RE HEAD OF THE L E A LOCAL ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, YOU MENTIONED B KK.
SO NOT ONLY ARE YOU THE HEAD OF THE L E A AND YOU HAVE THIS LANDFILL, YOU HAVE CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST TOXIC, HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL DUBIOUS HONOR THAT ALSO MAKES YOU NOT ONLY OUR FIRE CHIEF BUT OUR CHIEF OFFICER IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY AND HAZMAT.
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, COUNCILMAN TONY WU PROPOSED THAT THE CITY BEGIN LOOKING AT THE BUILDING OF NEW RESIDENTIAL HOUSING DIRECTLY AGAINST THAT TOXIC HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL.
ARE YOU IN FAVOR OR OPPOSED TO RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AGAINST THE HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL? BRIAN, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND I LOVE THEM, BUT, AND, AND, AND I COULD HAVE BET MONEY THAT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A QUESTION COMING FROM, FROM BRIAN JOBS.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS, UH, TO TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU STATE IS I AM, I AM THE L E A THAT IS IN CHARGE OF THE ENFORCEMENT TO THE INSPECTIONS AND EVALUATION OF THE CLASS THREE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PORTION.
I HAVE NO JURISDICTION OR AUTHORITY OVER THE CLASS ONE HAZARDOUS WASTE.
AS YOU WELL KNOW, WHAT I AM, I HAVE THE AUTHORITY OF RELATED TO THE WHOLE PROPERTY, THERE IS HOW WE RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY.
IT IS A VERY LARGE TARGET HAZARD FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS TO RESPOND TO FOR ANY EMERGENCY THAT TAKES PLACE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I AM IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE WE'RE PROPERLY ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT, TO WHICH WE ARE MAKING SOME STRIDES TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO MITIGATE EMERGENCY.
WE HAVE DONE SOME TARGET HAZARD, UH, EVALUATION THERE.
WE'VE SENT SOME PERSONNEL, THE HAZARD MATERIALS SCHOOL, UH, UH, AND AND WE'RE DOING THAT.
SO I CAN ANSWER AND CLARIFY WHAT YOU STATED THERE.
I I HAVE NO JURISDICTION OVER TO CLASS ONE AS YOU KNOW, THE ANSWER TO YOUR OTHER QUESTION, I I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DOCUMENTATION TO MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS UP THERE THE OTHER DAY FOR A COUPLE HOURS UNDERSTANDING THE PROBES AND WHERE THE, WHERE THE VACUUMS AND STUFF IS UP THERE.
THAT ANSWER IS UP TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM, THE DIFFERENT REGULATING AUTHORITIES TO WHEN A PROJECT COMES IN.
WHEN A PROJECT WOULD COME IN FOR ANYTHING, NO MATTER WHO SETS IT UP, THE CITY COUNCIL, IF THEY APPROVE WHATEVER, THERE ARE STILL REGULATORY AUTHORITIES THAT HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT COMMUNITY, UM, DEVELOPMENT, IF IT'S A BUSINESS PARK, IF IT'S UH, RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES WILL HAVE TO BE APPROVED.
AND THOSE AGENCIES WOULD, WOULD HAVE TO DO IT.
AND I WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW WHATEVER THE CODE STATES AND I WOULD FOLLOW WHATEVER THE LAW STATES WITH THAT.
I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, I CAN'T HAVE AN OPINION TO SAY THAT I DON'T LIKE IT OR I DISLIKE IT.
I'M GONNA FOLLOW WHAT THE LAWS STATE AND WHAT THE AUTHORITIES SAY, WHAT WE CAN DO UP THERE.
THAT WOULD BE MY ANSWER TO THAT.
MY LAST QUESTION, CUZ I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK ACTUALLY,
I CONSIDER A CITY, A GOVERNMENT AGENCY SIMILAR TO A NOT-FOR-PROFIT.
WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY COMING IN.
THAT'S ALL WE CAN SPEND, RIGHT? WE GET THIS MUCH.
WE DON'T GET A COLA RAISE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE A NOT-FOR-PROFIT.
SO HOW OPEN IS A DEPARTMENT TO FOREGOING THOSE RAISES SO THEY HAVE MONEY TO FIX THE EQUIPMENT? AND AGAIN, I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
WELL, I DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS, NEGOTIATE STUFF LIKE THAT.
THAT'S EXACTLY MANAGEMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT, JUST LIKE IN GENERAL.
BUT I, IF YOU GO BACK OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS WHERE THERE WASN'T RAISES THAT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN DIFFERENT CITIES FOREGO RAISES TO HELP HELP THE, WITH THE BUDGET OF THE CITY.
SO THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL WITH THERE.
UM, TO LET YOU KNOW, AND TO ALSO ANSWER A QUESTION YOU ASKED EARLIER, WHAT DOES THE FIRE CHIEF DO IS, UH, POUNDING THE STREETS, GETTING GRANTS, WORKING IN EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE CAN DO.
WE'VE DONE VERY HARD IN THE LAST THREE, FOUR YEARS TO BE PREPARED FOR ANY GRANT DOLLAR THAT COMES THROUGH STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL, ANYTHING.
SO THEY SAY, HEY, WE HAVE AN EXTRA $19.
WEST COVE IS READY TO GO TO BUY SHOVELS WITH THAT $19.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE TO HELP MITIGATE THE PROBLEMS IN OUR BUDGET.
AND WE'VE BROUGHT A LOT OF STUFF IN.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN THE LUCAS DEVICES, SO WE HAVE THAT.
WE HAVE THE GURNEYS TO HELP TRANSPORT PATIENTS.
WE BROUGHT IN A A NUMBER OF STUFF.
OUR URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT HAS
[01:10:01]
BEEN THROUGH GRANTS AND WE'VE, WE'VE TURNED IN GRANTS ALL THE TIME.SO WITH THE BUDGETING, WE DO TRY TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO FILL THAT.
BUT DO YOU ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE COAL AND STUFF? THAT'S A WHOLE NEGOTIATION THING.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF DAVE HAS, WELL MARSHA, IF I CAN TRY AND ANSWER THAT ONE AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S REALLY FUNDAMENTALLY A QUESTION OF GOOD, UM, EMPLOYER RELATIONS.
IT'S A HUMAN RESOURCE QUESTION.
WE'VE CHOSEN TO HAVE A PAID PROFESSIONAL DEPARTMENT.
WHAT THAT IMPLIES IS THAT THESE ARE, UM, PEOPLE THAT, THAT KNOW THEIR BUSINESS AND DESERVE A, A COMPETITIVE WAGE AND, AND BENEFITS TO GO.
WE'RE WE'RE COMPETING FOR THAT TALENT IN A LABOR MARKET.
AND, AND OUR PLAN CANNOT BE THAT EVERYBODY FOREGOES A RAISE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE COSTS GO UP AND GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND TRY AND BUY A DOZEN EGGS THIS WEEK.
AND, AND, AND THEY'RE SHOPPING FOR THE SAME GROCERIES AS THE REST OF US.
AND SO I'M, I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ALL NINE OF OUR UNIONS, INCLUDING THIS ONE UNDER CONTRACT IN A MULTI-YEAR, A AGREEMENT.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THE DAYS WHERE WE'RE DON'T HAVE CONTRACTS WITH ANY OF OUR UNIONS.
I WANT TO HAVE MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS WITH ALL OF THEM GOING FORWARD.
BUT FISCAL END ON THE FISCAL END, IT, IT COMES AT A COST.
BUT OUR PLAN CAN'T BE, THE EMPLOYEES WILL BECOME VOLUNTEERS BY FOREGOING RAISES OVER YEARS.
JUST, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT REALISTIC.
WE'VE BROUGHT A NUMBER OF PERSONNEL IN OUR DEPARTMENT, TRAINED THEM, BOUGHT THEM EQUIPMENT, THEY GO ON CALLS AND THEY LEAVE US TO GO TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS THAT, UM, DO EXACTLY WHAT THE CITY MANAGER STATED.
THEY, THEY FUND THEIR DEPARTMENT.
AND, AND WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB TO, TO DO, DO GOOD WITH THAT, BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER TO HELP KEEP PEOPLE RETENTION IS AN ISSUE THAT WE, WE WANNA WORK ON.
SO I THINK I HAVE AN EASY QUESTION, BUT, UM, YOU MENTIONED ALL OF THIS STUFF ABOUT ALL THE TRUCKS AND ENGINES AND I NEVER KNOW WHICH ONE'S WHICH.
AND I'LL STILL FORGET WHEN YOU TOLD ME WHICH ONE HAD THE LADDER ON TRUCK ON THE TOP.
AND MY SON ALWAYS YELLS AT ME, I CALLED HIM WRONG.
BUT, UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET A NEW STATION, UH, WELL THE CITY GOVERNMENT HERE THAT WE'RE GETTING ONE, BUT HAS IT STARTED OR IS IT IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING, UH,
THAT WAS AN EASY QUESTION, BUT YOU GUYS ARE ALL STARING AT ME.
I WASN'T SURE IF HE WANTED TO TAKE IT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO.
THE QUESTION IS, UM, ARE WE GONNA GET A NEW STATION? FIRE STATION ONE WAS IN, UM, WE'LL PUT IT KINDLY.
IT WAS IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR, RIGHT? WE, WE HAD DID AN OBJECTIVE THIRD PARTY ANALYSIS THROUGH OUR, UM, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA JOINT POWERS INSURANCE AUTHORITY.
AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE, UM, CLOSED BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS. AND, AND SO WE STOOD UP BEHIND THE EXISTING FIRE STATION, UH, A MODULAR, A TEMPORARY BUILDING, WHICH AT LEAST KEEPS US IN CREW QUARTERS THAT ARE ADEQUATE.
THAT CAN'T BE THE PLAN FOREVER.
THE CITY IS CONTEMPLATING SALE OF THAT WHOLE PARCEL AND A RELOCATION OF THAT STATION HERE TO THE CIVIC CENTER CAMPUS.
BUT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, A LOT OF INTERMEDIATE STEPS WOULD HAVE TO OCCUR.
UM, WE'RE NOT NOW IN CONTRACT WITH ANYBODY TO BUY THAT PROPERTY AND, AND THOSE LAND TRANSACTIONS CAN TAKE, UM, MULTIPLE YEARS TO GO THROUGH A PROPER PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, WE DID HAVE A LITTLE LAYOUT, A A SITE PLAN THAT SHOWED WHERE FIRE STATION ONE COULD FIT ON THIS CIVIC CENTER CAMPUS.
BUT WE HAVEN'T GONE FURTHER WITH PLANS AND THOSE HAVEN'T BEEN PUBLICLY PRESENTED, PREPARED OR PRESENTED.
SO I'D SAY IT'S A POSSIBILITY, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT REALITY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, IT'S UNDER CONVERSATION.
LIKE COULDN'T THEY JUST REBUILD IT ON THE SAME PROPERTY THEN? GOOD.
JD HI CHIEF, HOW YOU DOING? I'M GOOD.
UH, AND
YEAH, YOU'RE YOU'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD BAD IN A THOUSAND.
UM, MY QUESTION IS WITH REGARDS TO THE, UH, TIER DISPATCHING, MANY CALLS THAT COME TO COME IN FOR OUR SERVICE HERE IN WEST COVINA COME THROUGH THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM AND THEY USE THE DISPATCH THAT THAT SORT OF TIER DISPATCHING IS THAT FORM OF DISPATCHING MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WHAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO AFFORD IN OUR CITY.
I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT QUESTION AND IF, AND WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING TO SAY IS
[01:15:01]
IF THEY'RE ABLE TO ASSESS THE NEED, CONSEQUENTLY YOU, THE, OUR DEPARTMENT RESPONDS ADEQUATELY, BUT E EFFICIENTLY, THEN WHY ARE WE NOT WILLING TO INVEST? BECAUSE I KIND OF HEARD THAT IT'S A MATTER OF STAFFING.THE REASON WHY WE'RE NOT GOING TO THE TIER DISPATCHING SYSTEM.
WHY ARE WE NOT WILLING TO INVEST IN THAT? IT SEEMS LIKE EITHER IMMEDIATELY OR IN THE LONG RUN, WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY BENEFIT.
SORRY, GO ON YOUR QUESTION WITH THAT TIER ION, WE DO WANT TIER DISPATCHING, BUT I DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO SELL EVERYTHING ON TIER DISPATCHING TO A, TO A DEPARTMENT THAT'S A MID-SIZE DEPARTMENT THAT RUNS 10,000 CALLS A YEAR.
UM, TIER DISPATCHING WILL HELP VERY MINIMAL.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES, THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF, OF UH, UH, FIELDED RESOURCES LIKE THE AMBULANCES THAT ARE BLS TO WHERE WE CAN USE A ROBUST TIER DISPATCH SYSTEM.
WE ARE STILL GONNA SEND MOSTLY A FIRE ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC UNIT TO ALMOST EVERY SINGLE CALL FOR SERVICE.
IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REALLY A NARROW AMOUNT OF CALLS THAT THE CALLS FOR SERVICE, REMEMBER THE PERSON CALLING A IS IN FRANTIC, THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEY'RE NOT AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL TO HELP US WITH WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
SO IF SOMEBODY FELL ON THEIR BLEEDING, EVERY SOMEBODY CALLS THEY FELL IN THEIR BLEEDING IS GONNA GET A FIRE ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC UNIT.
BUT THAT JUST MAY BE SOMEBODY WHO FELL AND HAS A LITTLE TINY SCRATCH.
THERE'S ONE DROP OF BLOOD, THEY PROBABLY DON'T NEED THAT.
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA TEAR THAT OUT OF JUST SENDING EMTS.
WE WOULD NEVER WANT THAT TO YOUR HOUSE BECAUSE THAT ONE ALSO COULD BE A BLUNT HEAD TRAUMA TO WHERE THE PERSON ACTUALLY STARTS SEIZING OR THEY LOSE, UH, ALL KINDS OF OTHER PROBLEMS. WE WON'T WANT THAT.
WE WANNA HAVE THE, THE MOST EFFECTIVE RESOURCES TO RESPOND.
SO UNLESS WE WERE GONNA INVEST FURTHER TO HAVE MORE RESOURCES FILLED EACH DAY, WHICH WOULD COST MORE BE IT PAR, UH, BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCES READILY AVAILABLE TO GO ON A TIERED DISPATCH TYPE CALL THE, THE LESS BASIC LIFE SUPPORT CALLS.
AND, AND A LOT OF CALLS WE GO ON THAT WE GO AS ALS, WE THEN HELP AND TREAT THE PEOPLE TO MAKE IT A, A BASIC LIFE SPORT TRANSPORT.
LIKE THEY CUT THEIR LEG, THEY CUT THEIR ARMS OR SOMETHING EMERGES LIKE, LIKE THAT OR THEIR, THEIR SUGAR WAS LOW AND GIVE THEM SUGAR.
NOW THEY REALLY DON'T NEED ALL THE PARAMEDICS TO GO ON THAT CALL, BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY NEEDED THE PARAMEDICS THERE TO NOW MAKE IT NO LONGER AN ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORTS.
NOW IT'S A BASIC LIFE SUPPORT CALL.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S SIGN OF CONFUSION ON THAT.
DOES THE CITY CURRENTLY SEND OUT JUST A PARAMEDIC TRUCK TO RESPOND TO MEDICAL CALLS? NO.
OR IS IT ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED WITH A LADDER TRUCK? WELL, NO.
SO OUR IDEAL RESPONSE TO EVERY MEDICAL CALL FOR SERVICE FOR EMS IS A FIRE ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE.
THE TRUCK ONLY GOES IF IT'S A CALL FOR SERVICE IN STATION TWO, OR A STATION TWO IS COVERING ANOTHER STATION THAT'S MAYBE ALREADY ON A CALL.
UM, WE SEND BOTH OF THOSE RESOURCES.
A, A FIRE APPARATUS THAT'S A FIRE ENGINE OR TRUCK OR A PARAMEDIC UNIT TO EVERY SINGLE CALL.
TIERED DISPATCH, LIKE I SAID, WOULDN'T REALLY DECREASE THE NEED FOR THOSE TWO APPARATUS IN EVERY CALL IN OUR SYSTEM.
IT WILL HELP A LITTLE BIT AND WE SHOULD HAVE TEAR DISPATCHING, BUT THE NUMBER OF CALLS THEY WOULD TAKE OUTTA THE RESPONSE IS NOT.
AND I UNDERSTAND IF A LADDER TRUCK, UH, MAN WITH PARAMEDICS MAY HAVE TO RESPOND, UM, TO A CALL AND GET THERE FIRST AND THEN CONSEQUENTLY BE ON SITE FOR THE INCIDENT OR THE ACTION.
BUT, UM, SO DO YOU, YOU CUSTOMARILY SEND OUT AN A, A PARAMEDIC TRUCK ALONG WITH THE LADDER TRUCK THAT'S YOUR CUSTOMARY PRACTICE IN WEST COVENA? SO OUR PARA, OUR TRUCK HAS A PARAMEDIC ON IT.
OUR FIRE ENGINES HAVE A PARAMEDIC ON IT IN ONE CAPACITY OR ANOTHER CAPTAIN, ENGINEER AND FIREFIGHTER.
AND THEY ARE A PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT UNIT.
THEY'RE DEEMED BY THE LA COUNTY BE ABLE TO DO ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CARE ON THAT APPARATUS.
SO WE DO SEND A PARAMEDIC TO EVERY CALL ON ONE OF THOSE APPARATUS WITH THE DUAL PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE.
I GUESS WHAT MY QUESTION REALLY IS, WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR A LADDER TRUCK WITH PARAMEDICS WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE SENT OUT ON A MEDICAL CALL A UNIT WITH TWO PARAMEDICS? WHAT IS THE NEED FOR THE ADDITIONAL LADDER TRUCK TO ARRIVE? AND LIKE I SAID, IN THE EVENT THAT IT'S THE PARAMEDIC TRUCK'S NOT AVAILABLE, THE LADDER TRUCK MAY HAVE TO SUBSTITUTE BECAUSE THEY TOO ARE STAFFED WITH PARAMEDICS.
BUT IS, IF IT'S DONE CUSTOMARILY, THEN IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S OVERKILL.
SO OUR LADDER TRUCK IS U BEING UTILIZED RIGHT NOW AS A FIRE ENGINE.
AND A FIRE TRUCK IS A, IT'S BEING USED AS BOTH AT STATION TWO.
SO IT'S GONNA GO ON EVERY CALL FOR EMS. OKAY.
MY SECOND QUESTION, CHIEF, IS YOU USE AMR FOR MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION? AMR IS ALSO STAFFED WITH PARAMEDICS.
WE, WE DO NOT USE AMR FOR, OH, I THOUGHT I SAW IN THE PRESENTATION AMR WAS IF YOU USE THEM FOR A BASIC ICE PART, IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE, IF WE DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION, IF ONE OF OUR TRANSPORTATIONS AREN'T AVAILABLE.
[01:20:01]
WHY ARE THEY NOT USED FOR MORE SEVERE SITUATIONS IN, IN TERMS OF THEIR PARAMEDICS SO THAT THEY CAN RELIEVE THE CITY PARAMEDICS MAKING THEM AVAILABLE MORE READILY FOR OTHER CALLS.CUZ THEY DO HAVE THE SAME PARAMEDICS, LICENSED PARAMEDICS IN THE A M R TRUCKS.
SO THAT PRIVATE COMPANY IS IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING A PROFIT AND THEY HAVE THOSE PARAMEDICS TO RESPOND TO CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT ARE INTER FACILITY TRANSPORTS THAT ARE CRITICAL PATIENTS GOING FROM A HOSPITAL TO HOSPITAL.
THAT'S WHAT THEIR PARAMEDICS ARE FOR IN THEIR PRIVATE COMPANIES.
THAT'S WHERE THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY FROM.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA MAKE THE MONEY AND PROFIT FROM THOSE PRIVATE COMPANIES WORKING FOR A CITY AND RESPONDING TO THOSE CALLS IN LA COUNTY CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NOT ANY DEPARTMENTS THAT, THAT HAVE PARAMEDICS FROM A PRIVATE AMBULANCE COMPANY THAT RUN THE CALLS THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND WE USE A M R CARE, UH, GUARDIAN, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT AMBULANCE COMPANIES WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ONE OF OUR UNITS TO GO.
AND WHEN THEY COME, THEY ACTUALLY GET TO BILL THE PATIENT AND THEY KEEP THAT MONEY.
THAT'S THE AGREEMENT IN THE LA COUNTY.
IF WE WE'RE OUT AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION IN WEST, IN WEST COVINA, WE HAVE OUR RIGHTS TO DO AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION WHERE SOMETIMES WE CAN'T DO IT.
SO WHEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY, SOMETIMES OUR DISPATCH CENTER CENTER CALLS AND GETS THOSE AMBULANCE TO COME AND HELP WITH LA COUNTY THAT'S IN HERE, OR JUST OUR FIRE ENGINES THAT ARE ON A CALL AND IT'S, UH, TRANSPORTING NEEDS.
WE CALL THESE AMBULANCE COMPANIES TO COME AND THEN THEY WILL TRANSPORT FOR US.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PARAMEDICS, THEY'RE NOT READILY AVAILABLE.
WHEN YOU SEE ALL THOSE AMBULANCES RUNNING AROUND TOWN ALL OVER THE PLACE, THOSE AREN'T PARAMEDICS.
I'D PROBABLY SAY LESS THAN ONE OR 2% ARE PARAMEDICS.
THE PARAMEDICS IN THOSE PRIVATE COMPANIES ARE UTILIZED FOR INTER TRANSPORTS.
THAT'S, THEY'RE THERE TO MAKE A PROFIT.
WE'RE HERE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AS BEST WE CAN IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
OUR GOAL IS NOT TO, UH, WE'RE TO GET AS MUCH REVENUE AS WE CAN, BUT WE'RE NOT HERE TO BE A A, A PROFIT COMPANY LIKE, UH, MARSHA STATED NONPROFIT.
AND BUT I WANTED TO SAY THAT WE DO IN THE FIELD, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR CAPTAINS, OUR ENGINEERS, WE DO SOMEWHAT OF A TEAR DISPATCH.
AND WHEN ANOTHER CALL COMES DOWN AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY ON A CALL THAT, THAT RESOURCE THAT ALL BOTH OF THOSE RESOURCES AREN'T NEEDED, THEY'LL BREAK AWAY IMMEDIATELY AND GO TO THE NEXT CALL FROM THE CALL THEY'RE ON.
OR EVEN SOMETIMES RESPONDING TO A CALL.
IF THE PARAMEDICS GET ON SCENE FIRST AND THEY SAY, HEY, ENGINE ONE, WE DON'T NEED YOU, YOU CAN GO AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT CALL.
OR ENGINE ONE GETS ON SCENE AND SAYS, HEY RESCUE ONE, WE DON'T NEED YOU.
PEOPLE FROM RESPONDING TO CALLS, DRIVING LICENSE, SIRENS IS DANGEROUS.
WE WANNA LESSEN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE DO DO TIER BIT DISPATCHING, WE CAN DO TIER BIT DISPATCHING, BUT IT IS A, IT IS A, A GOOD THING TO HAVE BUT IT'S NOT GONNA DECREASE THE 10,000 CALLS.
BUT EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO TALK ABOUT IT.
IT'S NOT, OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE AREN'T NOT 99% BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.
WE SAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND WE DO ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
JUST THOUGHT I'D INTRODUCE MYSELF SINCE YOU KNOW EVERYBODY ELSE IS THERE.
I HAVE A COUPLE THANK YOU FOR COMING.
QUESTIONS REGARDING RESPONSE TIME.
THE FIRST ONE, AND MAYBE THE CITY MANAGER TOO, IF THEY MOVE THE FIRE STATION TO NEAR THE LIBRARY, WILL YOU BE DOING A STUDY ABOUT THE RESPONSE TIME? BECAUSE WHERE IT'S LOCATED NOW SEEMS MUCH MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED TO THE DISTRICT THAT IT SERVES.
SO YOU DO A RESPONSE TIME STUDY BEFORE YOU EVEN ATTEND THAT WOULD GO TO THE STANDARDS OF COVERAGE AND RISK ASSESSMENT THAT THE CITY MANAGER TALKED ABOUT AND I TALKED ABOUT IN THE SLIDES.
FOR EXAMPLE, BACK IN 2007, IT WAS PROPOSED AT STATION THREE, WHICH IS AT PUENTE AND SUNSET SHOULD BE MOVED TO LARK, ALLEN AND PUENTE TO HELP WITH THE STANDARDS OF COVERAGE AND ON OUR RISK.
BUT THAT WAS THE MIDDLE OF A PARK.
I LIVE THERE
NOBODY WANTS A FIRE STATION AND NO, NOBODY NEED A FIRE STATION.
AND IT'S A PARK WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH.
AND THE OTHER IS ACTUALLY I WAS THE PERSON WHO CALLED FOR THE, YOU SHOWED A PICTURE OF THE RECENT FIRE ON TOLAND AVENUE.
AND I CALLED AND IT TOOK ME THREE TIMES CALLING TO GET THROUGH TO 9 1 1.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF THAT'S A TYPICAL RESPONSE WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1.
NO, THIS, DID YOU CALL THREE SEPARATE TIMES? THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT THE TYPICAL WE WANT TO ANSWER AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
AND I CAN TALK TO YOU LATER AND GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT, UH, AT A LATER DATE, BUT I CAN ONLY, I I I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TOOK PLACE IN THAT.
YEAH, AND I CAN VOUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSE TIMES BECAUSE IT TOOK 10 MINUTES FOR A FIRER TO GET TO THAT SPOT FROM THE TIME THAT I CALLED CUZ I TIMED IT FROM ON MY PHONE.
IT TOLD ME THE TIME I MADE THAT
[01:25:01]
CALL AND THEN I LOOKED AT MY CLOCK OR MY PHONE WHEN THE FIRETRUCK ARRIVED AND IT WAS 10 MINUTES LATER.WELL, AND IT'S RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FOR CALLING 9 1 1.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR CALLING 9 1 1 TO GET TO US THERE.
AND WE'LL SAY THAT WHEN THAT CALL CAME DOWN, I ACTUALLY RESPONDED MYSELF TOO AS THE FIRE CHIEF, RIGHT.
I WAS THERE IN PROBABLY THREE AND A HALF MINUTES FROM THE TIME IT GOT DISPATCHED FROM OUR DISPATCH CENTER AND THE FIRE ENGINE WAS ABOUT TWO SECONDS BEFORE ME REALLY, BECAUSE IT WAS 10 MINUTES FROM THE TIME I CALLED.
SO MAYBE IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THE DISPATCHER TO GET TO YOU BECAUSE IT TOOK 10 MINUTES FROM THE TIME THAT I CALLED.
WHEN YOU LEAVE, CAN I GET YOUR INFORMATION SO WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.
IT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS SOME BREAKDOWN.
YEAH, BECAUSE WHEN I CALLED IT WAS SMOKE AND WHEN YOU GOT THERE IT WAS IN FLAMES.
I WOULD LOVE TO FIND OUT WHERE THAT CALL WENT TO.
SOMETIMES IF YOU CALLED IN YOUR CELL PHONE, IT MAY GO TO CH H P WHICH HAS TO ROUTE IT TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
IF YOU CALLED FROM YOUR LANDLINE, IT, IT, IT, IT MOST LIKELY WENT IT WAS A CELL PHONE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THERE.
SO MAYBE THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.
ISAAC, IT, IT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHICH TOWER TOWER COULDA TOOK.
I'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT AND GET THAT INFORMATION.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO FILL, FIND OUT HOW WE CAN DO, DO BETTER ON THAT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU FROM THE TIME I'M NOT FAULTING YOU AT ALL.
OUR DISPATCH CENTER ON A REGULAR BASIS WORKED VERY HARD TO GET THE CALLS OUT AND, AND, AND THEY DO IT ROUGHLY IN SOMETIMES FIVE TO 10 SECONDS.
UH, WE'VE INCREASED AS COUNCIL'S GIVEN US MONEY TO ENHANCE OUR, UM, STATION ALERTING SYSTEM, WHICH IS AMAZING AS THEY'RE INPUTTING THE CALL FOR SERVICE, IT'S ALREADY IN THE BACKGROUND DECIDING WHO'S AVAILABLE, WHO CAN GO TO THAT CALL.
AND ONCE THEY COMMIT THAT IT'S A REAL CALL ON WEST CNA AND WHAT RESOURCES GO, THE STATIONS ARE ALERTED ELECTRONICALLY AND THEY GET UP AND THEY START GOING TO THAT CALL.
SO, UH, THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPEN IN THAT CALL AND I LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
UM, BUT MY, MY, I MYSELF SAW THE SMOKE AND RESPONDED WHEN DISPATCH DISPATCHED OUT AND I WAS THERE ROUGHLY AND I WAS COMING FROM BARRANCA AND, UH, WORKMAN.
SO, UH, ROUGHLY LIKE FOUR MINUTES, THREE AND A HALF, THREE MINUTES TO GET THERE.
IF, IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER QUESTIONS SOME PEOPLE AREN'T COMFORTABLE ASKING IN A GROUP SETTING, I'D LIKE TO OFFER THAT THE CHIEF AND I'LL STAY AS LONG AS ANYBODY WANTS TO TALK.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THE CITY FAMILY HERE TONIGHT OF ALL THREE OF OUR ASSISTANT CHIEFS, CHIEF BROWN, CHIEF RUDOLPH, CHIEF FOUNTAIN, UM, OUR CITY TREASURER IS HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER CANTOS, UM, BOTH ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, OUR CITY TREASURER.
SO THE CITY FAMILY'S VERY WELL REPRESENTED HERE TONIGHT AND WE'LL STICK AROUND AS LONG AS ANYBODY WANTS TO TALK TO US.
IF THERE AREN'T ANY MORE GROUP QUESTIONS.
IF THERE ARE, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THEM.
NOW, I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE A, THIS IS A GROUP QUESTION, BUT IT'S MY QUESTION.
CHIEF, UM, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO TRIP YOU UP OR ANYTHING, BUT I RECALL WHILE AT THE, UH, PODIUM, YOU MADE THE STATEMENT TO COUNCILMAN WU AS A RESULT OF HIM KIND OF PUSHING THE IDEA, WELL IF WE STAFF YOU PROPERLY, ARE WE GONNA HAVE BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THE OVERTIME ISSUE? AND YOU ANSWER TO THE AFFIRMATIVE YES.
BUT TONIGHT YOU DEPICTED THIS IDEA THAT THIS PROBLEM OF OVERTIME IS SYSTEMIC AND THERE'S REALLY NO SOLUTION TO IT BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO OVERTIME F M L A, WHAT HAVE YOU, AND IT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW TO SQUARE YOUR STATEMENT THAT NIGHT TO WHAT YOU SAID TONIGHT.
I, I I, TONIGHT I KIND OF WALK AWAY.
WHAT I'M TAKING AWAY IS THERE'S NO SOLUTION HERE.
THIS IS JUST, THEY NEED TO BUDGET ALL THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY SO THAT YOU DON'T COME UP WITH A DEFICIT AT THE END.
BUT THE GOOD QUESTION, LET ME JUST ONE LAST THING.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE OVER THE, UH, OVERTIME AND THE OVERAGE SEEMS TO FLUCTUATE.
SO BECAUSE IT ISN'T FIXED, SO EVEN IF THEY GAVE YOU MORE MONEY THE FOLLOWING YEAR, YOU MAY COME UNDER, BUT THE THE YEAR AFTER THAT YOU'LL BE OVER AGAIN AND THEY CAN'T, WE, THE CITY NOR ANYONE CAN CONT CAN CONTINUE TO JUST ISSUE OUT MONEY ON THIS REVOLVING OVERTIME PLAN.
AND ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S NO SOLUTION.
DID I UNDER MISUNDERSTAND? NO, IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION AND ANSWER.
I STATED IF WE FILL THE VACANCIES, THE AMOUNT OF OVERTIME SPENT WILL GO DOWN.
I NEVER, AND I MADE SURE I SAID THAT UP THERE, THAT OVERTIME WILL NEVER GO AWAY TO KEEP RESOURCES RESPONDING TO CALLS EVERY DAY FOR CONS STAFFING, THERE WILL BE A NEED FOR A BUDGETED OF OVERTIME.
NOW WHAT IS DYNAMIC TO THE BUDGET OVERTIME, AS I STATED IN THE SLIDES, IS THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE UNFORESEEN VACANCIES, PEOPLE LEAVING IODS RETIREMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE UNKNOWN AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN'T CONTROL.
BUT AS LONG AS WE KEEP THE VACANCIES TO A MINIMUM, WHICH THAT WAS THE PROBLEM BACK IN THE DAY, WAS THE VACANCIES WERE EXCESSIVE.
I THINK 12, THE 14 PERSONS OFF,
[01:30:01]
UH, POSITIONS OPEN AND WE HAD TO FILL THOSE TO KEEP A, A FULLY STAFFED IN ALL RISK FIRE DEPARTMENT.IF YOU DON'T WANT OVERTIME, IF THE COUNSELORS WANT OVERTIME, WE DON'T BACKFILL YOU WILL NOT HAVE A RESOURCE TO GO TO A CALL IF WE DON'T PUT SOMEBODY TO IN THAT VEHICLE, IN THAT APPARATUS TO RESPOND TO A 9 1 1 CALL.
AND WE WON'T PAY OVERTIME IF WE DON'T DO THAT.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY TO COME TO YOUR HOUSE WHEN YOU'RE SICK, WHEN A TREE FALLS DOWN, WHEN THERE'S A FIRE.
SO THAT WOULD, IF WE PAID ZERO OVERTIME AND WE DIDN'T FILL THE SPOTS, WHICH WE COULD DO THAT, BUT YOU'LL BE COMING IN HERE SAYING THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
WE WANT SOMEBODY TO COME TO MY HOUSE WHEN I CALL 9 1 1 I A BLACK GUY A BLACKOUT BROWN OUT BROWN OUT.
BROWN OUT, BROWN OUT, BROWN OUT.
AND WE DID A STUDY, WE DID LIVE EXACTLY WHAT TOOK PLACE FOR A TWO WEEK PERIOD OF ACTUAL LEAVES BACK, UH, MONTHS AGO.
AND WE SHARED THAT AT COUNCIL, AT A COUNCIL TOWN MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
UM, DAVE, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE SOME, SOME OF THOSE DAYS WE'D HAVE ONE APPARATUS RESPOND TO A CALL.
IF WE BROWNED OUT, WE WOULD HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON.
IT'S, IT'S ENDLESS TO TELL YOU HOW IT WOULD BE IF WE DID BROWN OUT.
IF WE DON'T WANNA HAVE A RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO A CALL FOR SERVICE TO MITIGATE EMERGENCY TO SAVE A LIFE, THEN WE WON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY OVERTIME WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY TAKES OFF, WE DON'T BACKFILL.
I I YOU DON'T WANT THAT IN YOUR CITY.
I DON'T WANT THAT HERE AS THE FIRE CHIEF.
UM, JUST GONNA GO MORE INTO THE INSPECTION SIDE OF THINGS.
UM, SO I'M JUST THINKING MOTORCYCLE HELMETS.
WE HAVE D O T AND THEN WE HAVE SNELL APPROVED, WHICH IS A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE D O T.
ALL THESE NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, CONDENSED, DENSE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS FROM AN INSPECTION POINT.
DO YOU SEE THOSE BEING D O T OR SNELL? WELL THERE'S ONLY ONE STANDARD.
IT THERE'S THE, WELL ARE THEY MEETING A BASIC STANDARD OR IS THERE LIKE A, A BETTER STANDARD THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED? THERE'S THE BUILDING CODE AND THE FIRE CODE THAT EVERYBODY ADOPTS EVERY, THAT WE ADOPT AND WE DO AND WE ENHANCE SOME OF THOSE CODES TO MAKE 'EM MORE RELEVANT TO WEST COA.
THOSE CODES ARE FOLLOWED FOR ANY CONSTRUCTION, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.
BUSINESS RESIDENTIAL, UH, AND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT, THEY FOLLOW THOSE STANDARDS.
UH, WHAT THERE IS IS, LET'S SAY I CAN GIVE AN EXAMPLE WHERE THERE'S THE UM, CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE, UH, THAT FOR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, THE CITY OF WEST CAVINA MAY DETERMINE AS THE FIRE MARSH I MIGHT GO, YOU KNOW WHAT WE WANT, UH, NOTHING STACKED BELOW A SPRINKLER 20 INCHES BELOW THE SPRINKLER, BUT THE NATIONAL STANDARD OR THE STANDARD IS 16 INCHES.
WE ACTUALLY CAN INCREASE OURS, WE CAN MAKE IT MORE STRINGENT, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE STANDARD FOR ALL BUILDING CODES OF FIRE CODES THAT EVERYBODY FOLLOWS.
AND THEN, UH, FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT IS SEEING FOR AN, I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THROUGH SOME CALIFORNIA HOUSING INITIATIVE, THERE'S A GOAL TO SEE LIKE 5,000 ADDITIONAL UNITS IN WEST COVINA BY 2028, WHICH I FEEL IS GONNA BRING A LOT MORE DENSE HOUSING PROJECTS.
UM, ARE YOU LOOKING AT ENGINES OR LADDERS PER SE SINCE WE'RE LOOKING TO GO UP? UM, WHAT THE STRUCTURES IN WEST COVINA, IF YOU NOTICE IN THE SLIDE I TALKED ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH ENCOMPASSES THAT THE REASON OUR CALL VOLUME CONTINUES TO GO UP IS WE ARE BUILDING MORE, WE HAVE MORE BUSINESSES, WE ARE BRINGING IN MORE THERE, THERE'S MORE PEOPLE COMING HERE.
THE CALLS FOR SERVICE ARE GONNA GO UP AND WE DO NEED TO HAVE A PLAN FOR ONE YEAR, THREE YEAR, FIVE YEAR, 10 YEAR, 20 YEARS, WHAT IS OUR POPULATION GONNA LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS OUR, UH, OUR HOUSING'S GONNA LOOK LIKE? ARE THERE GONNA BE HIGH RISES? DO WE HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT TO SERVICE THOSE, THOSE COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE ONE FIRETRUCK THAT'S BEING UTILIZED AS A FIRE ENGINE.
IF THAT IS ON A CARDIAC ARREST AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING CPR AND SAVING A LIFE AND WE HAVE A FIRE IN ONE OF OUR HIGH RISES, WE DO NOT HAVE A TRUCK TO RESPOND TO THAT CALL.
SO THAT'S A STRATEGIC PLAN ISSUE.
SINCE THE AUDIENCE IS LEAVING, UM, WITH THE NEW REFRIGERANTS COMING IN, THEY'RE FLAMMABLE.
YOUR TAKE ON THE IMPACT IN ESPECIALLY MULTI UH, UH, MULTI UH, RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS WHERE THEY MAY HAVE V R F IN LARGER SYSTEMS, DO YOU THINK YOU'LL SEE AN ISSUE? AS LONG AS THEY FOLLOW THE CODES AND WE FOLLOW THE STANDARDS TO FIELD OUR PERSONNEL AND TRAIN PROPERLY TO RESPOND TO THOSE EMERGENCIES, I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE.
WE WILL MITIGATE EVERY EMERGENCY.
WE WILL EVALUATE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, THE CONDITIONS AND WE WILL MITIGATE IT JUST WITH THE RESOURCES THAT, THAT WE NEED.
I JUST FIND IT INTERESTING ARE GONNA BE PROVIDING WATER-BASED SYSTEMS NOW INSTEAD OF R 32, WHICH IS A FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANT.
UM, I WILL SAY RIGHT OFF THE BAT THAT I'M BIASED, UH, SERVED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
[01:35:01]
JUST LIKE THE REST OF US ARE.UM, MY WOOD SHOP CAUGHT FIRE ONE DAY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE BEFORE WE EVEN NOTICED.
THEY WERE INCREDIBLY PROFESSIONAL, AMAZINGLY WELL TRAINED, REMAINED CALM, COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR ANY, ANY BIT BETTER OF PERFORMANCE.
THEY SAVED MY HOUSE, THEY SAVED MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WOULD'VE HAPPENED.
UM, I LIVED DOWN THE STREET FROM A FIRE STATION.
I TOLD THEM, WELL THAT SIREN AS MUCH AS YOU WANT WHEN YOU GO BY MY HOUSE, I WILL WANNA LIVE NEXT TO A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I THINK THE WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ABOUT THE BEST THERE IS.
AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE HERE THAT CAME OUT TO SUPPORT AS WELL.
AND AND WE APPRECIATE THEM AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.
WELL, IF THERE'S NO NO NOTHING ELSE ANYBODY WANTS TO TALK TO US PRIVATELY, UH, LIKE I SAID, UM, LIKE, LIKE DAVE SAID, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE.
WE CAN TALK TO US IF YOU'D LIKE.
I HOPE IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME OF YOUR DAY.