City of Austin Council Message Board

Dear Colleagues,

Austin’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department medics are responsible for responding to medical emergencies throughout the City, and have faced resource and FTE constraints while doing so. These challenges have existed for years but have become especially clear during the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to support our medical first responders during COVID-19 and through the coming years, we must invest in purchasing ambulances and associated equipment (as well as associated FTEs), staff up our Paramedic Consult Line, increase the number of Communications Specialists, and add commander FTEs to ensure adequate supervision of the broader EMS system.

At a minimum, the attached investments are necessary to support our EMS workers as they battle the pandemic and seek to meet growing needs in Austin. As we continue to reimagine what public safety looks like, additional investments in staff and resources have been identified as options.

I am joined in bringing forward this amendment by CMs Ellis, Harper-Madison, Pool, and Tovo.

Link: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 091340.pdf

Regards,
Alison Alter

CM Alter

Thank you and your so-sponsors for bringing forward this budget rider to fund needed EMS resources. Please add me as a co-sponsor on this budget rider.

I also wanted to highlight your mention of additional investments in EMS, including 7 additional community health paramedics to assist our neighbors experiencing homelessness, as well as to provide additional support for persons experiencing mental health crisis under the Mental Health Diversion Initiative - First Response for Mental Health 911 Calls.

I will be working with CM Pool on a budget rider related to these additional CHPs.

Best Regards
Ann Kitchen
City Council D5

Council Member Alter,

I too am very supportive of this measure to expand funding for EMS in this years budget. Even before COVID-19, our EMS department has lacked the funding required to scale with the growing public health needs of our city. This proposed increase is a great start. Along with Council Member Kitchen, I want to highlight a portion of your proposal in particular: I am most interested in the final paragraph of the attached document you’ve provided, which outlines additional areas to adequately support our front-line medical professionals.

I am happy to work with Council Members Kitchen and Pool to increase the CHP proposals if they need the help. Additionally, I would like to identify the funding necessary to secure the additional requests made by the Austin EMS Association as outlined in their request document and your comments. Especially the additional requests made by the Association to add 2 demand ambulances, or convert two demand ambulances from 12-hour to full 24-hour units.

I am eager to work with you and the rest of my Council colleagues to identify and secure the appropriate means of funding for these additional investments to EMS. I look forward to the conversation ahead.

Sincerely,
Greg