Joint Emergency Communications Proposal

[Krista Laine]

Colleagues,

I'd like to raise awareness of a gap in our emergency communications coordination and propose establishing an Office of Joint Emergency Communications that reports to the Assistant City Manager for Public Safety.

While 911 response times have improved across most of the city center, outlying areas continue to lag due to overlapping jurisdictional boundaries and of other factors. This was underscored in our last work session, when we learned that our emergency response center has no formal relationship with the Round Rock ISD police department. I've served on the RRISD Safety and Security Committee for three years and there has never been other City of Austin representation. This is a clear coordination gap that an Office of Joint Emergency Communications could address.

As you are aware, emergency communications currently sits within the Austin Police Department's management structure. APD leadership is concerned with response times, but it's understandably one priority among many competing demands. I’m proposing hiring dedicated civilian leadership to lay the groundwork for a future department focused solely on 911 performance, with a team dedicated to building the interjurisdictional relationships needed to improve response times citywide, continuing on our path to operational excellence in emergency communications.

I will be bringing an IFC directing the creation of the Office of Joint Emergency Communications and look forward to continuing this conversation throughout this budget cycle.

Krista