Laserfiche WebLink
®CITY OF SOUTH BEND ( OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> safety. With that being said, we have to be smart with our resources, but what exactly does your <br /> preparation look like? <br /> Chief Cox replied, I would agree with you and, also being a City resident, it is important to me <br /> and my family, as well. What I will tell you is we are looking at all of the different funds that are <br /> associated with what we are responsible for as well as the different programs. Obviously if we <br /> come to a point where there are limited resources,we are going to have to prioritize those particular <br /> programs and look at cuts across the board, however that may be decided by Council and the <br /> Mayor's Office. In a way we have already begun that process using the Priority Based Budgeting <br /> with Jen Hockenhull and her staff. We have identified different priority programs we have within <br /> our department and we already know what those look like in terms of cost. So clearly, as you just <br /> mentioned,the last place I want to see it hit is public safety but there are realities to budget issues. <br /> When it comes down to it, further down the road we will get to understanding a little more what <br /> that looks like. We have been prioritizing our programs within our department. <br /> Committeemember Broden asked,What is the sweet spot for your overtime budget?Where do you <br /> want to be and how do you get there?I'm sure zero(0)is an easy answer but it can't be that,right? <br /> Chief Cox replied, The challenge we have that the Police Department also has is that we have <br /> minimum staffing issues. So in other words if I have someone that calls in sick in the morning,we <br /> don't want them to work,right? So the problem is you can't just shut down a truck and expect that <br /> services aren't diminished. So we need to backfill those positions. So, in regards to what you just <br /> mentioned, I think it's unrealistic for us to think we could be at zero (0). Having said that, I think <br /> the sweet spot is whatever the City choses is going to be the sweet spot. Because we can hire <br /> multiple people to try and offset that overtime cost, but I would tell you we thought we would be <br /> close to that sweet spot with the six (6) additional last year but things happen. We also had a <br /> couple of disability retirements that happened that we couldn't have expected. So I hate responding <br /> like this and I'm not trying to avoid that question but we have to figure out where we want to be <br /> and then just do that. <br /> Committeemember Broden followed up, With regard to the Paramedicine Pilot going to full <br /> implementation, what is the sense of the metrics or the decisive factors that are prompting the full <br /> boar on this? <br /> Chief Cox replied, I can just tell you, anecdotally, we identified high-risk patients by having our <br /> Fire Fighters use different types of metrics such as frequent calls to different types of ailments <br /> those individuals may have,are they homeless,do they have services,etc...There was then created <br /> three (3) categories of individuals based off of our frequent users data. I can tell you that all of the <br /> people in the high risk group have called for an ambulance, a minimum of ten(10)times over the <br /> last twelve (12) months. Our heaviest user had called for an ambulance seventy (70) times over <br /> the course of the last year and a half. These individuals, clearly, have underlying issues. We took <br /> ten (10) individuals from the high priority group and started making house calls to see what kind <br /> of impact could be made. Then we looked at several in the low priority group,just for the simple <br /> fact that they, if they are not attended to, they become high-priority. The low priority folks are <br /> low-hanging fruit and we want to be able to get in there and see what it is they need.Anecdotally, <br /> several of the individuals identified in the high priority group that have already been seen have <br /> since then not called for an ambulance. The State has programs and we are actually looking for <br /> partnerships with this program as we build it out. Other places have actually partnered with <br /> EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 1227W.Jefferson Bvld I South Bend,Indiana 466011 p 574.235.9221 If 574.235.9173 1 TTD 574.235.5567 I www.southbendin.gov <br /> 17 <br />