Open Letter To The City Council

July 6, 2011

City Council of Monterey Park

320 West Newmark

Monterey Park, CA 91754

Dear Honorable City Council:

SUBJECT: ITEM 8 CONFLICT WITH MUNICIPAL CODE 240.065 – HEALTH, SAFETY, AND BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

As you may know I worked for Los Angeles County Fire Department for over 14 years at the level of division chief, which meant that I could and did supervise battalion chiefs. I oversaw mutual and automatic aid contracts, negotiated city’s requesting transfer of fire service to the county, lead intergovermental relations including legislative advocacy, developed fire service delivery plans, originated revenue enhancement initiatives, and administered special contracts among other responsibilities.

Merging/sharing Battalion Chiefs is a good idea. I read Item 8, “Discussion of Merging and/or Sharing Battalion Chief Resources,” and became alarmed as it may conflict with “Voter approval for transfer of police and/or fire services (Municipal Code 2.40.065).”

This code is clear and specific that police and fire service shall be provided by employees holding City of Monterey Park employment status.

This Code also requires that response times and service levels be maintained or enhanced and that any savings resulting from transfer of service does not result in significant service alteration or reduction. Both response times and service levels are ambiguous and imprecise.

To illustrate, merging/sharing Battalion Chief coverage would involve transferring fire service command to outside Battalion Chiefs who do not have Monterey Park employment. Currently, our Battalion Chiefs are in and dedicated to our City. In merging/sharing, our Battalion Chiefs could be responded to incidents outside our City or another city’s Battalion Chiefs would cover our City. Due to greater distance delayed arrival could occur affecting incident command thereby carrera obstaculos hinchables impacting Monterey Park’s emergency response. Battalion Chief command is essential to emergency incident response, particularly large incidents. Delay equals service alteration and reduction.

To merge/share Battalion Chief coverage, a literal reading of this code would require a fiscal and feasibility study, and approval by the City Council to send this minor adjustment to voter approval.

The Verdugo Dispatch Contract is good.

The Verdugo Dispatch contract may be in violation of this Code as this contract was not voter approved. Again to illustrate, Verdugo Dispatch is a fire service not provided by employees holding Monterey Park employment status. Also, the Verdugo Dispatch contract treats all contract cities’ fire service resources as if they are one resource pool using unified response, in effect there is a substantial transfer in fire service delivery as initial response command and control is not provided by Monterey Park employees. Some of the responding fire and paramedic units may not have Monterey Park employment status as well.

The Verdugo Dispatch contract may be interpreted as reducing or altering fire service because Monterey Park fire service resources could be regularly sent outside the City under unified response. Fire and paramedic coverage from another city means a delayed response due to increased distance unless that covering city’s resource is moved into Monterey Park. This is particularly crucial in paramedic response. If a Monterey Park paramedic ambulance is committed to an outside the city rescue, it is not available. Another city’s paramedic unit from outside Monterey Park would be responded to a rescue call from a greater distance. Greater distance means delay. Remember, a paramedic ambulance is committed to deliver the patient to a trauma hospital before it becomes available. This involves time to transfer the patient conforming to protocols before the Monterey Park paramedic ambulance can return to our City. Unified response may also send our paramedic ambulance to another city before it can return to Monterey Park. Consequently, unified command alters service and can be seen as reducing service due to delays and diversions.

Municipal Code 2.40.065 is a barrier to making service improvements through partnership with other cities and through contracting for a better service.

A change to this code is essential to allow for service adjustments and contracts involving limited transfer of a service without requiring a fiscal and feasibility study and City Council approval to send the issue for voter decision.

I am not advocating doing away with the Verdugo Dispatch contract nor am I opposing the merging/sharing of Battalion Chiefs, I am simply pointing out how these can be interpreted to be in violation of Municipal Code 2.40.065

When public agency discovers an error of omission or commission, the error must be remedied at the earliest opportunity. As Municipal Code 2.40.0065 was voter approved, it can only be change by a vote of the people. The earliest election is this November. To safeguard the Verdugo Dispatch contract a ballot measure to clarify and correct the code must be developed now because such a ballot measure must be filed 88 days before the November election. This means the City must approve the ballot measure no later than the first city council meeting in August.

I will help if asked, because several performance measures need to be defined. The response times and service levels as written in the code are ambiguous and imprecise subject to interpretation because no measure of performance for response time is indicated such as mean, median, or mode. Timeframe basis needs to be set such as week, month, or year. What is to be measured needs to be defined, that is from call received to dispatch, from dispatch to arrival, and/or from call received to arrival of first responder. Finally what responding resource is to be the principal measure of service level, first responder only?

Next, the level of transfer and or support service delivery contracted out allowed needs to be defined to allow sharing of resources and contracting for services such as Verdugo Dispatch. Simplest is to use percentage of total budget that is not to be exceeded. A reasonable limit might be not to exceed 10% of total budget for all transfers and/or support service delivery contracted. What is a support function, dispatch, Battalion Chief, or any function that is not a first responder?

For limited service transfers and support contracts, what is the approval process and authorized level of approval?

Very truly yours

John Y. Gee, Monterey Park

2.411.065 Voter approval for transfer of police and/or fire services.

Except as provided herein, police and fire service shall be provided by employees holding employment status as defined in Chapter 2.28 of the Monterey Park Municipal Code. Prior to the city council transferring or consolidating all or substantially all of the police and/or fire service performed by sworn city personnel to any other public entity other than the city of Monterey Park, the following findings shall be made:

(a) Existing emergency response times and service levels, including but not limited to, on-duty staffing levels, facilities and equipment shall be maintained or enhanced.

(b) There shall not be an increase in cost to either the police or fire department general fund allocation, or if a savings to any fund is projected it shall not be a result of significant service alterations or reductions.

Such evidence, including a report by an independent auditor of the financial costs associated with a final proposal, shall be submitted to an ad hoc committee of residents appointed by the city council. The purpose shall be to develop a report that would analyze any proposal in the form of a complete and final proposal and make a recommendation to the city council of such action. Prior to any such transfer or consolidation becoming effective, the proposed transfer or consolidation shall have been approved by a majority of the voters of the city voting thereon at any regular or special municipal election. (Ord. 1950 § 1, passed by the voters at the 3/2/99 election)

Dear Editor:

June 27^th was National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day.  Veteran organizations and government entities all over the country mark this day to help increase knowledge and understanding about this life affecting disorder.  Experts estimate that 11% to 30% of our nation’s combat veterans suffer from PTSD.  These veterans served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea and World War II.  In order to raise awareness, it is important that people know that PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can occur after one has been through a traumatic event.  During this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger.  A person may feel afraid or feel that they have no control over what is happening.  This is quite common in the combat situations our military men and women find themselves in and while the dedicated men and women in our country’s military are truly the bravest of our citizens they are still susceptible to mental trauma and its effects.

A common misconception is that PTSD only affects the veteran, but this is simply not true as the symptoms can disrupt a veteran’s life and make it hard to continue with daily activities, and more importantly PTSD can take a veteran’s family life and turn it upside down.  Families can be torn apart and damaged by this disorder.  Sadly PTSD has gone untreated for many veterans due to the previous lack of understanding the nature of the disorder, and many lives have been ruined or changed for the worst.  It is our responsibility as citizens to not let this continue.  We need to remember that our veterans with PTSD suffered through trauma so we do not have to.  Not only do we owe them our gratitude but we owe them the respect of helping them through the challenges they face.  Together we can raise awareness in our communities to help employers, teachers and families of veterans realize that our veterans may be suffering from invisible wounds.  For more information visit http://www.ptsd.va.gov.  From California Department of Veterans Affairs “News for Veterans” dated June 27, 2011.

Peggy McIntosh, San Gabriel

Dear Editor:

News from Washington (July 13, 2011) is that President Barack Obama has accepted an invitation from American Legion National Commander Jimmie L. Foster to speak in person at the nation’s largest gathering of veterans and their families at the National Convention in Minneapolis August 30^th.  “It is always an honor to welcome the Commander-in-Chief at our national convention, but it is more meaningful than ever this year as we look back on recent progress regarding the compassionate care of our nation’s wounded warriors, veterans and the families who care for them, and as we look forward to challenges and opportunities alike for the Department of Veterans Affairs” Foster said.  “The nation’s largest organization of wartime veterans is deeply interested in the administration’s vision for the future of our economy, our national security and the Veterans Administration.  We are all in this together”.  Foster added,  “The American Legion stands ready to welcome home the men and women of our armed forces.  They have fought with courage, skill and selflessness in the global war on terrorism.  They come home to rural towns, urban neighborhoods and everything in between.  It is our duty as a nation to extend appreciation for their sacrifices and help ensure they can succeed and prosper here at home.”  Foster added  “The American Legion’s nationwide corps of service officers, Heroes to Hometowns coordinators and Family Support Network volunteers are working diligently to help returning troops and newly discharged veterans successfully readjust to civilian life, and as it has done since 1919, The American Legion will continue to stand in honored remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice under our Flag in the name of all it represents.”  On August 27^th, during the Convention, the Heroes to Hometowns Transition & Benefits Job Fair will be held.  “Our Heroes to Hometowns Job Fair gives veterans the opportunity to network with private and public hiring managers, and fellow veterans transitioning from military to civilian careers” said Legion Economic Director Joe Sharpe.

Peggy McIntosh, San Gabriel