TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND FROM: Councilmember Omar Torres CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Dev Davis
Councilmember Peter Ortiz
Councilmember Bien Doan
Councilmember Arjun Batra
SUBJECT: Approval of the 2023-2024 Operating and Capital Budgets for the City of San José and Schedule of Fees and Charges.
DATE: June 09, 2023
Approved Date: June 09, 2023
RECOMMENDATION
1. Do not accept the reduction of Med 30 proposed in the operating budget for FY23-244
2. Accept the following items listed in MBA 21:
a. Account Receivable Staffing
b. Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Training Staff Realignment c. Information Technology Staffing
d. Radio Replacements
e. General Vehicle Replacement
3. Direct Staff to reduce the future deficit reserve by $500,000 on an ongoing basis.
DISCUSSION
Cutting our Paramedic Supervisor position, Med30, in favor of a 6th Battalion Chief is a detrimental step in protecting the public and our firefighters. We need BOTH to maintain the safety of firefighters on the job and assist the residents when disaster strikes. Disseminating the Med30 responsibilities to already overworked San Jose Fire personnel simply adds a burden to positions that are already dealing with being the lowest-staffed big city fire department in the country.
Our 5 Battalion Chiefs, our IT team of 3, our 2 Captains in EMS administration, and certainly ALL of our firefighters, will be touched by the loss of this crucial Captain’s position as ALL of their workloads increase. We need a 6th Battalion Chief to maintain the operational span of control, especially since our calls for service to the citizens of San Jose have steadily increased by 6% year over year. But we also need our paramedic supervisor who is the front-line state- mandated DECO/DICO, who is the overseer for our “after-hours” EMS equipment and DEA regulated Narcotics, and it is this position that assists not only the public with housing and care COUNCIL AGENDA: 06/13/23
ITEM: 3.6
after a fire loss but also assists our own SJFD AND SJPD personnel when injured or infected on the scene of an emergency. It is important to not take Med 30 away, instead, it is crucial to have both the 6th Battalion Chief and our Paramedic supervisor.
The signers of this memorandum have not had, and will not have, any private conversation with any other member of the City Council, or that member’s staff, concerning any action discussed in the memorandum, and that each signer’s staff members have not had, and have been instructed not to have, any such conversation with any other member of the City Council or that member's staff.