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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 182 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-182 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council December 6, 2022 Page 1 of 4 i i7 Y *a SUBJECT: POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL rrn BOARDS The purpose of this report is to describe the various advisory boards utilized by the Fort Worth Police Department and the Fort Worth Fire Department. The Police Department has eight (8) formal boards or committees detailed in the Fort Worth Police Department General Orders and six (6) informal boards. The Fire Department has nine (9) committees. These boards serve various functions as described below, with the overall goal of providing guidance and insight that could support or enhance the organization. Fort Worth Police Department Formal Boards • Policy Advisory Board — Responsibilities include considering any policy that directly effects the departments service to the community. The board will provide recommendations to the Chief of Police on developing, revising or canceling policy. The board will not review or consider policies protected from public disclosure, HIPAA topics, City PRR's, Meet and Confer Agreement, TCOLE mandates, State or Federal requirements or City Ordinance. This board is comprised of members of the police department of various rank and members of the community. (This board was suspended during the creation of the Office of Police Oversight Monitor in order to allow OPOM to establish roles and procedures. We are in the process of reinstituting and updating this board to align with the needs of the community and department.) • Accident Review Board — The ARB will review all police vehicle accidents to determine facts and cause as well as provide a determination of chargeable or non-chargeable. The board is formed from members of the Police Department of various ranks. • Budget Committee— From the departments needs assessment process, the committee will research, rank and provide information on expenses in excess of $5,000.00 to assist Police leadership with financial decisions. This board is served by sworn and civilian volunteers from within the Police Department. • Use of Force Review Board—When requested by personnel of the rank of Commander or above, or during periodic review, this board will review and examine all aspects of use of force related incidents. The incident must involve a lawful arrest or detention, a use of force policy violation and/or use of excessive force, and not be defined as a critical police incident. The board's purpose during review is to protect the sanctity of life, improve officer safety, enhance professionalism and provide liability protection by evaluating the use of force employed in each incident. The board will not make disciplinary recommendations. The board will also periodically review policy, departmental statistics and use of force training. The board is comprised of members of the department with five or more years of experience from various ranks and assignments and is monitored by a designee from the Office of Police Oversight Monitor. • Critical Police Incident Tactics Review Board—This board will meet quarterly to review all critical police incidents. Each review will focus on enhancing professionalism and officer safety by evaluating the tactics employed in each incident, ensuring that departmental procedures, training, equipment, and tactics are appropriate and up to date. Conclusions and recommendations are forwarded to the Chief. Examples include prescriptive training, in-service training, bulletins, new equipment or policy. The board members will consist of members from the following positions: ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-182 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council December 6, 2022 Page 2 of 4 i i7 Y *a SUBJECT: POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL rrn BOARDS Investigative and Support Command Deputy Chief, Training Captain, Major Case Supervisor, Training Division Representatives, and Internal Affairs Supervisor. • Awards Committee — Upon notification of any outstanding service by sworn or civilian police employee, the Awards Committee is responsible for conduct a full investigation into the recommendation, determine the validity of the commendation, and decide the level of the award. Committee members are chosen from various sworn ranks and one civilian police employee. • Equipment and Uniform Committee—Committee responsibilities shall be to consider any changes in the uniform and personal equipment worn by commissioned personnel and make recommendations to the Chief of Police. The committee will be formed by members of the police department from various ranks and assignments. • Fleet and Equipment Advisory Committee—The responsibilities of this committee shall be to research and reviewed proposed equipment and make recommendations to review new equipment, evaluate current equipment, investigate reports of problems with current equipment, review bid specifications and approval, and prioritize all requests for vehicle or equipment purchases. The committee is comprised of volunteers from various assignments and ranks, and the chairperson will be the Public Safety Support Manager. Informal Boards • Pastoral/Faith-Based Community Leaders—The Office of the Chief of Police has formed a board comprised of faith-based community leaders with the goal of increasing transparency with and trust from the community. This board is convened as needed to receive briefings on critical police incidents, internal affairs investigations resulting in discipline, or other significant issues. This forum allows for an exchange of ideas, serves as a sounding board for concerns, promotes transparency, and seeks to strengthen relationships. • Behavioral Mental Health Advisory Board-This board is comprised of mental health professionals from JPS, Tarrant County MHMR,Medstar,NAMI Tarrant County, Tarrant County Juvenile Justice, and Department of Veteran Affairs to help the Police Department determine best practices for policies and training needed to respond to individuals in mental health crisis. • Code Blue Quarterly Meetings—This quarterly meeting is held with members of the Code Blue program to provide them a sounding board regarding issues within the department noticed from the community perspective, as well as specific concerns about the administration of the program. • Beyond the Badge—_Beyond the Badge is a collaborative group that meets bi-weekly, formed of both sworn personnel and community stake holders. The mission of the Beyond the Badge board is to build and strengthen community relationships between the Fort Worth Police Department and its citizens in a manner that works to improve both the safety and the quality of life in the City of Fort Worth. • Chief s Advisory Board—The goal of the Chiefs Advisory Board is to provide a forum for police- community interaction to address public safety and related issues in order to further enhance the quality of life in our community and is comprised of a diverse cross-section of community leaders who are representative of the City of Fort Worth. This group comes together to exchange ideas and concerns and propose guidance and solutions which are then disseminated to the local communities. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-182 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council December 6, 2022 Page 3 of 4 i i7 Y *a SUBJECT: POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL rrn BOARDS • Empower Fort Worth—This is a grassroots non-profit organization with a vision to create a Fort Worth community of helpers empowered with the mental resilience and resources to withstand life's challenges and better care for others. The mission is to empower community helpers by providing accessible mental health resources and combating the stigma around seeking help. Fort Worth Fire Department • Hiring and Recruit Training Labor Management Committee -- The committee has been assigned the following objectives: to ensure fire service best practices are being observed, identify areas where the department may be underperforming, ensure all fire trainee candidates have access to the resources, support, and opportunities needed for them to become successful Fort Worth firefighters, ensure our hiring, recruiting, and training academy processes meet legally and operationally defensible standards. Finally, the committee has attempted to address concerns and challenges raised by some of the department's tenured members. • Human Relations Labor Management Committee (Development phase) - The purpose and intent of the committee is based on the recommendations and manual put out by the International whose purpose is "to assist each local in handling human relations and civil rights matters as they relate to union activity, firefighting, EMS and related services". • Cancer Reduction Labor Management Committee—The purpose of this committee is to limit carcinogen exposure and reduce risk of cancer in the Fire Department. • Apparatus Committee - Chairperson Skyler Ainesworth - The Fort Worth Fire Department utilizes multiple committees of subject matter experts to provide a broad spectrum of experience and opinion into the planning and purchasing of tools, equipment, and apparatus. The committee members must have a working knowledge of aerial apparatus to make meaningful recommendations. • Wildland Committee (Operations) -- Chairperson Josh Clark—The purpose of the committee is to establish procedures for upgrading staffing in response to escalating threats of wildland/brush and grass fires. • Facilities Committee -- Chairperson Ben Crandall -- The Committee is comprised of eight volunteers from all ranks within the Fire Department who will provide the firefighters' perspective to projects in the planning, design, and construction phases of station remodels and new construction. The committee will research current construction practices and give recommendations to E-Staff. • PPE Committee: - Co-chairpersons: Mike Anderson, James Conner and Alex Arnold -—The PPE Committee is a group of various ranks and assignments that is responsible for considering and testing any changes in uniform and Personal Protective Equipment worn by commissioned personnel. The committee is tasked with making any recommendations to the Chief of Fire upon completion of testing. The committee is also responsible to meet and comply with NFPA 1851 (the standard on selecting, care, and maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting). • Accident Review Board -- Chairperson Michael Andersen-- The Accident Review Board is a committee of various ranks and assignments that will review and determine the preventability of each accident involving fire department vehicles. The goal of the ARB is to learn from previous ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-182 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council December 6, 2022 Page 4 of 4 i SUBJECT: POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL r 7A BOARDS accidents so as to prevent future ones. The ARB determines if an accident is preventable or non- preventable. Upon completion, the ARB committee findings are reported to the Fire Chief for review. • Promotional Study Material Committee -- Chairperson, Mike McAmis -- The committee regularly meets to discuss and select the types and quantities of study material for each promotional exam. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Executive Assistant Police Chief Robert Alldredge at 817-392-4131 or Fire Chief Jim Davis at 817-392-6801. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS