Check one two three, one two three.

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the special public safety committee meeting of December twelfth, twenty twenty-five.

Um, I am the chair of this committee and very proud to hear it, but it is my allergy season, and I'm losing my voice.

And so I have asked my kind friend and colleague, the vice chair of the committee, Council Rao Campillo to read the script and share the meeting today, but I'm excited to be here, and we're gonna have a great meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

I hereby assigned Council Member Whitburn to do the job now.

Just kidding.

I like I appreciate uh the trust.

Our committee liaison Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting.

Sarah, let's please proceed.

This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business.

We appreciate the public's cooperation.

Vice Chair.

We will now call the special public safety committee meeting of December 12th, 2025 to order.

Sarah, please call the role.

Vice Chair Campio.

Here.

Committee member Campbell.

Here.

Committee member Whitburn.

Here.

Chair Von Wilbert.

Also attending the meeting today is Daniel Orloff from the Office of the City Attorney.

Baku Patel from the Office of the IBA and Coda Seiser with the Office of the Mayor.

If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the box indicated at the table at the front of the room.

Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management.

Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage.

To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669-2545252.

Inputting webinar ID 161-217-1797 pound.

This information is also available on the agenda and it will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item.

Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be delay.

Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it is your turn to speak.

If you wish to speak to a particular item, please wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you're a call and participant by pressing star nine on your phone.

If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered.

Vice Chair.

Thank you for reviewing the instructions for the benefit of the public.

A quorum is now present as a note for the public.

We will hear our agenda out of order today.

We'll begin by taking our consent agenda items number one through three, followed by the information item number six, then discussion items four and five.

Non-agenda public comment will be taken at the end of the meeting after the agenda items.

Uh first, are there any committee member, mayor, city attorney, or independent budget analyst comments?

Seeing none, do we have any requests for continuances?

Seeing none, we'll now dispense with the approval of our consent agenda.

Do we have any requests to pull from the consent agenda?

Seeing none, we will now move forward with the public comment on the consent agenda.

Sarah, please proceed.

Thank you, Vice Chair.

The public comment period for the consent agenda is now open.

The consent agenda includes items number one through three.

Item one, approval of the committee minutes from November 12th, 2025.

Item number two, adoption of the 2025 California Fire Code 2025, Wild Urban Interface Code and Associated Municipal Code Amendments.

And item number three, first amendment to extend contract with Lexapool LLC.

We've not received any speaker slips here in chambers, so I will begin the five-minute timer for all those to indicate in the virtual queue if they wish to provide comment to the consent agenda.

Each speaker will have one minute per item, and if you can please indicate which item or items you'll be speaking to.

We'll begin testimony with Blair Beekman.

Please unmute and indicate which item or items you will be speaking to.

Hi.

I wanted to comment on the lexi poll things and uh the approval of the previous uh agenda minutes.

All right, two minutes, please begin.

Hi, thank you.

Uh Blair Beekman.

That's when you approved uh uh use policy things.

That was your first time approval of use policy things that you brought back last week.

Um you've heard a real strong community voice that wants to move past the era of Flock.

Um, in our most recent approval of the use policy process, um, I really hope it's clear that we can be addressing the future of Flock and addressing the reduction of numbers of tech uh surveillance technology in our local neighborhoods and still practice the same amount of public safety.

I hope that gets through to you.

And then when the use policies come back in February, we can have a more thorough discussion to leave Flock.

We should be having that conversation now.

That should have been presented in our most recent conversations.

You guys aren't doing that yet.

Can you please make those steps to do that?

Thank you.

We can be doing that.

Let's work towards that.

Um, to also mention LexiPoll stuff is uh uh uncomfortable.

Um they're not the best organization in the world to work with in the way they work.

If that's a Lexus system, Lexus Nexus system uh of ideas.

Uh the same with Plock.

Uh we have to have well principled ideals in how we work with uh data collection companies.

Let's really work to find those companies and and demand and ask that they work towards those things.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And chairs saying no other hands in the virtual queue.

This concludes comment on the consent agenda.

Thank you to members of the public for their participation.

We'll now turn it to committee members for any questions and comments or a motion.

Do we have a motion?

I see a motion from Council Member Whipurne and I see a second from Council Member Campbell.

Seeing no questions or comments, let's please call the roll.

And that passes unanimously with all members present.

Sarah, please pro uh please please introduce our information item number six.

Thank you, Vice Chair Campio.

Item number six, public safety first responders of the year.

If you are watching on City TV or the live stream online and you'd like to call in to the meeting to speak, please dial 1669-2545252 and when prompted, input webinar ID 161-217-1797 pound.

Vice Chair.

Very good.

Just to manage expectations for how we will be taking this item.

We'll be uh going through the follow-up following steps.

Uh, Chair Von Wilbert will present the item and introduce individuals being recognized.

We will then move to public comment on the item, followed by committee members' comments when awardees and their families will be invited to speak.

Then Chair Von Wilbert will be offering time for the police and fire rescue department chiefs to share their remarks, and we will then conclude the item and take a short recess prior to moving to our discussion agenda so that council members can join the awardees in the well for a photo and for their certificate presentation.

Chair von Wilfert.

All right, thank you very much, um, Vice Chair, and thank you ever for being here today.

I am going to defer to my senior uh policy advisor and deputy chief of policy, Eric to read most of this, considering that um I'm losing my voice, but I'm so proud of all of you.

Thank you for serving our city day in, day out.

I mean, I know what it's like to have to leave in the middle of the night, to not come home until three in the morning, to be gone on nights and weekends, and thank you to your families who are there to support you when you're not home as well.

So I want to public service is a true family affair I have learned, and I'm really proud of all of you for being here.

I'll turn it over to Eric to give introduction uh remarks.

Thank you, Chair von Wolpert.

I first want to begin by thanking the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Fire Rescue Department, the honorees, and their families for being here with us today.

I would also like to individually recognize San Diego Police Chief Wall, San Diego Fire Rescue Chief Robert Logan, San Diego Life Guard Chief James Garland, Assistant Chief Dan Eddy, James Gabri, and Willie Melendez, as well as Deputy Chief Ted Moran.

Thank you all for being here.

Today, the public the public safety committee is honored to recognize the exceptional work of the City of San Diego's public safety professionals.

Across every division, police, fire, rescue, EMS, dispatch, and lifeguards, our first responders demonstrate an unwavering commitment to protecting our residents and visitors.

The public safety committee felt it was important that this committee formally recognize the outstanding work that our public safety personnel have accomplished.

Today we recognize the city's public safety first responders of the year.

This initiative emerged from our shared desire to acknowledge the men and women in uniform and the professional staff who support them, serving our communities every day with exceptional dedication.

The public safety committee invited both the San Diego Police Department and San Diego Fire Rescue Department to nominate an exemplary individual from across their organization to be recognized today.

The City of San Diego public safety departments handle an immense volume and an incredible diversity of emergency calls each year.

Our first responders have a wide-ranging expertise and carry immense responsibility, all while maintaining constant readiness to respond to emergency calls to meet the high expectations placed upon them every day.

Covering fire responses, emergency medical services, rescues, natural disasters, and other critical public safety incidents.

The fire rescue lifeguard division performs more than 400,000 preventative acts, 7,000 rescues annually, while protecting over 30 million beach and bay visitors each year.

These numbers highlight the extraordinary operational tempo required to safeguard one of the nation's most visited coastal regions.

The San Diego Police Department manages approximately 674,476 annual 911 calls.

434,278 calls for service, while responding to more than 400,000 events citywide.

These calls range from in-progress emergencies and threats to members of our communities, everything from life-threatening incidents to minor traffic collisions and welfare checks.

This workload underscores the complexity and intensity of the San Diego Police Department's daily operations across our diverse neighborhood.

While 2025 year ends total are still being finalized, the most recent annual data makes one point unmistakably clear.

San Diego's first responders continue to operate at an exceptional high level with immense demands.

Their professionalism, skill, resilience are essential to the safety and well-being of our communities and millions of visitors who come to our city each year.

Importantly, these numbers do not capture the human lives behind every call.

They do not reflect the firefighters who risk their lives running in burning buildings, the dispatchers who manage some of the most stressful and emotional intense moments a person can experience, the paramedics and the EMT treating life threatening medical emergencies, the lifeguards entering incredibly hazardous ocean conditions to make rescues on individuals at risk of drowning, or the officers who arrive first at a scene of crisis, disaster, and unfolding danger.

The data shows the scale of the workload, but the true measure of public safety is the countless lives protected.

Tragedies prevented, and moments of calm delivered during chaos.

Today's honorees represent the very best of our public safety workforce.

Their commitment, leadership, and exceptional service embody the highest standards of public safety in the city of San Diego.

On behalf of the Public Safety Committee, City Council, and the City of San Diego, we extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude for the outstanding contributions to our community.

And this year's 2025 Public Safety Responders of the Year are the feature awardee could stand to be recognized.

Um do we have um Bethany here?

Bethany Otter.

She may be running late, so we may put her at the very end.

Do we have Lieutenant Terrence Ottawa Terrence O is recognized for his exceptional leadership during the catastrophic aviation incident on May 22nd, 2025 in Council Navar Campillos District, actually, when a Cessna 550 citation aircraft crashed into a San Diego residence.

Responding from home in the early hours of the morning, Lieutenant O assumed command of a chaotic multi-agency emergency involving fires, evacuations, hazardous jet fuel conditions, national media, and federal investigators.

As incident commander, he coordinated with San Diego PD, San Diego Fire Department, Federal Aviation Administration, Military Housing officials, utility departments, elected officials, and many others for a multi-day response over the Memorial Day weekend.

His study leadership ensured safety, effective communication, timely access for investigators, and expedited recovery operations.

His actions reflect a great credit upon his division and the entire department.

Congratulations.

Sergeant David Huang, please stand to be recognized.

Sergeant David Wong is recognized for his extraordinary heroism and decisive leadership during the same aviation disaster on May 2022, 2025.

Arriving to an active inferno with burning homes, vehicles, and flowing jet fuel igniting both sides of the street, Sergeant Huang immediately acted, leading rapid, systematic door-to-door evacuations under extreme conditions.

Navigating fire, dense smoke, and life-threatening hazards, the sergeant guided officers in rescuing sleeping residents and preventing further loss of life.

His courage, judgment, and dedication under pressure exemplifies the highest ideals of public service and reflect exceptional credit upon himself and the San Diego Police Department.

Thank you.

All right, now from our San Diego Fire Rescue Department, we have Special Operations Captain Eric Falk.

Please stand.

Eric brings 20 years of dedication to the San Diego Fire Rescue Department.

He has been involved in numerous projects and training initiatives for our special operations division, EMS division, health and safety division, and training division.

He was the lead vaccinator trainer during COVID, responsible for the medical equipment during the Falk transition, a field supervisor for AMR, led EMS Week for the Fire Academy, led the Hazmat and EMS's ISTs, led instructor training for PALs and ALS, principal instructor for the San Diego Fire Paramedic Program, and also worked on numerous projects for the Health and Safety Committee.

Eric has worked over the last two years in the special operations division, helping streamline and transition multiple dated practices in digital forms.

He's been a lead instructor in tablet command, fire mapper, and in TERA, these platforms were used during multiple large-scale fires in the last year, including the Montezuma, Rancho Bernardo, and the Hoya fires.

These platforms enable us to ensure the safety of the public and firefighters in the field during a disaster.

This diverse experience has demonstrated his ability to work effectively within different divisions of our department and region, utilizing his interpersonal and organizational skills as we commit as well as his commitment to follow through.

Thank you.

Lifeguard 2, Austin Mathis.

Please stand to be recognized.

Lifeguard 2, Austin Mathis is recognized for his outstanding professionalism, courage, and lifesaving performance as a member of the San Diego Rescue Lifeguard Division.

Austin recently played a critical role in a highly dangerous rescue involving a spear fisherman trapped in a powerful and unforgiving surf near La Jolla's rocky coastline.

As waves pounded the area, and visibility decreased at dusk, Austin maintained acute situational awareness, tracking incoming sets, guiding rescue operations, and protecting his fellow lifeguards as well as the victim from additional waves crashing overhead.

Austin's ability to stay calm under extreme pressure, anticipate hazards, and support the primary rescuers proved vital to ensuring everyone made it safely back to shore.

His action during this incident exemplify the highest standards of bravery, teamwork, and public safety.

Austin's ongoing dedication and commitment to protecting San Diego's coastline represents the best of the Lifeguard Division.

Thank you.

And we have Life Guard 2, Patrick McVan.

Patrick McVan, recently named Lifeguard of the Year, has been recognized for his exceptional heroism during a dramatic ocean rescue in La Jolla.

Responding to a spear fisherman who became exhausted and trapped in a violent shore break.

Patrick reached the victim just as a large set of waves crashed directly over them.

Submerged repeatedly, tossed by the surf and battling heavy short pound conditions.

Patrick held on to the victim while directing him through each wave, ensuring that the victim remained calm and responsive.

Despite being knocked around by repeated powerful sets, Patrick shifted into full rescue mode, fighting through the dark, churning waters.

Remember, the sun had set by now.

Towing the victim away from Jagged Rocks and battling the power surf with extraordinary strength, focus, and determination.

Thanks to his leadership, composure, and courage, both rescuer and victim emerged safely from an extremely hazardous and life-threatening situation.

Patrick's actions represent the very best of our lifeguard division.

His bravery and professionalism continue to be a standard for excellence, and his recognition of lifeguard of the year is well earned.

And I would like to read into the record, dispatcher 911 dispatcher Bethany Otter.

Dispatcher Bethany Otter is honored for her exemplary 25 years of service with the San Diego Police Department dispatch division.

Widely respected across the department, Bethany is known for her unmatched work ethic, leadership by example, and constantly outstanding performance.

Her efficiency remains among the highest in the division, most recently ranked number one in both 911 and non-emergency call handling.

Bethany's professionalism, calm demeanor, and precision in gathering critical information ensure officers in the field are supported with the highest level of service.

She volunteers to cover staffing shortages, rarely calls out, and continuously embodies the qualities every dispatcher strives to achieve.

Bethany is a true asset to the San Diego Police Department.

Thank you.

And that concludes our presentation.

I'll turn it back over to Vice Chair, Councilmember Campio.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let us proceed to public comment.

Thank you, Vice Chair.

We've not received any speaker slips here in chambers, so I will begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide comment on item six.

Each speaker will have two minutes, and we will begin testimony with Connor Robbins.

Please unmute and begin.

Good afternoon, Council.

Can you hear me?

We can hear you.

Please proceed.

All right, thanks.

I'm Connor Robbins, the Chief Steward of Team Sterves Local 986, representing San Diego Life Guards.

Want to thank the committee for recognizing the first responders here today.

And I also want to congratulate all of the public safety honorees, especially our lifeguard members who our union is proud to represent.

Pat and Austin, your selfless service makes me proud to represent you.

Thank you for putting your lives on the line to protect the safety of others.

Your actions reflect the best of our lifeguards, and you're truly deserving of this recognition.

Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

Our next speaker is Blair Beekman.

Please unmute and begin.

Hi, thank you.

I didn't know if there was going to be public comment or not, so I raised my hand.

This is a nice uh agenda item to have today.

Uh thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

And vice chair with no other hands in the queue.

This concludes comment for item number six.

Thank you for the members of the public for your participation.

This is an information information item only, so no motion is required.

I will now turn it over to my committee members for questions and comments at this point, and we'll begin with Council Member Whitburn.

Thank you, Vice Chair Campio.

I just want to take a moment to say thank you to all of our uh public safety first responders of the year.

Um your talent, uh, your skill, your commitment, uh, courage, uh, really advances the most fundamental responsibility of our city, and is that is to uh protect the public safety of people who live here and visit here and work here.

Uh so uh it's incredible hearing uh the work that you have done and the performance that you have exhibited.

Uh so again, thank you for uh all you do for our city and congratulations on your recognition.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Whitburn.

We'll now go to Councilmember Campbell.

Thank you so much.

Uh thanks for doing what you do.

You guys are our heroes.

We really appreciate you, and we want to make sure that you know that.

And so ditto to everything my colleague just said, and thank you again.

Thank you, Councilmember Campbell.

Uh, I'll offer my uh two two brief comments.

Uh really when things are going bad in people's lives, when there's an emergency moment, and they quickly start praying that someone is gonna be there to help them.

That's what you guys do.

That's what you guys are about.

I don't think there's anybody in our community who uh when they see you come around the corner, when they see you drive up in your fire engine, your police car, uh, when they are the victim of a crime or they are suffering from a medical emergency or they are looking for their child in the surf.

Uh they're praying that you guys show up.

So, on behalf of my constituents, thank you for being the answer to our prayers every single day.

Thank you, Councilmember uh Chair von Wilbert.

Um, any comments from you directly now.

Yes, um, thank you.

I I appreciate you day in and day out.

And you know, we work hard here in our half of the house.

You know, the city is a huge organization, and we work hard here to make sure that you have the resources you need to go out and answer the call and do your jobs.

It's not always easy to find those resources, but I can guarantee you that we work every hard to turn over every cushion to make sure you are supported in doing the heroic things that you do.

The men, the women that you save every day, and the men and women on our forces.

I just so proud of you.

And we did want to invite um anyone, any of the awardees who would like to say a few words, and any of the chiefs who would like to come up and say a few words.

I see the chiefs.

You can't get out of it.

Well, first of all, if I beat Chief Logan up here, then he can't steal my words.

Um I tell you, this is a uh as please chief.

This is a proud moment uh to be here.

Uh whether we're dealing with a shooting scene, whether it's a house on fire, a plane crash, or somebody drowning in our uh in our local waters.

Uh the first thing you need is solid leadership and and people that are willing to help coordinate the chaos.

Uh, our dispatchers certainly help with that as well.

And the other thing you need to have is brave, courageous men and women that are willing to step into harm's way.

Uh and it it is uh it is great to see them being recognized this way, and it's nice when you see that their loved ones are here and you really get a grasp of what they leave behind to step into harm's way.

And that's what makes them so darn heroic.

Thank you for recognizing them and congratulations to all of you.

It's so well deserved.

Keep up the great work.

Hello, and thanks for having us.

Um, first of all, thank I would like to thank the public safety committee for giving us this stage to recognize or to showcase what our people do.

Yesterday I was out in the field delivering uh Christmas present to our fire station, and a call came in, station 12.

Fire 32th district.

And we went to the fire.

And as a fire chief, standing outside that apartment, watching those flames and smoke protrude from every single window, and then watching my people disappear within that building to make a difference.

Says a lot.

I know what they give every day, day in and day out, but the public doesn't necessarily see that day in and day out.

And to see them appreciate it on this level means a lot.

And right as I'm pulling up, the crews made a rescue.

And they pull somebody out of a burning building.

So this happens daily.

So for us to have this platform to acknowledge these people, thank you, and thank you guys for everything you do.

And for this committee to take it the time to say nice things and recognize these heroes.

Pat is a journeyman lifeguard.

He's been with us for about ten years, and Austin just started.

So just uh thank you all so much.

It's incredibly humbling, and we appreciate it, and congratulations to all of you.

So we can come down to the well and take photos with each county number.

That's a good idea.

We'll take another five minutes.

Okay, we will now continue on with our meeting.

Thank you for your patience.

We will now move to our discussion agenda item.

Sarah, please introduce item number four.

Thank you, Vice Chair Campio.

Item number four, exemption of a police commander position and a deputy director position in the police department from the classified service.

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Vice Chair.

Thank you for that.

Just uh for the record, uh, we do have three members present, myself, Councilmember Whipburn, and Councilmember Campbell.

Uh we will now have staff introduce yourselves.

Let us know how much time you need.

Good afternoon.

Uh I'm Scott Wall, Chief of San Diego Police Department.

Uh, we will need just a few minutes, three, three, four minutes.

Very good, Chief.

All right, good morning, Public Safety Chair Von Wilpert and Honorable Council members.

Where did she go?

She's not here.

She left.

Okay.

Uh, by proxy, uh Councilmember Campio.

Today I'm presenting a proposal to exempt two key positions.

Uh police commander and a deputy director for our finance team.

When I first reorganized the police department, I had to work with existing unclassified positions.

We made that structure work, but the goal was to always raise the special operations branch to the right leadership level.

Right now, the captain in that branch is working alongside the rest of our commanders.

Under the proposal, a new commander would lead the special operations branch, which includes SWAT, canine, and our air support.

We would also move our criminal intelligence unit under the or CIU under that branch.

The current special operations captain position would be eliminated, and the CIU captain position would be converted to a police officer two position.

The new commander would take over uh the oversight of our criminal intelligence unit.

This realignment saves money.

It improves coordination across high-risk units, and it strengthens our intelligence-driven decision making.

During last year's reorganization, we promoted an assistant director of finance, which was an important step in balancing our budget.

But it left the finance group with an unbalanced chain of command.

The new deputy director would oversee fiscal grants and payroll and would report to the assistant director.

This change builds stronger leadership and helps reduce the workload on the small on the small group of unclassified staff who are currently stretched too thin.

Adding a deputy director also creates a more clear, attainable achievement uh advancement path for our civilian employees so that they can move into higher level roles within our department, which is a commitment that I've made from the beginning.

This proposal is intended to be as close to cost neutral as possible.

Savings come from eliminating one captain position and converting a captain and an additional lieutenant back to police officer two levels.

Both the personnel department and the civil service commission have reviewed and recommended approval of these changes.

Both the personnel department and the civil service commission have reviewed and recommended approval of these changes, and both the POA and MEA have been briefed with no concerns raised.

The timing on this is critical for us.

We expect key retirements in February of 2026, including a deputy chief, an assistant chief, and a commander.

These upcoming transitions give us a natural window to implement structural changes with minimal disruption.

And with that, I'll open up to any questions.

Thank you, Chief.

We will proceed to public comment.

Oh, excuse me, the independent budget analyst has a comment.

Thank you, Vice Chair Bacupatel from the IBA's office.

Uh, just want to emphasize that uh these positions that the department is requesting to exempt from classified service are currently unbudgeted.

While this request is being initiated after the first quarter, which is in accordance with the FY26 statement of budgetary principles, the committee and council should carefully consider the department's operational need for these positions now rather than requesting these positions through the FY27 budget process where they can be prioritized and weighed against the general fund's other needs.

This is particularly important this coming fiscal year, knowing that potentially significant service level reductions are likely to be necessary to address the general fund's projected budget deficit.

Thank you, Chair.

Vice Chair, thank you.

We will go to public comment.

Thank you.

We've not received any speaker slips here in chambers, but I'll begin the five-minute timer for all those to indicate if they wish to provide comment on item four.

Each speaker will have one minute.

We will begin testimony with Blair Beekman.

If you can please unmute and begin.

You will have one minute to speak to item four.

Hi, thank you.

Blair Beekman.

I'm on a Cal train right now.

Hopefully, my connection can be good.

Uh very nice uh presentation by the chief.

Thank you very much.

It was nice to hear and learn.

Um, management positions are sorely lacking for the police department.

Is filling that with uh future union uh positions from say SEIU that he also kind of mentioned uh to be working on that more break to be considered Mr.

Beekman, we cannot hear you.

So we will continue on.

Sorry, we lost your connection.

Our next speaker is Catherine Douglas.

Please unmute and begin.

You will have one minute to speak to item four.

I would just like to say that I'm in full support of what the chief said and also um the IBA.

Uh Chief Wall has done an amazing job staying ahead of the game and looking down the road and his reorganization of our fabulous police department uh is seen by all of us, and I hope all the people, uh all the council members will vote to support this.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

And Chair, this concludes testimony for item number four.

Thank you to our members of the public for their participation.

We will now turn to council members for comments, questions, and a motion.

We'll begin with Council Member Whitburn.

Thank you very much, Chair.

Uh Chief Wall, I really appreciate the steps that you've taken to make the police department more efficient, more effective.

Um, having a deputy director to focus on uh department finances given the current budget situation.

Uh sounds beneficial to maximize the department's capabilities under uh tight restraints.

Uh sounds like there is a lot of general agreement that this is a smart move, and I'm happy to make the uh motion to adopt the staff recommendation.

Thank you, Councilmember Whippin.

We'll go to Council Member Campbell.

I am very happy to second the motion and thank you so much for the good work to make things more efficient.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Chief, for your uh uh foresight and for this proposal.

Uh I will also be in support.

We have a motion and we have a second.

Let us call the roll.

That passes three to zero with three members present.

Thank you, Chief.

We will now be going to discussion agenda item number five.

Let's please introduce that.

Thank you, Vice.

Thank you, Vice Chair Campio.

Item number five, San Diego Fire Rescue Department Annual Surveillance Report.

And if you're watching on City TV or the live stream, and you'd like to call in, please dial 1669-2545252.

Inputting webinar ID 161-217-1797 pound.

Vice Chair.

Thank you, Sarah.

We will now go to our lifeguard chief.

Please introduce yourself, your staff, and let us know how much time you'll need.

Good afternoon.

James Gordon, my third key.

There we go.

All right.

Good afternoon.

I'm James Garland, Life Guard Chief, and this is Captain Ring with the fire department.

So we need um about five minutes.

Um you have seen this before.

This is the 20, this is our annual surveillance report.

We have two approved technologies, and we are bringing them back for some clarification.

The unmanned aircraft uh use policy remains in effect, and we are not going to readdress that.

There are no changes to that.

So um, but we're bringing them both together, so I wanted to mention that.

Um, what we're talking about is the urban area security initiative UASI cameras.

Um we are seeking approval for modifications to the UASI camera system use policy.

So last time we brought it here, um, we made some changes coming out of PAB, and as we reanalyzed it and anticipated the uh due process ordinance.

We saw some issues and some confusing issues.

So we basically wanted to clarify that, uh, make it more consistent, and to comply with the mayor's um directive and the city's objectives.

So um in addition to some minor language change in the uh policy, we removed the CBP personnel from having access to be able to view that.

We also removed the naval warfare specialist.

So all of um this technology and the data that comes is goes to the it's a closed circuit, it goes to the LCC, the Lifeguard Communication Center, and then it also goes into the Joint Harbors Operations Center, where the U.S.

Coast Guard is.

Uh additionally, if there's a large operation or emergency of Mission Bay, uh it can go into the city's EOC.

So this is just this sharing of the data.

Um why this is important and why uh um it's essential to our operation.

Uh the U.S.

Coast Guard is the backup for the lifeguards.

So to have that situational awareness of what's going on in Mission Bay, these are 11 cameras, is huge for us.

So when something happens to a lifeguard in the water, our maritime partner, our next maritime partner, is the U.S.

Coast Guard.

The U.S.

Coast Guard's mission is to create maritime safety, security, and stewardship.

Uh I was spoke with Captain Tucker yesterday, and we were talking about the safety mission, life safety mission here off of San Diego.

So that is the change.

You have that in your packet and what we're looking to do.

The unmanned aircraft is exactly the same, so I'm not gonna waste your time with that.

But the camera system, um, it's it has not been operational for over five years.

So there were some clarifications in the PAB memo that said we um that we had violated uh SB 54, but the the cameras have not been operational.

So we have not shared any data.

There's been no data driven.

The cameras are should be coming online here in the next month or so, but we wanted to bring this forward before we put everything online.

So we're basically back changing the use policy, making some adjustments and trying to get some clarification.

So no data was shared or breaches had have happened.

Uh the cameras have not been operational for about five years.

Um there have been no public concerns, no PRA requests.

Uh the camera system has been funded by UASI grants, and um the PAB has approved the annual report with some modifications, but those modifications created some confusion.

So that's why we're back here to answer any questions, have any discussions, and ask you to approve the modifications to the use policy and approve this piece of technology.

And that is the end of the report.

All right, thank you, Chief.

We will move to public comment.

Thank you, Vice Chair.

We've not received any speaker slips here in chambers, but we've got a hand up in the virtual queue, so I will begin the five-minute timer for all those to indicate if they wish to provide comment on item number five.

Each speaker will have one minute.

We will begin testimony with Blair Beekman.

Please unmute and begin.

Hi, Blair Beekman.

I really need two minutes for this side.

Uh thank you, Tier.

Thank you that you're mentioning uh, I think it's called Joint Operations Center uh in San Diego.

That's the data collection center.

You know, that that uh it's a federal agency that handles data collection.

San Diego has been really not wanting to talk about that openly at besides our system data collection.

Uh the joint operations is really important.

We got to make that conversation more regular.

Uh Mr.

Bakeman, I believe we have lost connection again.

Unfortunately, we cannot hear you.

Can you hear me now?

Talk about this in letter writing to you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, you can submit comments to council committee at Sandiego.gov, and we will happily post them and distribute them to the committee.

And chair with no other hands up in the virtual queue.

This concludes testimony for item number five.

Thank you to the members of the public for their participation.

Uh we will move to council member questions and comments and entertain a motion.

Uh Chief, I appreciate you uh for uh the presentation here.

Uh obviously, this is something that we uh go through uh on an annual basis, and I appreciate your upfrontness about the operations of what we uh see in front of us.

Uh I will make a motion to support the item, and I will go to Councilmember Whippern.

I'm happy to second.

Thank you.

Councilmember Campbell.

Thank you for the presentation and the good information.

I'm glad that we're gonna get that system up now.

Thanks so much.

We now have a motion and a second in front of us.

No further comments or questions.

We will call the roll.

And that passes three to zero with three members present.

Thank you very much, Chief.

We'll now take up non-agenda public comment.

The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings.

Sarah, please proceed with the non-agenda public comment.

Thank you, Vice Chair Campio.

Per rule 2.7 on agenda public comment as an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of this committee, and each speaker will have two minutes.

And again, if you're watching on City TV or the live stream online, please dial 1669-2545252 and input 161217-1797 pound.

If you would like to provide non-agenda public comment, each speaker will have two minutes.

I'll be in the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to speak.

We have not received any slips here in chambers, so we will begin testimony with Catherine Douglas.

Please unmute and begin.

I would just like to thank the council members who sit on the public safety committee, um, including Marnie, who apparently had to leave for their votes on a very long meeting on Tuesday, uh, so that we could keep uh automated license plate readers.

Uh today, the San Diego police department announced four arrested in the death of a 59-year-old man in Linda Vista who was beaten to death.

And they attributed the success in finding the people who did this to the automated license plate readers.

It's just another license automated license plate reader success story.

And thank you to each of you again.

That's all I have.

Thank you for your comment.

And our next speaker in the queue is Blair Beekman.

Blair Beekman, please unmute and begin.

Hi Blair.

I'm sitting at a training station and some Zoom connection.

I'm really sorry.

Uh write yourselves letters.

Thank you for your response on that.

Um, I wanted to try to quickly uh to review um uh UASI, they are not in charge of actual camera use, they only fund the camera use.

That's my understanding.

If that is different and UASI actually does control the cameras in San Diego, that's an important conversation.

Uh good luck how if we can have that.

And that we are creating a new language, the police department, how to talk about data collection uh at the local level.

That takes precedence over at the state level, and we have to have those conversations more clear in the future.

The PAP and and uh Council President Aloe Vera are trying to do that.

Good luck how we can do that together.

And uh, I think we're developing a new language in that way.

Thank you.

It's more clear and understandable.

Good luck uh in our continued work and accountability.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment and chair, vice chair with no other hands in the virtual queue.

This concludes non-agenda public comment one moment.

Thank you to the members of the public for your participation.

This brings us to the end of our agenda and uh the end of our year.

Uh and uh it's unfortunately council member von Wilbur can't be here, but uh her senior policy advisor Eric Young uh does have a recap of the year to present.

Mr.

Young, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Vice Chair Campio.

This year, the committee pressed on with attent, reviewing each measure wherever it went, from the fire rescue outlook for the seasons ahead to ensuring preparedness in every thread.

They advanced the physical wellness program with care and moved CPP reforms further.

They reviewed focused psychological services true and weighed the SLPs for the Commission anew.

They backed the cloud-based systems that keep records in line, tracking fire protection assets in real time.

They approved the extensions for billing support, so ambulance transport stays strong in report.

They elevated concerns in aquatic domains, pushing drowning prevention across the beaches and lanes.

They sought updates on support that communities embrace, including the progress of your safe place.

They renewed evidence kits were moving ahead.

They ensure each case was responsibly led.

They designated fired hazard zones with precision, strengthening the safety with clear supervision.

They approved annual surveillance reviews from SDFD and PD, balancing the safety with public transparency.

They authorized smart streetlights and ALPR use while keeping accountability tight in the fuse.

They honored first responders whose service stands clear, celebrating those who protect year after year.

And they reviewed the UCSD transitional plan, supporting a program designed to uplift every span.

As the agenda grew heavy and challenges grew, the committee stayed steadfast in all it pursued.

With diligence sustained from the morning to night, they strengthened public safety with purpose and might.

Happy holidays.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll now go to IBA for comment.

No, no, just check it.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Young, and a partridge and a pear tree.

Happy holidays, everyone.

We will now adjourn this special meeting of the Public Safety Committee to our next regularly scheduled meeting, Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 at 2 p.m.

We are adjourned.