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Public Safety Standing Committee

April 22, 2025 ·1:00 PM Final

Council Chamber, 2nd Floor – City Hall

Agenda PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 65 items

  1. 1 Persons requesting to provide comments virtually during the public hearings or public comment period held at this meeting, must call the Office of the City Clerk at (804) 646-7955, option 3, by no later than 10:00 a.m., on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
  2. 1 Committee Members and other Councilmembers in Attendance
  3. 2 Call to Order
  4. 2 The Honorable Reva Trammell – Chair The Honorable Sarah Abubaker – Member (electronic participation) The Honorable Cynthia Newbille – Council President
  5. 3 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
  6. 3 Absent
  7. 4 Public Comment Period
  8. 4 The Honorable Stephanie Lynch – Vice Chair
  9. 5 Approval of Minutes
  10. 5 Staff and Others in Attendance
  11. 6 March 25, 2025 - Public Safety Standing Committee Meeting Minutes CD.2025.126
  12. 6 Laura Drewry, City Attorney Maria Garnett, Council Policy Analyst Greg Lukanuski, Deputy City Attorney Nahdiyah Muhammad, Assistant City Clerk Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst Candice Reid, City Clerk Steve Taylor, Council Policy Analyst RJ Warren, Deputy City Clerk
  13. 7 Presentation(s)
  14. 8 Richmond Ambulance Authority Data Comparison
  15. 8 Chair Reva Trammell called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m., and presided.
  16. 9 April 22, 2025 - RAA Data Comparison Presentation CD.2025.130
  17. 2. Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response Data Comparison ~ Stephen Willoughby, Director of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response (DECPR)
  18. 10 Upon the Chair’s request, Assistant City Clerk Nahdiyah Muhammad provided information on the appropriate way to evacuate the Council Chamber in an emergency along with public speaker guidelines.
  19. 11 April 22, 2025 - DECPR Data Comparison Memo CD.2025.137
  20. 11 page break
  21. 12 FY 25 2nd Quarter Fire Department Update
  22. 12 Electronic Participation
  23. 13 April 22, 2025 - FY 25 2nd Quarter Fire Department Presentation CD.2025.132
  24. 13 Pursuant to Rule III(D)(4)(b) of Council’s Rules of Procedure, Committee Member Sarah Abubaker made a request to participate in the meeting via Microsoft Teams from her home, due to a medical condition that prevented her physical attendance. The committee members present were required to adopt a motion to approve Member Abubaker's participation in the meeting by electronic communication means if it appeared to the committee that her request complied with Rule III(D) of Council’s Rules of Procedure. A motion was solicited from those members physically assembled to approve Member Sarah Abubaker's participation in the meeting by electronic communication means.
  25. 14 Paper(s) for Consideration
  26. 14 President Cynthia Newbille moved to allow Member Sarah Abubaker to participate in the meeting by electronic communication means. The motion was seconded and approved: Ayes 2, Newbille, Trammell. Noes None. Abubaker was awaiting approval to participate by electronic communication means.
  27. 15 There were no papers for consideration.
  28. 16 Board Vacancies
  29. 16 There were no amendments or corrections to the meeting minutes of March 25, 2025, and the committee approved the minutes as presented.
  30. 17 April 22, 2025 - Public Safety Board Vacancy Report CD.2025.125
  31. 18 Discussion Item(s)
  32. 19 There were no discussion items.
  33. 19 Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst, reviewed board vacancies and applications for consideration by the committee.
  34. 20 Staff Report
  35. 21 April 22, 2025 - Public Safety Staff Report CD.2025.141
  36. 21 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  37. 22 President Cynthia Newbille moved to forward the following board reappointment and appointment applications to Council with a recommendation to approve, which was seconded and unanimously approved:
  38. 23 Advisory Board for the Assessment of Towing Fees and the Storage of Vehicles: Sydney Collier (reappointment) Ronda Lawson (reappointment)
  39. 24 Community Criminal Justice Board: Judge Mansi Shah (reappointment) Scott Ward
  40. 25 Richmond Ambulance Authority: Joseph Trapani (reappointment)
  41. 27 LaTonya Tucker addressed the committee regarding safety concerns in Hillside Court after recent events of alleged violations and gun violence. Ms. Tucker stated that she had reached out to Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) regarding her safety concerns.
  42. 30 Chip Decker, Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), presented the committee with information regarding RAA emergency dispatch data comparison.
  43. 32 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  44. 33 Member Sarah Abubaker asked why a previous committee request for a more extensive and collaborative breakdown of data comparison between RAA and the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response (DECPR) had not been provided to the committee.
  45. 34 CEO Decker stated RAA and DECPR have provided the requested information, and that the information needs to be calculated to conduct a proper side-by-side analysis.
  46. 35 Council President Cynthia Newbille asked if the combined data regarding the analysis that the committee had previously requested from RAA and DECPR had been provided to the committee.
  47. 36 CEO Decker informed the committee that DECPR did not plan to present their data to the committee based on the provided staff report.
  48. 37 Stephen Willoughby, Director of the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response (DECPR), stated DECPR had provided the committee with the requested data with the intention of conducting an informed discussion with the committee.
  49. 38 Chair Reva Trammell stated that the requested data was to be provided to the committee as a side-by-side comparison presentation.
  50. 39 Director Willoughby and CEO Decker continued to discuss RAA and DECPR data comparison with the committee.
  51. 40 The committee requested that RAA and DECPR return to the May committee meeting regarding the requested comparative data, and asked Council staff to coordinate the side-by-side analysis.
  52. 42 Jeffery Segal, Interim Fire Chief, Richmond Fire Department, presented the committee with information regarding FY 25 2nd quarter Fire Department update.
  53. 44 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  54. 45 Council President Cynthia Newbille asked whether the Richmond Fire Department (RFD) would still conduct the "day in the life" training to provide an inside look at RFD for new and returning Council members.
  55. 46 Interim Fire Chief Segal stated that RFD would still provide "day in the life" training to Council.
  56. 47 Chair Reva Trammell asked whether there was a different division within RFD that investigates arson crimes.
  57. 48 Interim Fire Chief Segal stated that RFD has a fire investigations unit that works closely with the Richmond Police Department (RPD), and he also stated eight of fourteen recent arson fires had resulted in arrests.
  58. 49 Member Sarah Abubaker asked whether RFD partners with other localities to assist with water rescues; she also asked what contributed to the increase in women fire recruits.
  59. 50 Interim Fire Chief Segal stated that RFD partners with other localities to assist with water rescues, and that Chesterfield County and Henrico County provided assistance during a Memorial Day 2022 incident on the James River. Interim Fire Chief Segal also stated that the increase in women fire recruits is due to the characteristics of RFD personnel.
  60. 51 Interim Fire Chief Segal continued to discuss the FY 25 2nd quarter Fire Department presentation with the committee.
  61. 54 page break
  62. 58 Council staff provided the committee with the April Public Safety staff report.
  63. 60 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  64. 61 Adjournment
  65. 62 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:03 p.m.