* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [* A portion of this meeting is without audio *] [00:00:05] IT [CALL TO ORDER] IS NOW UM, 7:00 PM GOOD EVENING. I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE CITY OF WILMER COUNCIL TO ORDER AT 7:00 PM. ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL, I'D LIKE TO EXTEND A WARM WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, JOINING US THIS EVENING. YOUR PRESENCE REFLECTS STRONG COMMITMENT TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS, AND WE TRULY VALUE YOUR INTERESTS IN THE WORK AND PROGRESS OF OUR CITY. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE CHIEF GIFFORD TO PROVIDE THE INVOCATION, AND WE ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE, GRACIOUS, COME TO YOU TONIGHT. HUMBLE. WE ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER US AND GUIDE US THAT YOU WILL GIVE OUR LEADERS WISDOM, THAT YOU'LL PROTECT OUR CITIZENS, AND BE WITH OUR, PLEASE BE WITH US. LET US SHOW YOUR LOVE TO EACH OTHER AS YOU HAVE SHOWN TO US. AMEN. THIRD P ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND WHO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. UM, [PRESENTATION] FOR PRESENTATION, WE'LL DO A RECOGNITION OF WILMER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND DISPATCH. PERSONNEL MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND CITY COUNCIL. ONE OF THE GREATEST RESPONSIBILITIES ENTRUSTED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ENSURING THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR RESIDENTS EVERY DAY. OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS ANSWER THAT CALL OFTEN WITHOUT RECOGNITION AND FREQUENTLY DURING SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT MOMENTS IN A PERSON'S LIFE. THIS EVENING, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AN EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLE OF SERVICE, COMPASSION, AND PROFESSIONALISM DEMONSTRATED BY MEMBERS OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM DURING A RECENT MEDICAL EMERGENCY INVOLVING ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS. THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY OUR E 9 1 1 TELECOMMUNICATOR AND RESPONDING EMS PERSONNEL EXEMPLIFY THE DEDICATION, CALM LEADERSHIP, AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE THAT OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON. IN TIMES OF CRISIS, THEIR EFFORTS NOT ONLY PROVIDED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, BUT ALSO BROUGHT COMFORT AND REASSURANCE TO A RESIDENT DURING A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE COMMUNICATION SUPERVISOR MEGAN BURNS WITH RESIDENT VICKI VANDERGRIFF, WHO HAS REGISTERED TO SPEAK, TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE THE DETAILS OF THIS INCIDENT AND FORMALLY RECOGNIZE THE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE OUTSTANDING SERVICE MADE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF MS. VANDER GRIFF. GOOD EVENING MAYOR PRO TEM, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, STAFF, AND ALL OF OUR GUESTS THIS EVENING, I HAVE THE HONOR OF RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING SERVICE OF ONE OF OUR E 9 1 1. TELL THE COMMUNICATORS AND MEMBERS OF THE WILMER FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH A MERITORIOUS CONDUCT AWARD FOR THEIR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE DURING A RECENT EMERGENCY INVOLVING ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS, WHEN THE RESIDENT CALLED 9 1 1, OUR TELECOMMUNICATOR ANSWERED WHAT INITIALLY APPEARED TO BE A ROUTINE MEDICAL CALL. IT QUICKLY BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE SITUATION WAS A SERIOUS EMERGENCY. THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT, OUR TELECOMMUNICATOR REMAINED CALM, PROFESSIONAL, AND COMPASSIONATE. SHE GATHERED THE CRITICAL INFORMATION NEEDED TO DISPATCH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WHILE STAYING ON THE LINE WITH THE CALLER. OFFERING REASSURANCE AND SUPPORT DURING AN INCREDIBLY STRESSFUL MOMENT WHILE REMAINING ON THE PHONE WITH CALLERS IS THE STANDARD PART OF THE JOB. IT IS THE COMPASSION, PATIENCE, AND PROFESSIONALISM SHE DEMONSTRATED THAT MADE A LASTING IMPACT. UPON ARRIVAL, THE RESPONDING MEMBERS OF THE WILMER FIRE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED PATIENT CARE WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, SKILL AND COMPASSION. THEIR PROMPT RESPONSE, TEAMWORK, AND COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL CARE EXEMPLIFIED THE VERY BEST OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS WHILE ANSWERING EMERGENCY CALLS AND RESPONDING TO MEDICAL EMERGENCIES OR ROUTINE RESPONSIBILITIES OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL. THE MERITORIOUS CONDUCT AWARD RECOGNIZED THOSE WHOSE ACTIONS REFLECT AN EXCEPTIONAL LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, COMPASSION, COMPOSURE, AND DEDICATION. IN THIS INCIDENT, IT WAS NOT SIMPLY THE DUTIES THEY PERFORMED THAT SET THEM APART, BUT THE EXTRAORDINARY MANNER IN WHICH THEY CARRIED THEM OUT. THEIR COMMITMENT TO SERVING OTHERS LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION, IMPRESSION [00:05:01] ON THE RESIDENT THEY ASSISTED. WHAT MAKES THIS RES RECOGNITION ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL IS THAT IT WAS INITIATED BY MS. VICKI. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, THE RESIDENT CONTACTED THE CITY TO EXPRESS SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL CARE THAT SHE RECEIVED FROM THE CALM, REASSURING VOICE THAT ANSWERED THE NINE ONE ONE CALL TO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND EMS PERSONNEL WHO RESPONDED, SHE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THESE EMPLOYEES WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THE PROFESSIONALISM AND COMPASSION THAT THEY DISPLAYED DURING A VERY DIFFICULT MOMENT. EVERY DAY, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS ANSWER CALLS FOR SERVICE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT AWAITS THEM. WHILE RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES IS WHAT THEY'RE TRAINED AND EXPECTED TO DO, IT'S THE CHARACTER, COMPASSION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND DEDICATION THEY BRING TO EACH CALL THAT TRULY MAKES A DIFFERENCE FROM THE FIRST VOICE OF RESIDENT HEARS. WHEN CALLING 9 1 1 TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO ARRIVE ON SCENE, EACH MEMBER PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN PROTECTING THE LIVES OF THOSE WE SERVE. THIS INCIDENT SERVES AS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE TEAMWORK, PROFESSIONALISM, AND COMPASSION THAT DEFINE THE CITY OF WILMER'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE. IT IS BECAUSE OF THESE EXCEPT EXCEPTIONAL ACTIONS THAT WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE. E 9 1 1 TELECOMMUNICATOR, KIMBERLY HALL AND THE RESPONDING MEMBERS OF THE WILMER FIRE DEPARTMENT, BRYCE COOK, BRIAN TURNER, AND PRESTON DRIGGERS TO COME FORWARD TO RECEIVE THEIR VARIOUS MERITORIOUS CONDUCT AWARDS ALONGSIDE, UH, RESIDENT VICKI VANDY, GRIFF HUNTER LUBIN AND RILEY BIU ARE ALSO RECOGNIZED, BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING THEM ON THIS WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO AND COUNCIL. I'M VICKY VANDY. GRIFF. I LIVE AT 2 47 WIDTH STREET. I HAVE HERE A COPY OF THE LETTER THAT I SENT TO MEGAN FEBRUARY 19TH OF THIS YEAR. I HAD A HEART ATTACK. I WAS AT HOME BY MYSELF WHEN I STARTED HAVING ISSUES. THANKFULLY, I DIALED 9 1 1. KIMBERLY CLARK DISPATCHER RESPONDED. SHE WAS SO COOL AND PROFESSIONAL AFTER I TOLD HER MY PROBLEM. SHE CONTACTED THE EMTS. THEN SHE DID THE UNEXPECTED. KIM STAYED ON THE LINE WITH ME UNTIL THEY ARRIVED IN A TIME LIKE THIS, EVERY MINUTE SEEMS LIKE AN HOUR. I REMEMBER THINKING, OH GOSH. I KNOW SHE HAS THINGS TO DO, BUT SHE STAYED ON THE LINE. IT WAS PROBABLY ONLY SEVERAL MINUTES, BUT KIM STAYED ON THE PHONE WITH ME AND TALKED SOOTHINGLY TO ME UNTIL HELP ARRIVED. I'M SO GRATEFUL TO HE, TO KIM FOR HER KINDNESS AND CONCERN. THANK YOU, KIM AND THE WILMER POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITIZENS OF WILMER. YOU ARE OUTSTANDING AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, REN TEAMS ARE EQUALLY OUTSTANDING. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ENOUGH PRAISE. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AHA. WE WILL NOW [COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS] MOVE ON TO THE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS PORTION OF THE EVENING. AS A REMINDER, THE OPERATION HOURS FOR CITY HALL WERE ADJUSTED. THE FACILITIES IMPACTED WERE CITY HALL AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. THE NEW HOURS ARE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.