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Public Safety Services <br />emergency response resources. This means that it will take longer for outlying fire -and EMS <br />crews to respond back into the core of the city. Consequently, downtown and inner City crews <br />must have an enhanced ability to provide hazard mitigation, reducing their dependence on <br />' additional resources from the city's periphery. <br />As the population of the community increases and response reliability decreases, adding units to <br />existing fire stations is a method of increasing the concentration of resources that must be <br />seriously considered. At the same time, additional units add to safety as well as increase overall <br />coverage, service delivery and response reliability, while decreasing response time. <br />In addition, the concept of deploying additional response resources during periods of peak <br />activity to increase concentration of resources and response reliability, is attractive as it best <br />matches the additional resources needed to periods of increased call volume only when needed. <br />This is the theory behind the deployment of single-role medic units within Eugene's ambulance <br />system, but one that could also be expanded and applied to fire suppression response. <br />5. The Area Information Records System (AIRS) Consortium (Eugene, Springfield and Lane <br />County), has been working to replace the outdated AIRS system. The current system is over 30 <br />years old and cannotprovide support for critical public safety functions. The Consortium issued <br />a request for proposal in March 2002 for an integrated suite of services. The suite will include. <br />the CAD system, Records Management, Local Courts, Field Reporting, Mobile Data Computing, <br />and Fire/EMS Records Management. A vendor provided a new Computer Aided Dispatch <br />(CAD) system in FY04 and Mobile Data Computing in FY05. The remaining parts of the full <br />suite of services will be built by Lane County AIRS staff beginning in FY06 and continuing <br />through FY08. AIRS staff will also build integration between the purchased and built segments <br />of the suite, and integrate the suite with Adult Corrections. <br />6. Municipal Court is mandated by law to impose and collect a State assessment on each <br />~' conviction. Previously, local discretion was allowed in the law for judges to take into account <br />the seriousness of the crime, a defendant's criminal history, and mitigating factors when deciding <br />the amount of assessment to impose. During past legislative sessions, the State Legislature set <br />the amount of the assessment and removed any flexibility regarding its collection. The law also <br />mandates that State monies be distributed before any fine revenue is receipted by the City. The <br />City is working with the League of Oregon Cities to amend the law. <br />7. Municipal Court is an active participant in a variety of community justice initiatives. Court <br />caseload is largely dependent upon enforcement activity, particularly by. Eugene Police's Traffic <br />Enforcement Unit, Rapid Deployment Unit, and Planning and Development's Parking Control <br />Unit. The Court works with City departments and other agencies to develop alternative <br />sanctions besides jail incarceration. Court sanctions may include fines, community service, <br />roadwork crew, diversion/probation or other alternative programs, depending upon the severity <br />of the offense and the defendant's history with the Court. The Court continues to look for <br />partnership opportunities to improve services and keep pace with increased case filings from <br />additions to police patrol. <br />55 <br />