TAKING CHARGE:
Progress Measures & Program Prioritization 2009 - 2010
Citywide Outcome Priority #1: Safety & Security
Priority Goal #1: Maintain a Low Crime Rate.
Issues:
Violent Crime: Lincoln has traditionally benefitted from a low rate of violent crime. Lincoln compares itself to every city within 50,000 of its population (both directions) for Part 1 violent crime offenses tracked by the FBI in the Uniform Crime Report, such as murder and non-negligent homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault and robbery.
Burglary: Burglary was selected as a measure of property crime because it impacts residents where they live. It also occurs in sufficient volume as to make statistical trends apparent. Lincoln compares itself to every city within 50,000 of its population (both directions) in the category of Part 1 burglary offenses (unlawful entry into a building to commit a felony or a theft) tracked nationally by the FBI in the Uniform Crime Report.
Solving Crime: Lincoln has traditionally exceeded the national average for solving Part 1 crimes tracked by the FBI in the Uniform Crime Report such as murder and non-negligent homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, auto theft, larceny/theft and arson.
Municipal Code Violations: Prompt and ethical handling of city ordinance violations such as traffic misdemeanors and code violations hold people accountable to the use of law enforcement resources.
Progress Indicators:
- Maintain a violent crime rate 25% under the average for similar-sized cities (555 offenses per 100,000 residents).
- Maintain a burglary rate of no more than 842 offenses per 100,000 residents (20% below the average for all cities within 50,000 of Lincoln's population).
- Maintain a case clearance rate of at least 24% (the national average is 20%).
- Law Department will maintain two-day turnaround time on reviewing cases and determining appropriate disposition.
- Maintain case/attorney ratio of 7,500 to 1 on cases handled.
| Goal #1 Tier 1 Programs | Departments |
| Public safety call take and dispatch | 911 |
| Prosecution | Law |
| Problem-oriented policing projects | Police |
| Response to criminal calls for service | Police |
| Arrests and criminal citations | Police |
| Investigation of missing persons | Police |
| Criminal and narcotics investigations, crime analysis and intelligence | Police |
| Goal #1 Tier 2 Programs | Departments |
| Emergency services to mentally ill | Police |
| Crisis intervention at schools | Police |
| Police patrol | Police |
| Crime prevention programs | Police |
| School Resource Officers - high schools | Police |
| Goal #1 Tier 3 Program | Department |
| Protective custody of intoxicated persons | Police |
| Services to victims and witnesses of crime | Police |
| School Resource Officers - middle schools | Police |
| Alarm response | Police |
Priority Goal #2: Timely & Effective Incident Management.
Issues:
Fire Department Response: Response time is critical in emergency situations. National research shows that a fire doubles in size every two minutes. Every minute spent waiting for response can contribute to structural loss. Medical outcomes are more likely to be positive with a quick paramedic response, particularly for patients requiring cardiac care. The goal of Lincoln Fire & Rescue (LFR) is a four-minute first response and an ambulance arrival within eight minutes. Lincoln has grown 40% since 1990, and response times to the edge of the City are beginning to suffer. Without new financial resources to build new stations, LFR is focusing on keeping "turnout time" at one minute or less, the National Fire Protection Association standard. "Turnout time" is the time between a 911 emergency dispatch and the time a unit leaves the station.
Business Inspections: Annual business inspections help LFR implement preventive strategies. In addition to emergency contact information, the inspection allows LFR to advise businesses on unsafe practices and to develop vital information on business lay-out that will be useful in the event of a fire. LFR attempts to inspect one-half of Lincoln's businesses each year.
Injuries & Fatalities: Preventing civilian and firefighter fatalities and injuries is a primary goal of LFR. The community suffers fewer civilian fire death and injuries than similar cities in the region. Fire deaths in Lincoln were limited to two in 2003, four in 2004, zero in 2005, five in 2006, zero in 2007 and zero in 2008. Lincoln's fire death rate is less than half the rate of the Midwest Region. The national trend for firefighter injuries is increasing, with nearly half of all injuries occurring during emergency activities. Lincoln firefighter injuries reflect the national trend.
Financial Viability: LFR's ambulance service currently operates in the black despite the challenges of low federal reimbursement rates for Medicare patients and an increasingly expensive health care system that forces many communities to subsidize ambulance service. The Emergency Medical Services Fund depends on the timely collection of calls that are eligible to be reimbursed as defined by state and federal regulations. Refusals of care, cancelled calls, etc. are not billable.
Chemical & Biological Hazards: LFR and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) respond to releases of hazardous materials and chemicals. Quick initial response protects health by reducing public exposure and environmental contamination. LLCHD focuses on assessing public health risk from chemical exposures, assuring that environmental clean-up is completed and cost recovery pursued. The Health Department responds to disease outbreaks and works to control them.
Progress Indicators:
- Maintain LF&R first on scene emergency personnel arrival time of four minutes or less 90% of the time.
- Maintain a turnout time for non-fire and non-hazmat calls of one minute or less 90% of the time.
- Maintain completion percentage of annual business inspections/contacts at 50% (4,000 per year).
- Ensure first arriving advance life support ambulance in eight minutes or less 90% of the time.
- Maintain the total number of civilian fire injuries per year at less than four, the national standard for Fire Departments.
- Maintain survival rate of cardiac arrest patients at 18% of those admitted to the hospital after receiving care from LFR.
- Reduce or maintain the number of firefighter injuries to less than 75 per year.
- Maintain an average structural fire loss of less than $40,000.
- Collect 100% of all ambulance dispatch calls that are eligible to be reimbursed by state and federal regulations.
- Respond to all communicable disease outbreaks and chemical or hazardous material releases to prevent immediate and long-term exposure of the public to harmful toxins.
| Goal #2 Tier 1 Programs | Departments |
| Technology and back-up systems/implementation/exercising | 911 |
| Fire investigations and bomb squad | Building & Safety |
| Fire prevention inspections | LFR |
| Fire response and extinguishment | LFR |
| Ambulance transportation | LFR |
| Rescue operations in LPD and LFR | LFR |
| Hazardous materials emergency response and remediation | Health/LFR |
| Snow and ice removal - Priority A | Public Works |
| Goal #2 Tier 2 Programs | Departments |
| Fire rescue specialty operations | LFR |
| Fire company business inspection program | LFR |
| Weapons of mass destruction/haz-mat response | LFR |
| Bike medic program | LFR |
| FEMA Urban Search & Rescue | LFR |
| Risk reduction business technical assistance | Health |
| First response to hazards | Police |
| Emergency preparedness planning/exercising, also LFR and 911 | Police/LFR/911 |
| Goal #2 Tier 3 Programs | Departments |
| Evidence processing/audio & records requests | 911 |
| NG911 /future technology planning and implementation | 911 |
| Public safety education and awareness | LFR |
| Non -emergency public service assistance | Police/LFR |
| Snow and ice removal- Priority B | Public Works |
Priority Goal #3: Traffic Safety.
Issues:
Crash Prevention: Preventing crashes reduces the need for emergency services, reduces the lost time suffered by citizens as a result of damage or injuries, lowers congestion caused by crashes, and keeps insurance rates low. The total monetary loss to the public during 2007 due to crashes alone was estimated at $191 million. Continued community growth challenges the City's traffic safety improvement programming.
Progress Indicators:
- Maintain an injury traffic crash rate of no more than 850 crashes per 100,000 residents.
| Goal #3 Tier 1 Programs | Departments |
| Traffic law enforcement | Police |
| Oversee traffic signal, signing and pavement marking operation and maintenance | Public Works |
| Goal #3 Tier 2 Programs | Departments |
| Traffic direction and control | Police |
| Maintain safety improvement programs, including the annual crash report | Public Works |
| Goal #3 Tier 3 Programs | Departments |
| Traffic crash investigation | Police |
| Continuously update and implement pavement management program | Public Works |
| School crossing protection program - Maintain educational program to encourage all children to walk along designated school routes and cross streets safely with a minimum reliance on others. | Public Works |
Priority Goal #4: Youth Activity.
Issues:
School's Out Programs Before-and After-School Programs and Summer Day Camps: School's Out programs are provided at each elementary and middle school in Lincoln through coordinated efforts of a number of organizations, including the Parks and Recreation Department. The focus of these programs is to provide supervised, purposeful activities for children and youth with an emphasis on physical, social and learning skills development. The Parks and Recreation Department provides School's Out services at five elementary schools and one middle school. The community goal is to have School's Out programs available at each public elementary and middle school.
Community Learning Centers: Community Learning Centers (CLCs) work closely with neighborhoods and schools to identify services and programs needed to support improved student learning and development, strong families, and healthier neighborhoods. CLCs provide a delivery system that uses 22 local schools as hubs of service. The Parks and Recreation Department serves as the lead agency coordinating services at three CLCs.
Progress Indicators:
- Assure availability of before-and after school programs at all elementary and middle schools in Lincoln.
- Maintain percent of youth program participants who find activities useful and interesting at 75%.
- Maintain percent of parents/guardians who rate programs for their children as good or excellent at 90%.
| Goal #4 Tier 1 Programs | Department |
| F St. and Belmont Rec Centers School's Out programs | Parks & Recreation |
| Operation of Everett/McPhee and Belmont Community Learning Centers | Parks & Recreation |
| Goal #4 Tier 2 Programs | Department |
| Irving, Calvert, Easterday & Air Park Rec Centers School's Out Programs | Parks & Recreation |
| Financial support for Pershing and Mickle Community Learning Centers | Parks & Recreation |
| Financial support for Schools Out program at Park Middle School | Parks & Recreation |
Priority Goal #5: Flood Hazards.
Issues:
Flood Management: Updated floodplain maps and projects to reduce flood hazards are important safety and security programs that help protect families and minimize damage to homes and businesses. While about 11% of the City is prone to flooding from streams, flood hazard mapping for 106 of 309 miles of streams in the Lincoln area is incomplete or out of date, and FEMA has yet to adopt information that has been updated locally. Watershed plans are needed to identify flood hazards and flood reduction projects.
Urban Drainage: Lincoln has experienced localized flooding and failing stormwater infrastructure, impacting streets, homes and businesses. The cost to improve the City's storm drainage system to insure that it is structurally sound and minimize flooding from stormwater runoff is estimated at about $30 million. With such a high cost, it is essential that the system is evaluated carefully and the most critical areas are improved first. To date, 137 out of 581 miles of the storm drain system (about 24%) have been evaluated and prioritized for improvement as funding becomes available.
Progress Indicators:
- Increase the area of Lincoln and its future growth areas having completed watershed master plans from 31% to
37%.
NOTE: This indicator also relates to stormwater quality for Priority Goal #5 listed under the Environmental Quality outcome. - Increase the number of stream miles within Lincoln and its future growth areas having updated FEMA floodplain mapping from 0% to 51%.
- Complete an urban stormwater drainage impairment map for that portion of the City (22%) where localized flood hazards have been identified.
- Ensure the substantial completion of about 30% of the open channel projects that have been identified to reduce flood hazards in Lincoln.
| Goal #5 Tier 1 Programs | Departments |
| Provide drainage maintenance and flood prevention | Public Works |
| Goal #5 Tier 2 Programs | Departments |
| Complete flood hazard mapping | Public Works |
| Deliver stormwater improvement plans and projects | Public Works |
| Goal #5 Tier 3 Program | Department |
| Provide stormwater review services for private development | Public Works |
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