Notice: This is not a City of Long Beach site.

Dear Readers: Please note that this is not a City of Long Beach website and is not paid for nor maintained by taxpayer funds.

If you contact Gerrie Schipske through this site on any matter pertaining to the City of Long Beach, a copy of your contact will be forwarded to her official city email as an official public record.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

National Library Workers Day April 10, 2012


Tuesday, April 10, 2012 is National Library Workers Day and it your chance to stop by and say "thank you" to the people who make our libraries work. You can also go online and nominate a City of Long Beach Library Star Worker at http://ala-apa.org/nlwd/

April is also National Library Week which celebrates the wonderful contributions libraries make to our communities.


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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Schipske Calls for Electeds Who Abandon Their Office for Another to Defray Costs of Special Elections

Schipske to Introduce Agenda Item Calling For “Performance Bonds” Being Posted If Sitting Elected Wants to Run for Other Office and Causes a Special Election
– Says we need to look at every way to save taxpayers’ money

Long Beach, CA – Running for higher public office has become a way of life for many Long Beach elected officials due to term limits, with the result that the taxpayers are left paying for “special elections” to fill out the remainder of the term in office. Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske wants to put a stop to this costly practice or at least make elected officials think twice before abandoning their office for another.

“That’s why I am introducing an agenda item that would require the elected official to post a ‘performance bond’ or purchase some type of insurance that would then be used to offset the costs of a special election caused by that elected official not finishing their term in office,” explains Schipske, noting that since 2006, the City has had to conduct several costly special elections because council members left office either for personal reasons to serve in a higher office.

“Listen, I have felt the urge to run for higher office while sitting on City Council, especially due to redistricting, but I thought about how my constituents would feel having just re-elected me and then having to pay for a special election if I left. That didn’t seem right.”

Under the terms of Schipske’s agenda item, Long Beach elected officials would have to post a “performance bond” or acquire some type of insurance that would pay for the costs of a special election caused by the elected official not “performing his or her official duties”.

“This may not be a perfect solution to reducing these city expenditures, but we really have to do something that sends the message that you need to finish what you were elected to do and that the taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay the costs of a special election because you wanted to serve elsewhere.”

Schipske also feels that the Council should adopt a policy that city paid travel should not be authorized for any elected official who is an official candidate (i.e. filed their intent or set up a campaign account fo fundraising) for another office or who is serving their last year of their term in office.

“Makes no sense for taxpayers to be footing the bill for travel while an elected is campaigning for a higher office or serving their last year. If my colleagues really believe this city has financial problems they will support this item.”
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LB Residents Can Use SNAP Registry Through Efforts of Councilwomen Rae Gabelich and Gerrie Schipske

This is the internationally recognized symbol ...
Specific Needs Disaster Voluntary
Registry Available to Long Beach Residents

Residents with certain disabilities have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary disaster registry to help facilitate the planning and implementation of disaster response by first-responder agencies.
Registering will also allow disaster managers to send alerts and other advisories or preparedness information to assist people in being better prepared for unexpected disasters which may strike the region.
The City’s participating in the program was authorized by the City Council on September 6, 2001, based on an agenda item from Councilmembers Gerrie Schipske and Rae Gabelich.

The Specific Needs Disaster Voluntary Registry, also known as SNAP (Specific Needs Awareness Planning), does not ensure faster or priority service by first responders after a disaster. Enrolling in the registry should never be considered as the only action necessary to prepare for disasters.

Long Beach residents who have any of the following conditions which might impede the ability to evacuate a building, travel to or stay safely in an emergency evacuation center, or to securely shelter in place without assistance, may want to consider enrolling in the Registry:
  • Physical disabilities
  • Cardiac and/or respiratory circumstances
  • Developmental disabilities
  • Emotional or psychiatric disabilities
  • Deafness or hearing loss
  • Blindness or severe vision loss
  • Speech impairments
  • Short-term disabilities
  • Reliance on technologies that use electricity
  • Using medications
  • Participation in a home delivery program
  • Need specialized paratransit vehicles
  • Experience seizures
  • Immune system deficiencies
  • Communicable diseases
  • Severe chemical or other allergies

The registry is a project of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management in cooperation with other cities and agencies in the Los Angeles County disaster response operational area. Information in the registry is kept in a secure database, and will only be shared with authorized emergency personnel, and then only for the purpose of effecting the delivery of aid to enrollees.
Enrolling in the registry should never be considered as the only action necessary to prepare for disasters, nor does it ensure prompt and thorough response after a disaster strikes.

Enrollees should take appropriate measures to become as self-prepared as necessary, given their particular personal situations. All residents of Southern California are advised to prepare themselves for up to 72 hours of self-sustained survival, should that become necessary.

For more information, or to register, visit http://snap.lacounty.gov
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Come See How Emergency Calls Are Handled



As you know, I have asked for a public meeting to discuss response times for our Fire Department in light of the serious cuts that have been made to staff and equipment.

Just last week, there was a house fire in the 5th District and upon meeting with the Fire Chief I learned that because our Station #18 no longer has a fire engine (and only a medical rescue unit), it took over 7 minutes to get a fire engine from Station 22 (down by CSULB). In my meeting with the City Manager and the Fire Chief, I stated "I want the Fire Engine back in 18."

We have much work to do to make certain that Fire Station 18 is fully restored and that is why I want you to learn how emergency calls are handled and how response times are calculated.

Join me at the Emergency Communications and Operating Center for a meeting of Open Up Long Beach. In light of the recent discussions on Fire Department response times, we will review how dispatch data is captured and reported and how Fire Department response times are calculated. Space is limited to 30 so you must RSVP. 
 
Open Up Long Beach Meeting:
Emergency Communication in Long Beach
 
A tour and review of the Emergency Communications and Operating Center and a discussion of how fire responses are calculated. 
 
Monday, April 16, 2012
6:30pm - 7:30pm
2990 Redondo Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90806
 
 
Sincerely,

Gerrie
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske
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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

I Want Answers About Response Time to Fire in My District

I am still awaiting a full response from City  management concerning response times by our Fire Department prior to budget cuts. NFPA Standards are very clear about response times. NFPA also indicates that several factors can impact response times:
  • increase in number of calls for service
  • decrease in number of firefighters on duty
  • decrease in equipment available
The budget cuts have taken the number of firefighters down to 117 a day -- the lowest in many, many years.

The budget cuts have taken numerous types of equipment out of service:

  • ·        Engine 7 was reduced from a Paramedic Assessment Unit to a BLS fire engine
  • ·        Engine 101 eliminated
  • ·        5th firefighter cut from Truck 1
  • ·        Engine 3 has gone from a Paramedic Assessment Rig (1 FF and 1 Paramedic) to a BLS Engine (with just 2 FF's)
  • ·        Rescue 12 eliminated – left with Engine
  • ·        Engine 14 eliminated; Truck 14 eliminated – left with Rescue
  • ·        Truck 17 and Engine 17 eliminated and turned into a light force.  Extremely inefficient system.
  • ·        Engine 18 eliminated – left with Rescue
National Fire Protection AssociationMy district just had a major residential fire. Because the fire engine was removed from Station 18 which was just blocks from the fire, a Paramedic Rescue was sent. It then took 8 minutes for the firefighting equipment of station 22 and then 19 arrived. Do not know why Station 5 wasn't sent.

We need a full assessment of what it happening to our fire department because of budget cuts.

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Save Station 18

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