SAN DIEGO (SDJW) – Each of the nine City Council Districts in San Diego are allocated a budget for salaries and other expenses, including discretionary spending by the council member for public improvements within the district.
Within the last month, 9th District City Councilwoman Marti Emerald – who chairs the Council’s Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee – has been drawing attention to safety needs through the issuance of proclamations and the conveyance of gifts to public agencies.
One might say that her persistent focus on safety is turning Emerald into San Diego’s safety queen.
On May 19, Emerald used her discretionary budget to pay for an Automatic External Defibrillator (AFD) that she presented to the Mid City Division of the San Diego Police Department.
She explained “Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in our country. With each passing minute in SCA, a person loses about a 10 percent chance of survival. AED use significantly improves the chance of survival for victims. Police officers often arrive on scene prior to fire/EMS; their use of CPR/AEDs can help build the bridge to survival for the patient and make resuscitation more viable for emergency medical responders.”
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Keeping up with Jewish public officials
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On Thursday, May 20, at the home of Lisa Gruber, chair of East Falls View Neighborhood Watch, Emerald made a donation of five bicycles to be used by Police Officers patrolling District 9 neighborhoods near San Diego State University.
“There are many advantages to patrolling by bike including visibility and mobility,” said Emerald. “Bicycle patrols have the ability to navigate swiftly around streets, avoiding obstacles and hazards that would normally stop a patrol vehicle.”
“Another advantage,” said the councilwoman, “is increased contact with the community. Officers patrolling by bike have more contact with the public and help strengthen the relationship between the community and our police department allowing for more proactive policing.”
Council resolutions and proclamations are another way Emerald keeps the focus on public safety.
For example, she scheduled a ceremony for Friday, May 30, at the City Heights Swim Center to proclaim that May has been Drowning Prevention Month.
“Drowning is the leading cause of injury death of children ages 1 to 4,” she stressed in a statement. “A child drowning death or injury can occur in an instant and our entire community is affected and changed. Over the last 10 years, 42 San Diego children ages 1 to 4 have died from drowning, twenty-two were age one, twelve were age two.”
Emerald said her office has “partnered with the community to offer resources and tools to prevent needless drowning in San Diego. By offering valuable information including water safety tips and education, we can keep our children safe in and near the water.”
Earlier this month, Emerald conducted a ceremony in the City Council Chambers to declare the week of May 19th as EMS Week in the City. Honored were EMS staff consisting of paramedics, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, emergency medical dispatchers, emergency physicians, emergency nurses, educators, administrators, fleet mechanics and others.
“Employees of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and Rural/Metro successfully work together to provide high quality service to our citizens 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Emerald. “It is important to recognize the innovation, hard work and coordinated efforts that the City and Rural/Metro employees contribute to our EMS program.”
She added: “Access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury and we want to thank all the men and women of EMS who provide quality emergency care to San Diegans.”
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Preceding compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff