Veteran's Affairs Plus W/ David L. Washington

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what's going on

Unknown Speaker 0:40
what's moving?

Unknown Speaker 0:44
On Good morning. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. Hope everybody's doing well as we enter into this new year. In fact, we are already at the end of the month of 2023 announcements. Again, I want to acknowledge my youngest daughter, Amber. Her birthday is this week. So is my brother, Leon. So happy birthday to those two. Next month, we're going to have Dr Marcia Robinson as a guest. She is the I guess her position is manager or director over at the West Side Art Center. In the coming months, I plan to invite our new governor, Joe lopardo. I hope that he will come on and give us some indication of the kinds of things that he's planning to do in that new position as governor. As we congratulate him once again Las Vegas, we are we are hopeful that everybody has started out on a good note. In 2023 we have months to go yet. As we age, as I do, we Time really flies. For two weeks ago, I talked a little bit about family, and I just want to further say that how much I appreciate them as I was going through a couple medical trials and tribulations, if you will. And I appreciate the love and the support that was given to me. So once again, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 jazz and more. We'll have our first guest coming on shortly.

Unknown Speaker 2:18
Good morning. Once again, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host, and I'm glad and privileged to have the opportunity to talk to our new sheriff, Kevin mcnail, what's going on? My brother? Hey, Dave, how are you I'm doing? Well, look, I know it's been some time since you were last on but just for our guests, particularly the new ones who are listening, give us the branch and years did you serve in the military? Oh,

Unknown Speaker 2:47
proud member of the United States Army, 1986 to 1989 I spent two of those years over in Korea at Camp Humphreys.

Unknown Speaker 2:55
Okay. Two years army.

Unknown Speaker 2:59
Oh, wonderful. Three years army, but two of them in Korea. Oh, okay, all right.

Unknown Speaker 3:03
So congrats. On behalf of all of your fellow veterans, on being elected for sure, as I sure if I think that you're going to do a wonderful job for us. And in that vein, tell us what have you got planned for the next few months? I know you're putting all your administration, etc, etc, together.

Unknown Speaker 3:20
Yes, I've already done that. I selected Andy Walsh is the UnderSheriff, and we're off to a good start. I will tell you, though that Dave the crime has been little out of control already. In the first couple of weeks of me being here, we had 11 murders in 11 days. And so what everybody wants from their police department is safety and security, and so we've been putting these crime plans together and working on that. And, you know, a lot of people think that those crime plans really only involve, you know, hooking and booking people and putting people in jail, but the reality of it is the way that we're the most effective in fighting crime is when we develop meaningful, authentic relationships in the community and and we take advantage of those relationships by enlisting the entire community in an effort to keep that community safe. And you, you know that we work together for many years over at bouldery command, and that's kind of the model as we move forward in all of that. And I think we're going to be very successful. Oh,

Unknown Speaker 4:18
absolutely. Let me. Let me go to your man, your UnderSheriff, Andy. Andy I've known for a couple years, not real, real closely, but he is a, he is a stand up guy, high character. So kudos on your, your selection of him as your UnderSheriff. And I did get a chat with him. He didn't even mention to me when I saw him at the parade yesterday. It's just being a good, humble guy, but he's, a good me, for sure.

Unknown Speaker 4:41
Yeah, he is. Yeah, it was good to see you at the parade there, hanging off the fire truck there and trying to act like a fireman for a few

Unknown Speaker 4:51
minutes, right? You know what? It's always, uh, you know you talked about the work you did over in the bowling command. I think that. Yeah, that's one of the key points that I know of you and your respect for community, and that's important. I believe you being the sheriff. And as I was telling Andy, I appreciate what your wife did, and I did tell Ramadan, whether I come back and be involved in the committee or not, certainly, when you guys select captains, I would like to be one of those people who sit on those selection committees, because one thing that I believe is vitally important is the humanity of an officer. You know, the technical skills, you know, being a sharpshooter, this, that and the other, those are important in terms of being safe out there in the field, but, but another thing to me is just how you deal with people?

Unknown Speaker 5:44
Yeah, I mean, 100% right? I mean, there's far more often than in our line of work, that you're dealing with people and the challenges that that they have. And you know, the better that we can start off by recognize that recognizing each other as human beings, the better off that we are all the way around. And so absolutely we'll continue you to be involved in that effort, and maybe for your listeners that don't know what we're talking about here, one of the things that we do is we involve a number of our citizen members from a multicultural committee in the selection process for our captains and above. And it's just been fantastic and very eye opening, both for those individual citizens as well as the police officers that are testing to become a captain at Metro.

Unknown Speaker 6:25
Absolutely. What do you do? You foresee any changes in the Mac committee? Are you pretty happy with the way things have gone?

Unknown Speaker 6:33
Well, listen, I like to think of the Mac committee as I'm just one member of it, so I don't necessarily look that I have the answers to change what that's going to be, but I believe it's probably one of the, if not the most valuable, certainly one of the most valuable committees that we have at Metro, and that group, as you well know, because you've been involved with it for many years, has helped drive a lot of change at Metro and and really force us to do some things within the community that maybe we weren't so comfortable doing, and so I really like to build upon it and even get some more diverse voices in there, so that it continue to help drive that change curve that we we need to have

Unknown Speaker 7:11
driven Absolutely. You know, when I became the fire chief, one of the things that I did was I asked, I think it was Jerry Keller, was a sheriff. Then I said, I want to come to your command center. I want to attend some of your meetings. And one thing I learned and loved the way that you guys operated was it wasn't zoned, but in your commands, you knew what kind of crimes were going on and those types of things. And I told my folks, we got to we got to break it down and look at what's going on, what kind of incidents we're having in a particular area, and that will help us to go out and do the kinds of things that are necessary to reduce those kinds of whether it's fires, EMS, calls, you name it, we got to go out there and be actively involved in our community. And I think the more that police fire are involved in their community, the better off we'll be and people show a lot more respect for you. And you know, this year, one of, one of the main, I call him a a great helper to Metro Mario. You know, every year I try to go over and take a couple of bikes for his for his Christmas bike drive. And this year I missed it. You know, you get to ripping and running still at 71 I am my wife, keep telling me to slow my butt down. So anyway, I took you, I took her check over and left it for him, for for the bowling Little League, because I know Metro has been heavily supportive of that, and I think that's a great thing to for officers and others to interact with the youth in the community. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 8:39
I mean, it doesn't get any better than that, does it? I mean, we were out there, and today, you know, a number of years later, we're at hundreds of kids that are participating and getting uniforms and equipment and going out and playing an organized sport, oftentimes for the first time. And they really get an opportunity to have, you know, police officers and other community members as coaches. And it really bridges the gap, no doubt about it. And love to have the fire department involved as well, because everybody knows that, you know firemen. Everybody loves firemen. So just a good thing for us,

Unknown Speaker 9:10
absolutely, you know. But I pushed back a little bit, only from the standpoint that I was a battalion chief over training when the Rodney King incident occurred, sure. And he Oh, nobody would shoot at firefighters, all due respect to Reverend justice, God, God, rest his soul. He was on one TV saying, Oh, they nobody would shoot at firefighters. I'm on another I'm on another channel showing the bullet holes in the fire engine, you know, but, but the good thing is, the community got back together. And I think that, again, a number of the things that you guys have done as as a sheriff's department, in terms of interacting and getting involved with the community, will make people feel a lot better about the interaction, because it's important, because you guys have a job to do. Firefighters have a job to do. And I think the closer we can work. Work as community, the better off we'll be as a, you know, not only as a community, but just in general. And I know that the Mac committee has been a model thanks to you guys. And I'm talking about you guys as an agency, allowing the Mac committee to continue to operate for so many years. And I've been there in meetings where people come in, sheriffs, police chiefs from other agencies throughout this country come in to look at how we do things. And I know that there's been meetings where we get a little upset with each other, but I used to tell Ramadan one thing I know that I've never seen anybody leave that room angry. We may get a little perturbed with one another in some of the needling questions, but when it's all said and done, we are still one big team, and that's greatly appreciated.

Unknown Speaker 10:47
Well, you know, what else is really good about that chief is that that, I think that everybody that participates in there understands that we've done a lot of work, but most importantly, we still have a lot of work to do. And I think that that's what really guides that, that committee and that group of individuals, because we all come together to want to continue to drive that curve, that change that we all have a responsibility to deliver in policing services appropriately in this community, and everybody's invested in that, and that's what, that's what always makes me look forward to that meeting is, yeah, you're going to have a lot of uncomfortable conversations. That's because some of what happens in policing today is uncomfortable. That's right, we as leaders have to talk about those things and find ways through Absolutely.

Unknown Speaker 11:28
That's why you're going to do such a super job. I can see it now. I got I got the vision my brother. Hey, look. Who do you report to as an elected official, I think the public would love to know the people, I'm

Unknown Speaker 11:42
elected countywide, so the way that I get job approval or not is I get unelected or reelected if I choose to run again. And so, but what's good about my job is that people are willing to give you feedback, day in and day out, how well this police department is doing or not doing, and so there's no lack of feedback, certainly, and and we've got to continue to strive to get it, to get it right, and we

Unknown Speaker 12:08
will absolutely so how are you funded?

Unknown Speaker 12:11
Oh, I'm sorry, so yeah, we have about it. It's about a third, a third and a third between the city, the county and property taxes that pays the the salary and benefits for the police department. We're 6000 person agencies strong. Now people don't realize that we're the seventh largest police department in the country. We have a budget just shy of 1.3 billion. So it's very large company, very large operation, and got a lot of work to do.

Unknown Speaker 12:38
Absolutely Any final thoughts and again, Kevin Sheriff, I really appreciate you coming on. I know you're busy as all get out, you know, in your first few weeks of the operation, but you've been there as the UnderSheriff, so you know what time it is. So final thoughts, my friend,

Unknown Speaker 12:56
yeah, thanks for having me on again. I look forward to coming back all the time, and I would just ask the community to give us a little bit of time that you're going to see some very, very positive change in the way it is that we move forward here. And I'm I'm working on getting that crime under control. We're heading in the right direction.

Unknown Speaker 13:12
All right. Thank you, sir.

Unknown Speaker 13:21
Once again, this is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and war. And I'm just so excited to have our second guest, who is like a sister to me through her mom and dad. She is Miss Carla Holmes. Her mom and dads were mentors to me, and Carla is the chair of our Carl Holmes executive development institute that I've spoken about many times on this show. So Moreover, she's our chair of our board of directors. And so that, quite frankly, makes her one of my bosses. Hello, Carla.

Unknown Speaker 13:57
Hi Dave. Thank you so much for having me. I so appreciate it.

Unknown Speaker 14:00
Oh, no, we need this done, because I know, we know that EDI has been around, but I want you to talk to people a little bit about it. In fact, please give our listening audience a bit about you on a personal level. And you know you don't have to get in deep into to your personal items, and you as a professional.

Unknown Speaker 14:20
Well, sure. Well, I am a public relations practitioner. I've been involved in corporate public relations for quite some time, on the corporate side and agency side, and currently, I am now a professor at the University of Oklahoma, at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, where I teach undergraduate and graduate students all about the world of public relations and strategic communication. So it's been a fantastic opportunity to do that. And as you mentioned, I'm also chair of the Carl Holmes executive development institute, otherwise known as EDI. So as you well know, that's one of our largest. One of the largest in the nation, that's the most renowned organizations that's committed to excellence by offering quality professional training to those in the fire service industry. So we're been delighted to do that. And EDI has been around for more than 30 years.

Unknown Speaker 15:18
Yes, yes, yes. And Carla is being very humble. She's back at home in Oklahoma, where she is a professor. She ain't just, you know, she ain't just a teacher, she's a professor. And not only that, we were very pleased. And I'm talking about the board members and the officers of of the Carl Holmes executive development institute. Carla was voted by the students and the staff as Professor of the Year that any and guess, and guess what Carla we are. We're in the green spun journalism building here at UNLV. So that's very appropriate. Even though I'm not a journalism student, I'm still trying to learn my way Wes and the other folks, they're always kind of training me and keeping me on point as a host. And I always tell people I am not a journalist, and that really frees people's mind in terms of coming on the show. I told them I'm not a journalist, because journalists sometimes will trip you up. No, I'm a host. I'm just trying to get information out about the good things that we're doing to our community. So you mentioned that EDI has been around for some 30 plus years. It's

Unknown Speaker 16:24
really, it's very and it's a really different type of program, too. My father was one of the founders of the institute. Is now on the campus at Dillard University and HBCU in New Orleans. We've had over the years, more than about, oh gosh, more than about 2500 people actually have come through EDI. And what makes it really different Dave is that it's a high energy, high content and high involvement seminar. It's way more than a conference. It's really a life changing and career building experience for those who want to excel. And the emergency response a fire service industry, and it's really modeled by others that are leaders in the industry all across the United States, that come there and pour into people that are currently working in the fire service industry, that want to become chief or captains or or to rise up through the ranks. So what it offers is a lot of different workshops, there's course modules, and a lot of the things that makes it so special Dave is that many, many EDI graduates have advanced professionally and have assumed high ranking administrative types of positions and fire chief positions like yourself, all throughout the country and and people who want to learn more about it can go to Carl, homes, edi.org, that's our website where they can register. It's going to be this year. It's going to be June 5 to the ninth at Dillard University, and registration is open right now.

Unknown Speaker 17:56
Well, well, well, you just tore up about four of my questions to you, but see being, being a PR person, Wes, she is adequately prepared to deal with, with with my interview, so you said they can learn more about it by going to give that information again,

Unknown Speaker 18:14
please sure it's Carl, Holmes, edi.org, it's Carl, C, A, R, L, Holmes, H, O, L, M, E, S, E, D, i.org and we've just launched a website, Dave. It's got all the information that really talks more specifically about what it's about and and it includes, it's a whole week. So it's not just a seminar where you just come in for a couple days. It's an extensive week of training. And the thing about this is you're training from the very best. These are people, men and women that have risen through the ranks all across the country, and they come back to incorporate a lot of the different philosophies in Fire Service Training to people that come from departments all across the country. I mean, it's made a big impact on many people's career paths. And not only that, it's a great way to learn from fellow graduates and see how it's helped them advance through their careers in EMS and the fire service industry. And really, there's really nowhere else that people can get real world information from subject matter experts like we have at EDI. And these folks, they know firsthand how to make a difference in their departments, in their communities, and they're walking testimonies to how the program has helped them excel in their own jobs, and how they're able to reach back and bring other people, other people of color, women and all walks of life that are currently in EMS and fire service industry. So really, it's, don't take our word for it. You should really talk to many of our graduates that we have. Have really excelled beyond measure.

Unknown Speaker 20:02
Exactly, in fact, I got promoted twice as a result of attending EDI. When I went to EDI, I was a battalion chief over training. I ultimately got promoted to Deputy Chief Fire Marshal and then to the highest position within our department, the fire chief. And again, there's no doubt about it that I was prepared to seek this position, not only seek it, but to gain it through the the information and the training that I got from that Carl Holmes executive development institute. So Carla Tell us, when is the next session going to take place?

Unknown Speaker 20:35
Sure it's going to be it's this summer. It's going to be June the fifth through the ninth. As I mentioned, it's going to be at Dillard University. In New Orleans, beautiful campus down there, and and, and as I mentioned before, students get a chance. They get to participate, really. And it's very intensive. It's a week long professional educational experience. And again, another thing that makes it so unique that it features hands on instruction from industry executives that come from departments all across the country. They're subject matter experts, and then also unparalleled network opportunities. So there are people that come from departments all across the country, even people that come from overseas, that come to attend and it's a great value too, because it includes, as I mentioned, a week long, extensive experience. But it also includes all the classes, the evening sessions. Includes all you can eat three meals a day. You have dorm housing there on campus. Everybody's there together, which really adds to the fellowship. We have a cookout reception, it kicks things off, and then, and then the culminate. We have a beautiful graduation ceremony and banquet that ends on the last day of the event as well, too. The thing about it also, Dave, is that we have different modules. So you may come in at module one, and you come back every year, you advance to the next module until you reach module five, and then you graduate. So it's a commitment to be able to come not just one year, but we look forward to our attendees coming year after year. And not only do they want to come back and attend, but they also come back even after they graduate, and many of them go on, as you mentioned before, to go on to her promotion in all different fields. So absolutely, it's a great experience.

Unknown Speaker 22:29
You know, you mentioned graduation. I recall when Amber, our youngest daughter, was going to Southern University at the Baton Rouge campus. She came down to participate and attend our graduation and she just cried like a baby. She said, I can't believe she can't, yeah, she said she couldn't believe how great this program was. That was started by black men and women of fire service. But now all races, creeds and color, do come to Dillard University to participate, to include, as you said, they come in from Africa. They come in from from England. They come in from the Caribbean, because it's a high level of very, very good training for for those in the fire service industry. So let me tell you guys about this young lady as our chairperson, again, a very humble lady, but she's done a lot to help to grow this institute into the powerhouse that it is continuing to become. And we're not done yet, because there's a number of things that I know that we can do, and I'm gonna put it out here right now. And I haven't even talked to Carla about this, but I watch what they've done. The general manager here, Mr. We got a couple of minutes to go. But I just want to say that this man on this campus, Ridley, Dr Ridley, has come up with a a program where people put in money and they match the money. I'm trying to remove. My mind is going blank for a second, but it's something that I see us doing at EDI. It's where people put up money. Not God, where's my mind going blank, but I'm telling you, Carl, it's something that I'm going to talk to you about, that we need to go there, because I think EDI is such a strong program that we need to be going for years and years to come. And at some point it becomes self sustaining, sure,

Unknown Speaker 24:21
like, absolutely. Well, that's one thing about the program to, you know, maybe, maybe looking at the possibility of, you know, having endowments, or other

Unknown Speaker 24:30
endowment, that's more endowment, you brought it back. That's, that's the, that's the thing that he's done here. He started an endowment, and that's what we need to do for EDI. Absolutely, yeah,

Unknown Speaker 24:42
absolutely, well, and we have just a lot of great support overall. People are in the program as well as outside the program too. And one of the things that has really made people so committed to it is because of our course offerings. Yes, the course offerings at EDI are very special, and. Very carefully planned. We have a whole EDI curriculum review committee, and what they do is they work really, really diligently to help ensure the highest quality training participant experience for all of our participants. And that's really what has made EDI really a standout program. And as I mentioned before, again, it's going to be June 5 through the ninth Summer Institute at Dillard University. And again, Edi really prides itself on graduating consistently. That's the thing about it is that people that come through this program are consistent in a level of how they excel, and many of them advance professionally and assume high ranking administrative and fire chief positions all across the country. And again, it's all because of that, that the curriculum program that we have yes at the university. So we're really excited about, you know, bringing these course offerings back, because they really do make a huge difference and really help people in the industry stay at breath about the latest issues going on, the fire service, service area, crisis communication, handling crises, and using, you know, tools that are really proven to help meet the challenges that so Many people in the industry. Face today,

Unknown Speaker 26:21
absolutely, Carla, we thank you so much, Chairwoman, for your time and effort today. And again, you've done a wonderful job leading our group, and I know that we're going to continue to grow so under your leadership. So thank you, Carla.

Unknown Speaker 26:34
People want to learn more. Again, they need to visit crow home. Edi.org, for more information. So thank you so much, Dave for having me. Alright. Carla, take

Unknown Speaker 26:43
care. Once again, you too. Alright. Take care. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I want to encourage people, once again, to call Tony Marshall if you have any issues. I'm talking particularly as as veterans, and also those vets who may be looking for something to do in terms of employment, get the app. Good Works. Get the app. Good Works. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, along with Wes. We'll talk to you next month. You

Outro Song 27:40
all the smoke in the air till they hate when they stare all the pain that we bear.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai