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- How Trump’s federal funding freeze is beginning to affect Austin
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- Council Member Mike Siegel will speak out against cuts to federal services
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EMS
Committee reviews EMS response times
Jasper Brown, chief of staff for Travis County Emergency Medical Services, spoke before the Public Safety Commission on Jan. 4 to report the quarterly incident response times for the county. The goal response time for all priority-one calls – a…
EMS • By Seth Smalley • Jan 11, 2021
Texas first responders need equipment to tackle Covid-19
Two-thirds of emergency service district first responders reported they have been unable to procure a sufficient amount of the necessary personal protective equipment since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a study by the Texas State Association of…
EMS • By Nina Hernandez • Apr 6, 2020
Austin 911 operators effectively field calls, but audit finds gaps in dispatching overall
Operators field roughly a million calls for emergency services in Austin a year. A new city report says those operators do a serviceable job of answering that glut of calls, but found a disconnect between those calls and the delivery…
EMS • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Feb 27, 2020
Austin EMS union outlines effects of high call volume and sick leave policies
In recent months, Austin Emergency Medical Services has implemented new policies to improve the lives of its medics. The department has adjusted its start times to be on a more natural wake-up schedule and has instated a new code for…
EMS • By Jessi Devenyns • Feb 10, 2020
Public Safety Commission questions path forward for EMS providers being assaulted
After reports from EMS personnel raised questions about the frequency of field officer assault by patients, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services conducted an internal survey. The results showed that the majority of Austin EMS personnel say they’ve been assaulted on the…
EMS • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 4, 2019
A majority of Austin EMS personnel say assaults on the job are common and 'unavoidable'
A majority of Austin EMS personnel say they’ve been assaulted on the job in the last two years, according to an internal survey. Most first responders also say they don’t feel properly trained to address aggressive behavior. Austin-Travis County Emergency…
EMS • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Aug 7, 2019
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Travis County leaders urge vigilance on flooding
Heavy rains over the past two weeks have not resulted in major residential flooding, but at least one death appears to be linked to flooding and government officials are urging residents to avoid certain waterways and to be on high…
EMS • By Jack Craver • May 14, 2019
EMS leader seeks changes in retirement system
Selena Xie, the newly elected president of the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Employee Association, has a mission. She wants to change the retirement system for EMS workers so it is more in line with the systems for other public…
EMS • By Jo Clifton • Jan 22, 2019
City, EMS negotiators reach tentative deal
Labor negotiators for the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Employee Association and the city of Austin have reached a tentative agreement. Council is scheduled to discuss the proposal today in executive session. Union President Tony Marquardt said union members have…
EMS • By Jo Clifton • Aug 21, 2018
Council OKs short-term EMS contract
City Council approved without comment a six-month contract with the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Employee Association on Thursday that essentially duplicates their previous contract. Members of the union approved the contract in voting that ended Wednesday night. Between now…
EMS • By Jo Clifton • Mar 23, 2018
EMS union urges city not to forget it
The union that represents the city’s paramedics is urging the city to come to the bargaining table and approve a new contract that will offer ambulance workers what it describes as a much-deserved 2 percent pay raise. Tony Marquardt, president…
EMS • By Jack Craver • Mar 6, 2018
Third ambulance service gets OK from Council
Two ambulance companies that currently have franchises to provide nonemergency transfer services within the city of Austin told City Council Thursday that it would be a mistake to grant a franchise to a third company, but failed in their effort.…
