At Council’s final budget work session on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo told Council members he had learned that the city would have about $2.4 million more than anticipated when staff prepared the original budget of $4.2 billion. (That number is based on the tax rate of 44.31 cents per $100 valuation, […]
Austin Fire Department
firefighters who serve residents inside Austin city limits.
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Wildfires with Justice Jones
This week, Austin Monitor reporter Jessi Devenyns sits down with Austin Fire Department Wildfire Division Manager Justice Jones. Listen in below for a comprehensive discussion about Austin’s wildfire risks, how the city is managing those risks and what still needs to be done. Austin Monitor Radio is produced in partnership with KOOP 91.7 FM. The […]
Posted inFire
AFD under fire for handling of sexual harassment claim despite policy updates
After Austin Fire Department Lieutenant James Baker pleaded guilty to hiding a camera and filming firefighter Kelly Gall in the fire station restroom, AFD revised its harassment policies and implemented the Electronic and Anonymous Reporting System. EARS is intended to bypass the firehouse hierarchy and get complaints directly onto the desk of the fire chief, […]
Posted inFire
Two firefighters fired over ‘theft’ of exam
Fire Chief Joel Baker has fired two firefighters, Nicholas Schroeder and Anthony Stewart, who were attending classes on handling hazardous materials, after Schroeder allegedly stole a copy of the final exam and Stewart took photos of it. The class was required because Schroeder and Stewart had been assigned to the department’s special operations division, where […]
Posted inCity Hall
Auditor finds fire department employee misused resources for family business
An investigation by the city auditor’s office found evidence that an Austin Fire Department employee misused city computer equipment and his city email account to conduct business for a company owned by his wife. In a report released Tuesday, the auditor’s office said that Brian Kline, who worked as an equipment technician for the fire […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Fire and police response times lagging due to low staffing
In an effort to serve citizens as quickly, efficiently and proficiently as possible, Austin public safety departments have response time goals. For the Fire Department, this means response times of eight minutes 90 percent of the time, while police should arrive at the scene within 6 minutes and 44 seconds for the highest-priority calls. However, […]
Posted inCity Hall
Firefighter off for one day for ‘disrespect’
After finding that a male firefighter under his command spoke in a disrespectful manner to a female firefighter, Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker suspended the firefighter for just one day, to the dismay of the female firefighter. Baker did not characterize the language as sexual harassment or intended to create a hostile work environment. Baker […]
Posted inFire
2019: AFD’s new chief prioritizes communication
After just over five months with an interim chief, the Austin Fire Department finally has a permanent leader. As the year winds down, Joel Baker assumes his role as fire chief at the department amid an environment of transition and growth. With five new fire stations coming online to expand coverage to a growing city, […]
Posted inFire
‘Mega-fires’ are real, but their size is anyone’s guess
When representatives from the Austin Fire Department spoke at the last meeting of the Public Safety Commission, they alluded to a “mega-fire” they said was imminent in West Austin. Although the term may sound alarming, Justice Jones, wildfire mitigation program manager in the department’s Wildfire Division, told the Austin Monitor that there is no true […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Low morale in Austin’s public safety departments requires attention
The Public Safety Commission heard a variety of concerns at its Oct. 1 meeting in regards to the chronic low morale that public safety officers are experiencing within their respective departments. “It is pretty unanimous the officers are really getting tired of it,” said Commissioner Preston Tyree, who co-sponsored the discussion topic on the commission’s […]
Posted inFire
Rising insurance costs reignite push for new fire stations in Austin
Homeowners in a Del Valle suburb learned last month that their insurance rates could go up as much as $1,000 this year because they’re too far from the nearest fire station. Concerns about the rising rates have jump-started a push to get fire stations built across the city. City Council voted in 2016 to build […]
Posted inFire
Lack of fire station pushes some insurance rates up
Some Southeast Austin homeowners have been receiving bad news from their insurance companies – the rates on their homeowners insurance are projected to rise as much as $1,000 this year. District 2 Council Member Delia Garza told her colleagues at Wednesday’s budget work session that the reason for the big jump in insurance rates for […]