Members of the Public Safety Commission expressed concern and befuddlement over policies that the Police, Fire and EMS departments rely on to hold their top officials accountable for harassment. “It doesn’t make sense to me that the policies are so different (between departments),” said Commissioner Rebecca Gonzales. In all of the departments, said Chair Rebecca […]
Austin Fire Department
firefighters who serve residents inside Austin city limits.
Posted inFire
AFD aims to weigh in on developments sooner rather than later
The Austin Fire Department could soon start reviewing individual development plans much earlier in the process than it currently does. Fire Marshal Rob Vires told the Public Safety Commission at its Jan. 8 special called meeting about ongoing discussions to allow AFD engineers to have a seat at the table during the preliminary master review […]
Posted inFire
Council OKs firefighters’ contract 7-3
City Council approved a five-year contract with the Austin Firefighters Association Thursday on a vote of 7-3, after a heated exchange between Council Member Ora Houston and Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks. Houston criticized the firefighters association for not doing more to increase the ranks of minority firefighters, particularly African-American firefighters. And despite changes […]
Posted inFire
Fire Department overtime soars to $21 million
Overtime pay for firefighters at the Austin Fire Department will reach about $21 million by the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30 – a 206 percent increase since Fiscal Year 2013-14 – according to a report put out this week by the Office of the City Auditor in response to a request from […]
Posted inFire
Auditors to look at firefighters’ overtime
After considerable complaint from its newest members, Jimmy Flannigan and Alison Alter, City Council voted last month to amend the city’s General Fund budget by transferring $3.5 million from a stabilization reserve fund into the Austin Fire Department’s budget to pay for overtime expenses. Council on Thursday directed the Office of the City Auditor to look […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Public safety agencies envision big staff increases
In presentations to the Public Safety Commission Monday, leaders of the Police Department, Fire Department and Emergency Management Services called for significantly boosting staff in the coming years, both to make up for existing shortages and to keep up with the city’s rapidly growing population. Jasper Brown, the assistant chief for Austin-Travis County EMS, told […]
Posted inFire
Austin to take over some county firefighting
On Feb. 16, City Council unanimously approved negotiation of a contract with Travis County Emergency Services District 4 to transfer firefighting duties to Austin firefighters within the ESD’s area in eastern Travis County. The parties will have to come back to Council for final approval of a contract that will include district payments to the […]
Posted inFire
City Council sounds alarm over locker rooms for female firefighters
A multiyear project to provide locker rooms for Austin’s female firefighters has stuttered past its deadline, causing frustration among both firefighters and City Council. At a budget work session on Aug. 10, Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr promised to redouble her efforts to finish construction of locker rooms at six fire stations where installation was […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Fire Dept. on Barton Creek drownings: There’s only so much we can do
There is only so much the city can do to prevent people from putting themselves at risk in Barton Creek or other area waterways, an Austin Fire Department official told members of the Public Safety Commission on Tuesday. “Water is always dangerous,” said Assistant Fire Department Chief Brian Tanzola. Tanzola had been requested to brief […]
Posted inBudget
Fire Department to seek new stations
Wednesday was the 100th birthday of the Austin Fire Department, so, naturally, the members of City Council had to sing “Happy Birthday” to AFD Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr during their work session. Kerr noted that the department started with 27 men, with an emphasis on “men.” “I can’t imagine what they would think about having […]
Posted inFire, Uncategorized
City considers providing fire service to Travis County ESD4
After years of city annexations, Travis County Emergency Services District 4 (ESD4) should no longer have its own fire department, ESD4 Fire Chief David Bailey told the City Council Public Safety Committee on Monday. When it was founded as Travis County Rural Fire Protection District #4 in 1985, the taxing district covered a large swath of […]