As Central Texas prepares for an inevitable spike in COVID-19 diagnoses, medical professionals are calling on local officials to address unmet needs and implement tighter restrictions on public gatherings. In an open letter to officials Monday, nearly 200 doctors asked authorities to “implement mandatory lockdown measures to enforce social distancing.” “Public health officials should not […]
Austin/Travis County EMS
The Emergency Medical Service for Austin and Travis County. Co-managed by the City of Austin and Travis county.
Posted inBudget
Public safety departments present preliminary budget requests
Budget season at the city has already begun for the 2021 fiscal year. In preparation for its deep dive into budget requests from the public safety departments, the Public Safety Commission listened to preliminary budget forecasts at its March 2 meeting. Even with the looming budget caps imposed by the state Legislature, which limit the […]
Posted inEMS
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 medics to call in the event of an assault, resulting in faster response times from […]
Posted inEMS
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 job in the last two years. “We certainly are being assaulted,” Selena Xie, the president […]
Posted inEMS
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 Medical Services hoped to quantify verbal and physical assault among staff fielding calls and emergency […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: ATCEMS Employee Association
Selena Xie, the newly elected president of the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Employee Association, sits down with Austin Monitor freelancer Jack Craver in this week’s edition of Austin Monitor Radio. Listen in below to hear the latest on retirement requirements, the state of the union, and more. Austin Monitor Radio is produced in partnership […]
Posted inEMS
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 safety workers. Xie said the current requirements for making EMS employees eligible for full retirement […]
Posted inEMS
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 and the end of September, the two sides will try to negotiate a long-term contract. […]
Posted inPublic Safety
What happens when top public safety officials are accused of harassment?
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 […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Council rejects first aid services contract
During Tuesday’s work session, City Council members expressed enough objections to a contract to hire an outside firm to provide medical services at the Austin Convention Center that city staff agreed to remove the item from today’s agenda. Council members Delia Garza, Leslie Pool, Jimmy Flannigan and Ora Houston each weighed in on the proposed […]
Posted inEMS
With labor dispute focused on police, Austin’s EMS union feels overlooked
Austin police officers aren’t the only public safety personnel without an employment contract with the city. For the first time in nearly 10 years, emergency medical service employees are without a contract, too. Tony Marquardt, president of the Austin-Travis County EMS Employee Association, said that because the police is the largest of the public safety […]
Posted inEMS
City, EMS labor negotiations likely to continue
Even though its negotiating team declared an impasse with the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Employee Association last week, City Council appears prepared to direct staff to resume negotiations, but not immediately. Council members Ann Kitchen, Delia Garza, Leslie Pool and Mayor Steve Adler are sponsoring a resolution this week directing the city manager to […]