EMS chief hiring process off to a quiet start

A nationwide search for a new chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Services is underway, but details are sketchy on the number of people who have applied for the position. At Monday’s Public Safety Commission meeting, Commissioner Rebecca Webber asked Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano how many applications were submitted before last month’s deadline. Arellano said he didn’t know. “I have heard that it’s not a very robust applicant pool,” Webber said, asking Arellano for a ballpark figure. Arellano again said he didn’t know, but estimated between 10 and 20 applications had come in. The number of applicants who applied from within the department is also unknown. Arellano said he will be reviewing the applicants and expects to have a list of candidates narrowed down by the end of the month. Those candidates will advance to the next stage of the hiring process. The new chief will replace Ernesto Rodriguez, who retired from the city earlier this year after 40 years of service.