Tag Archives: Austin Fire Department
Thursday, August 24, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Fire
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…
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 by Jack Craver
Public 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…
Monday, February 27, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Fire
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…
Monday, August 15, 2016 by Cate Malek
Fire
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…
Thursday, July 7, 2016 by Jack Craver
Public 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…
Monday, June 6, 2016 by Jo Clifton
Budget
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,…
Thursday, May 26, 2016 by Jack Craver
Fire
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…
Thursday, April 21, 2016 by Audrey McGlinchy
Fire
Austin Fire Department could soon be using drones
The drone idles on a small runway at the Austin Radio Control Association, just east of the city. It has a gray body and a white nose, across which someone has painted a sinister smile. The controls are tested, and…
Tuesday, March 8, 2016 by Jack Craver
Fire
Fire Department says it needs more fire stations
The Public Safety Commission unanimously recommended a resolution Monday that would require the city manager to submit an annual report to City Council identifying areas of the city most in need of fire stations.If approved by Council, staff will develop…
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 by Audrey McGlinchy
Public Safety
Committee restarts discussion of fire and EMS merger
Members of the Public Safety Committee heard testimony Monday on the idea of merging the Austin Fire Department with Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services, but city staff and organization heads reiterated time and again that anything official is a long way…
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
City Hall
City, firefighters reach tentative agreement
After years of strife, the City of Austin and the Austin Firefighters Association successfully concluded the collective bargaining process Monday.Last November, City Council agreed to settle a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice over alleged discrimination in the Austin…
Thursday, April 2, 2015 by Caleb Pritchard
City Council
Council delays fire department reclassification plan
A proposal to modify the Austin Fire Department’s leadership hierarchy has encountered headwinds at City Hall.City Council Member Don Zimmerman moved Thursday to prevent a vote on the resolution that proposes tweaking the department’s classification system, including removing several lower-level…
Monday, February 9, 2015 by Michael Kanin
Fire
Explainer: AFD, AFA, and the consent decree
Each week, the Explainer offers a closer look at stories we have been following. This week, we look at City Council action from last week that restarts negotiations between the Austin Firefighters Association and city management.It what amounts to its…
Friday, February 6, 2015 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Council OKs restart of firefighter negotiations
As its first major action, the Austin City Council on Thursday approved a resolution directing city management to go back to the bargaining table with the Austin Firefighters Association. But it did not, as initially proposed, direct staff to stop…
Thursday, February 5, 2015 by Jo Clifton
Politics
Not all firefighters support pulling RFP
The president of the Austin African-American Firefighters Association told the Austin Monitor that the city would be making a mistake if it stops the RFP process for a plan to recruit new firefighters and returns to the negotiating table, as set…
Thursday, January 22, 2015 by Jo Clifton
Austin
Austin firefighters to again seek input on hiring
The Austin Firefighters Association will have an opportunity at this morning’s City Council meeting to voice concerns to the new Council about its lack of input on a new process for hiring fire cadets. The firefighters’ hope is that this Council…
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 by Tyler Whitson
Austin
Watershed Protection touts wildfire plan progress
Watershed Protection Department staff told the Environmental Board on Wednesday that they have begun to implement an intergovernmental plan designed to help prevent catastrophic wildfires in the future.Senior Environmental Compliance Specialist Ryan Hebrink stressed that the Austin/Travis County Community Wildfire…
Thursday, September 18, 2014 by Jo Clifton
Elections
Firefighters form new PAC to support candidates
The Austin Firefighters Local 975 has formed a special political action committee to support eight candidates running for City Council on the November ballot. Firefighters president Bob Nicks told the Monitor that the group had raised $200,000 through membership dues…
Friday, May 9, 2014 by Heydn Ericson
Politics
Austin Fire Chief explains to Council why she can’t expand service
Ranks of the Austin Fire Department are down by 76 members and that number is growing every month as veterans retire, according to Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr. Kerr says at that rate, the department would have around 100 vacancies…
