Reducing the minimum number of firefighters per truck from four to three would save the city about $8.3 million in overtime pay. But the firefighters union said the reduction would put people and firefighters at risk.
Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, speaks during a rally at City Hall on Monday about proposed reductions to staffing levels. The union is calling on the City Council and the community to push back against the cuts.
The city of Austin is looking to cut overtime for Austin firefighters as a way to save money in the new budget. The change would mean adjusting staffing levels on many fire trucks, which some officials said puts people and fire crews at risk. When a fire team responds to a fire there are a minimum of four firefighters on each truck. That is the recommended standard by Under a new plan, some fire trucks would be staffed with a minimum of three people. The shift is part of the“Right now, on every apparatus it is mandated that there are four people on each one of the units regardless, and so that is driving overtime particularly when we have people who are out on vacation, on sick leave, or are injured,” Broadnax said. “So they’re calling people back, which doesn't give time for people to actually rest and actually recharge their battery.” But Bob Nicks, president for Austin Firefighters Association, the union representing firefighters, said cutting back on the minimum staffing requirement would have dire consequences, including increased risk for injuries, deaths, and property loss. “Four people staffing has been proven by national studies , proven by studies in Austin itself that have been validated by these national studies,” Nicks said. “It’s just disgusting and crazy that the city manager would think this is the place he needs to save a little bit of money.”“We want more firefighters hired. We do not want the overtime,” Nicks said. “We’re doing the overtime as a stop-gap measure until the city can hire more firefighters… We’ll get there, but don’t cut our safety standards in the meantime.” Edward Kelly, president for the International Association of Firefighters, said studies have found that requiring at least four people on each truck ensures fire crews can handle calls safely and efficiently. “What that translates to is more time to rescue, more time to get water on the fire,” Kelly said. “And time matters in a fire.” Kelly said each of the four crew members has a role, from running the water hose to search and rescue to providing medical care to patients. “When you reduce the crew size, all of those tasks get slowed down significantly, and that difference is the difference between life and death,” Kelly said. Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker said last week that the fire department could still respond effectively with the change. “The staffing model is the best solution we have at the table right now to make sure that every fire station and every unit is still staffed with trained firefighters and personnel to respond to these emergency fire and medical calls,” he said. To move ahead with this plan, City Council would have to change the policy that requires four firefighters on each truck. At least three council members have already thrown their support behind maintaining four-person staffing.“We’ve been meeting with Austin Energy and Austin Water to figure out how their rate increase structure works to see if there are opportunities there,” Duchen said. “We’re looking at all kinds of programs, contracts… That’s the kind of work that we are going to continue to do.”Crime & JusticeSeventy-two police officers would be reassigned to patrol shifts, reducing the reliance on overtime. Under the city manager's budget proposal, the city would save about $9 million by cutting back OT for officers.The Trump administration has not released more than $6 billion in grants for schools nationwide. For Austin ISD, that amounts to a loss of about $9.6 million in funding that helps pay for more than 100 positions.The House approved a Trump administration plan to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.The House approved a Trump administration plan to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.The station’s general manager, Debbie Hiott, said the cuts may lead to the station dropping some shows and freezing hiring.The balanced budget includes money for public safety, homelessness, park maintenance and the new infrastructure academy — but also includes an increase of fees and cuts to overtime.
Austin City Council Austin Fire Department Firefighters Overtime Pay T.C. Broadnax
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