AUSTIN (KXAN) — A couple hundred Austin firefighters showed up at City Hall Monday to urge city council to prioritize public safety in its upcoming budget, and specifically raised concerns about a proposal to eliminate a staffing requirement.
In 2018, Austin City Council approved an ordinance that requires a four-person staffing minimum in all responding fire vehicles. Due to significant constraints in the budget this year, city financial staff is proposing eliminating that standard in some cases.
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“The four-person staffing standard has been critical for Austin’s firefighters before the ordinance was written and must continue to not only be supported by the city but permanently backed into the budget,” Austin Firefighters Association President Chief Bob Nicks said in a news release. “Four-person staffing ensures more safety, faster response, and efficiency.”
In a statement, City Manager TC Broadnax made a distinction between different types of firefighting apparatus, saying the new staffing proposal would only impact engines — which carry water tanks and hoses. It would not impact ladder trucks (equipped with an extendable ladder for operating at elevated heights), quints (trucks that can perform the roles of both an engine and ladder truck) and rescues (carries specialized equipment for rescue operations beyond firefighting, such as tools for vehicle extrications, hazardous materials response and water rescues)…