Firefighters to seek firing of Chief Baker
Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, will speak to the media today about Fire Chief Joel Baker’s dismissal. According to Nicks, who spoke to the Austin Monitor, on June 6, Baker issued a standing order that barred Austin firemen from deploying to help rescuers during the devastating flooding that occurred in Central Texas on July 4.
According to Nicks, he intends to organize a vote among firefighters who will voice their disapproval of Baker and call for his dismissal. He anticipates that the voting will take place online between July 15 and 17. Nicks clarified that beginning on June 6, Baker had a standing order prohibiting our deployment. Our boat crews were engaged and prepared to leave. According to him, firefighters could have arrived on the location on July 3 before the disaster struck, and AFD was called for assistance when flooding appeared likely.
Nicks posted on Facebook, “We are disgusted with our fire chief; he needs to be held accountable and fired for his shameful dereliction of duty.”
The agency needs to balance local requirements with other demands and prioritize how to deploy its resources, Chief Baker said the Austin Monitor in an email.
On Friday, July 4, AFD sent out three rescue swimmers to work with the Texas Task Force 1 helicopter search and rescue team (HSART) to conduct water rescues in San Angelo, Kerrville, and Seguin in an attempt to achieve that balance. Two crews, a total of eight firemen, and an AFD boat were sent to support ESD 1’s search operations at Cow Creek and Big Sandy Creek on Saturday and Sunday, July 5 and 6. At around 9 a.m. today, six more personnel were sent in to support Texas Task Force 1’s search and rescue operations in the region. According to Baker, AFD is a reliable partner for public safety in our area. While preserving sufficient resources for the people we serve in our City and the surrounding communities, we will keep up that reputation.
Nicks wrote: “With the exception of just three AFD rescue swimmers who assisted in staffing helo teams (which were still not deployed until the afternoon of the 4th), it is with great dismay that the Austin Firefighters report to the community that the Austin Fire Chief denied the deployment of Austin firefighters to Kerrville until very late into the event (so today!).”
He added that the Austin Firefighter special operations teams are among the best, if not the best, fast water boat teams in the State of Texas and are specifically trained for hill country rapid water rescue.
The fact that Joel G. Baker, the fire chief of Austin, would not permit highly skilled Austin firefighters to respond to Kerrville is completely absurd. Nicks wrote. He came to the conclusion that the Chief Bakers’ decision likely resulted in the loss of lives!
Nicks claimed that because Baker was unaware that the city would receive reimbursement for any costs expended in aiding flood victims outside of the city, he failed to send teams to Kerrville when he could have. “I explained the reimbursement process to Chief Baker last week, and he failed to understand this very simple concept,” Nicks posted on Facebook.
Nicks has appealed to the general populace. “The Austin Firefighters pledge to be open and honest with the community regarding the process of dismissing our fire chief and holding everyone responsible for this atrocity accountable,” he said.
Nicks stated, “The firefighters hope we have your support.” It will get unsightly.
I can’t even begin to tell you how angry and disgusted the firefighters are that we weren’t permitted to perform our duties, he added. During the recent catastrophic floods in Kerrville, we had the opportunity to make a difference, but we were forced to step aside, and lives were lost. This is the job we have trained so hard and long for.
Baker’s hesitation to send out teams from AFD is perhaps partially explained by his email from June 6. According to the email from Andre Jordan, until October 1, AFD has halted deployments for both TIFMAS (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System) and TEEX (Fire Training Academy). The boat crew that is currently deployed is not included in this.
The State of Texas owes AFD almost $800,000 in unpaid payments, and the City is currently experiencing a fiscal problem. In order to avoid a scenario where more funds are spent on deployments and not recovered before the end of the fiscal year, the City wishes to ensure that this money is returned before the end of the year.
Jordan is listed on the City of Austin’s website as Division Chief, Special Operations & Homeland Security.
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