A vote of no confidence in Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker is expected soon from the Austin Firefighters Association. The union has leveled some strong accusations against Baker, claiming he refused to allow crews to deploy to the Kerrville area to assist with the catastrophic flooding during the July 4th weekend because he wanted to save money.
Fire union president Bob Nicks hosted a Tuesday press conference where he said Baker’s decision to not allow crews to deploy was the wrong one, and he said people took notice of the Austin Fire Department’s absence.
“We would’ve been in the theater of operation in Kerrville, pre-staged by the late afternoon on the 3rd before one drop of water had risen in that area,” Nicks said.
According to Nicks, Baker had a standing order that the Austin Fire Department would not be deployed, despite having active boat crews ready to go.
Nicks is expected to seek a vote of no confidence from the union by mid-July, and he’s expressed his hope that ultimately Baker can be removed from his position.
“It is absolutely outrageous that the Austin fire chief, Joel G Baker, would not allow highly trained Firefighters from Austin to respond to Kerrville,” Nicks wrote in a recent social media post. He went on to write, “LIVES WERE LIKELY LOST BECAUSE OF CHIEF BAKERS DECISION!”
Baker has stood by his decision, saying the department must prioritize how it uses its resources and find the right balance between local needs and requests from other areas.
