Austin Fire, EMS and other departments brace for cuts after Prop Q failure

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin firefighters on Monday morning filled a Domain movie theater to watch a short film documenting the Austin Firefighters Association’s push to keep four firefighters on every truck.

In July, the union raised concerns after city financial staff recommended eliminating a 2018 ordinance requiring the four-person staffing minimum due to budget constraints. After Proposition Q was introduced, the city included enough funding in the budget to keep the staffing ordinance on the books.

“Council really stood with us when the fire chief and the manager tried to reverse our four-person staffing ordinance,” said Association President Bob Nicks. “But the [city] manager again has put it into the budget now that Prop Q has failed,” he said.

Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker told city c