Austin Fire Chief Under Scrutiny for Denying Flood Teams While Championing Diversity Goals
The Austin Firefighters Association intends to hold a vote of no confidence on Fire Chief Joel G. Baker over his failure to deploy advance teams to flood ravaged Kerr County ahead of the destruction. Now, it has been revealed that Baker, the first black fire chief in Austin, prioritized diversity goals shortly after coming onto the job.
He’s been accused of not deploying Austin’s specialized teams ahead of the destruction, despite having been asked by the state to do so, because Texas was delayed in reimbursing the department for $800,000 in past deployments.
The department’s official statement claims the decision involved “complicated” factors and that they needed to remain ready for emergencies in their own jurisdiction. But a deeper look at Chief Baker’s leadership reveals priorities that have raised serious concerns about his focus during this crisis.
Chief Baker, who became Austin’s first Black fire chief in 2019, has repeatedly emphasized diversity initiatives during his tenure. In 2020, just a year into his role, Baker made his priorities crystal clear: “What’s important is that I’m not the last African American fire chief.”
Baker stated his primary goal was “really to increase the diversity at the Austin Fire Department,” explaining that he wanted the department to “reflect more of the community.” While representation has value, critics are questioning whether these woke priorities overshadowed Baker’s focus on operational readiness and emergency response capabilities when Texans needed them most.
In his own words, Baker admitted: “Although we had an increase of Africans that had applied, I have not really seen an increase of Africans that have been hired so now we got to find out what’s the barrier of getting them hired.”
While Baker worried about hiring statistics, devastation swept through Kerr County. The raging Guadalupe River flood left families shattered and many still missing. Specialized rescue teams sitting idle in Austin might have made a difference, but they never deployed.
Baker reportedly cited an $800,000 reimbursement delay as justification for not sending help—essentially putting a price tag on potential life-saving resources. This decision has infuriated many, including the firefighters who serve under him, leading to the upcoming no-confidence vote.
He’s been accused of not deploying Austin’s specialized teams ahead of the destruction, despite having been asked by the state to do so, because Texas was delayed in reimbursing the department for $800,000 in past deployments.
The department’s official statement claims the decision involved “complicated” factors and that they needed to remain ready for emergencies in their own jurisdiction. But a deeper look at Chief Baker’s leadership reveals priorities that have raised serious concerns about his focus during this crisis.
Chief Baker, who became Austin’s first Black fire chief in 2019, has repeatedly emphasized diversity initiatives during his tenure. In 2020, just a year into his role, Baker made his priorities crystal clear: “What’s important is that I’m not the last African American fire chief.”
Baker stated his primary goal was “really to increase the diversity at the Austin Fire Department,” explaining that he wanted the department to “reflect more of the community.” While representation has value, critics are questioning whether these woke priorities overshadowed Baker’s focus on operational readiness and emergency response capabilities when Texans needed them most.
In his own words, Baker admitted: “Although we had an increase of Africans that had applied, I have not really seen an increase of Africans that have been hired so now we got to find out what’s the barrier of getting them hired.”
While Baker worried about hiring statistics, devastation swept through Kerr County. The raging Guadalupe River flood left families shattered and many still missing. Specialized rescue teams sitting idle in Austin might have made a difference, but they never deployed.
Baker reportedly cited an $800,000 reimbursement delay as justification for not sending help—essentially putting a price tag on potential life-saving resources. This decision has infuriated many, including the firefighters who serve under him, leading to the upcoming no-confidence vote.
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