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The Austin (TX) firefighters union voiced outrage over Fire Chief Joel G. Baker’s decision to deny their request to assist in flood-stricken Kerrville—despite being hailed as the region’s top swiftwater rescue unit.
On July 2, 2025, the State of Texas issued deployment orders ahead of rising floodwaters. According to a social media post from the Austin Firefighters Association, the elite Special Operations teams—trained in swiftwater techniques and boat missions—were ready to mobilize before floodwaters surged. Two Austin Fire Department (AFD) boats and six swiftwater technicians were ready to deploy, but were denied permission to respond. A second request was received on July 4, and it was also denied. However, three AFD rescue swimmers were eventually sent to help airlift victims, and that too wasn’t until late in the day on July 4. The department remained grounded until then, the union claims.
“It brings the Austin Firefighters no pleasure … the Austin Fire Chief DENIED the deployment of Austin firefighters to Kerrville until very late into the event (so today-July 7th!) … It is absolutely outrageous … LIVES WERE VERY LIKELY LOST BECAUSE OF CHIEF BAKER’S DECISION!” — Bob Nicks, Austin Firefighters Association Facebook statement
Further criticism centered on the motive behind the delay. The union charges Chief Baker prioritized saving money, despite state reimbursement covering full deployment costs. “I explained the reimbursement process … and he failed to understand this very simple concept,” the statement reads.
Firefighters say the department is internationally recognized for its water rescue expertise. AFD personnel undergo regular swiftwater training, including throw-bag techniques, submerged vehicle extrications, indoor flood environments and rescue-boat drills at sites like Barton Springs. Austin is also part of the state’s Texas Urban Search and Rescue Team, Texas Task Force 1 (TXTF1) with 24 boat team members and two TXTF1 boats and equipment ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
Additional partnerships bolster urban water rescue, including a helicopter-support program launched within the past year that includes 10 rescue swimmers. A 2016 report emphasized AFD’s position as one of the state’s most “proficient with rapid water rescue techniques” operating a sixboat swiftwater team—among the most equipped in Texas, placing them on the cutting edge of flood response.
Grim statistics from Sunday’s Hill Country flooding underscore the stakes: more than 80 people were killed, including more than two dozen children, with Kerr County particularly devastated. First responders scrambled to evacuate some 850 individuals—a stark testament to the critical need for rapid deployment.
Reflecting on this, firefighters assert that “we were forced to stand down and lives were lost,” calling Chef Baker’s actions a “dereliction of duty.”
In response to the mounting anger, union leadership has initiated a vote of no confidence against Chief Baker, beginning Tuesday, July 8. They vow “transparency to the community” and are seeking the support of Austinites, stating: “Joel G. Baker must go!”
The union emphasizes they withheld public criticism during ongoing recovery efforts out of respect for victims—now, with most of the bodies recovered and work winding down, “it’s time” they hold leadership accountable.
“Members of the community are starting to ask our members why we were not there,, said Nicks. This prompted him to go public with criticism of the fire chief.
If passed, a no-confidence vote won’t remove Chief Baker—only Austin’s City Manager or Council have that authority—but it would mark an official rebuke. The firefighters claim the community deserves leadership “who cares about the community as much as our firefighters,” not one who considers reimbursement over response readiness. The case shines a spotlight on interagency coordination during state-level deployments, and whether budget concerns are being allowed to override mission-critical responses.
We reached out to the AFD public information office for comment on the ongoing situation. Chief Baker’s reply is below:
“The weather this weekend devastated the entire region, and the Austin Fire Department is proud to be part of the response effort.
The decision about how to allocate resources to help our fellow Texans is not a simple one. It requires communication from public safety partners on the ground to ensure we are providing resources and personnel when, where and how they are most needed.
The Austin Fire Department must also prioritize having sufficient resources in our own community given the unpredictability of this weekend’s storms and the risk for catastrophic flooding in our immediate area.
In an effort to strike that balance, AFD deployed three rescue swimmers on Friday, July 4 to serve with the Texas Task Force 1 helicopter search and rescue team (HSART) to perform water rescues in San Angelo, Kerrville and Seguin. On Saturday and Sunday, July 5 and 6, two crews, eight total fire personnel, and an AFD boat, were assigned to assist ESD 1 with search efforts at Cow Creek and Big Sandy Creek. An additional six personnel were deployed today, at approximately 9 a.m., to augment Texas Task Force 1 search and rescue efforts in the area.
AFD is a strong public safety partner in our region. We will continue to live up to that reputation while maintaining adequate resources for those we serve in our City and neighboring communities.“
The Austin (TX) firefighters union voiced outrage over Fire Chief Joel G. Baker’s decision to deny their request to assist in flood-stricken Kerrville—despite being hailed as the region’s top swiftwater rescue unit.
On July 2, 2025, the State of Texas issued deployment orders ahead of rising floodwaters. According to a social media post from the Austin Firefighters Association, the elite Special Operations teams—trained in swiftwater techniques and boat missions—were ready to mobilize before floodwaters surged. Two Austin Fire Department (AFD) boats and six swiftwater technicians were ready to deploy, but were denied permission to respond. A second request was received on July 4, and it was also denied. However, three AFD rescue swimmers were eventually sent to help airlift victims, and that too wasn’t until late in the day on July 4. The department remained grounded until then, the union claims.
“It brings the Austin Firefighters no pleasure … the Austin Fire Chief DENIED the deployment of Austin firefighters to Kerrville until very late into the event (so today-July 7th!) … It is absolutely outrageous … LIVES WERE VERY LIKELY LOST BECAUSE OF CHIEF BAKER’S DECISION!” — Bob Nicks, Austin Firefighters Association Facebook statement
Further criticism centered on the motive behind the delay. The union charges Chief Baker prioritized saving money, despite state reimbursement covering full deployment costs. “I explained the reimbursement process … and he failed to understand this very simple concept,” the statement reads.
Firefighters say the department is internationally recognized for its water rescue expertise. AFD personnel undergo regular swiftwater training, including throw-bag techniques, submerged vehicle extrications, indoor flood environments and rescue-boat drills at sites like Barton Springs. Austin is also part of the state’s Texas Urban Search and Rescue Team, Texas Task Force 1 (TXTF1) with 24 boat team members and two TXTF1 boats and equipment ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
Additional partnerships bolster urban water rescue, including a helicopter-support program launched within the past year that includes 10 rescue swimmers. A 2016 report emphasized AFD’s position as one of the state’s most “proficient with rapid water rescue techniques” operating a sixboat swiftwater team—among the most equipped in Texas, placing them on the cutting edge of flood response.
Grim statistics from Sunday’s Hill Country flooding underscore the stakes: more than 80 people were killed, including more than two dozen children, with Kerr County particularly devastated. First responders scrambled to evacuate some 850 individuals—a stark testament to the critical need for rapid deployment.
Reflecting on this, firefighters assert that “we were forced to stand down and lives were lost,” calling Chef Baker’s actions a “dereliction of duty.”
In response to the mounting anger, union leadership has initiated a vote of no confidence against Chief Baker, beginning Tuesday, July 8. They vow “transparency to the community” and are seeking the support of Austinites, stating: “Joel G. Baker must go!”
The union emphasizes they withheld public criticism during ongoing recovery efforts out of respect for victims—now, with most of the bodies recovered and work winding down, “it’s time” they hold leadership accountable.
“Members of the community are starting to ask our members why we were not there,, said Nicks. This prompted him to go public with criticism of the fire chief.
If passed, a no-confidence vote won’t remove Chief Baker—only Austin’s City Manager or Council have that authority—but it would mark an official rebuke. The firefighters claim the community deserves leadership “who cares about the community as much as our firefighters,” not one who considers reimbursement over response readiness. The case shines a spotlight on interagency coordination during state-level deployments, and whether budget concerns are being allowed to override mission-critical responses.
We reached out to the AFD public information office for comment on the ongoing situation. Chief Baker’s reply is below:
“The weather this weekend devastated the entire region, and the Austin Fire Department is proud to be part of the response effort.
The decision about how to allocate resources to help our fellow Texans is not a simple one. It requires communication from public safety partners on the ground to ensure we are providing resources and personnel when, where and how they are most needed.
The Austin Fire Department must also prioritize having sufficient resources in our own community given the unpredictability of this weekend’s storms and the risk for catastrophic flooding in our immediate area.
In an effort to strike that balance, AFD deployed three rescue swimmers on Friday, July 4 to serve with the Texas Task Force 1 helicopter search and rescue team (HSART) to perform water rescues in San Angelo, Kerrville and Seguin. On Saturday and Sunday, July 5 and 6, two crews, eight total fire personnel, and an AFD boat, were assigned to assist ESD 1 with search efforts at Cow Creek and Big Sandy Creek. An additional six personnel were deployed today, at approximately 9 a.m., to augment Texas Task Force 1 search and rescue efforts in the area.
AFD is a strong public safety partner in our region. We will continue to live up to that reputation while maintaining adequate resources for those we serve in our City and neighboring communities.“
