The fire chief in Austin, Texas, a city known as a liberal hipster hub in a deep red state, is under sharp scrutiny for refusing to provide assistance in the days preceding the catastrophic and deadly central Texas floods last weekend. 

Austin Fire Department chief Joel Baker was the subject of scorn by his own firefighters' union, the Austin Firefighters Association, which posted scathing remarks on social media about Baker during and in the aftermath of the floods that thus far have taken 121 lives, many of them children, with at least 170 people still missing. 

"It brings the Austin Firefighters no pleasure to 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!), with the exception of only 3 AFD rescue swimmers who helped staff helo teams (which still were NOT deployed until the afternoon of the 4th)," the post stated. 

"Helo teams" is jargon for specialized helicopter rescue units, specializing in emergency response capabilities for water-related emergencies.

All about money allegedly owed to the city?

The post goes on to explain that Austin's Firefighter Special Operations teams are trained for specific challenges, just like the Hill Country floods where swift water rescue is required. 

The union's post goes on to place blame squarely on Baker's shoulders: "It is absolutely outrageous that the Austin Fire Chief, Joel G. Baker, would not allow highly trained firefighters from Austin to respond to Kerrville. Because of this egregious dereliction of duty, LIVES WERE VERY LIKELY LOST BECAUSE OF CHIEF BAKER’S DECISION!"

According to the Facebook post, requests for assistance came from the state of Texas on July 2, two days prior to the floods, and another request on July 3, both of which were denied by Baker. "It is unforgivable that a fire chief would NOT allow his firefighters to answer the call to save lives," the post continued. 

The firefighters also asked rhetorically: "Why would Fire Chief Joel G. Baker do this, you may ask? It was a misguided attempt to save money. I say "misguided" because the fire department is fully reimbursed by the state to deploy. I explained the reimbursement process to Chief Baker last week, and he failed to understand this very simple concept."

The criticism came after the Austin Fire Department announced it would not deploy personnel outside of Austin because of a budget shortfall, including “something like $800,000 in outstanding reimbursements owed to AFD by the State of Texas,” according to local station KXAN-TV.

The TV station also reported that Baker said he issued the pause on deployments due to “internal issues” over the state’s ability to reimburse the department, insisting that budget constraints had “nothing” to do with his decision-making.

Other cities answered the call

CBS News reported that fire and rescue departments from North Texas heeded the call to assist: Fort Worth Fire Department sent two teams and Dallas Fire-Rescue deployed a water squad of six people. 

Other departments in the surrounding area also sent support: Mountain Home Fire Department, Ingram Volunteer Fire Department, Denton Fire Department, Houston Fire Department, and Galveston Fire Department were actively involved. Texas A&M Forest Service deployed Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System strike teams to assist local fire departments, indicating a broader network of fire service involvement. 

Surrounding states also sent support: Shreveport, Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee deployed teams to contribute to the efforts. Additionally, international teams also came to aid in the search and rescue efforts: a team of 13 firefighters from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, through Fundación 911, assisted in Kerr County.

The city comes to Baker's defense

The Austin Fire Department responded to the allegations by telling the local Fox television affiliate that "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," the department said. 

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax issued a statement addressing the accusations, saying "It is disappointing that the Firefighters Association would make these allegations and consider such a vote, especially while these communities continue to grieve and recover."

"It’s even more disheartening how quickly the Association’s claims spread, because so many people are ready to place blame. The City of Austin, and the Austin Fire Department in particular, have a very long track record of supporting and sending aid to neighboring communities in need," he continued.

"No confidence" vote

"To be clear, I continue to have confidence in Chief Baker and remain committed to listening and working with both the Chief and the Fire Association to ensure that the Austin Fire Department is able to continue supporting our neighbors while protecting our local community," the City Manager added.

The union held an “emergency” meeting Tuesday, voting unanimously to hold a vote of no confidence in Baker, The New York Post reported.  "We could've made a difference, and we were forced to stand down and lives were lost," the union said.

Donations supporting relief and rebuilding efforts after the flood are being collected, and the local Fox affiliate has created a web page in conjunction with The Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity serving the Texas Hill Country.