Chief Joel G Baker of the Austin Fire Department faces allegations that he denied the deployment of Austin's firefighters amid the floods in Central Texas over the weekend. The Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) alleged in a Facebook post on Monday that Chief Baker did not allow firefighters from Austin to help in the flood rescue efforts in Kerr County.
The AFA said that they planned to push a no-confidence vote against Baker on July 8, Thursday. They accused Baker of "egregious dereliction of duty" and claimed that lives "were likely lost because of chief Baker's decision."
"It is absolutely outrageous that the Austin Fire Chief, Joel G. Baker, would not allow highly trained firefighters from Austin to respond to Kerrville," the statement said. "Because of this egregious dereliction of duty, LIVES WERE VERY LIKELY LOST BECAUSE OF CHIEF BAKER’S DECISION!"
"We are disgusted with our fire chief. He needs to be held accountable and fired for his disgraceful dereliction of duty."
Who Is Fire Chief Joel G. Baker?
Joel G. Baker was appointed the chief of the Austin Fire Department in December 2018, as per his profile on the City of Austin's website. He started his career with the City of East Point Fire Department in Georgia in 1986. From 1988 to 2018, he served in the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and rose through the ranks to become the Fire Chief. He retired from Atlanta in 2018 and joined the Austin Fire Department in the same year. He holds degrees from Georgia State University and Columbus State University.
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At Least 100 Dead In Central Texas Floods
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At Least 100 Dead In Central Texas Floods
{{/usCountry}}On Monday, the death toll from the floods in Texas rose to 100, making it an unprecedented event for the southern state, which witnesses year-round dry conditions. President Donald Trump on Sunday called it a "100-year catastrophe" and said he would likely visit the flood-hit areas on Friday.
The Texas public safety chief, Freeman Martin, said that the death toll could rise further, as search efforts to rescue at least 41 known missing people are underway.