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Harlingen firefighters warn city against privatizing airport rescue service, cite FAA scrutiny
Summary
The Harlingen Professional Firefighters Association urged the City Commission to block any attempt to contract out Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) services at Valley International Airport, saying privatization would be unlawful and could prompt litigation amid recent FAA findings on training documentation.
The Harlingen Professional Firefighters Association told the City Commission it would pursue legal action if the airport administration or airport executive board proceeds with privatizing aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) services.
Evan Mann, president of the Harlingen Professional Firefighters Association, said the union supplied a legal opinion from the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters to the city attorney and asked commissioners to intervene. Mann said the letter explains why “privatization of the ARFF program is illegal” and warned that if the airport board votes to contract out firefighting services and the city council does not stop it, the union “will have no choice but to zealously pursue all legal avenues, including filing suit against the city.”
Mann defended the Harlingen Fire Department’s ARFF record, saying FAA inspections have produced top scores: “As of today, I’m extremely proud to say that our ARFF program has achieved a perfect score 5 years in a row during our extensive FAA annual inspections.” He said a recent FAA document that questioned training records described an isolated discrepancy, not systemic failures.
Other public commenters raised concerns about FAA findings cited in public discussion. Dawn Leonard, an airport advocate and former aviation technician, urged accountability after an FAA report flagged falsified or altered fire-department training records and said the airport had been placed at risk; she said the Cameron County district attorney’s office was reviewing the FAA report.
Commissioners did not take formal action at the meeting on airport administration’s agenda placement or any contracting proposals. Several commissioners requested additional information and encouraged appointees to the airport board to consult with city officials. City staff and commission members acknowledged the sensitivity of the federal regulatory environment (FAA) and flagged the need for legal review before any structural change to ARFF services.
No motions to change airport service arrangements were adopted at the meeting. The firefighters’ association asked commissioners to contact airport board members and to communicate that privatization is both unwelcome and, in the association’s view, unlawful.
