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Austin Fire Department: response times slip as city grows; wellness and staffing top priorities
Summary
Fire Chief Joel Baker told the Public Safety Committee that the Austin Fire Department’s eight‑minute response standard was met 69% of the time in fiscal 2024, down from earlier years, and that the department is prioritizing staffing, firefighter wellness and apparatus staffing as Austin’s building stock and call volume grow.
Chief Joel Baker told the Public Safety Committee on March 31 that the Austin Fire Department’s (AFD) response performance has declined relative to historical targets and that the city’s rapid growth is a primary driver.
Baker said AFD’s goal — response from alarm notification to arrival within eight minutes — was met 69% of the time in fiscal 2024, below the department target of 90% and down from roughly the low‑to‑mid‑80s in earlier years. He attributed the decline to city growth, traffic, more high‑ and mid‑rise buildings, and…
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