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Bryan firefighters warn of safety and morale crisis; council ratifies meet-and-confer agreement
Summary
After firefighter leaders and union officials testified about unsafe apparatus, staffing shortages and alleged retaliation, the Bryan City Council unanimously ratified a meet-and-confer agreement and directed staff to form a committee to study staffing and schedule changes.
Several union leaders and local firefighters told the Bryan City Council on Nov. 11 that unsafe equipment, deteriorating stations and staffing shortfalls are jeopardizing public safety and firefighter retention.
"Apparatus are unsafe. Stations are deteriorating. Staffing is stretched thin," John Riddle, president of the Texas State Association of Firefighters, told the council during public comment. Daniel Buford, president of the Bryan Firefighters Association, cited an independent department survey of 141 of 155 firefighters that he said found "87% of our frontline apparatus are unsafe or unreliable," "73% say our station safety issues go unresolved," "66% say retaliation is used against those who speak up," and "93% say leadership has crushed morale." Buford urged the council to select a city manager willing to address those problems.
The concerns moved the council to act on Agenda Item 6A. Councilor (transcript label S17) moved to ratify and approve a proposed meet-and-confer agreement between the City of Bryan and the Bryan Firefighters Association (International Association of Firefighters Local 1204); another council member seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
Council members and city staff also agreed to study a potential shift change raised during discussion — moving from the current 24/48-style schedule toward a 48/96 model the chief referenced — and to form a committee to assess costs, operational impacts and retention benefits. Fire Chief (transcript label S18) said staff has already assembled a strategic retention task force and will forward its work to council and present a workshop once solid information is available.
City leaders framed the vote as the opening of a collaborative process rather than an immediate operational change. "If it's something that will bring help with morale and it will save money, then it's absolutely worth it," the mayor said during debate while asking staff and the fire chief to develop a timeline and recommend next steps.
What happens next: staff and the fire chief will convene the committee and provide updates to council, including a potential workshop presentation. The council's ratification implements the agreement itself; any schedule changes or operational actions will depend on the committee's findings and further council direction.
Sources and attribution: Quotes and statistics above come from public comments and council discussion recorded in the Nov. 11, 2025 Bryan City Council meeting. Survey counts and percentages above were stated in testimony by Daniel Buford and are reported here as presented to the council; the full survey data were not included in the meeting transcript and were described as an independent survey of department personnel.
