May 19, 2018 - UPDATE
The vote to pass the Temporary Fire Stations will be very close!
To pass Item #35 we need the following:
1) Calls and emails to Mayor Adler, City Manager and Council Members.
2) Must have residents from Berdoll Farms and Travis Country show up to City Council Meeting on May 24th at 6:30 PM (Time Certain)
PLEASE ASK CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE MAY 24TH COUNCIL RESOLUTION - ITEM #35 - THAT WILL DEVELOP A SHORT-TERM PLAN TO BUILD AND STAFF FIVE CRITICALLY NEEDED FIRE STATIONS AND IMMEDIATELY ADD TWO TEMPORARY STATIONS.
Click here for May 24th City Council Agenda, look for Item #35, Sponsored by: Council Member Delia Garza, Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, Council Member Ann Kitchen and Council Member Ellen Troxclair.
Click here to see Fire Station Risk and Service Delivery Map. This map ranks the order of need for the five critical Fire Stations.
Click here for link to May 24th City Council Agenda Item #35, to fund temporary fire stations within 6 months.
Please call and email your City Council and City Manager, tell them that you support the May 24, 2018 Council Resolution Item #35, that will fund two temporary fire stations within 6 months AND plan for the staffing and construction of all 5 critically needed fire stations within 6 years.
Mayor Steve Adler steve.adler@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2100
District 1 Council Member Ora Houston ora.houston@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2101
District 2 Council Member Delia Garza delia.garza@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2102
District 3 Council Member Sabino "Pio" Renteria pio.renteria@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2103
District 4 Council Member Gregorio Casar gregorio.casar@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2104
District 5 Council Member Ann Kitchen ann.kitchen@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2105
District 6 Council Member Jimmy Flannigan jimmy.flannigan@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2106
District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool leslie.pool@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2107
District 8 Council Member Ellen Troxclair ellen.troxclair@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2108
District 9 Council Member Kathie Tovo kathie.tovo@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2109
District 10 Council Member Alison Alter alison.alter@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2110
City Manager Spencer Cronk spencer.cronk@austintexas.gov (512) 978-2200
Watch this important video
UPDATE - 2016
Austin Neighborhoods Council” Executive Committee unanimously passed a resolution in support of Austin Fire Department's focus on needed fire stations to assist with our current and growing needs for that infrastructure.
-Letter to City Council from ANC "Austin Neighborhood Council" (Click to read)
-Resolution Concerning Austin Fire Dept. Response Time and New Fire Station Construction (Click to read)
Keeping your neighborhood safe
ATX FIRE SAFE
Delayed Fire Response Time Resolution
The city has a long accepted standard: a fire response arrival within eight minutes of a call, 90% of the time. Yet, the City of Austin only meets this goal approximately 20% of the time.
Since 2012 the city has known we need six fire stations in the most under served areas, mostly in East, South and West of the city center. Only one has been funded (by bond election) and it hasn’t even been put out for bid yet.
According to a Fire Service Delivery Analysis conducted by the city and the Austin Firefighters Association, Austin neighborhoods are in critical need of five additional stations in the following general areas:
Loop 360
Travis Country
Canyon Creek
Goodnight Ranch
Moore’s Crossing / Berdoll Farms
Austin City Council agrees with this assessment and passed a resolution directing the City Manager to explore costs and payment options in a report due out soon.
There are options that can get these built cheaper, better and faster than the typical way we fund these infrastructure needs. There are public private partnerships that other city’s engage in with great success that could be mirrored here.
If you and your neighbors are in these areas the time is NOW to let your city council member, the mayor and city manager know that you want them to take this need seriously and explore options to get these built and in service sooner rather than later.
Click here to email your City of Austin Mayor and City Council
Austin City Council agrees with this assessment and passed a resolution directing the City Manager to explore costs and payment options in a report due out soon.
There are options to build new fire stations cheaper, better and faster than through the typical bond funding normally used for these infrastructure needs. Other cities utilize public private partnerships with great success, faster turnaround time, and lower cost to the taxpayers, and Austin should as well.
The city of Austin has seen massive growth and annexation over the last fifteen years. Similar if not faster growth is projected for the next fifteen years. This creates serious challenges for our public safety infrastructure. New developments don’t usually come with fire stations or even the sort of connectivity necessary to keep response times within an acceptable range. Action is needed now to address this deficiency.
Thank you for your support.