It was a time for setting ground rules and making introductions at a packed meeting of the Austin City Council Fire Committee on Wednesday night.

Thursday, January 18, 2001

It was a time for setting ground rules and making introductions at a packed meeting of the Austin City Council Fire Committee on Wednesday night.

Newly-appointed Chairwoman Jeanne Poppe stated some basic expectations for each meeting, which she said that she hopes those in attendance will keep in mind each time the committee meets.

She requested that each meeting start on time and end no later than 6 p.m. and that all agenda items be brought to her for compiling prior to each meeting. Additionally, "no side conversations" will be tolerated at the meeting and one person will be allowed to speak at a time. Most importantly, Poppe said, no conversation regarding what happened at the committee meeting should be discussed by those present outside of the forum.

"That will build trust, so that those who speak at the meetings won’t be concerned about what’s being said behind doors, behind their backs or whatever," Poppe said after the meeting. Poppe added that though those present will not always agree, they will respect each other’s right to speak while she is the chairwoman.

Poppe then turned the meeting over to City Attorney Dave Hoversten, who went on to explain the fire personnel chain of command, charter, city code, civil service rules and the connection of the Austin Part-time Firefighters Relief Association (APFRA). Poppe had asked Hoversten to speak to bring everyone, including herself and new committee member and councilman Wayne Goodnature, to the same page regarding all of the legal specifics of the Austin Fire Department.

Specifically, he informed those present that APFRA is run by a board of trustees.

"The association does not run or supervise the employment of part-time firefighters," Hoversten said. "Its main function is related primarily to accepting and administering pension benefits." Additionally, each part-time firefighter has to qualify for inclusion.

The by-laws, he said, do not set compensation. That is a separate responsibility of the City Council.

The role of the Fire Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has been misunderstood, Hoversten said. It is concerned with the rules and regulations regarding the fire department in matters of hiring, promotion and discipline. For example, the FCSC administers exams for hiring.

Hoversten said that the minimum requirement, dictated by the FCSC, for a part-time firefighter’s response to a page call is 50 percent. The minimum requirement for attendance at regular training sessions for part-time firefighters is 80 percent.

An employee who has a grievance can feasibly go through the FCSC, an arbitrator and a veterans’ preference hearing if they qualify.

The fire chief has a right to discipline an employee up to a time of 60 days without the approval of the FCSC. However, after the 60 days, the FCSC will review, investigate, and make a determination.

Hoversten also discussed labor contracts and the Public Employee Labor Relations Act (PELRA).

The chain of command of the Austin Fire Department is such that the fire chief receives his direction from the fire committee, which in turn receives its direction from the City Council. The FCSC extends from the side of the chain of command.

Fire Chief Dan Wilson, after the meeting, said that the chain of command was important to stress.

"The fire chief does not run the Fire Department," he said. "I work for the fire committee and the council. I implement their policy direction."

Goodnature proposed that the committee allow those present to speak regarding their concerns, saying that there was "enough tension in the room to cut through." Poppe, acknowledging that she felt tension as well, stated that she wanted "emotion to be left out of this meeting."

After the meeting, Wilson said that he did not feel any tension, and that "the tension is up to the people in the meeting."

"We can disagree without being disagreeable," he said.

"Every day is important when you’re dealing with the public in the fashion that the police and firefighters do," Goodnature said. Poppe agreed, but said that this meeting was "not the time or the place" to open the floor for discussion and that this was "an informational meeting."

After the meeting, President of Firefighters Local #598 Jim Mattice said that he "was impressed that the members of the fire committee wanted to fully understand how the department operates."

Secretary and spokesman Terry Hughes said that the meeting format was not a surprise to him. "It was what I expected." He added that gaining information was what the committee members needed to do and that he expects that during "the next couple of meetings, we will accomplish things."

Hughes and treasurer James Lunt each said that there are some tough questions to be asked. There "have to be answers," Lunt said.

Wilson said that he "will respond to the questions of the committee when he is directed to do so."

Poppe, Mattice, Wilson, Hughes and Lunt each used the word "hope" and expressed optimism in relaying their expectations for the future of the fire committee.

So, one step was taken on the road to the two words Poppe said the committee will live by – trust and respect – on Wednesday. A meeting is scheduled for Feb. 1 at 4:30, at which time specific concerns of the firefighters present at Wednesday’s meeting will begin to be addressed.