Everyone had an opinion, but nobody had the answers at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

After a grueling discussion that left one firefighter’s wife crying in the hall outside Council Chambers, council members voted not to allow Fire Chief Mickey Healey to switch the Austin Fire Department (AFD) from a 10/14 schedule to a 24/48 schedule.

Healey has said the schedule switch would benefit the citizens of Austin and keep his firefighters healthier and happier.

On a 10/14 schedule, a firefighter works 10 hours each day for three days, 14 hours each night for three nights and then has three days off. The 24/48 schedule would mean each full-timer would work 24 hours and then have 48 hours off.

The decision not to let Healey make the switch came after two divided votes on the topic. Council members voted 4-3 against tabling the topic and discussing it further at a work session.

Second Ward council member Steve King moved that the Council allow Healey to decide which schedule to implement, but that was also knocked down with four members voting against it.

First Ward council member Brian McAlister is an opponent of 24/48. At Monday night’s meeting he said he cannot vote for the change because of the cost to taxpayers.

“There’s no other department in this city where you can sleep and hang around on the taxpayer’s dollar,” McAlister said. “Eight hours are so-called productive time, the other 16 hours you kind of hang around, maybe do some training, and go out on a call if you get one.”

Later referring to McAlister’s comment, King said the council needs more education before making a informed decision about the schedule.

“I knew by some of the comments from the council that there was material out there that they could probably read and come to a different decision,” King said Tuesday morning. “Some of the material we went through in the Fire Committee would have been very valuable to the (whole) council.”

Third Ward council member Marian Clennon voted to let Healey choose the schedule. During the meeting, she said council is “micro-managing” and needs to support the Fire Chief.

“I can’t believe we’re going to keep this Fire Department in turmoil,” she said.

King said the AFD is the most cohesive its been in 17 years and council shouldn’t risk losing that cohesiveness by not allowing the Chief to make decisions in his own department.

Jeff Austin, first ward council member and chair of the Fire Committee, said the change in scheduling is a budget risk that isn’t necessary while the state and city face so many financial uncertainties. Responding to claims that the 24/48 schedule is better for the firefighters’ health and family lives, Austin said firefighters know what they’re getting into when they choose their career field.

“When you join the fire service, you know you’re not going to be working 8-5,” he said.

“No offense to the Chief,” he added.

Although the schedule change didn’t pass, Mayor Tom Stiehm said the issue could come up again. If it does, the council will deal with it at that time.

How your council member voted:

Tabling and moving to work session:

Aye: Brian McAlister, Steve King, Janet Anderson

Nay: Judy Enright, Marian Clennon, Jeff Austin, Roger Boughton

Let Healey choose the schedule:

Aye: Judy Enright, Marian Clennon, Steve King

Nay: Jeff Austin, Brian McAlister, Roger Boughton, Janet Anderson