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AFD History: 1841-1975

1976 Austin covered 104 square miles and had a population of 300,000 people. There were 21 fire stations with a total of 459 personnel. AFD was organized into five divisions: Combat, Airport Firefighting, Training, Fire Prevention and Communications. Equipment in 1976 consisted of 25 pumpers, seven aerial ladder trucks, one snorkel, four squad cars, three crash trucks, three boats and 30 automobiles. The operating budget for 1974-75 was $6,528,920.

On Jan. 5, Austin's first woman firefighter, Lucinda Hough, was appointed. She served more than two years, resigning in August, 1978. Since that time women have become an integral part of the department.

1977 On March 4,Specialist Nathaniel Kindred, one of the first black firefighters hired in the department, died of a heart attack in the line of duty.

1978 "9-1-1" emergency number system was proposed by City Council Member Ron Mullen and approved by the Council.

On April 1, Fire Station 23 opened at 1330 East Rundberg Lane.

The City Council approved a project to install a carillon and restore the old fire training tower on West 1st Street (Caesar Chavez) near the shores of Town Lake. Sponsored by the Austin Chapter of Women in Construction, the $45,000 project was launched with a pledge of $30,000 from Mrs. Effie R. Kitchens, whose late husband built the tower when he entered the construction business in 1931. This tower is now called Buford Tower in honor of the late Captain James L. Buford, who died in the line of duty on June 17, 1972.

In April, 1978, flames devoured a downtown office supply warehouse. Two firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation in the three-alarm fire at Abel Stationers, 401 Colorado St. The same business was hit by a second three-alarm fire at its new location (910 E. 5th St.) later that same year.

1979 In May Geno Chavarria became the first Hispanic to promote to Captain at AFD and in November, Betty Swint was appointed as Austin's first black female firefighter.

1980 On June 1, Fire Station 25 at 5228 Duval Rd. opened. On July 20, Fire Station 24 at 5811 Nuckols Crossing Rd. opened.

1981 The Memorial Day flood of May 24 claimed 13 lives and sent firefighters into rushing currents to rescue 31 people from cars and houses that later were swept away. AFD was stressed to the point of not having any additional equipment or personnel to respond to calls. Because of that flood, the Office of Emergency Management began to focus more on its response to natural disasters, particularly floods.

The Fire Department upgraded its rescue boats and equipment, and offered additional training in swift water rescue to all of its members.

The Memorial Day flood also led to the creation of AFD's Dive Rescue Team. Eighteen members volunteered, led by Terry Hill (now a Rescue Captain). Divers provided their own equipment and began training. With increased confidence in the Dive Team, it gradually became formalized. Originally there were 12 active members placed all over the city. If a call came in, they responded if they were able to get away from their companies. It was not until 1983 that the Dive Team was centralized at Station 1.

1982 Austin firefighters began wearing new fire retardant turnouts made of Nomex, replacing the old cotton canvas turnouts. On Dec. 2, Fire Station 26 was opened at 6702 Wentworth Dr.

1983 Austin Fire Department moved its Dispatch office from Fire Operations at 401 East 5th St. into a new centralized communication center located at the Austin Police Headquarters at 715 East 8th St. The new equipment and radios greatly assisted incident communications.

Three new Rescue units were placed into operation. The $15,000 trucks, designed by Austin firefighters, gave the department capabilities it never had before, such as scene illumination.

Bill Roberts was appointed to the position of Fire Chief on March 7, 1983.

A series of fraternity fires plagued the University if Texas, including one that was caused by a discarded cigarette and resulted in one fatality and six injuries.

1984 The Fire Department implemented a physical fitness program for department personnel. The purpose of the program was to create an awareness of the need for a healthy lifestyle and to improve the quality of life for department personnel.

A High Volume Smoke Removal System, known to Austin firefighters as the Smokebuster, was placed into operation in March.

AFD's Hazardous Materials Response Team was created in response to new federal regulations requiring fire departments to plan and train for hazardous materials emergencies. AFD Hazmat teams were formed from the crews of Austin's three Rescue units and led by Battalion Chief Richard Brumbelow. Training was sought outside of the Department and eventually included the crews from the engines at each of the respective stations. By 1989, hazmat technician training was done in-house as it is today.

1985 On July 18, a worker died in a trench collapse at a sewage plant in east Austin. This incident, along with an incident in 1986, led to the Department's acquisition of trench rescue and training for its members.

On May 1 STARFlight helicoper service was placed into operation. The service combined City of Austin EMS, Travis County EMS and Brackenridge Hospital as providers of emergency care throughout a 10-county area. On Aug. 16, Station 27 opened at 5401 McCarty Lane.

1987 Three fire stations were opened: Fire Station 29 at 3704 Deer Lane and Fire Station 30 at 1021 W. Braker Ln. on Sept. 28 and Fire Station 28 at 2410 Parmer Lane on Nov. 10.

The Dive Team unveiled its new Hovercraft, designed to travel across land or water.

On Dec. 13, a train derailment outside of Round Rock sparked a huge chemical fire, forcing 5,000 people to evacuate and requiring mutual aid assistance from AFD.

1988 On Jan. 22, approximately 2,200 gallons of hydrochloric acid spilled from a ruptured tank in the Lockheed Plant. The incident caused area residents to seek information about the chemicals stored at the plant and their potential dangers. The neighborhood also became active in trying to get the plant moved.

On June 29, a six-alarm blaze gutted a nightclub on Riverside Drive and damaged three other businesses. Approximately 160 firefighters and 40 trucks battled the blaze.

Another three fire stations opened in 1988: on Feb. 28, Fire Station 32 opened at 2804 Montebello Rd.; on Aug. 15, Fire Station 33 opened at 9409 Bluegrass Dr.; and on Sept. 26, Fire Station 31 opened at 5507 FM 2222.

1989 In April, the Office of Emergency Management became an extension of the Austin Fire Department. Formerly an extension of the Austin Police Department, the Office assists victims and agencies in the event of natural disaster or any extended, large-scale incident.

1990 On Sept. 15, Fire Station 17 opened at 4128 South 1st St., replacing the station located at 702 W. Ben White Blvd. that had been built in 1961.

In November, four stations piloted different models of semiautomatic defibrillators on cardiac patients. Now, all Fire Department personnel are trained in the use of semiautomatic defibrillators and the units are carried on all engines and trucks.

1991 In October, the Austin Fire Department received the Austin Quality Award for "significant progress in the pursuit of total quality." That same month, the department received national recognition for being a model department in the area of fire prevention.

Also in October, Becky Malone became the first female to promote to Captain at AFD.

The Christmas floods kept the department busy during the holidays. On Dec. 20, AFD responded to 20 calls throughout the night and activated the Emergency Operations Center, a composite of multiple city and county agencies designed to act as a central coordination point during major emergency incidents. Calls ranged from a construction barge that was free floating on Town Lake to rescuing families trapped in cars. This incident was the first critical test of the Emergency Operations Center since the Office of Emergency Management was incorporated into the Fire Department.

1992 In April, Austin began implementing its Canine Accelerate Detection Program. "Nickie," a black Labrador, assisted fire investigators in determining whether a fire is intentionally set for nearly a decade.

In May, the AFD Dive Rescue Team added two inflatable rescue boats and a pontoon boat.

In June, a new Aircraft Fire Rescue Unit (AFR 4) was put into commission with two times the capacity of the older units. The new unit was paid for by the Federal Aviation Agency and the City Aviation Department.

In August the citizens of Austin voted to approved $8.76 million in bonds to build and staff four new multi-company fire stations. Also in August, the department purchased three thermal imaging cameras to assist in firefighting and overhaul operations. The cameras initially were carried on each of the Manpower units and now are carried on all Rescue units and several trucks.

The Austin Fire Department won the Greater Austin Quality Award for Highest Achievement. Also in October, Chief James Ash was asked to form a Rope Rescue Team and serve as its coordinator. Station 32 was selected as the location due to its proximity to the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Volunteers were trained and assigned. The team since has grown to include trench rescue operations and is now referred to as the Technical Rescue Team. The Austin Fire Department now has more than 25 certified Technical Rescue Team (TRT) members. They now are stationed at Station 1.

1993 At the beginning of the year, AFD began training with its new Flashover Survival Training Container. The flashover unit was replaced in 2000.

On March 13, a fire at the Holly Street Power Plant sparked community concern. The department responded by designing a proposal to provide human services at emergency incidents that later became the Community Services Sector included in the Incident Command System. An emergency evacuation guide for the Holly Street Area also was developed.

In July, Greg Keyes became the first African-American to promote to Battalion Chief at AFD.

1994 In January, Chief Bill Roberts retired. Robin Paulsgrove, then an assistant chief, was appointed Fire Chief. He was the first Austin firefighter to head the Department in more than 25 years. He officially was sworn in Feb. 11, 1994.

Also this year, the fire service lost its exemption to the Federal Age Discrimination Employment Act, allowing people 40 years or older to apply for the job. In January 1995, Bob Dameron and Roger Holtz became the first cadets over the age of 40 to be hired with the loss of the exemption.

In March a high rise alarm at the University of Texas Welch Hall chemistry laboratory turned into a hazmat alarm and then escalated to a five-alarm fire when fire combined with hazardous materials creating explosions.

AFD demonstrated its commitment to the Fire Prevention mission by setting about to train all lieutenants in the department to the State Fire Inspector level. Currently, AFD conducts the 180-plus hour training class once every year. To date all AFD lieutenants, with only a few exceptions, are trained and certified. The annual training class continues today with newly promoted or to-be-promoted lieutenants as the target audience. Other members of the department are encouraged to receive the training and certification.

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1995 Station 34 was opened on March 5 at 11205 Harris Branch Pkwy. It closed 10 months later when residents in that neighborhood voted to de-annex from the city. In September, Station 35 opened at 5500 Burleson Rd.

Tom Lerma became the first Hispanic to promote to Battalion Chief in August.

Also that month, an AM radio station (AM 530) was designated to keep residents near the Holly Street Power Plant informed of any emergencies that neighborhood. The station enables the Fire Department and other City officials to disseminate information in English and Spanish within minutes an emergency incident.

The new training facility at 4800 Shaw Lane opened for operation. The facility was dedicated to Fire Chief Bill Roberts to commemorate his 10 years of service to the department and the city.

Capt. Paul Maldonado was appointed Assistant Chief in October, making him the highest-ranking Hispanic to serve in AFD.

An In-Service Inspections program was initiated. Today each operations company conducts 70 fire code inspections per year. The In-Service program focuses on high fire risk, multi-family maintenance inspections.

In 1995 AFD companies made 30,469 runs.

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1996 In 1996 the State of Texas adopted the U.S. Dept of Transportation revised the EMT Curriculum prompting AFD Command Staff to make EMT-B the minimum level of certification for the department. A department-wide transition program was initiated. By May of 1998, all AFD firefighters were trained with EMT-B certification.

On Feb. 15, Austin Bergstrom International Airport Fire Station opened, staffed with a structural fire engine.

An Oct 19, a six-alarm fire at the University of Texas Welch Hall was the last straw in a long series of fires, hazmat alarms, and chemical spills that had put AFD firefighters at risk due to lack of safety precautions (the University is not required to conform to the City of Austin Fire Code). The fire resulted in Fire Chief Robin Paulsgrove publicly criticizing the University for lack of safety at the hall, which prompted a meeting with AFD and UT officials to address the problems.

On Dec. 13, the three-story Centennial Condominiums occupying three-quarters of a city block, burned to the ground during a six-alarm fire. AFD requested a National Response Team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to assist with the fire investigation. Nearly 30 federal, state and local investigators participated. It was determined that a stray ember from an earlier dumpster fire had lodged in the garbage chute and smoldered for hours before erupting into flames. Firefighters who responded to the dumpster fire earlier had extinguished the fire, used a thermal imaging camera, and remained on scene for two hours to ensure the fire was out. Lack of draft stops contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, which left nearly 200 students homeless.

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1997 Capt. James L. Buford, who died in the line of duty in 1972, received the AFD Medal of Honor posthumously.

In the fall, computers were placed in every station.

Chief Lionel Bess was appointed Assistant Chief in September, making him the highest-ranking African-American to serve in AFD.

Station 36 at 400 Ralph Ablanedo Dr. goes into operation on Oct. 12.

The City of Austin expands by 26,655 people and 20.5 square miles due to the largest annexation in its history, prompting plans to build Stations 38, 39 and 40.

After seven months of negotiations, AFD and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local #975 signed the first contract ever negotiated for firefighters under the Meet and Confer legislation approved for Austin by the Texas State Legislature in 1995.

After three and a half years as Fire Chief, Robin Paulsgrove retires from AFD to become the City of Arlington's Fire Chief. Chief Gary Warren, the AFD Assistant Director, is appointed Fire Chief.

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1998 The Insurance Services Office (ISO) upgraded AFD's rating from 3 to 2.

AFD purchased its first Quint, which has capabilities of both an engine and a ladder truck and is assigned to Station 28.

On Oct. 17, torrential rains pounded Central Texas. More than 7,000 people were displaced in central Texas and 14 people died statewide. Robert Mueller Airport reported 6.24 inches of rain here in Austin. AFD responded to 69 flood calls using a total of 110 units.

City of Austin voters said yes to Proposition 3, which cleared the way for funding on a $22.9 million combined 9-1-1 emergency communication and transportation management center. The center will be located on 11 acres at 51st Street and is expected to go into operation in late fall of 2002.

Station 34 at 10041 Lake Creek Pkwy. went into operation. Also, Station 41 (originally opened in 1995 as Station 34) at 11205 Harris Branch Parkway became operational.

1999 AFR Operations at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport were closed. The Austin Bergstrom International Airport officially opened for passenger travel on May 23. Special Operations, which now oversees the Hazmat Team, the Technical Rescue Team and the Dive team, moved to Station 14 on Airport Blvd.

AFD received numerous awards including the Partners in Education Special Project Award in recognition of AFD's Fire and Life Safety program; the Texas Health Department's First Responder Award; and the Austin Quality Significant Merit Award.

AFD Administration moved from the Red River location to 1721 Wilshire Blvd. at the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport.

In August Station 38 opened at 10111 Anderson Mill Rd. and in December two more stations went into operation: Station 39 at 7701 River Place Blvd. and Station 37 at 8660 State Highway 71 on Oak Hill.

The Office of Emergency Management, formerly under the Austin Fire Department, became an autonomous city department in October. AFD participated in extensive city-wide planning in preparation for Y2K.

2000 As of Jan. 1, the full purpose area of Austin was 225.6 square miles (219.1 square miles in Travis County and 6.5 square miles in Williamson County). The full purpose population of Austin is 619,038.

In March the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) was used for the first time to determine the latest cadet class. Of the 144 candidates, 120 passed. The CPAT uses eight job-specific tasks to test the physical ability of candidates.

On Jan. 5, a three-alarm apartment fire on Lakeshore Blvd. resulted in three firefighter injuries, including a life-threatening injury to Capt. John Butz. Capt. Butz, who was pulled from the burning apartment by Firefighter Alphonse Dellert, suffered second- and third-degree burns over 53 percent of his body. He spent nearly two months recovering in Brooke Army Medical Center.

A truck room/training room addition was completed at the Bill Roberts Training Center on Shaw Lane.

In November the Austin Fire Department won the Highest Achievement Award from the Greater Austin Quality Council. AFD became the first organization to be recognized with this distinction twice, having also won the honor in 1992.

2001 The Emergency Prevention Division launched a new program to help educate students in the Greek system at the Unviersity of Texas about fire safety and to foster a positive relationship with that population. Two Greek Fire Academies (one for fraternities and one for sororities) were held in April and yielded excellent attendance and participation.

City Council approved a resolution for Task Force Staffing, a safety-driven staffing plan, that was scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2002.

AFD Cadet Class #106 started in late July and was the largest class in department history with more than 80 members.

The tragic events of Sept. 11 changed the world and deeply affected firefghters everywhere. Austin firefighters responded by assisting with and organizing many fundraising efforts for the victims and their families. Ten AFD members responded as part of Texas Task Force I to assist with rescue and recovery operations at the World Trade Center.

In early October a national anthrax scare had an effect locally on the number of calls to which AFD hazmat teams responded. Numerous calls came in regarding suspicious packages and letters, keeping hazmat teams busy for several weeks.

Heavy rains pounded the Austin area and several tornado touchdowns were reported the afternoon and evening of Nov. 15. AFD crews made numerous boat rescues around town, especially in South Austin and on Lamar Road.

A new burn building was constructed at the Bill Roberts Training Center. The structure provides a realistic setting for teaching and practice of firefighting operations.

AFD completed an "organizational health" survey within the department that resulted in numerous recommendations for improvement, including key issues such as communication.

2002 Task Force Staffing went into effect on Jan. 1, 2002. Task Force Staffing is a plan that delivers a minimum of four firefighters on the scene of a reported structure fire in the shortest amount of time possible given the current authorized department strength. This approach combines units to address the strategic/tactical needs of an incident.

The Special Operations Team underwent a realignment that became effective the first of the year. A functional battalion -- Battalion 6 -- was created that consists of the territories of Stations 1, 14, 20 and 21. The realignment followed a year-long evaluation and planning process.

A new Records Management System went into effect Jan. 1, 2002. The system encompasses all data entry for emergency incidents and inspections, and maintains information on various locations in the City.

AFD received full accreditation status by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Accreditation is an evaluation and review process for public safety agencies that uses a set of internationally recognized criteria; those accredited are recognized to meet the highest standards for service delivery of public safety.

A new assistant chief position was added, bringing the total number to five. In addition, a fourth division chief position was added to oversee Special Operations.