AUSTIN, Texas — Austin first responders gave councilmembers updates on how their departments are doing during a Public Safety Committee meeting on Monday.
The Austin Police Department (APD), Austin Fire Department (AFD), Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) and other agencies presented data and gave feedback to the committee.
Here are highlights from APD’s, AFD’s and ATCEMS’ presentations.
Austin Police Department
APD said it is facing significant challenges, including staffing shortages, outdated technology and increasing response times. Despite those challenges, the department highlighted progress in reducing violent crime and improving downtown safety.
According to APD, it has 1,816 authorized sworn personnel positions but 316 vacancies. APD also reports 81 unfilled professional staff roles. Patrol staffing is particularly strained, with only 469 officers assigned out of an authorized strength of 769.
APD noted that it’s only short 18 staff members in the dispatch department, down from 60 vacancies in March 2023. Data shows that increase helped APD answer 93% of 911 calls within 15 seconds, compared to about 75% of those calls in 2023.
APD said it handled 286,029 calls for service in 2024, a very slight (0.03%) decrease from 2023. Response times increased by 11%, from 11:24 on average in 2023 to 12:46 in 2024. The department attributes increased emergency response times for Priority 0 (emergency) and Priority 1 (urgent) calls to staffing shortages, population growth and infrastructure changes like construction and road closures.
The department also reported an 8.33% decrease in violent crime victims from 2023 to 2024 and a homicide solvency rate of 94%, significantly higher than the 2022 national average of 52.3%. That solvency rate is down from 99% in 2023.
Arrests downtown dropped 19% year-over-year between Jan. 1 and Feb. 11. APD credits initiatives like the Sixth Street Safety Plan for reducing officer injuries, use-of-force incidents and arrests in the downtown area.
APD Chief Lisa Davis told councilmembers officers made about 11% fewer arrests on Sixth Street on Friday and Saturday nights in the first six weeks of this year compared to the same timeframe in 2024.
“Sixth Street is a big lift, and it’s going to involve a lot of city partners. But we’re very proud of the work we’ve done and continue to do on a lot of places in downtown, and Sixth Street specifically,” Davis said.
APD said outdated technology systems hinder its efficiency and that recruiting remains a nationwide challenge for law enforcement agencies. The department noted that hiring was further delayed during contract negotiations.
Austin Fire Department
AFD reported it is working to meet the demands of a growing city while prioritizing firefighter health and wellness. The department also emphasized its efforts to improve emergency response times.
AFD stated that it employs 1,303 sworn personnel across 54 fire stations. It provides services to Austin’s full-purpose jurisdiction as well as contracted areas like Sunset Valley.
AFD said it aims to respond to emergency incidents within 8 minutes or less for at least 90% of calls, aligning with National Fire Protection Agency standards. In 2024, only 69% of emergency incidents were responded to in within 8 minutes. That’s a stat line that has been steadily decreasing since it reached 84% in 2017.
Fire Chief Joel Baker said there’s just too much area for firefighters to cover efficiently.
“The city of Austin is outgrowing the pace of the fire department,” Baker said. “This city is growing rapidly. We’re doing our best to keep up.”
Of the 65,378 emergency calls AFD received, over 57,000 of them were medical calls. The second highest category was fires, with 5,639 calls. According to AFD, 217 of those fires were caused by arson.
AFD said one of its top priorities is firefighter health and wellness, including reducing exposure to PFAS, more commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” to try to cut down the prevalence of cancer among firefighters; addressing post-traumatic stress, suicide and alcohol addiction; improving the Workers’ Compensation process; and increasing access to health care experts who know public safety issues.
AFD is also concerned with improving emergency response readiness, facilities, customer service, and public information, education and relations, including strong wildfire messaging.
Austin-Travis County EMS
ATCEMS said in 2024, it received 137,242 calls for incidents, including more than 118,000 in the city of Austin and nearly 19,000 outside the city. A little over half of those incidents resulted in transports.
The average response time to Priority 1 calls in the city of Austin was 8:29 minutes, and the average response time for Priority 2 calls was 9:48. Both of those were down year-over-year.
The agency stated its current challenges include minimizing response times to life-threatening emergencies while providing appropriate alternatives for non-emergencies and growing the department, through both adequate training and increased staffing.
ATCEMS said its successes include increasing its Mental Health Paramedic Program to four units 24/7, with more in development; full integration with substance abuse treatments, like the Substance Abuse Outreach Program, through which more than 1,400 Narcan kits have been distributed; and pro-active outreach to vulnerable populations, like the Homeless Outreach Program.