Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, and Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker are locked in a battle over whether the city should sign on to a new mutual aid agreement with emergency services districts in both Travis and Williamson counties and several small cities. While Baker appears to have the winning hand, he says he has worked hard to compromise with the union, giving it nearly everything it was seeking.
The city currently has what is called an auto aid agreement with Travis County, and Austin firefighters say it should continue as is. Baker and Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, whose district covers the part of Austin within Williamson County, are particularly anxious to move forward with the agreement, which includes the two counties as well as Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Georgetown.