Last week we discussed how Republican anti-government, anti-tax, anti-regulation ideology contributed to the July 4 flooding tragedy in Kerr County. In an upcoming segment we will look at how that ideology played out earlier this year at the Texas Legislature. Plus, we will take a very quick look at a forbidden topic in state government, climate change. This week, however, let’s look a little closer to home with the role someone unexpected allegedly played in the deadly Kerr County disaster. That is Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker.
As happens far too much with tragedies, there were countless attempts to pin the blame for the Kerr County tragedy on one’s enemies. This happened across the political spectrum. One prominent example took place right here in Austin. On Monday morning July 7, as the state and nation were still reeling from the disaster and the death count continued to grow, longtime Austin firefighters union president Bob Nicks took to social media to blame, who else, the leader of Austin Fire Department management, Chief Joel Baker.
According to Nicks, Baker delayed deploying AFD units to Kerrville because the state was behind on paying AFD for previous emergency deployments. “Because of this egregious dereliction of duty,” wrote Nicks, “LIVES WERE VERY LIKELY LOST BECAUSE OF CHIEF BAKER’S DECISION! [Emphasis Nicks].” Nicks then announced that the union would take a vote of no confidence in Baker. Union members soon approved a vote of no confidence, with 93% voting yes.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and City Manager T.C. Broadnax quickly backed Baker. “I’m disappointed in Bob,” Watson said at a press briefing and repeated on social media. The American-Statesman also reported that Watson “accused Nicks of ‘politicizing’ the flood as the city prepares to enter negotiations with the association over a new labor contract in the coming weeks.” Nicks denied the connection to the contract and said such a move would not help his negotiating position — which is probably true, but it is unclear if Nicks realized that before, or after, he attacked Baker and accused him of costing people their lives in Kerr County.
Broadnax, who seldom speaks out publicly, said, according to KXAN: “It’s even more disheartening how quickly the Association’s claims spread because so many people are ready to place blame.” It’s not clear exactly what “spread” of the claims Broadnax was referring to, but Nicks’ charge was quickly picked up by national right wing figures who ran with it for their own purposes. For instance young right wing firebrand Charlie Kirk said on his show that Baker was hired “because of DEI,” and added, “When you hire fire chiefs based on diversity you get morons. You don’t get smart people.”
Kirk added that one of Baker’s priorities has been to diversify the Austin Fire Department. That is true. It is also true that the Austin Fire Department has long trailed virtually every other City Department in racial and gender diversity — and trailed most departments by significant margins. That has always been particularly the case when it comes to Black firefighters and women of all races.
There may have been some excesses of DEI at AFD, as there have been at other City departments — like for instance the Parks and Recreation Department’s aborted program that planned separate “Antiracist Affinity Spaces” which divided employees by race. PARD also sent out an invitation to employees that included this message, “To cultivate a brave and safe space for attendees, we kindly ask that you do not attend these spaces if you are not a Person of Color.” If anything like that happened at the Fire Department I am not aware of it; and I have not seen any reporting on it.
It’s unlikely that Kirk has any specific examples. If so he didn’t share them. His main evidence is that he said so. Regardless, Baker is very well qualified for his job.
Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker. At top is Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, from that groups Facebook page.
Baker, an Atlanta native, began his career as a firefighter in 1986, in East Point, Georgia — less than 10 miles from Atlanta. Two years later he hired on with the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department – Atlanta’s combined Fire and EMS department. He worked his way up through the ranks to Chief. He then retired in 2016 and took the Austin job.
None of that stopped Charlie Kirk who concluded his tirade by saying, “How many people unnecessarily died because of DEI? Well, you can rest easily because they say ‘diversity is our strength.’ And now those little girls are dead. Those families are without their daughters. But, hey you have a Black fire chief in Austin.”
“How many people unnecessarily died because of DEI? Well, you can rest easily because they say ‘diversity is our strength.’ And now those little girls are dead. Those families are without their daughters. But, hey you have a Black fire chief in Austin.”
Charlie kirk
That’s just absurd. Baker had absolutely nothing to do with putting those little girls in cabins in a flood plain. Nor did he play any role in Kerr County not having a flood warning system; or any responsibility for the way Kerr County officials — or state and federal officials — responded to the flood.
This sorry episode also illustrates how it is almost impossible to have a reasonable discussion on DEI and related topics. Many right wing figures like Kirk brand virtually any non-white, non-Republican who has succeeded in their career as being a “DEI hire.” That is simply wrong, inaccurate, intentionally divisive, and brutally unfair. Meanwhile on the left the default position is far too often to brand anyone who criticizes or raises questions about DEI programs as racist or a race trader and/or as someone suffering a severe bout of white fragility. The discussion doesn’t get much deeper than that, but goes on endlessly.
This sorry episode also illustrates how it is almost impossible to have a reasonable discussion on DEI and related topics.
Nicks later said that his charges had nothing to do with diversity or DEI. But, that was a little late. He had already offered Chief Baker up for Republicans to blame, insult and slander — not to mention accusing him of costing people their lives. On the other hand it is likely that Nicks’ attack on Baker was not racially motivated. I say that because, in my memory, the union has been hostile to every Fire Chief regardless of race, or gender.
For his part Baker deployed AFD personnel to Kerr County on July 4, the day of the tragedy. Nicks was angry, and accused Baker of costing people their lives, for not deploying AFD personnel before the flood, when there was only a flood warning.
A big part of the dynamic here is that people rightly respect firefighters and first responders for the dangerous and important work that they perform. When Nicks attacked Baker he sought to take advantage of that respect and use it to smear Chief Baker. The view from here is that Mayor Watson was right to defend Chief Baker and to say he was disappointed in Bob Nicks. As someone who has seen Nicks and the firefighters union in action for decades now, I would sadly add, I’m disappointed too, but not surprised.
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