Austin Fire, EMS to Receive New Ballistic Vests After Nonprofit Donation

First responders with Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services will be equipped with new ballistic vests, thanks to a donation from the Central Texas Public Safety Commission.

The commission — a nonprofit that advocates for and funds critical first responder needs — led a months-long fundraising campaign to secure the vests as part of its public-private partnership with the two departments. The three groups announced the safety upgrade Wednesday at City Hall.

Fire Chief Joel Baker said that relationship is essential for protecting first responders while easing strain on taxpayers. Austin firefighters are seeking raises in ongoing contract negotiations, and EMS spending is set to grow by $25 million through 2027 — adding pressure to a city facing a $33 million-plus budget shortfall and a tax-rate election in November.

"The donation that Central Texas Public Safety Commission Board [has] raised for the ballistic vests gives us and first responders the opportunity to take our budget money and put it somewhere else," Baker said. "Now we can focus our budget on other things. Fire trucks, ambulances, other tools and equipment we might need. Every little bit helps right now."

ATCEMS Chief Rob Luckritz said first responders and public safety workers are "facing unprecedented violence" and are "increasingly being targeted by gun violence." Historically, he noted, that was not the case. In the past year alone, ATCEMS logged more than 14,000 hours when medics wore ballistics vests while responding to emergencies.

Both EMS and Austin Fire have had ballistics vests for decades, but officials said the equipment had become bulky, unbreathable, near expiration and hindered first responders. So when commission board chair Pam Madere asked Baker two years ago what the public safety departments needed, he requested new vests.

The commission eventually launched a targeted fundraising campaign, spending nine months working with private donors and corporations to secure the body armor.

"They are first on the scene, and they need protection so that they can help keep our community safe," Madere said. "We are really grateful to the commission's board and their donors that are willing to step forward time and time again to personally fund items that are not funded elsewhere."

Madere said the commission is continuing to raise funds for several different efforts, though it has not announced its next donation.