Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks filed a complaint against the Austin Fire Department’s chief of hiring on Monday, July 24, in an effort to highlight what he views as a case of hypocrisy. The complaint accuses Assistant Chief Aaron Woolverton of omitting under oath a 2004 collision that occurred in which he accidentally ran over a child. Nicks’ complaint derives from a meeting of the Civil Service Commission earlier this year to consider the appeals of two firefighters who’d been suspended for their own collisions. Nicks accused Woolverton of not responding truthfully when asked “Have you ever been involved in a collision?”
The testimony comes up now because Nicks and his Association feel as though Emergency Services District 4 firefighter (and president of ESD 4’s Local 4848 union) Andrew Garcia is being treated unfairly for a similar infraction. Garcia has represented ESD 4 firefighters in negotiations with the Austin Fire Department over a potential merger between the two bodies. As the Chronicle reported earlier this month, he’s been barred from taking part in the transfer (and thus becoming an AFD firefighter) because he left a 2008 cadet class suspension off his personnel form. Garcia and the Association believe the ruling is retribution for his bargaining tactics.
The complaint alleges: “Chief Woolverton struck a small child with his vehicle, dragging the child 10-15 feet under his vehicle, and broke the small child’s arm and leg. By [AFD’s] own stated dishonesty standard, this is a ‘big’ event that there was no possible way that he could have forgotten, therefore a willful deception and therefore an intentional lie. This is the same standard applied to FF Drew Garcia.”
AFD Chief of Staff Tom Dodds told the Chronicle on Wednesday that the department “just received the complaint on Monday and have not yet had the opportunity to fully conduct an investigation.”
Nicks said it’s unclear whether the department will take any action against Woolverton due to a 180-day disciplinary limit. “But to me, if it’s a command staff person, they should be held at a higher standard,” he said. “The chief at the very least has the ability to demote the person.”
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire? Union Accuses AFD Exec. of Dishonesty.
A version of this article appeared in print on Jul 28, 2017 with the headline: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire? Union Accuses AFD Exec. of Dishonesty.
This article appears in July 28 • 2017.