Council OKs fire department consultant
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 22, 2001
An outside consultant will be brought in to aid the Austin Fire Department in working through numerous issues after unanimous approval by the City Council this week.
Thursday, March 22, 2001
An outside consultant will be brought in to aid the Austin Fire Department in working through numerous issues after unanimous approval by the City Council this week.
Harry Brull, senior vice president of Personnel Decisions International in Minneapolis, will spend between 45 and 60 days interviewing, analyzing and reporting on the department’s issues, including the union’s no-confidence letter to the council.
Brull will work with the assistance of Don Beckerling, also of Personnel Decisions International. Beckerling previously has had experience working with fire departments and will consult with Brull during the analysis process.
Brull will be vacationing in late March, so Second Ward Councilwoman Jeanne Poppe suggested the council wait until he is available on April 6.
"Once he’s started, we can continue with him," she said.
The costs of bringing Brull in are not to exceed $10,000 and are expected to be covered by funds in the Fire Department’s budget allocation for 2001.
Third Ward Councilman Dick Lang expressed concern that a consultant had been hired three to four years ago and now the council is back to the same place.
"I hope we’re done spending money on consultants," he said.
First Ward Councilman Wayne Goodnature said this is a time when the necessity of a consultant is obvious: "Occupational problems have arisen that are so complex and intertwined, we need to look to a neutral, outside source."