The Race and Gender Breakdown

Current Austin Fire Department numbers show AFD still has a way to go before it truly reflects the demographics of the city it serves. Among the uniformed staff, only 52 are female, 144 are Hispanic, and 48 are African-American – down from 59 three years ago.

The disparities go up in the higher ranks; of the 281 officers between lieutenant and battalion chief, there are just five African-Americans and four women.

Source: Austin Fire Department

AFD RANKMaleFemaleCaucasianHispanicAfrican-AmericanOther
Assistant Chief5-311-
Division Chief415---
Battalion Chief35-332--
Captain69-645--
Lieutenant17341541751
Specialist184121632310-
Firefighter45335348963212
All Ranks923527721444813

Got something to say on the subject? Send a letter to the editor.

  • More of the Story

  • The Color of Fire

    The Austin Fire Department is making another attempt at staff diversity – will it do any better this time?

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

Support the Chronicle  

One click gets you all the newsletters listed below

Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events

Keep up with happenings around town

Kevin Curtin's bimonthly cannabis musings

Austin's queerest news and events

Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news

Information is power. Support the free press, so we can support Austin.   Support the Chronicle