BG Reads 8.22.2023

🗞️ BG Reads | News - August 22, 2023

August 22, 2023

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August 22, 2023

In today's BG Reads:

[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]

Why Austin-Travis County EMS has had a 20% vacancy rate for 3 years (Austin American-Statesman)

For the past few years, EMS has been losing talent, much like other public safety sectors.

But while the Austin Police Department is seeing more retirements than resignations, EMS workers are mainly just quitting, according to data provided by both departments. 

For Austin-Travis County EMS, this is attributed to multiple issues: burnout, a lack of work-life balance, medics taking higher-paying jobs elsewhere and a poor retirement system. Vacancies in EMS aren't unique to the Austin area; they are common across the state and nation.

For all positions, Austin-Travis County EMS currently has a 17% vacancy rate. Since the fiscal year began last October, the agency has had an average vacancy rate of nearly 20% — and that has also been the average for nearly three years. EMS officials said that when the next cadet class graduates, the department should have about a 12% vacancy rate.

Amid the shortages, the average response time for the highest-priority calls has increased 21% in five years, according to data provided to the American-Statesman… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

 

OTHER NEWS:

➡️ Austin leaders react to APD chief’s retirement (KXAN) -> FULL STORY HERE 

➡️ 'It's going to be a real tough war' | Former colleague speaks about new interim APD police chief (KVUE) -> FULL STORY HERE

➡️ Former APD Chief Art Acevedo calls Chief Joseph Chacon's retirement "a loss for the city" (CBS Austin) -> FULL STORY HERE

[TEXAS NEWS]

Texas power grid has held up well for summer but still inefficient, energy experts say (Texas Public Radio)

Energy experts say this summer has not seen widespread brownouts or other high-profile grid failures in Texas because of solar and wind energy. ERCOT asked Texans to conserve power on Thursday due to an especially oppressive Summer heat spike. Doug Lewin is a Texas energy analyst and author of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter.

He is one energy analyst who credits solar and wind energy for helping keep the power on during a time when Houston has seen triple digits for the past few months. "They've helped contribute to reliability," he said.

"They also have driven prices lower than they would have otherwise been. And I know that's hard for Texans to understand because bills are looking really high right now. But that's really a function of how much power we're using because it's so hot."... (LINK TO FULL STORY)

OTHER NEWS:

 ➡️ Texas AG Ken Paxton appears to have approved agency report clearing him of wrongdoing (Dallas Morning News) ->  FULL STORY HERE 

 ➡️ Tony Buzbee, lawyer for Ken Paxton, running for Houston City Council seat (Texas Tribune) -> FULL STORY HERE 

[NATIONAL NEWS]

Trump decision to skip debate fuels GOP anxiety (The Hill)

Former President Trump’s decision to skip the first Republican presidential primary debate is fueling Republican angst that his rivals will have little opportunity to catch up to him in the polls.

Many senior Republican officials and strategists in Washington think Trump would be a weak candidate in the general election and have an uphill path to beating President Biden in 2024… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

OTHER NEWS:

 ➡️ Donald Trump says he will go to Atlanta Thursday to be booked on Georgia charges (NPR) -> LINK TO FULL STORY 

 ➡️ The Worker Bidding War Is Over. Companies Are Cutting Pay for New Hires. (Wall Street Journal) -> LINK TO FULL STORY 

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