Overworked, Understaffed: Austin Firefighters Pick Up The Slack At The Expense Of Their Mental Health

Bob Nicks has been an Austin firefighter for nearly 40 years, but the job he started off with and the job he has today are very, very different.

When he was brought on in 1986, Nicks’ job was simple: fight fire. Now, it’s fight fires, be the first medical professional on the scene, manage inventory, learn to operate and maintain firefighting technology, and take trainings.

And that’s just during his regular shift; he also puts in more hours.

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