BY MANUEL HOLGUIN JR.
Proposition B
What happens next
Mayor Craig Morgan said the city is already moving toward national benchmarks and warned that anchoring requirements to the charter could limit the city’s budget flexibility. The city has also invested in fire services in recent years, with new stations, additional hiring and a 46% increase in the budget since 2022.
Proposition B asks voters whether to amend city ordinances to require the Round Rock Fire Department to meet national standards. The proposal would add a new section to the city charter directing the department to follow guidelines outlined in NFPA 1710, a national standard developed by the National Fire Protec- tion Association that sets benchmarks for fire department staffing and response times. Fire engines, ladder trucks and other apparatus would generally be required to operate with a minimum of four firefighters on duty. The measure would also establish performance targets for how emergency calls are handled—from the moment a call is received by dispatch to when fire crews arrive at the scene.
Those benchmarks include goals for alarm answering and processing times, how quickly firefighters leave the station after a call and how long it takes units to reach an incident. The requirements would be phased in over several years. Staffing targets would begin taking effect in 2027 and expand in stages until 2031, when the department would be expected to meet minimum staffing. Response-time objectives would continue phasing in through 2037. Bennett said it’s difficult to estimate the cost of Proposition B but that it could impact long-term staffing, operations, facilities and equipment. “So while this could certainly be portrayed simply as four-man staffing, it is significantly more than that,” he said.
Proposition B timeline If voters approve, the city law would be amended to require the fire department to follow national standards outlined in NFPA 1710
2026 2027
Council approves ballot language. Ladder and truck companies must operate with at least four firefighters per company. Dispatch performance benchmarks for alarm answering and alarm processing times must be met by this date. The department must meet turnout and travel-time targets for 50% of emergency calls. Turnout and travel-time benchmarks must be met for 75% of calls. The fire department must meet NFPA turnout and travel-time benchmarks for 90% of emergency calls.
2031
By the numbers
Current fire staffing When a house fire is reported, the Round Rock Fire Department deploys a full response team that typically includes:
RRPFA leaders said the amendment was designed with a gradual timeline to make the changes financially manageable. According to data published by the city, the fire department has 186 firefighters, including 154 who staff fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. In 2024, the fire department responded to more than 15,000 calls for service, according to the city. About 35 were structure fires, making up roughly 0.3% of all calls compared to the 3.9% national average, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. RRPFA leaders disputed some of those statistics, arguing structure fire counts exclude incidents like cooking fires or burning furniture inside homes.
2033
4 fire engines: 12 firefighters
2035
2037
2 ladder trucks: 6 firefighters
1 rescue unit, if available: 3 firefighters
If the city fails to meet standards, firefighters or residents can take legal action to enforce compliance and require the city to follow union recommendations.
2 battalion chiefs overseeing the scene
In total, about 20-23 firefighters respond, depending on unit availability.
SOURCES: CITY OF ROUND ROCK, ROUND ROCK PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
15600 Texas HWY 29 Liberty Hill TX 78642 | 737-777-8101 | Power@texast.us
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ROUND ROCK EDITION
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