San Angelo Firefighters Endorse David Nowlin for Mayor

 “He’s down to earth, real honest, and transparent. We like the work that he’s done on the Zoning Board of Adjustments. We just like what he brings to the table and we look forward to working with him,” said Bubba Barnett, speaking on behalf of the San Angelo Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 886. “We feel pretty confident that he’ll listen to us when we need him to.” With that, the local firefighters endorsed David Nowlin for mayor Wednesday evening and its political action committee handed Nowlin’s campaign a check for $5,000.

The PAC’s priority is to add a sixth ambulance to duty. Right now, Barnett said, there are five, and the likelihood of all five EMS crews being on runs leaving some portions of the city uncovered is happening more and more frequently.

But it takes time and upfront money to hire, train and equip a sixth crew, he said. Once an ambulance is operational, some of the expenses may be offset by fees the City of San Angelo charges for each patient transportation instance.

It’s not without extra cost to the city, though. With the extra work the five ambulances are currently providing, the group doesn’t believe a sixth ambulance will realize much more of a lift in total revenue. That is because working harder, the five ambulances currently on duty aren’t missing any of the runs.

Ambulances from the San Angelo Fire Department serve the entire county, not just inside the city limits.

The PAC’s second priority is to ask the city staff and council to look at pay raises for fire department personnel. Over the past two years, the opportunity to provide a raise has been trumped by fixing the uneven fire department pay scale. Now that it’s fixed, firefighters are looking for more pay.

Nowlin expressed his appreciation to the first responders at the presentation of the check at the association’s building on 14^th Street Wednesday night. “I consider the fire department and police department as entities that we as citizens own. And when I claim ownership of something, I want the best that I can afford,” he said. Nowlin said that providing circumstances that bolster the pay and retention of good people that comprise the city’s first responders would be a high priority for him if the citizens of San Angelo elect him mayor.