The dismissal of Austin Fire Department’s Captain Chelsea Caloia over disputed overtime claims highlights systemic management issues, sparking broader investigations

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Fire Department has fired its third-highest ranking female over how she was counting overtime hours in a case that officials say has exposed broader management issues within the department.

Now — that captain’s attorney said she is being made a scapegoat. 

A lengthy disciplinary memo for Captain Chelsea Caloia — released Friday afternoon — does not give an estimated amount of overtime she received but did not work. But Fire Chief Joel Baker does acknowledge management failures in the division where she was assigned that he says he is now correcting. 

The disciplinary memo said these issues happened in the department’s prevention unit — which inspects about 25,000 new buildings and fire hydrants a year. 

The crux of the issue is that fire prevention inspections for buildings are billed by the city at fixed, standard rates determined by factors such as building size — not by the actual time spent on site, according to Caloia’s attorney.

She told investigators that she believed the number of hours in overtime she logged on her timesheet needed to match the hours billed for the inspection, even though they may not. She also believed that her practice was proper and was shared by her colleagues. 

Chief Baker said that an investigation found what he called a culture of impropriety and unethical conduct in the division. 

He added that he likely would not have fired Caloia for the overtime issue alone — but that an investigation also found she was using her city car for personal errands.

In a statement, Caloia’s attorney, Doug O’Connell said “If Captain Caloia has engaged in any impropriety, the same could be said of numerous other firefighters and AFD leaders who have operated under the same policies and practices. Captain Caloia deserves fair treatment, transparency, and accountability that addresses the broader issues rather than targeting one dedicated public servant.”

There are other investigations into this overtime issue that are ongoing, including one by the city auditor’s office.