SAN ANTONIO – The governing body of the union representing San Antonio’s firefighters and paramedics has voted unanimously to censure San Antonio Fire Chief Valerie Frausto over a collection of disciplinary, policy, and pay issues, including a firefighter allegedly forced out of the department over his use of prescribed THCA.
The censure resolution was put forward by International Association of Firefighters Local 624, also known as the the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association, during the IAFF’s biennial convention in Arlington earlier this month.
SAPFFA President Joe Jones summarized the censure in a lengthy video message sent to members of the department over the weekend.
The “cumulative effect” of the issues, according to a copy of the resolution obtained by KSAT, “has resulted in a substantial loss of confidence among members of Local 624 regarding Chief Frausto’s leadership of the San Antonio Fire Department.”
The censure amounts to a public rebuke from rank-and-file members of fire departments across North America, but it’s not clear if it will carry tangible effects for Frausto here in the city.
A spokeswoman for the SAPFFA declined to comment, saying “official notifications to our City Managers and our elected officials should be sent out directly from the IAFF soon and we would be happy to provide more information at that time.”
“The action is wrong on the merits and has no formal authority,” a city spokeswoman said in an emailed statement after KSAT provided a copy of the resolution. “The City Manager continues to have full confidence in the Chief and her team.”
The IAFF has roughly 365,000 members across the United States and Canada, including San Antonio’ more than 1,800 firefighters and paramedics.
According to a copy of the resolution obtained by KSAT, one of the issues involves a firefighter who wasn’t allowed back on the job after he tested positive for THCA, despite a union contract that says such a result with a valid prescription would not be considered a positive drug test.
The firefighter was required to stay off of work until he tested negative, putting him in to the position of “choos[ing] between using [his] prescribed medication that is allowed under the CBA and losing [his] career as a member of the SAFD.”
The case appears to match that of Zachary Crumley, whom the city has previously categorized as having “voluntarily resigned.”
Another case revolved around an SAFD paramedic who was given an indefinite suspension, which is tantamount to a firing, after picking his wife up from an out-of-county car crash to be transported for evaluation.
According to the resolution, the paramedic’s punishment was based on alleged improper transfer of care and a complaint by Wilson County ESD, though the resolution states the union later learned Wilson County ESD had not filed a complaint or claimed an improper transfer of care.
It also states the paramedic was presented with a settlement agreement that required him to admit the allegations were true.
Another firefighter reportedly had to, at least at first, draw on her personal leave rather than being provided alternate duty for a protected, post-childbirth medical condition.
Frausto is also accused of approving a policy that reduced protections for firefighters and who need modified or alternate duty, in violation of the union’s contract with the city. The resolution states at least one member was denied a modified duty assignment because of that.
Finally, the resolution states the city implemented a 15% pay raise for assistant and deputy chiefs outside of the normal collective-bargaining process.
Most of the issues appear to be part of ongoing legal challenges or grievance procedures.
The censure resolution was one of 15 IAFF convention goers passed unanimously against various fire and government officials around the U.S. and Canada.
Other censure recipients included Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, whom the IAFF said backtracked on promises to support collective bargaining legislation, and a Maryland prosecutor who charged a paramedic with misconduct after a patient’s death.
The move to censure Frausto signifies a downhill slide of her relationship with the local union.
Jones, lauded her “talent, dedication, strategy, intelligence, compassion, and determination” when she was first selected.
City Manager Erik Walsh tapped Frausto for the job in October 2024, and the San Antonio City Council at the time confirmed his choice in a unanimous vote.
The city and union will be heading back to the bargaining table soon, as well. The current contract runs through September 2027, which based on previous negotiations, means discussion for a new deal will likely begin sometime January or February.
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