AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Fire Chief insists his department is doing everything it can to respond to deadly flooding in Kerr County after firefighters accused him of actions that delayed deployment of specialized search and rescue crews.

Chief Joel G. Baker responded to the accusations made in a social media post by the Austin Firefighters Association, which claimed that highly trained first responders from Austin were not allowed to respond. The post called the chief's actions an "egregious dereliction of duty," and the association announced it would meet on Tuesday to discuss whether to take a vote of “no confidence” in Baker.

The association's president, Bob Nicks, claimed the state requested assistance from the Austin Fire Department (AFD) special operations teams more than a day before floodwaters rushed from the Guadalupe River early July 4.

In an interview Monday night, Chief Baker refuted the claims, saying he was first made aware of requests from the state on July 4 and AFD deployed three rescue swimmers to the disaster area.

Nicks maintains that earlier deployment could have saved lives.

Kerr County officials had confirmed 84 deaths Monday evening, as search and rescue efforts continued for those who were still missing.

Nicks said AFD’s teams are specially trained for Hill Country swift water rescues, and they routinely deploy at the state's request, as a part of a large mutual aid network during disasters. However, a recent order from AFD leadership to temporarily stop deployments prevented some crews from responding.

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