Bluebonnet and LCRA representatives present a $25,000 grant to the Winchester Area Volunteer Fire Department for a new brush truck. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured, from left, are Mark Mayo and Melissa K. Blanding, LCRA board members; Sherry Murphy, VFD treasurer and Bluebonnet Giddings-area community representative; Kelly Franke, VFD vice president; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA board member; Daniel Bamsch, firefighter; Ron Kaiser, VFD secretary; Russell Jurk, Bluebonnet Director; and Kate Ramzinski, LCRA regional affairs representative.
The Winchester Area Volunteer Fire Department will soon replace its broken-down 1980s-era brush truck with a new vehicle designed to go off-road and get firefighters to hard-to-reach areas more safely and quickly, thanks to a $25,000 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The community grant, along with $73,450 in matching funds from the VFD, will enable the department to purchase a low-mileage Stewart & Stevenson 6x6 cargo truck that will be converted into a brush truck. The department plans to move key equipment from its current truck, including the water pump, hoses, tools, radios and related components, to outfit the replacement vehicle.
“Because of the rural terrain we cover, having the right equipment can make all the difference in how quickly and safely we can respond,” said Jacki Short, president of the Winchester Area Volunteer Fire Department. “Our old truck could no longer be serviced, and without a dependable brush truck, there were areas we simply could not reach. This new truck will help us get to emergencies faster, knock down fires before they spread and better protect homes, land and people.”
The department’s service area includes a 53-square-mile area in northwestern Fayette County, including Winchester, Warda and the Clear Lake Pines subdivision. The department also provides mutual aid to neighboring departments.
Short said the department’s existing brush truck has reached the end of its useful life and is out of service because of mechanical issues. Replacement parts are difficult to find, and the vehicle has become increasingly challenging to maintain.
“We serve a tight-knit community where people look out for one another,” Short said. “When our firefighters respond to an emergency, our general membership often shows up with food, water and support for the responders on the scene. This grant will have a lasting impact for a department like ours, not just today but for years to come.”
This is one of four grants recently awarded by Bluebonnet and LCRA through LCRA’s Community Grants program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. Bluebonnet is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at lcra.org/grants.