Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and LCRA representatives present a $24,400 grant to the Bastrop County First Responders for emergency equipment. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Tom Oney, LCRA chief people officer and executive vice president of external affairs; Gregory Klaus, Bastrop County judge; Matthew L. “Matt” Arthur and Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA board members; Zackary Caviness, First Responders’ paramedic; Preston McGrew, First Responders’ vice president and paramedic; Phil Wilson, LCRA general manager; State Rep. Stan Gerdes; Rick Arnic, LCRA regional affairs representative; Josh Coy, Bluebonnet's Bastrop-area community representative; and Garrett Gutierrez, Bluebonnet superintendent of operations.

A $24,400 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority will enable the Bastrop County First Responders nonprofit organization to purchase 10 cardiac monitors/defibrillators and other emergency equipment to provide medical care before ambulances arrive.

Bastrop County First Responders is a volunteer organization of 45 licensed EMTs and paramedics stationed throughout the county. Members respond to emergencies in their personal vehicles and provide care for the sick and injured until an ambulance arrives.

“Our responders are trained to provide high-level care and often arrive on the scene within minutes,” said Preston McGrew, vice president of the first responders’ organization. “But without proper equipment, they’ve been limited in the support they can provide.’’

The grant, along with $6,100 in matching funds from the first responders, will allow the group to purchase cardiac monitors/defibrillators and 15 intraosseous devices, which provide a hollow needle that can be inserted into bone marrow for infusion of medication or fluids in emergency situations.

“Without enough cardiac monitors and other intraosseous devices, we’ve been limited to basic interventions,” McGrew said. “With this grant, we’ll finally have the tools to deliver comprehensive life support in the crucial minutes before an ambulance arrives.”

The community grant is one of four grants being awarded by Bluebonnet and LCRA through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative 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 January 2025. More information is available here

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to award $1,000 grants to 63 local fire departments that protect and serve communities in the cooperative’s 14-county service area.

“These departments serve everyone in our communities, answering the call every day, around the clock,” said Matt Bentke, Bluebonnet’s general manager. “Our line workers and control center operators work closely with firefighters and first responders during emergency events, which is critically important to keeping people safe.”

These grants will help the fire departments, firefighters and first responders who give so much of their time and talent.

“Bluebonnet is proud to contribute to our area fire departments who truly do an outstanding job protecting and serving our communities,” said Ben Flencher, Bluebonnet’s board chairman. “The women and men who work for and volunteer with these fire departments deserve all the support we can provide.”