LCRA awards $14,317 grant to Lake Dunlap VFD for new equipment

Interchangeable hoses and nozzles will decrease response time

May 5, 2022

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – The Lake Dunlap Volunteer Fire Department will purchase new firefighting equipment, thanks to a $14,317 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.
 
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $3,700 in matching funds from the department, will allow Lake Dunlap VFD to purchase interchangeable hoses and nozzles that are designed to handle any type of fire.
 
“Some of our nozzles are not interchangeable and can only be used in a structure fire or a grass fire, but not both,” said Tim Bogisch, department lieutenant and training coordinator.

The department responds to everything from house fires to rural fires, so the new equipment will help decrease response times, he said.
 
“We currently use four different brands of nozzles that operate slightly different from each other,” he said. “Using standardized nozzles will allow us to become more efficient so we don’t waste time thinking about which hose line to choose during a call.” 
 
The new hoses and nozzles will replace worn-out equipment that’s about 20 to 25 years old, well beyond the 15-year life span recommended by the National Fire Protection Association.
 
Lake Dunlap VFD serves a population of approximately 10,000 in the rapidly growing Lake Dunlap community just outside of New Braunfels and provides mutual aid to all the fire departments protecting the 180,000-plus residents of Guadalupe County.
 
“At the time the department was formed, we covered about 12-15 square miles,” Bogisch said. “I don’t believe there were even a thousand homes in the area. Since being annexed by the City of New Braunfels, our coverage area has shrunk to 8 square miles. We now service about 5,000 mailing addresses in those 8 square miles. That number will double in the next two years if properties continue to be built.”
 
Bogisch said the department receives limited revenue for operating expenses from its contract with Guadalupe County and fundraisers and does not have a reserve fund for capital projects.
 
“We’re excited we got the grant,” Bogisch said. “Without grants like this, we wouldn’t be able to replace worn out equipment. We rely heavily on grants and fundraisers to pay for new equipment.”
 
The community grant is one of 36 grants awarded recently 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.
 
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.

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