LCRA awards $12,404 grant to Valley Spring VFD for new firefighter gear
New boots, wildland rescue gear will better protect first responders
Nov. 1, 2023
LCRA representatives present a $12,404 grant to the Valley Spring Volunteer Fire Department for new gear for its firefighters. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Susan Patten, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; David Griffith, constituent services director for State Rep. Andrew Murr; Richard Castro, second assistant fire chief; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Alan Powers, firefighter; Michael L. “Mike” Allen, LCRA Board member; Kim Webb, VFD secretary and firefighter; Carol Freeman, LCRA Board member; Bo Morris, fire chief; Ricky Baker, firefighter; Tammy Baker, VFD treasurer and firefighter; Debra Vukelich, first assistant fire chief; and Les Hartman and Cindy Powers, firefighters.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with about $3,100 in matching funds from the VFD, will enable the department to buy fire boots, wildland shirts and pants, front helmet lights, and flashlights for its 12 firefighters. The department also will replace other gear that is out of date.
“I recently came from a larger department and started looking around thinking, ‘Hey, these guys need some new things,’” said Debra Vukelich, first assistant fire chief. “They didn’t have any foot protection or boots at all.”
The helmet lights and flashlights will help when the department responds to emergencies at night, and the new wildland gear is better suited for the hot, summer fire season in Texas.
“The gear we have now is dual-compliant gear,” Vukelich said. “The guys say it’s just so hot, especially when it’s 110 degrees outside. So, I thought, let me find some gear that is lighter weight.”
Vukelich says the new gear is crucial to the responders’ safety.
“This allows us to outfit our members with the necessary equipment they need to work safely,” she said. “It will ensure that our responders feel safe while they are conducting their emergency response duties, and the community will benefit from knowing that our crew can effectively perform critical tasks at any given point.”
Valley Spring VFD provides fire, rescue and medical services to the community of Valley Spring and provides mutual aid to other Llano County fire departments.
The community grant is one of 45 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 January. 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.
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