LCRA awards $24,000 grant to Palacios Volunteer Fire Department

New gear will allow more firefighters to suit up during fires

May 4, 2023

LCRA representatives present a $24,000 grant to the Palacios Volunteer Fire Department for new structural and rescue gear for firefighters. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Ryan Adams, fire chief; Tammy McDonald, city treasurer; Stephen F. Cooper, Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter and Joseph M. “Joe” Crane, LCRA Board members; and Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative.
PALACIOS, Texas – The Palacios Volunteer Fire Department will purchase new specialized emergency gear for its firefighters, thanks to a $24,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $6,000 in matching funds from the department, will allow Palacios VFD to purchase four sets of structural gear and four sets of rescue gear to outfit four new firefighters.

“Right now, we have some old gear that we put on our newer members, but it’s hand-me-down gear that is unsafe,” said Ryan Adams, Palacios VFD fire chief. “It’s been like this since I joined the department in 2014. They don’t have the proper gear to fight fires, so I can’t get them close enough to a fire to see how we work it.”

Adams said each set of gear will dress a firefighter from head to toe. The structural gear will include a helmet, hood, coat, pants, boots and gloves. The rescue gear, also referred to as wildland gear, will include a coat and pants. Each set will keep the firefighters properly protected during emergencies.

“The structural gear will allow the firefighters to go inside burning buildings,” Adams said. “Rescue gear is not rated for fires like that. We will use the rescue gear for wrecks, brush fires and other emergencies that involve little to no fire. It’ll also protect the firefighters from being cut by metal, glass and other things of that sort.”

Adams said newer firefighters aren’t able to actually fight fires now because they lack proper equipment, so they assist by directing traffic and helping other firefighters with air packs and water. The new gear will allow them to get the necessary training and gear to enable them to fully respond to any kind of emergency.

“I always work to get new gear,” Adams said. “I’m a safety-oriented person, so safety means everything to me. I try to get the department anything that will benefit us the best.”

Palacios VFD serves a population of approximately 4,500 and provides mutual aid to Cape Carancahua, Blessing, Markham, Bay City, the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Department and other departments in the surrounding area.

The community grant is one of 34 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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