LCRA awards $4,935 grant to Ander-Weser Volunteer Fire Department

New personal protective gear will keep first responders safer at emergency scenes

May 3, 2022

GOLIAD COUNTY, Texas – A $4,935 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority will pay for new personal protective gear and additional emergency equipment for first responders with the Ander-Weser Volunteer Fire Department.
 
The Community Development Partnership Program grant will be used to purchase helmets, rubber boots and heavy-duty, fire-resistant gloves for firefighters. The department also will buy lighter-duty gloves, reflective vests, reflective signage and light-up traffic control batons for use at accident scenes.
 
Founded in 1987, Ander-Weser VFD primarily responds to emergency calls in northern Goliad County, but the department also offers mutual aid throughout the county and to neighboring counties.
 
Department Treasurer Sarah Stauss said the new equipment will protect both first responders and area residents.
 
“Our area is very rural with very curvy roads,” she said. “You really don’t see the accident scenes until you’re right on top of them. This gear will help keep people safe.”
 
The department recently added a tanker truck with the help of a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Stauss said, but costs tied to the vehicle’s operation and maintenance have left little money available for new personal protective equipment.
 
“New gloves and boots have been on hold for some time because we just haven’t had the money to put toward them,” Stauss said. “A lot of our members just bought gear for themselves if they saw the need for it – from their personal funds.”
 
Recalling that an LCRA grant in the 1990s helped fund construction of the Ander-Weser VFD station, which doubles as a community center, department members turned to LCRA again for support.
 
“We wanted to reach out again because we really appreciated that first grant and what LCRA does for this community,” Stauss said.

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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