LCRA, City of La Grange award $19,973 grant to Fayette County EMS Foundation

New all-terrain vehicle will help transport patients at large events, decrease response time

Dec. 1, 2022

LCRA and City of La Grange representatives present a $19,973 grant to the Fayette County EMS Foundation for a new emergency all-terrain vehicle. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Frank Menefee, interim city manager; Matthew L. “Matt” Arthur, LCRA Board member; Jan Dockery, mayor; Josh Vandever, EMS director; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Brandon Johnson, EMS president; Christina Sandoval, paramedic; Melody McCoy, advanced EMT; Conner Zeller, EMS captain; and Joe Weber, Fayette County judge.
LA GRANGE, Texas – With the help of a $19,973 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of La Grange, the Fayette County Emergency Medical Services Foundation will purchase a new all-terrain vehicle equipped for emergency responses.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $5,000 in matching funds from the foundation, will pay for a new, multipassenger all-terrain vehicle. The vehicle will be used for emergency responses at large festivals and various local sporting events in Fayette County.

“Fayette County is home to many events throughout the year, including the Round Top Antiques Fair, Fayette County Fair, Schulenburg Festival, Czhilispiel and many others,” said Josh Vandever, Fayette County EMS director. “Purchasing this ATV will make it easier for our first responders to get to people in these heavily saturated areas and give them the medical attention they need.”

Vandever said Fayette County EMS has an older ATV, but it has exceeded its useful life. Its unreliability puts crews and patients at risk when moving patients to waiting ambulances in more accessible locations.

“Trying to navigate an ambulance through large crowds can slow down response time and cause many safety issues,” Vandever said. “Using an ATV is safer for the people in a crowd. It also allows you to see everything going on 360 degrees around you.”

Fayette County EMS strives to meet the public’s safety expectations at these events, and first responders want people to feel comfortable knowing their health needs can be met reliably and quickly, he said. With this grant, the foundation can purchase the ATV much sooner than planned.

“Fayette County EMS is very appreciative to LCRA and the City of La Grange for their contribution,” Vandever said. “We also are grateful for all the support Fayette County has provided over the years. We look forward to continuing to serve our community in the best way possible.”

The community grant is one of 46 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. The City of La Grange 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. 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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