LCRA and City of Brady representatives present a $19,996 grant to the Brady Volunteer Fire Department for new personal protective equipment. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Brian Meroney, Brady VFD fire/EMS chief; Kim Lenoir, Brady city manager; Anthony “Tony” Groves, Brady mayor; Martha Leigh Whitten, LCRA Board member; Lynn White, Brady VFD secretary; Jeffrey Sutton, Brady City Council member; Cassidy Murray, Brady VFD director; Virgil Webb, Brady VFD lieutenant; and J.T. Owens, Brady VFD assistant chief.
The Brady Volunteer Fire Department soon will replace aging firefighting equipment with the latest in fire protection gear, thanks to a $19,996 community development grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Brady.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with nearly $5,000 in matching funds, will allow the department to purchase nine sets of structure fire gear, and extra boots and helmets.
Product technology and performance requirements for personal protective equipment evolve over time. To ensure firefighters’ safety, National Fire Protection Association standards mandate that certain equipment is retired after 10 years of use. As the Brady fire department’s gear edges toward that deadline, firefighters knew they needed to replace it for their own safety.
“The grant elevates our ability to serve,” said Brian Meroney, Brady fire/EMS chief. “Once our bunker gear reaches the 10-year mark, that’s it. Time’s up. We have to pull it out of rotation. Now we can go into a fire with the added assurance that our firefighters are outfitted in the latest protective gear.”
The Brady Volunteer Fire Department serves McCulloch County, which includes about 1,100 square miles.
The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. The program provides economic development and community assistance grants to cities, counties, volunteer fire departments, regional development councils and other nonprofit organizations in LCRA’s wholesale electric and water service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Brady is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted July 1-July 31. 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 access to nature at more than 40 parks, recreation areas and river access sites along the Texas Colorado River, from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to enhancing the lives of Texans through water stewardship, energy and community services. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934. For more information, visit lcra.org.
Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org
Source: LCRA Business News
