Pictured, front row from left to right, are: Rick Arnic, LCRA Governmental and Regional Affairs representative; Eriverto Velazquez, Gonzales Volunteer Fire Department firefighter; Lori A. Berger, LCRA Board member; Brent White, VFD first vice president; Wade Zella, battalion chief; and Dan Blakemore, City of Gonzales councilmember. Back row, from left to right: Heath Lipke, VFD captain; Brandon Carpenter, firefighter; Will Lumprecht, VFD president; Jason Whiddon, assistant chief; and Keith Schmidt, chief.
The Gonzales Volunteer Fire Department soon will be able to purchase a rescue boat and motor thanks to a $7,108 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and City of Gonzales.
The grant, along with $1,777 in matching funds, will allow the department to purchase the much-needed watercraft, which will be housed at the fire station and will be the first rescue boat in the county. Gonzales VFD serves more than 40 percent of Gonzales County – including parts of the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers, Lake Wood and Lake Gonzales.
“Thanks to this grant, we will have a reliable swift-water rescue boat in our county,” said Keith A. Schmidt, Gonzales VFD fire chief. “Before, we would have to rely on privately owned boats that were not equipped for flooding conditions and were not readily available for immediate deployment.”
Currently, 15 of the 42 Gonzales volunteer firefighters are swift-water certified. With the new boat, the team will be able to quickly deploy a swift-water rescue team at a moment’s notice. The new watercraft will be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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 Gonzales is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants are due Jan. 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; ensuring 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
