LCRA and City of Hallettsville representatives present a $20,000 grant to the Hallettsville Volunteer Fire Department to purchase personal fire protection equipment and pagers for firefighters. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Stephen Hunter, City of Hallettsville mayor; Lori A. Berger, LCRA Board member; Stephen Grahmann, fire chief; and Rick Arnic, LCRA Regional Affairs representative.
First responders at the Hallettsville Volunteer Fire Department will be outfitted with personal fire protection equipment and new pagers thanks to a $20,000 community development grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Hallettsville.
The fire department will use the Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $5,000 in local matching funds, to purchase seven sets of bunker gear and 10 pagers. The new equipment will outfit firefighters who recently joined the department and replace some outdated equipment.
“We’ve brought on five new volunteer firefighters,” said Fire Chief Stephen Grahmann. “Until they have structural bunker gear, including gloves and boots, they aren’t able to assist with structure fires. This type of gear is vital to the safety of our first responders, but it’s also very expensive. Leveraging grant dollars will allow us to get the full team ‘emergency ready’ to keep the community safe.”
The department uses radio pagers to dispatch firefighters to emergencies. A portion of the grant will fund the replacement of 10 older pagers that use out-of-date technology.
“As a volunteer department, all of our responders have full-time jobs somewhere else,” Grahmann said. “The pagers provide a reliable, immediate way to request assistance for a fire or other emergency.
Grahmann said he expects all of the equipment to be in service by July.
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. Hallettsville 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 1-31, 2019. 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 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
