WASHINGTON VFD RECEIVES $15,654 GRANT FROM LCRA, BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC

  
LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative
representatives present a $15,654 grant to the
Washington 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: John
Durrenberger, Washington County judge; Kyle
Merten, Bluebonnet community and development
services representative; Robert Mikeska, Bluebonnet
director; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board
member; Clyde Miller, fire chief; Billy Ray Jensen,
firefighter; Eric Dehmer, firefighter; Kate Ramzinski,
LCRA Regional Affairs representative; and Bill
Kennedy, firefighter.
(courtesy LCRA)

The Washington Volunteer Fire Department will be able to purchase new personal protective equipment with grant funding from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.

A $15,654 grant from the Community Development Partnership Program will be used along with $3,914 in matching funds from the department to provide eight new sets of protective gear. 

Washington VFD firefighters are using personal protective equipment that’s almost 13 years old, but best practices call for gear to be replaced every 10 years.  The grant will enable the department to replace the firefighting gear worn during house fires and add wildland gear to use when fighting grass and wildland fires.

Fire Chief Clyde Miller said it is “way past time” to replace the department’s current gear, and that the new equipment “is much lighter and keeps the heat from coming in and transferring to the firefighter.”

The department serves the Washington community and offers mutual aid to the remainder of Washington County, as well as Brazos and Grimes counties.

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.  Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative 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.  To learn more, visit www.lcra.org/cdpp

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