LCRA, Bluebonnet Electric Co-op award $25,000 grant to Martindale Fire & Rescue

New extrication tools will help firefighters rescue people trapped in vehicle collisions, collapsed structures

May 15, 2026

• LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Co-op award a $25,000 grant to Martindale Fire & Rescue to purchase extrication tools to be carried on a new brush truck.
• The new tools will help firefighters cut through metal or lift heavy materials to rescue people trapped after serious vehicle collisions or other emergencies.
• The grant is one of 41 being awarded through LCRA’s Community Grants program through June. LCRA will accept applications in July for the next round of grants.

MARTINDALE, Texas – Martindale Fire & Rescue soon will purchase new extrication tools to help firefighters rescue patients trapped after serious vehicle collisions, building collapses or other emergencies, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.

The LCRA Community Grant, along with $8,025 in matching funds from the fire department, will provide the new equipment for a brush truck the department is purchasing with assistance from the Texas Forest Service HB2604 grant program. The new truck will be used for grass and brush fires, vehicle collisions, medical emergencies and other rescue calls.

“The LCRA grant is helping us add state-of-the-art extrication tools that make our department’s new brush truck a fully equipped rescue apparatus,” said Chris Germer, fire chief of the Martindale Fire & Rescue. “These tools give us access to patients trapped in vehicles, whether a door is wedged shut, a vehicle is overturned or we have to cut parts of the car away to reach someone safely.”

The department serves a 28-square-mile area that includes Martindale and unincorporated parts of Caldwell County, including busy corridors connecting San Marcos, Houston, Luling, Lockhart, Maxwell, Redwood and Staples. Its district includes State Highway 80, Highway 142 and State Highway 130, where firefighters and EMS regularly respond to vehicle collisions and rescue calls.

Germer said the department has an older set of extrication tools, but the equipment is showing its age and is carried on a larger engine that fewer members are certified to drive. The new rescue truck will be smaller and easier for more department members to deploy.

“These battery-operated HURST tools are among the strongest and most durable extrication tools available today,” Germer said. “Vehicles are being built with stronger materials and more layers of steel, and we need equipment that can help us get to people when seconds matter. Having these tools on a smaller rescue truck means more of our firefighters can get them to the scene quickly, even in rain, rough terrain or more difficult response conditions.”

Martindale Fire & Rescue also is adding paid daytime staffing to supplement its volunteer program. Germer said the additional staffing helps ensure trained firefighters and medical personnel are available when many volunteers are at work.

“We have dedicated volunteers who continue to serve, and we’re adding certified firefighters, EMTs and paramedics during the day to strengthen our department,” Germer said. “Our goal is to make sure someone is ready to respond whenever the community needs help. We are investing in the equipment, training and personnel needed to provide professional service around the clock.”

This is one of 41 grants awarded recently through LCRA Community Grants. These grants are awarded twice a year as part of LCRA’s effort to give back to communities in its wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at www.lcra.org/grants.

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority serves communities across Texas by managing the lower Colorado River, generating and transmitting wholesale electric power, providing clean water supplies, operating telecommunications infrastructure, and owning parks for outdoor recreation. LCRA delivers power, water and infrastructure that support the region’s growth and quality of life. 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. Created by the Texas Legislature in 1934, LCRA receives no state appropriations.

About Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves more than 143,000 meters and owns and maintains 12,700 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County, and from Milam County to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, go to bluebonnet.coop and follow the co-op on Facebook and X/Twitter.

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