LCRA awards $24,871 grant to Garwood Volunteer Fire Department

New defibrillator will help first responders monitor cardiac patients, provide life-saving care

May 20, 2022

LCRA representatives present a $24,871 grant to the Garwood Volunteer Fire Department for a new defibrillator. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Joseph M. “Joe” Crane, LCRA Board member; Lisa Krenek, VFD treasurer; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Todd Krenek, fire chief; and Stephen F. Cooper, LCRA Board member.

COLORADO COUNTY, Texas – The Garwood Volunteer Fire Department will be able to purchase a new cardiac defibrillator, thanks to a $24,871 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority. The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $10,000 in matching funds from the department, will provide a new monitor/defibrillator that will enable firefighters to better track a patient’s blood pressure, oxygen levels and other vital signs. The defibrillator can send an electric pulse to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat and can perform automatic shocks to patients in cardiac arrest. “Our department has a defibrillator that has been broken for years,” said Lisa Krenek, treasurer of Garwood VFD. “We are borrowing one from the county, but it is old and outdated. The county doesn’t have any replacement monitors, so we are in a must-have situation.” Krenek said the new defibrillator will be a vital part of patient care. The device will be able to provide data to first responders that will help them determine how to properly treat patients. Garwood VFD responds to Garwood, Nada and the Sandy Creek development. The department also provides assistance to Colorado County emergency medical services as needed. “This machine is the lifeline for many of our patients while they are being transported,” Krenek said. “The purchase of this machine will help our department care for all patients at a much higher level.” The community grant is one of 36 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.Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. 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 fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.

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