LCRA awards $24,900 grant to Lake Coleman Volunteer Fire Department

New building will provide protection for firetrucks, equipment

Dec. 8, 2021

COLEMAN COUNTY, Texas – The Lake Coleman Volunteer Fire Department will expand its fire station to house additional firetrucks and equipment, thanks to a $24,900 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The department will contribute an additional $32,500 toward the project. The new building will protect the resources from weather exposure and increase the useful life of equipment stored there.

“We have a truck sitting outside right now and another truck in a bay that is very, very tight and hard to get in and out of without hitting something,” said Fire Chief Randy Teague. “We are going to add two bays that will house both of those trucks and give us a storage area for extra hoses and other items that have been sitting outside.”

The building will feature energy-efficient components such as insulation, LED lights and a solar-powered charger for truck batteries and radios.

“Those two trucks and our equipment being inside a building that is insulated will make it all last two to three times longer than it normally would sitting in the elements outside,” Teague said.

In addition, the building will have gutters that drain into a storage tank to capture and store rainwater for use in fighting fires.

LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said LCRA is proud to support the department as it works to extend the life of its equipment.

“Firefighters are ready to respond at a moment’s notice, and it’s important their equipment be ready to roll as well,” Wilson said. “The new area in the fire station will help protect expensive firetrucks and other life-saving equipment, and LCRA is happy to help support this worthy project.”

The department serves a population of about 6,500 in the Lake Coleman community and surrounding areas and helps neighboring departments whenever it can.

“In 2010, when the big fires were going on in San Angelo, we even sent trucks to them as well,” Teague said. “We are Lake Coleman Volunteer Fire Department, but I guarantee if somebody calls and says, ‘We need your help,’ we’re going to go. At some point in time, and it’s happened, we’ve needed other people’s help. It goes both ways.”

The fire station complex is also home to a community center, and the department hosts many events throughout the year to raise funds and encourage volunteering.

“We’ve been raising money for this project for years,” Teague said. “With this grant, we have the money to build this addition without shortchanging it. It couldn’t have come at a better time. We are very, very grateful.”

The community grant is one of 32 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 January. 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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