LCRA awards $24,950 grant to Oakridge Volunteer Fire Department

Finished interior will help department protect equipment, increase storage capacity

Nov. 15, 2021

WEIMAR, Texas – A $24,950 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority will help the Oakridge Volunteer Fire Department complete the interior construction of its new fire station.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $23,390 in matching funds, will allow the department to complete a major phase of its new fire station. The building will provide a place to store firetrucks and equipment, including personal safety equipment for each firefighter in the department.

“Our current fire station only has enough space to store large, major equipment,” firefighter Rick Gustafson said. “We are each carrying around our personal protective safety equipment in our own vehicles. My gear is piled up in my truck right now.”

Gustafson said the new station will help with the department’s biggest issue, which is a lack of space. The new building will have three meeting rooms, a training room and five bays for firetrucks and other large equipment. In addition, each firefighter will have a personal locker to store equipment properly.

“Completing the interior build-out is a major milestone for our project,” Gustafson said. “Our new building is going to extend the life of all our equipment and increase our ability to support the communities we serve.”

Oakridge VFD serves the 4,400-acre Oakridge Ranch subdivision and provides assistance to nine other fire departments in Colorado County through mutual aid agreements. Oakridge VFD holds two major fundraisers each year. Recently, the department has been relying on both fundraisers to help generate money for the construction of the new fire station.

“Receiving this grant will expedite the building process,” Gustafson said. “We can now look forward to putting our new fire station to use in 2022.”

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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