LCRA awards $25,000 grant to Fulton VFD

New utility task vehicle will improve wildfire response in Aransas County

May 26, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • LCRA awards the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department a $25,000 grant for a utility task vehicle and 100-gallon skid unit.
  • The UTV will better equip first responders to navigate hard-to-reach areas and enhance emergency response capabilities.
  • 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.

An LCRA representative presents a $25,000 grant to the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department for a new utility task vehicle. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Russel Cole, VFD member and Oyster Fest committee president; Mike Otis, VFD president; John Lazzarotti and Roman Cortez, firefighters; Patrick Dworaczyk, assistant fire chief; Dean Adamson, firefighter; Sheila Slagel, LCRA grants program manager; and Cody Morales, fire chief.

FULTON, Texas – The Fulton Volunteer Fire Department soon will add a much-needed utility task vehicle to its fleet, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The LCRA Community Grant, along with $20,715 in matching funds from the VFD, will enable first responders to get to areas where larger fire trucks cannot go. Aransas County has a growing number of housing developments being constructed in lower-lying marsh areas, increasing the need for an agile, more versatile vehicle for emergency responses.

“This UTV is going to be an absolute game changer,” said Cody Morales, Fulton VFD fire chief. “Our area is changing. More homes are being built and brush is being cleared out, so having a smaller unit that can get behind houses and in between trees without too much damage is important. Our larger brush trucks can’t get to some of the lower-lying marsh areas, and even when they can, sometimes they’re knocking down trees trying to get where they need to be.”

The UTV also will be equipped with a skid unit with a 100-gallon tank and a specialized stretcher, known as a Stokes basket, for medical emergencies and evacuations in difficult-to-reach areas.

“The Stokes Basket will allow us to provide medical service more quickly, which could be for one of our downed firefighters or a community member,” Morales said.

Fulton VFD serves Aransas County, Fulton, Rockport and surrounding counties through mutual aid.

“We’re a small department in one of the smallest counties in Texas,” Morales said. “Without this grant we would be saving up for about three to five years to pay for this equipment. We are a 100% volunteer department, and we respond to between 400 and 500 calls each year. This grant from LCRA is going to make a huge difference to our volunteers and the community.”

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.

Contact Info

Clara Tuma
512-578-3292
[email protected]
After hours: 512-944-6719

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.