LCRA awards $35,055 grant to Sargent Area Fire and Rescue
New UTV to improve beach, off-road emergency responses in Matagorda County
MAY 8, 2025
The UTV purchased with funds from the LCRA Community Development Partnership Program grant and $10,500 in matching funds from the fire and rescue department will enable responders to more safely access remote locations, making it easier to transport responders to the scene of emergencies and hard-to-reach locations and move patients out of the area. The UTV will be outfitted with medical equipment including a stretcher, oxygen and advanced first aid tools to help responders provide lifesaving care more quickly.
“We serve a large stretch of beach and remote terrain that traditional fire apparatus simply can’t access,” said Ernest Lawson, president of Sargent Area Fire and Rescue. “In the past, we’ve had to rely on personal vehicles to reach patients and bring them back to the nearest ambulance. This new UTV will allow us to reach emergencies faster and transport people safely and efficiently.”
Responders currently have no reliable way to transport patients from isolated areas to ambulances staged on accessible roads.
LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said the new UTV will help bridge that gap and reduce delays in care.
“The UTV solves a couple of serious problems,” Wilson said. “It’s not just a matter of helping first responders get to the scene of an emergency in a remote area more quickly. It’s also solving the problem of how to remove people who need medical care safely and quickly. LCRA is proud to play a role in providing this much-needed transportation vehicle, and we are proud to support the firefighters who do so much for us day in and day out.”
Lawson said the department looks forward to putting the new UTV Into service.
“We’re incredibly grateful to LCRA and the Community Development Partnership Program,” Lawson said. “This generous grant directly supports our mission to protect lives and property in Matagorda County, and it will have an immediate impact on the safety of our community and visitors.”
The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible 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.
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.
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