LCRA awards $50,000 grant to Boling Fire Department for new refill station for air tanks
Compressor system will enable first responders to refill cylinders on-site, saving critical time during emergencies
Dec. 16, 2025
WHARTON COUNTY, Texas – The Boling Fire Department soon will have a way to refill firefighter air tanks at its station rather than taking them miles away for service, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The community grant, along with $13,680 in matching funds from the volunteer fire department, will pay for a new air compressor that can refill self-contained breathing apparatus units, or SCBAs, at the Boling fire station.
“We currently rely on a neighboring department to refill our SCBAs, which is about 10 miles away,” Fire Chief Leon Sanchez said. “Since we are all volunteers, it’s a bigger ask for our team to drive all the way out to our neighboring departments to fill the tanks after returning from putting a fire out. It’s incredibly time consuming.”
The SCBAs are cylinders firefighters wear to provide them with clean air in situations where smoke or contaminated air is present.
“This grant is allowing us to better prepare for emergencies, because we wouldn’t have to risk not having enough SCBAs ready in case of back-to-back fires, which has happened before,” Sanchez said.
LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said the new system will reduce downtime and help firefighters provide better protection and faster responses in the Boling area.
“Firefighters are some of the bravest people I know,” Wilson said. “They willingly go into dangerous situations day in and day out to rescue people and protect property, but they can’t do it without the right equipment. This new compressor will let firefighters quickly refill their spent air canisters, so they are ready for the next call.”
Wilson said reducing the time it takes to refill the air tanks could make a dramatic difference in emergency response time.
“Imagine the damage that could be done if a firefighter doesn’t have a working air tank for 20 or 30 minutes while the tank is being refilled,” he said. “LCRA is proud to support the Boling Fire Department and assist in providing this much-needed equipment.”
The Boling Fire Department serves the communities of Boling and Iago and provides mutual aid to neighboring departments in Wharton, Fort Bend and Matagorda counties.
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 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.
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