LCRA, Bluebonnet Co-op award $20,000 grant to Tanglewood Volunteer Fire Department

New rescue truck will help transport rescue equipment to emergency scenes

Nov. 16, 2020

LEXINGTON, Texas – A $20,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative will help the Tanglewood Volunteer Fire Department purchase a rescue truck to transport life-saving equipment to emergency scenes.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $5,000 in matching funds from the Tanglewood VFD, will help replace the fire department’s current rescue truck, which has been out of service for six months due to mechanical issues.

“Our current truck has caused a lot of hassle and has made our work more stressful,” said Guy Hall III, first assistant chief. “The mechanic has come out at least three times to repair faulty parts. He’ll fix one thing but then something else malfunctions.”

The Tanglewood VFD uses the rescue truck to transport equipment such as the Jaws of Life and an automated external defibrillator to emergency scenes. When the truck is unavailable, the department has to leave some of the rescue equipment behind because the department’s brush trucks and fire engine don’t have enough room to carry it.

“We have to constantly switch out equipment on our trucks, which takes a lot of time to prepare when we get a call,” Hall said. “We won’t have to switch out equipment at the last minute if we get a new rescue truck.”

In addition to serving the Lexington community, the volunteer fire department serves growing communities in Lee County and southern Milam County.

The community grant is one of 27 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. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

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.

About Bluebonnet
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves more than 108,000 meters, and owns and maintains 12,000 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County, and from Milam County to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, go to bluebonnet.coop and follow the co-op on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contacts

LCRA:
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
[email protected]

Bluebonnet:
Will Holford
512-332-7955
[email protected]