BANDERA, Texas – Bandera Fire and Rescue soon will be able to purchase new respirators, masks and air cylinders to help protect first responders as they respond to hazardous situations, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bandera Electric Cooperative.
The community grant, along with $8,891 in matching funds from the VFD, will provide new self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBAs, so firefighters have a reliable air supply as they respond to fires and other emergencies.
The grant comes at a critical time, as Bandera Fire and Rescue’s current respirators are no longer approved for use and were discontinued last year, so parts, service, replacements and certifications are no longer available.
“We desperately need this new equipment, because even the SCBAs of our surrounding departments are different sizes than the ones we currently have, so we’re not able to use their equipment at a large fire if we needed to,” said Brad Cummings, fire chief. “That’s very limiting to our department. It prevents us from being able to provide the most effective fire and rescue operations.”
As a volunteer department, Bandera Fire and Rescue relies heavily on grants for equipment critical to helping protect the community.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but because of this grant we’re going to be able to replace one truck’s worth of SCBAs,” Cummings said.
Bandera Fire and Rescue is a volunteer fire department that serves the City of Bandera and surrounding communities in Bandera County.
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. Bandera Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the Community Grants program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/grants.