Now that Emergency Services District #2 [ESD #2] has an agreement in principle with a reorganized Blanco Volunteer Fire Department, the need for additional volunteers is acute.
There are currently about 11 volunteers available to the fire department, but as BVFD’s Lynn E. Hicks explains, that is between 65-90 people short of what it will take to provide an adequate roster under a new plan currently being implemented as part of the reorganization.
“We need a lot of volunteers like we had about 10 years ago,” Hicks said.
Currently, the fire department primarily depends on paid firefighters, with some assistance from volunteers. However, the reorganizational plan calls for the department to have one paid firefighter who coordinates a staff of volunteers. That means the department must have far more volunteers for proper staffing.
“The majority of the calls we get come during the day when most people are working,” Hicks explained. “We need to have enough people to address the needs of the community. While we will have a paid person here at the station during the day, but in order to operate the truck, it takes two people just to get it there. Once you are there, you have to have six people, especially if you are facing a burning building. You have to have an officer in charge, a safety officer, an engineer to run the pump, two people on the line that will have to go into the building and two more to go in and get them if they are in trouble.”
There are numerous volunteer fire departments across the State of Texas. Some are small and some are massive, like the Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department, the largest all-volunteer department in the U.S. For most of its history, BVFD operated without paid firefighters.
Among the challenges facing BVFD’s ability to attract volunteers is the reality that most residents commute for employment, whereas in years past, most citizens worked locally, particularly when the area relied on an agrarian based economy. The fire department is keenly aware of the challenges.
“The new generation is different,” said Lt. Cliff Lener, a volunteer with the department. “The farming generation isn’t like it use to be. For example, I live on a working ranch, but I make 50 percent of my living from a job off the ranch, but there is still cattle and hay to deal with on the property. I think if you look around at people that are involved in farming and ranching, they work other jobs. The ranching part can turn out to be an expensive hobby.”
With that said, BVFD members believe volunteer fire departments can still flourish with good organization and public spiritedness. In fact, all other fire departments in Blanco County are fully volunteer.
The requirements to be a volunteer are simple. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and cannot have a felony criminal record.
Lener said volunteers do not have to be at the department at all times. The primary reason for strength in numbers comes down to coverage, particularly when many residents may be busy with personal endeavors.
“Today is Sunday and most people are attending church services until noon,” Lener said. “Right now, communication between all of us [volunteers] is very important. We try to let each other know when we will be out of pocket. But if there are more people there, we can have that comfort level in knowing there will be someone available when needed.”
There is training involved to be a volunteer firefighter.
“Volunteers can go to grass fires and can go to structure fires,” Hicks said. “But you have to earn enough hours of training before you can enter a burning building or even to get very close to a grass fire.”
The department will provide training to volunteers.
Lener pointed out that BVFD has a Facebook presence that is currently being updated by Duan Tomlinsen, a computer expert that has volunteers. When the Facebook page redesign is complete, the department hopes it will help attract younger volunteers.
Eventually, the fire department would also like to reconstitute its auxiliary to provide assistance, particularly when firefighters are dispatched; however, the plan is to first reconstitute the volunteer roster.
Anyone wishing to become a volunteer firefighter must have available time for training and education. Call 830-833-5009, or drop by the Blanco Fire Station at 503 Pecan Street for more information.
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