GVFD to purchase rescue boat with LCRA grant, 20 percent match

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GONZALES — Gonzales Volunteer Fire Department soon will be able to purchase a rescue boat and motor thanks to a $7,108 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The grant, along with $1,777 in matching funds from the volunteer fire department, will allow the department to purchase a much-needed watercraft, which will be housed at the fire station and will be the first rescue boat in the county.

“Thanks to this grant, we will have a reliable swift-water rescue boat in our county,” said Keith A. Schmidt, Gonzales VFD fire chief. “Before, we would have to rely on privately owned boats that were not equipped for flooding conditions and were not readily available for immediate deployment.”

Currently, 15 of the 42 Gonzales volunteer firefighters are swift-water certified. With the new boat, the team will be able to quickly deploy a swift-water rescue team at a moment’s notice. The new watercraft will be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Gonzales is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.

"The grants help local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects that might otherwise not be possible," Schmidt said.

Schmidt said the department plans to order the boat this month, from Rescue Gear in Austin.

"There is not a rescue boat in our county, and when we have flooding, we either have to wait on a state agency or deploy privately owned water craft," Schmidt said. "The privately-owned boats are not equipped or configured for these flooding conditions."

Schmidt said with the purchase of this boat, the department will be able to respond to water emergencies with the right personnel and equipment to be effective and safe.

"We currently have 15 of our 42 firefighters that are swift water certified," Schmidt said. "After the receipt of this water craft we will obtain the necessary training to deploy it in a safe and effective manner."

GFD and GVFD services more than 40 percent of Gonzales County, including the Guadalupe and San Marcos Rivers, as well has two lakes, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority's Lake Wood (H5) and Lake Gonzales (H4).

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