LCRA awards $4,861 grant to Smiley Marshal’s Office

LCRA representatives present a $4,861 grant to the City of Smiley Marshal’s Office for new safety equipment. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Elizabeth Ehlers, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Ellis Villasana, mayor pro tem; Jason Criollo, deputy marshal; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Jason Torres, city marshal; and Mark Valli, corporal.

Contributed/LCRA

Posted Thursday, May 8, 2025 5:26 pm

Special to the Inquirer

The City of Smiley Marshal’s Office soon will be able to purchase updated safety equipment, thanks to a $4,861 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant will enable the department to purchase two automated external defibrillators, as well as safety vests and tools to help deputies more safely assist stranded motorists.

“There’s no other tool that can replace an AED,” said Jason Torres, city marshal of Smiley. “We are all CPR certified, but an AED gives the person experiencing a medical emergency more of a fighting chance. Without an AED, we rely solely on CPR, and though CPR definitely helps, studies show that the earlier a person can be shocked, the better chance of survival.”

The office is primarily made up of reserve deputies, and Torres said the department does not have the revenue necessary to buy the new equipment on its own.

“Smiley is a small town with less than 500 residents, and many of them are below the national poverty line,” Torres said. “The closest EMS station is about 15 minutes away, and that 15 minutes can be devastating to someone having a heart issue. Carrying the AEDs in our vehicles will help us get potentially life-saving help to people sooner at a time when every second counts.”

The department also will purchase new reflective vests and tools such as tire inflators, impact wrenches and mechanics tool kits for their vehicles to assist motorists who have a flat tire, break down or have a traffic accident.

In addition to serving the City of Smiley, deputies respond to emergencies throughout Gonzales County.

The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible 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.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July 2025. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.