LCRA awards $50,000 grant to Belmont Volunteer Fire Department

A $50,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority will help the Belmont Volunteer Fire Department purchase a new mini pumper truck and extrication equipment to help with response efforts during emergency calls.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $337,307 in matching funds from the department, will help the VFD gain better access to property and people in life-threatening situations.
“The mini pumper truck is going to be a much more versatile truck for us that we can take out to rescue calls and house fire calls,” said Brian Schauer, Belmont VFD fire chief. “Many of our areas are hard to get to, so this truck will make it easier for us to get to different locations.”
The department also plans to update its extrication equipment with new battery-powered tools, which will speed up response time and reduce the number of firefighters needed to operate the equipment.
“We plan to purchase a package of rescue tools that will include the Jaws of Life, spreaders, rams and more,” Schauer said. “They will be made with more advanced technology compared to what we currently use.”
LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said the new truck and equipment will help keep Belmont VFD prepared for any type of emergency. 
“The new truck will have many new capabilities, making it an important addition to the department’s fleet,” Wilson said. “Not only will it be able to store the new life-saving equipment, it also can hold a significant amount of water and access rural areas, which will make a difference in the communities served by the department. I’m proud that LCRA can provide this grant to support the firefighters and the residents in the area.” 
Belmont VFD operates in Gonzales County and provides mutual aid to all departments in Gonzales and Guadalupe counties and several other departments in the surrounding area.

The community grant is one of 44 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. 
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.