The first history of the Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department was prepared by Welty  Wright in June, 1997.  The was a significant level of activity between 1997 and 2003.  Bit and pieces of this activity was captured by numerous individuals but was not consolidated for publication.  During the spring of 2003, fireman Ken McConnell consolidated al; available information and prepared this up to date history of the department. 

        The Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department, hereafter called VFD, is a non-profit, all volunteer group.  The Commissioners Court of Gillespie County assigned responsibility for fire protection for the Southwestern portion of Gillespie County to the Tierra Linda VFD, basically voting precinct 15.  The VFD also provides mutual aid to neighboring fire departments in other areas of Gillespie County, as well as Kerr County, upon request. 

        Although the Tierra Linda VFD is a separate entity from Tierra Linda Ranch, the fire station is located on a plot of common ground ranch property as agreed by the Tierra Linda Board of Directors via a 20-year titled land use agreement granted on November 24, 1987.  The fire station pays for their own utilities except water, which is provided by the Ranch from the water system located at the Ranch Manager's house in exchange for the wranglers house being hooked up to the VFD septic tank.  The VFD maintains a close cooperative effort with the Ranch Homeowner's Association Members, the elected Board of Directors, the Ranch Manager and other Ranch Employees.

         The Tierra Linda VFD originally began circa 1981 with very basic equipment consisting of a stock sprayer that belonged to the Ranch, some wet burlap sacks, fresh cut cedar branches and a few hardy souls willing to use such basic equipment to tackle a fire. 

        A Tierra Linda Homeowner during the late seventies and eighties (Tom Scollard), envisioned bigger and better things for our area.  He was a business owner in Harper, as well as being a volunteer with the Harper Volunteer Fire Department.  After promoting the idea of a Harper sub-station at Tierra Linda Ranch, the County Commissioners agreed to transfer a 1968 Chevy fire truck from Harper to this sub-station provided we house and maintain it.  This dual-wheeled vehicle was powered by a 366 cu big block engine and for a pump engine had an auxiliary 6-cylinder motor mounted crossways behind the cab to run the 300 gpm capacity pump.  The vehicle also had a foam system, and carried 500 gallons of water.   

        In 1983 Tom Scollard was appointed as the Assistant Chief, Harper VFD,  Tierra Linda Sub-Station.  Since a fire station did not exist at the time, the truck known as Pumper 4, was housed in the Red Barn.  During a severe winter, the pump on the truck froze and burst.  After rectifying that problem a propane heater was installed to prevent any future such occurrences, but due to the "airy" conditions of the Red Barn, it soon became obvious that the propane costs were excessive.  The decision was made to build a fire station to properly house the equipment. 

        Upon Tom Scollard's resignation, Welty Wright became the Assistant Chief of the Tierra Linda Sub-Station.  About a year later, John Sheehan assumed this position in 1986.  During the year, Mr. David Rooke secured the donation of a 1000 gallon tanker truck from Dow Chemical Company. 

        The bi-annual Trash and Treasure Sale by Tierra Linda Ranch residents was one of the primary funding sources for operation of the VFD during the early years.   The sale in 1987 raised a portion of the required funds towards construction of a new fire station.  This, along with a fund drive to solicit donations towards the building resulted in completion of the new fire station during 1988 while John Sheehan was the chief.   In August of 1988, an application was submitted to Gillespie County for private sewage system approval, which was promptly approved.  Numerous people are deserving of grateful thanks for their part in raising the necessary funds, as well as providing an untold amount of volunteer labor.  The buildings' completion was celebrated with an open house on November 12th, 1988 and was attended by approximately 100 people.

       The VFD operated with the two trucks until 1991 when an anonymous donation of $42,000 made it possible for the department to obtain a 1990 GMC with a 1500 gallon water tank.  This truck, designated Tanker 6 at the time and commonly called the White Tanker, was outfitted with a 300 gpm pump and was designed to more closely fit the department needs.     

        In 1993, Lou Treftz assumed the position of Assistant Chief, Harper VFD, Tierra Linda  Sub-Station.  By this time it was apparent that the needs of the department could be better served if the VFD were to become an independent department rather than continue as a sub-station of the Harper VFD.  After the necessary actions were accomplished and approved, this independent status was achieved on August 24, 1993.  With approval of this independent status, Lou Treftz's title was changed to Fire Chief of the Tierra Linda VFD.  Also at that time, title for the 1968 Chevy Fire Truck that belonged to the Harper VFD, but assigned to the foregoing Tierra Linda Sub-Station, was transferred to Tierra Linda VFD for a nominal fee, with the proviso that should we decide to get rid of it, they had the option of buying it back for a similar amount.  Along with this, the 1000 gallon pumper that had been donated to us by the Dow Chemical Company back in 1986 was donated to the Harper VFD. 

        Shortly after attaining independent status, in August 1993 the departments' Articles of Incorporation was submitted to and approved by the Secretary of State, State of Texas.  A certificate of Incorporation was issued in September 1993 under 501(c)(4) and as such, the corporation would be subject to the state tax laws but did not approve an exemption of sales tax and use tax on purchases. If deemed appropriate, the department could apply to the Comptroller of Public Accounts for such exemption.  It also declared that contributions or gifts to a tax exempt VFD that were exclusively for  public purposes are deductible under section 170 (c) (1) of the code.

        During 1994 Lou Treftz and his wife Sarah, became certified First Responders for emergency medical service.  Access to this service was through the 9-1-1 system in Kerrville although continuing education was through Gillespie County.  The Treftzs' continued in this capacity until moving out of the area.

        Soon afterwards, another fund drive led by David Rooke and coupled with a $10,000 grant from the Texas Forest Service enabled the department to purchase a new 1995 4-wheel drive GMC 3500 chassis with a 454 c.u. gas engine coupled to an automatic transmission.  This chassis was outfitted with the appropriate equipment that  turned it into a much-needed brush truck.  This truck was fitted with an advertised 300 gallon water tank, but later calculations showed it to be something less, only about 230 gallons.  This vehicle was equipped with an auxiliary pump engine coupled to a 300 gpm Hale Pump and had two whip lines, a hose reel with 150 feet of one-inch hose, as well as a Class A Foam System.  The department owes deep gratitude to the efforts of many, but especially Lou Treftz and Dar Esh whose skills and long hours of dedicated labor turned this into a badly needed viable brush truck.  Today this truck is designated Brush 420.

        In 1996 Lou Treftz completed a 3-year stint as the Fire Chief and Jim Caldwell was elected to succeed him. 

       During the summer of 1997, a dry hydrant was installed near the roadway at the lower end of the upper lake on Tierra Linda.  This considerably improved the ease and convenience of drafting water from the lake to fill the fire trucks. 

        In 1997, Tom Kutscher, a fairly new resident in the fire district joined the fire department.  Since he had 30 years experience as a professional fire fighter and with his vast wealth of knowledge, experience and willingness to share that, he provided training programs that had not been previously available.  The following year he was elected as the new fire chief, replacing Jim Caldwell. 

        Early in 1998, an aggressive fund drive was launched to enable the purchase of a refurbished attack tanker which would enhance our capability against structure fires, as well as providing tanker capability to re-supply brush trucks.  There were many generous donations made towards this endeavor, most notably from James Avery Craftsman with a $10,000 donation.  In all, these donations coupled with funds from the Trash and Treasure Sale last year and department savings enabled us to order this vehicle from Deep South Truck & Equipment Sales in Seminary, Mississippi.

        Department personnel took delivery of this vehicle at Deep South's Plant in October of  1998 .  This attack tanker was built on a used 1989 Chevy Kodiak chassis with a Caterpillar 3208 diesel engine, although the rear portion related to fire fighting capability was all new.  It carried 2,000 gallons of water and was equipped with a 750 gpm Darley pump, a 4.5 inch draft intake, three 2.5 inch pump discharge outlets and  two 1.5 inch cross lays, each fitted with 150 ft. of hose.  This vehicle more than doubled our total water carrying capability.  Not long afterwards and with prior arrangement by David Rooke, the vehicle was driven to James Avery's Headquarters during one of their Directors Board Meeting to allow them to see the result of their most generous donation towards it's purchase.  This unit was designated Tanker 431.

        During the summer of 1998, a second dry hydrant was installed on the north side of Tierra Linda Ranch at the dam above the low water crossing.  After experiencing the usefulness of the one at the upper lake for about a year it was felt that another should be added.

        In September 1998 the department received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which provided 24 pagers for our personnel.  With these pagers, the 9-1-1 center in Kerrville or the Fire Chief/Deputy from their home computer can send a page and all department personnel will receive the message near simultaneous, thus greatly improving our response time.  This was a vast improvement over the previous telephone callout system, although that was kept in place as a backup and has proven to be useful.

        Since acquiring the 2,000 gallon attack tanker, Tom Kutscher the Fire Chief, was instrumental in getting the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) to review and analyze the overall capabilities of the Tierra Linda VFD with an on-site inspection during November 1998.  As a  result, we were granted an improved rating of ISO-9, which resulted in a reduction of homeowner's fire insurance premiums for many residents within the fire district.

        During the fall of 1998 another fund drive was launched for the purpose of expanding the size of the fire station.  With the current fleet of fire trucks and more in the planning, additional space was drastically needed.  With a grant of $13,115 from the Lower Colorado River  Authority (LCRA) and the funds raised within the district we were able to add an additional 20 ft. to the rear of the building, providing another 640 square feet of space.  Many hours of volunteer labor were provided by fire department personnel, as well as from Ricky Randle the ranch manager and his employees.  This new addition was a very welcome one, providing sufficient space for trucks and some much needed storage space.  Moreover, it would better serve as a meeting hall for neighborhood meetings and the local polling place in the true sense of community spirit.

        During 1999, seven department firefighter's attended various courses at the Texas Forest Services Wildland Fire-Fighting Schools.

        In the spring of 1999 the department began another fund drive towards the purchase of a second tanker.  Since we’re in a rural area where there are no fire hydrants and a close water supply is often a problem, it was decided that a second tanker was nearly a necessity in order to ensure that an adequate supply of water could be maintained, particularly for a structure fire.  As part of this fund drive, some 450 letters soliciting contributions were sent out in March of 1999.  This year's Trash and Treasure sale too was tremendously successful; that, coupled with the eventual sale of nearly 1,100 cookbooks by a dedicated group of Tierra Linda residents provided over $20,000 for the fire department in 1999. 

        Coupled with this fund drive the department began investigating the possibility of selling the White Tanker (Tanker 6) in order to use those monies toward the purchase of an additional tanker.  This vehicle was later sold to the Center Point VFD for $40,000.  Although it had served the department well, it was a standard shift with a two-speed axle and some of our personnel had difficulty driving it.  The actual sale occurred in June of 2000.  Simultaneously, the department began investigating the possibility of applying for grants for an additional brush truck since the vast majority of our responses involved brush and/or grass fires.

        In August of 1999, the department was fortunate enough to be able to purchase Nomex fire-fighting coveralls and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) approved fire-fighting leather boots for each member.  Each fire fighter was charged $100.00 for their boots and at the end of the first year they are eligible to receive half their money back and at the end of two years could receive the remaining portion.   In reality, most personnel have chosen not to take the money back and have chalked it up as a donation instead.  These fire-retardant coveralls and boots provide an additional safety margin of protection over everyday clothing.

        On October 16^th of 1999 an Open House was held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Month.  This served to show district residents our equipment and to give them some appreciation for the results of their donations and to see how it had been applied towards increasing the departments fire protection capabilities. 

        Also during 1999, the department became an active participant in the Kerr Area Rural Fire Association (KARFA).  This association involves all area fire departments and generally holds a monthly meeting, often at one of the participating departments.  This organization strives to improve and enhance mutual aid and common problem solving among the participating fire departments. 

        In April 2000 the department discovered that in order to be eligible for grants from certain foundations that could possibly help us, we must be a tax-exempt organization per section 501(c)(3).  To change our status, IRS Form 1023 was submitted for a new recognition of exemption along with the necessary amended Articles of Incorporation for the department.  This was submitted to the Secretary of State, State of Texas.  At our request, the change of status was approved within days of submission and  qualified the department as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code of 1954, charter #01283231-01.  This qualified us as an tax-exempt organization and thus eligible for grants from certain foundations that required such.

        Not long afterwards, several grant requests were submitted;  (1) the Hal & Charlie Peterson Foundation for $22,500, (2) the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country for $3,500, (3) to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) for $22,500 and (4) to the Texas Forest Service for $10,000 .  If successful, all of these funds would be used towards the purchase of a new brush truck. 

        During May of 2000 a second 2,000 gallon tanker was ordered from Deep South Truck & Equipment.   Acquisition of this additional tanker had been in the planning stages for sometime and sufficient funds were now available for it’s purchase.  This truck was to be nearly identical to our current tanker that was obtained from Deep South in October of 1998. 

        During June of 2000 we received notification from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) that our grant request had also been approved for $22,500 towards the purchase of a new brush truck.  The official presentation was later accomplished at the fire station; the LCRA Representatives were accompanied by a photographer for a picture-taking session, one of which was later run in the Fredericksburg Newspaper.     Moreover, the additional grants that had been submitted to the Peterson Foundation and the Texas Forest Service were soon approved towards the purchase of a new brush truck, in amounts of $22,500 and $10,000, respectively.

        Beginning around June of 2000 the fire chief began a 10-week pump operator's course for several interested department members.  Those that completed the course and underwent practical training on each of the fire trucks then became authorized driver/operators.  With the inherent interruptions along the way, the course wasn't completed until near the end of the year.  During this period there were several practice driving sessions held that involved close quarter operations and backing maneuvers, not to mention routine driving familiarity. 

        Later during the month of July 2000 while enroute to assist Medina VFD with an out-of-control brush fire, our 1989 Chevy attack pumper, designated Tanker 431, overturned with three firefighters onboard.  Luckily, no one was seriously injured but as a fire-fighting unit, the tanker was deemed totaled.  Fortunately, certain on-board equipment, the 750 gpm pump and other items from the chassis itself were salvageable.  

        The insurance action was finalized in near record time.  The department was able to re-purchase the wrecked tanker from the insurance company for a very good price, which in turn was used as a trade-in towards a replacement.  Although the tanker had been deemed a total loss, there were still many usable parts to include the pump, an expensive item.  Since the department had planned to purchase a second similar tanker anyway after having sold the 1990 White Tanker to Center Point, an additional tanker was placed on order with Deep South.  They sent a tractor-trailer to pickup the totaled tanker and return it to their plant.  Since this left the department with a very limited capability, the 1968 Chevy truck and the 1995 GMC brush truck, Deep South was encouraged to provide at least one of the tankers as soon as possible.   

        The department was able to purchase new radio's for three trucks during September 2000 that would include the new tankers and the new brush truck.  Advantage Communications in Kerrville programmed each as directed and each vehicle was later taken to their facility for installation.  These Motorola Radius M1225 radio's have 14 frequencies programmed in and cover all those deemed appropriate for our fire district.       

        September 2000 also saw a very important working aid come into being with Mike Lannan's "Map Book".  After driving practically every road within our fire district with a GPS system and incorporating that info into a grid of maps, any given location should be fairly easy to find.  These maps have been placed in a notebook, there is a notebook in each truck, as well one at the fire station for easy reference. Moreover, Mike included a listing called "Landmark Directions from the Fire Station" which gives directions from the station to a given street/road/ranch name.  This notebook has proven invaluable since it's extremely important to know your destination prior to leaving the station.   He is to be commended for his diligent efforts in making this valuable working aid.

        During September of 2000 our department was one of several participants involved with a wild land fire of considerable size in the Sheppard-Rees area outside Kerrville.  In addition to all local departments, Forest Service units from other states as well as U.S. military manpower and equipment was involved.  Both fixed-wing aircraft & helicopter units participated in air-dropping water taken from the river nearby.  For 6 days straight, our department participated with our only brush truck at the time, Brush 420; fortunately, we had sufficient manpower to permit approximate 4 hour rotational shifts throughout the day.  In all, the fire consumed almost 1,000 acres, but at the same time, provided valuable experience for all involved.

        At this point sufficient funds had been raised to permit the ordering of a new brush truck in October 2000 from Deep South Truck & Equipment.  The new brush truck was designed by the Fire Chief Tom Kutscher, utilizing his prior experience as a professional fire-fighter of how a fire fighting brush truck should be laid out and configured.  This vehicle was to be built on a brand new Ford F-450 chassis with 4-wheel drive and would represent Deep South's first attempt at building a brush truck.  Coupled with Deep South’s eagerness to become involved in building brush trucks (prior to this they had dealt strictly with larger units), Tom was able to negotiate a very good price on this vehicle.  The department’s outlay for this new truck was only around $8,000 over and above the various grants that we had been so successful in receiving.  

        October of 2000 saw the arrival of the two tanker's ordered.  Deep South delivered both simultaneously with a flatbed tractor-trailer.  After outfitting these two tankers with all the necessary equipment and having them lettered, they were soon ready to be placed on-line.  These two tankers, now designated Tanker 430 and 431, were built on refurbished GMC TopKick chassis, a 1991 and 1990 model, respectively.  Both of these vehicles are equipped with a Caterpillar 3116T Diesel Engine coupled to Allison Automatic Transmissions.  Each carries 2,000 gallons of water and is equipped with a 750 gpm Darley pump (431 has the pump from the previously wrecked 431), has a 4.5 inch draft intake and three 2.5 inch pump discharge outlets.  Each tanker also has two 1.5 inch cross lays with 150 ft. of pre-connected hose and can be unloaded for use on either side of the truck, since the connections swivel in either direction.

        During this same period, the department returned the 1968 Chevy fire truck back to the Harper VFD.  This vehicle had originally come from Harper in late 1993 with an agreement that they wanted first option on regaining it when we decided to sell it.  Needless to say, they were glad to get the vehicle back, particularly since a water system had been installed throughout town with standard fire hydrants.  With the availability of fire hydrants, this vehicle became their only unit that can utilize a positive pressure water source for pumping; all the others were designed for drafting, i.e., negative pressure.     

        During October of 2000 the department received $3142.58 (in two installments) from the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.  This foundation had been the focal point for donations made to area fire departments involved in fighting the Sheppard-Rees brush fire in September of this year.  Roughly a third of these funds were contributed to the Volunteer Fire Department Fund by various individuals and businesses, with the remaining two-thirds ($40K) having been contributed by the Hal & Charlie Peterson Foundation of Kerrville.  The funds were equally divided among the 20 Hill Country area VFD's, with each receiving the same unrestricted amount. 

        The following month the department was again very fortunate to see a grant having been approved by the Community Foundation for $3,500 to be applied towards the purchase of the new brush truck.  There was an official press release by the Foundation about our receipt of this grant and sometime later after the truck’s arrival,  the Foundation published a photograph of the truck in several editions of the Kerrville Times Newspaper.

        During March of 2001, the new brush truck that had been ordered back in October of 2000 was completed and delivered.  The Fire Chief, Tom Kutscher and another department member took delivery at Deep South's plant in Seminary, Mississippi.  In the process of verifying that the vehicle was configured and operational as per the design plan, Tom questioned the configuration of the foam system.   Although he still had some reservations about it, they convinced him that it was as it should be. 

        After returning to the department with the vehicle, Tom was still bothered by the foam system configuration.  After reviewing the appropriate literature and talking with the manufacturer, he became convinced that the configuration was not correct.  A phone call to Deep South resulted in their coming to retrieve the truck, returning it to their plant, correcting the configuration and delivering it back to our department; all within a matter of about a week.

        We now had a brand new first-class brush truck, designated Brush 421.  As mentioned previously, this truck is a Ford F-450, V-10 gas engine with 4-wheel drive and automatic transmission.  The bed layout has a walk-thru space behind the cab, one-way gates for safety purposes and a one-inch whip line that swivels to either side.  It has a 400-gallon capacity poly water tank, an auxiliary pump engine coupled to a Darley 375 gpm discharge pump.  There is an electrically operated hose reel containing 150 ft of one inch hose, a pre-connected 1.5 inch discharge with 150 ft. of hose, as well as an auxiliary 1.5 inch discharge outlet.  It has an electric prime and utilizes a 2.5 inch hard suction for drafting to fill the tank.  The vehicle is also fitted with a Robwen Hydro-Flo Class-A foam system and has a 6-gallon capacity foam tank. The truck is also fitted with front bumper nozzles that can be activated by toggle switches on the dash.  There are aluminum storage boxes mounted on the sides, as well as a roof rack for storing additional equipment, all of which is sorely lacking on the other brush truck.

        The department, now with two tankers and two brush trucks, has more capability than ever and is certainly the envy of all Volunteer Departments around the area.   The department is indeed very fortunate to be so well equipped, and owes a debt of deep gratitude to Tom Kutscher the Fire Chief, for his resourcefulness and leadership in bringing the department up to such an enviable standard.  

        It should be noted that lettering applied to all of the department's fire trucks have been professionally done by Leo Lamar, of Leo's Gold Line Products located within our fire district.  For the past several years he has done this for the department as a donation, thus saving us several hundred dollars on each truck.   It should be noted too, that our department vehicles were the first in the nation to use the company's new Reflective Smart Gold Lettering.

        During the year, the department began submitting fire reports for all incident runs to FEMA through the National Fire Reporting Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).  These reports are filed electronically via the internet and is yet another item that further enhances the possibility of successfully obtaining a grant submitted to FEMA.  Since these grant requests are screened by reviewer's that were nominated to serve as such by nine fire service organizations from across the U.S., being a NFIRS participant is viewed more or less a requirement in order receive a FEMA grant. 

        In April 2001 two grant applications were submitted to FEMA under their Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant Program for Personal Protective Equipment and Fire-Fighting Equipment.  If approved, one was for the purchase of 24 sets of turnout (bunker) gear that would include NFPA compliance boots, helmets, hoods, bunker pants w/suspenders and coats.   The second grant request was to be for 12 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA's)

        Later in 2001, the FEMA grant for the turnout (bunker) gear was approved and we received $23,447.  This turnout gear was ordered and received late in November so each member of the department now has appropriate clothing for use in attacking a structure fire.  The second grant for the SCBA's was unsuccessful.

        The older bunker coats that had been around the department for years were then sold to the Mountain Home VFD.  Around the same approximate time, various other pieces of old fire department clothing were donated to the Harper VFD.

        Also in April of 2001 the department was fortunate enough to receive $1,050 (which was 50 percent of the total cost) from the Texas Forest Service towards the purchase of a Dolphin Floating Pump.  This Darley Pump is powered by a B & S 4-stroke gas engine is equipped with a 2.5 inch discharge  outlet and is another valuable asset, particularly for use where the surrounding terrain of a given water source often limits a brush truck or tanker getting close enough to draft water. 

        During an informal cookout for fire department members & families on April 20, 2001 George Stewart was presented a plaque designating him as Fireman of the Year.  This was a honorary presentation to George for his faithfulness to our department over a period of several years.  Although not mentioned previously in this history, George had some 50 years experience as a member of fire departments, both in Pennsylvania and in Texas.  He had been a member of the Fredericksburg Fire Department for several years and routinely attended our monthly meetings providing classroom training, as well as practical training with the fire trucks.   Due to his advanced age and declining health, he finally had to stop participating, but he was a true friend to the Tierra Linda VFD.  

        During the month of June 2001, a concrete pad was poured in front of the fire station.  The extra weight of the loaded tankers on the dirt/gravel apron began to take it's toll particularly when washing the trucks and/or during wet weather conditions.  Nearly all the labor involved with installing this approximate 30 X 33 ft. pad was done by the ranch manager and his employees with assistance from several fire department members.    

         On 21-22 July 2001, the fire chief and another member took our new brush truck to Texas A & M in College Station, Texas to a scheduled Fire Convention/Show.  This was done in conjunction with Deep South Truck & Equipment and at their expense in order to display our new brush truck and to showcase their first attempt at building one.  Needless to say, the truck generated considerable interest and proved very beneficial to our members as well, with such a wide array of fire-fighting equipment to investigate and the opportunity to interface with so many departments and equipment manufacturers' alike.   

        During the late afternoon of July 26, 2001 the department was called to assist Kerrville FD with a structure fire.  For practically everyone on the department, this was the first structure fire that had been encountered.    Kerrville's pumper was out of water when we arrived and our tanker's, as well as Ingram's, refilled them several times.  We then used one of our tanker's to draft from a nearby creek dam and pumped water to Kerrville's pumper steadily for some 4 hours.  Unfortunately, the house was a total loss, but nevertheless it provided a valuable learning experience for us.

        In August of 2001 a new air compressor was added to the fire station.  The department was able to sell the old one, thus making the cost of upgrading more palatable.  With the higher air pressure required for the tanker tires, the old compressor just did not have sufficient output, thus a new compressor with higher pressure capability.

        On October 6, 2001 the first of what is planned to be an annual appreciation dinner was held at the fire house for everyone within our fire district.  While it was a lot of work, it was an exercise of public relations, thus thanking the many contributors that have funded our department over the years and to showcase our equipment lineup.  The event was well attended and enjoyed by all attendees.   After receiving several unsolicited donations to be used towards this event, the department's out-of-pocket expense was negligible.

        In November of 2001 the necessary plumbing was installed so that each tanker would have an air hose connected while sitting in the station.  Since the tankers are equipped with air brakes, the purpose of this was to ensure that adequate air pressure would be maintained to release the brakes immediately upon starting the vehicle.  Without this, and usually when time is of essence, the driver would have to wait until adequate air pressure was reached in order to release the brakes and move out of the station.        

        In January of 2002, the fire chief commenced a second 10-week pump operator's course for interested personnel that had not taken it previously.   Only a few of those completed the course but afterwards underwent practical training on each of the fire trucks to become authorized driver/operators.  These personnel also undertook several driver training practice sessions that involved highway driving, as well as close quarter maneuvers and backing operations.

        With our portion of a grant to KARFA, we were able to order 7 hand held radio's in  February 2002.  These were programmed identically to those in the trucks and are primarily for use when outside the vehicle on a fire.  Four were allocated for the trucks with the additional 3 being assigned to the Chief, Deputy and Assistant.

        In early March 2002, the Mountain Home VFD Fire Chief (also a DPS Officer) visited our department to offer advice relative to operating an emergency vehicle.  This was very beneficial for most members of the department and particularly those that were authorized driver's.  It also came to light that to operate a vehicle over 26K lbs, a Class B driver's license is required by law.  As a result, over the next month or so all authorized driver/pump operators undertook the written and driving test at the local Division of Motor Vehicles to upgrade their license to Class B.

        After having been unsuccessful with the FEMA grant for the SCBA's submitted back in April of 2001, a similar grant request was again submitted to FEMA during April 2002.

        May 2002 saw some additional improvements when Tom installed electrical hookups to each of the four trucks.  These hookups require an extension cord be plugged to each vehicle;  this in turn will provide a trickle charge to keep the truck batteries fully charged, as well as the handheld radio's and the flashlight mounted behind each seat.  

        During an ad hoc meeting on July 12, 2002 involving various discussion relative to fire department plans for the future, Tom Kutscher tendered his resignation letter as Fire Chief and as a member of the department, effective immediately!   Needless to say, this was a tremendous shock to most members but his decision had obviously been a difficult one.  However unfortunate, he can be proud of his accomplishments during his 5 years leading the department.  Primarily due to his hard work, experience and his willingness to share that, he was utmost responsible in making the department a viable and recognized one by our peers, as well as the general public, both within and outside our immediate fire district.  His success is a tribute to the qualities which have been the hallmark of his time as fire chief.

        Since Mike Lannan was the Deputy Chief, he immediately became the Acting Chief until elections could be held.

        For the authorized driver's now with their Class-B drivers license and having completed the Operator/Pump Operator's Course, a certification process was initiated in August 2002.  To become a certified driver/operator, each individual had to demonstrate that they could safely operate each fire truck, as well as operate each aspect of every truck.  This involved circulating water in a static situation, pumping water from the on-board tank, as well as from draft thus by-passing the tank.  It was also required to demonstrate the drafting of water from a given water source,  transferring of water from one vehicle to another, the use of the front bumper nozzles on the brush trucks, as well as proper use of the foam system for those so equipped.    

        On October 12, 2002 the second annual appreciation dinner was held for fire district residents at the picnic grounds near the clubhouse on Tierra Linda Ranch.  As occurred with the first such event, unsolicited donations towards this made the expense from department funds insignificant; again, it was well attended and appreciated.  These type public relations events have proven to be very successful for the department overall. 

        During the November department meeting, elections were held as a result of Tom having resigned back in to July.  Mike Lannan was elected to become the Fire Chief, Charlie Orr would become the Deputy and Ken McConnell was elected to the Assistant Chief's position.  At the same time, some new members were elected to the Board of Directors.

        Brush 420  was taken to Seminary, Mississippi in early November 2002 for refurbishment.  Basically, about everything behind the cab was to be changed and/or updated to closely resemble Brush 421.  The vehicle will be outfitted with a new bed layout with a behind the cab walk-thru and a new poly water tank.  These changes/updates will make it more compatible with the other brush truck and will enhance it's overall usefulness.    

        In November of 2002, FEMA asked for some additional information relating to the requested grant for the SCBA's that had been re-submitted during April of this year.  Since this seemed to indicate that the grant may be approved, it was decided at the time to decline the grant, if indeed it was approved.  It was felt that since personnel changes had occurred within the department, we no longer had the expertise to operate or maintain these units, and that more deserving departments existed. 

        During late December of 2002, the department was notified by a representative of Congressman Lamar Smith that our department had been approved for the FEMA grant in the amount of $37,700.   A few days later, an article noting such was published in the Fredericksburg Newspaper, although the dollar figure was slightly different at $36,720.  As noted above, the department notified FEMA that we were declining the grant but apparently this did not work it's way through the system prior to the announcements.  At any rate, the pertinent forms were not returned as required to actually finalize the grant and there has been no further action in this regard.

        During January 2003 some additional hand equipment (shovels/pulaski's/Indian Pumps) were ordered.  These additional hand tools and the Indian Pumps in particular, will come in handy when the terrain and/or remote areas will not permit access by a brush truck or when limited by hose length from the truck.  These pumps too, are often very useful during mop-up operations where only small quantities of water is needed.  In addition, 5 reflective rain jackets were purchased for use during inclement weather and responding to highway accidents.  Slow/Stop handheld signs too were purchased for use in directing traffic as often required when responding to highway accidents.  These signs and the rain jackets will be primarily kept onboard the two brush trucks.

        Also during January of 2003, a grant was submitted to the Texas Forest Service for two portable pumps, two collapsible dump tanks and new NFPA approved fire-fighting coveralls that will supplement and/or replace worn/torn coveralls.

        Late during the month of January the department was notified that a grant had been approved towards the purchase of 16 Wildland Personal Protective Jumpsuits.  The grant will provide for 75 percent of the costs, up to $2,400.  Although department personnel already have such jumpsuits, many are becoming torn/worn and as such are in need of replacement.   This should provide some spares too which will be readily available for any new personnel joining the department.    There was no mention of the remaining grant request relative to the portable pumps and dump tanks.

        The old foam system taken off of Brush 420 prior to taking it to Mississippi for refurbishment was sold to Mountain Home VFD during January for $200. 

        In early February of 2003 a discussion was held relative to adding an umbrella liability insurance policy for the department, over and above our normal vehicle insurance.  It was agreed that with the current suit-happy society we now live in, we should go ahead and obtain such.

        After department personnel having made two visits to Deep South's facility in Mississippi to check the progress of Brush 420, it was completed and picked up on 20 Feb 03.  As mentioned previously, it was taken there in early Nov 02 for a major refurbishment.  Practically everything behind the cab was changed/updated, although the same Hale 300 gpm pump/engine and hose reel was retained.  It was outfitted with a new bed and configured with a behind the cab walk-thru, where a whip line is mounted that swivels to either side.  The steel water tank was replaced with a 300 gallon poly tank, a new Robwen foam system identical to that on Brush 421 was added and the gas supply for the auxiliary pump engine was tied to the vehicle gas tank to eliminate having a separate tank.  A new electrical prime system was added to replace the old exhaust prime mechanism and will still utilize a 2.5 inch hard suction hose for drafting.  The front bumper nozzles were modified to improve usefulness and now can be activated by toggle switches on the dash for much easier operation compared to the previous pedals that were practically under the seat.  Aluminum storage compartments too were added on both sides of the bed, as well as a roof rack for storing additional equipment; areas where this vehicle had always been sorely lacking.  A pre-connected 1.5 inch discharge with 150 ft. of hose, as well as an auxiliary 1.5 inch discharge outlet was added, whereas before there was no 1.5 inch discharge option at all.  This newly configured 4-wheel drive brush truck will now be a much more effective fire-fighting unit and will only add to the inventory of equipment that is the envy of other area departments.  Moreover, the vehicle is no longer painted yellow, but red with a white top.

        Shortly afterwards a new radio identical to those in the other trucks was installed in Brush 420 by Advantage Communications.  Previously this truck had a much older radio system and by standardizing them should alleviate some operational problems often encountered.  The radio in this truck does have one additional Kerr County Sheriff's Department frequency (KSO-2) that the remaining radio's do not.

        On 23 and 24 April 2003 the Texas Fire Chiefs Organization once again held their annual  conference at the YO Hotel Complex in Kerrville.  On behalf of Deep South Truck & Equipment, we showcased Brush 420 at this conference to reflect how a brush truck could be refurbished to improve it's capability and overall usefulness.  On display was a photograph depicting the vehicle prior to refurbishment and of course with the vehicle present, interested individuals could see the vast improvements that had occurred.  This vehicle was the only Brush Truck on display and generated considerable interest.

        On 1 May 03 the Methodist Church in Kerrville extended an invitation to several area Emergency Service Organizations to join them in celebrating National Prayer Day and in the process honoring Emergency Service Personnel.  Two of our department personnel attended with Brush 421 which provided a close-up inspection of a real brush truck by numerous kids, who in turn offered their prayers for all Emergency Service Personnel.

        During the early part of May 03 and after considerable prompting by our Fire Chief Mike Lannan and the Harper VFD Chief Bob Bowers, an agreement was finalized with Fredericksburg VFD where they will page us out for pertinent fire calls.  As part of this agreement, our fire boundary was extended considerably, whereas before areas that were much closer to us was considered outside our boundary but within the Fredericksburg area of responsibility.  Too, prior to this new agreement, the occasional call from Fredericksburg for assistance was via an ever-changing adhoc route that often resulted in the right people not being informed and/or there being considerable delay in responding.  These new procedures should enhance the overall cooperation and effectiveness between the two departments in responding to a fire. 

        During June of 2003 we decided to purchase Workmen’s Compensation Insurance.  After several discussions and investigation into pricing, coverage, etc., it was decided that it would be pertinent for the department to obtain since it does pertain volunteer departments such as ours and the associated risks involved.

        On the 4th of July 03 the department participated in the Fredericksburg Parade with Brush Truck 421 and Tanker 430. The parade was dedicated to all Gillespie County emergency service organizations and was well attended. Rainy weather threatened to interrupt the festivities but luckily it stopped just prior to the parade commencing.

        During early August 2003 Fire Department notebooks that Mike Lannan had assembled were passed out to each department member. Mike put a lot of effort into updating this notebook and it is by far the most complete and comprehensive one the department has ever had. It was designed to where individual pages can be replaced rather than having to replace an entire section when changes occur.

        Also, during the July/August 03 timeframe discussions were underway with Gillespie County officials relative to a nationwide undertaking having to do with Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT). Each county and city/town will be allocated money and equipment to deal with such activities, particularly those having to do with Hazmat that may be passing through our area via road transport. As part of this gearing up process each department member is being encouraged to complete a course via the internet on WMD Terrorism Awareness for Emergency Responders. This course offers a familiarization of the potential for destruction involving WMD and associated terrorism, as well as Hazmat incidents. A portion of this course too is an introduction and use of the booklet "Emergency Response Guidebook". This booklet is an aid for first responders to quickly identify the specific or generic hazards of the material(s) involved in an incident, and necessary precautions for protecting themselves, as well as the general public during the initial response phase of an incident. Each member is being encouraged to complete this initial internet portion as soon as possible; see www.Tamu.edu/Ticc/Training.htm for further details. Further classroom training will be offered at a later date.

        Related to the WMD/Hazmat problem, the department purchased two pairs of binoculars and two GPS units during August 03 and one of each will be placed on our two brush trucks. This will enable personnel to read the placard on a vehicle while well off in the distance and then determine via the Emergency Response Guidebook what the content is and the associated precautions that should be undertaken in dealing with it. All department personnel are being encouraged to further familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Guidebook in order to become proficient in using it.

        During the September 2003 timeframe further training was initiated for potential new driver’s/pump operator’s.  Several individuals desire to become qualified so a scheduled exercise was begun once per week.  Thus far, three firefighter’s have regularly attended and are progressing well.  Once they feel proficient with the larger trucks and feel ready to take the written examination and driving test administered by the DPS in Kerrville, they will be able to upgrade their driver’s license to the required Class B.  After that, each will be required to demonstrate their proficiency of pump operations on a tanker and both brush trucks to become certified driver/operators.

        The department's contract with Kerr County was approved during the late September 03 time period and we will be eligible to receive $1,000. per year. The department initiated this contract since we often assist Kerrville FD and EMS in a variety of situations and of course agree to do so in the future.  This is the first instance of our department being on the receiving end of any money from Kerr County.  Our long time  contract with Gillespie County was also finalized along with a $1,000 increase over what we’d previously been receiving thus raising the new total to $4,960. 

        On 28 September 03 there was an airplane accident at the Tierra Linda Airport. The pilot and passenger were visitors and during take-off experienced strong cross winds causing the plane to go over the bank at about the halfway point.  The department dispatched a brush truck to the scene although there was no fire or obvious fuel leak. There were no serious injuries to the two people on-board but the airplane was declared a total loss.  Fire department personnel remained on scene until after the FAA inspector had completed his investigation, wherein he ordered the runway closed until such time the airplane was removed, which was several days later.

        Also in early October of 03, the issue of the SCBA’s for which the department had been approved a grant from FEMA, arose again.  After an inquiry from FEMA relative to these units, it became obvious that if the department did not accept the grant as approved, it would probably be the death knell for any future FEMA grant.  Since we certainly didn’t want to fall under such a black cloud, further investigations into these units were begun.  A short overview of this grant request reflects that it was initially submitted in April of 2001.  In November of 2002 the department received a request from FEMA seeking additional information relative to these units which seemed to indicate that the grant may be approved.  Since a change in personnel had occurred during the time since the grant was submitted, the department felt that we no longer had the appropriate expertise to use or maintain these units; as a result decided to notify FEMA that we were declining the grant since we felt there were more deserving departments.  Not long afterwards however, the department was notified that the grant was approved for $36,720; obviously our declining correspondence had not worked itself through the system or had not been received by the appropriate person(s).

        On October 18, 2003 the third annual appreciation dinner was held for all fire district residents at the picnic grounds near the clubhouse on Tierra Linda Ranch.  The event was again well attended and serves as a tremendous public relations event which further benefits the department.  This time unsolicited donations were more than the actual cost of the food and materials.    

        As a result on on-going talks with the Texas Forest Service, the Tierra Linda Garden Club and the Department, the Firewise Program was jointly implemented in early Dec 03.  This program, although sponsored by the Garden Club, is a cooperative effort with the Fire Department and a Texas Forest Service Representative.  The overall thrust of the program is to encourage residents to minimize the wildland fire hazard around their home.  These property assessments are done when a homeowner requests such and is done strictly on a voluntary basis.  The Forest Service Rep., a Garden Club Member and two individuals from the Fire Department do the assessments and survey the ability of a home or other structure to withstand a wildland fire.   These assessments will help owners identify features around their buildings that can be improved upon to increase its survivability and to decrease the potential for a fire spreading to even another property.  Further, these assessments involve a review of appropriate access to a property with a fire truck, potential risks that could involve such things as trees, a propane tank and/or other flammable materials too close to a building, and to view any potential source of water availability.  The Forest Service Representative, with the homeowner, reviews the exterior of a home pointing out safety features they may already have, as well as pointing out potential hazards.  After these assessments are completed the owner will later receive a copy of the Fire Department’s report, as well as a letter from the Forest Service pointing out any recommended modifications for the owner to consider that would enhance the overall safety of the home in a wildland fire.   

        After investigating some of the various SCBA units available and talking to more knowledgeable personnel about the various types/options, etc. 12 complete units were ordered through the Fredericksburg VFD in early December of 2003.    The 3000 PSIG Survivair Panther units will be complete with all safety devices, an extra cylinder for each unit, 3 extra masks and a hard-carrying case for each unit.  The Fredericksburg VFD has a full-time firefighter that is a certified trainer/serviceman for these units and will provide such to our department upon request.  Since SCBA’s cylinder’s have to be refilled with specialized equipment, Fredericksburg VFD again will take care of that for us.

        In early December 03 the department received a check from Germania Insurance for $75.00 in appreciation for having responded to a fire call to one of their insured on August 2^nd, 2003.   The insured property owner was Ms. Jane E. Steadman on Morris Ranch Road.

        In late December 03 and after investigating the various portable pumps and drop tanks for which we received a $6,000 grant for in October 03 from the Texas Forest Service, these units were ordered from Darley Pump.  The pump/engine is one unit and is powered by a 4-stoke Honda engine, each weighing approximately 50 lbs.  The collapsible drop tanks will each hold 1,200 gallons and fold up relatively small.  These pumps and tanks were received during the January 2004 timeframe although incorrect adapters were received and had to be returned; the correct ones were received some three weeks later.                        

        In late December 03 the department was notified that we were the recipient of $2,636.08 from an estate inheritance.   A letter notifying us of such was accompanied by a check from the Executor (Gordon E. Sauer, Attorney-at-Law in Fredericksburg) for the estate of Juanita K. Goodner.  The letter went on to say that he (Executor) had represented Mrs. Goodner and her husband, Ralph, for over 30 years and they were supportive of the work our organization did for the citizens of Gillespie County, Texas. 

        On January 19^th, 2004 the department suffered a terrible loss; one of our members, Lynn Druehl, passed away suddenly.  She will be sorely missed by the department for her various areas of expertise, as well as a close friend and fellow firefighter.  A remembrance get-together was held at the fire station on Feb 7^th in her honor.  Numerous donations in her memory were received, along with many nice notes.   With a portion of the donations received in her memory, a Monterey Oak Tree was purchased and planted by department personnel along the West side of the lower lake in Tierra Linda on February 25^th 2004.

        During February 2004 very preliminary plans were submitted to the Tierra Linda Board for approval of a 16-foot extension to the fire house.  After considerable discussion they asked for more detailed plans which have since been obtained from a contractor and submitted.  In the meantime, approval was received from the Architectural Board for removal of 4 oak trees that must be removed for the requested extension; this being contingent upon board approval of the submitted extension plans.  The plan calls for extending the building 16-feet on the east side with the depth being the same as the current building, 60 feet.  The new overhead door will be a 12-foot high whereas the current doors are 10-feet.  Plans also call for the concrete pad to be extended accordingly. 

        The long-awaited SCBA’s were delivered to the fire station on 12 Feb 04.  Hank Dietz of the Fredericksburg VFD was on hand and presented a brief overview of the materials and suggested that each piece be numbered in order to differentiate the individual units, which has been accomplished.  There are 12 units, 12 extra air tanks, 3extra face masks, as well as 12 hard cases for each unit.  As mentioned previously, Hank is also a certified trainer/serviceman for these type units and will provide training on their use at a time of our choosing.   Also previously noted, the FEMA grant covered the majority of the expenditure with the department’s portion being only $4,020.

        On February 23^rd, 2004 the department suffered another member loss with Merv Crake having suffered a devastating heart attack.  After a few days in the local hospital, Merv was brought home on the 27^th and was assisted by Hospice before passing away on the evening of March 3rd.   Merv was a long time member of the department and will be sorely missed.   A memorial service was held at his church on March 8th which drew a huge crowd of friends and neighbors, as well as many members of the fire department.  A tree will also be planted later in the fall in Merv’s memory and so annotated with a weatherproof plaque.

        In early March 2004 the Tierra Linda Board of Directors approved the proposed extension to the fire house.  Now that the appropriate permission has been received several meetings were held to solidify the specifications for the addition that will be submitted to several contractors for bids. 

        Also in early March 2004 the department was notified that we would receive $18K as part of the 2003 WMD Funds allocated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  These funds are being provided for each department to purchase needed supplies/equipment and is to be submitted/coordinated through the Gillespie County. Our list of needs was submitted to the County Emergency Services Coordinator (Ron Derrick) in mid-March and preliminary indications are that there should be no problem with the items specified.  Apparently the items to be purchased are to be chosen from the Fisher Catalog, although if a given item is not available through them or a much better price can be obtained elsewhere,  we may do so but be required to put the money up front and then get reimbursed.

        During March 2004 we received $1,000. from Kerr County after having presented a bill equal to or more than the $1,000; for simplicity, our insurance bill was used since it is considerably more than the agreed to amount.  These monies are the result of the approved contract with Kerr County finalized in September of 2003 and will be a yearly occurrence unless we are fortunate enough to get that amount elevated.

        On 27 April 2004, Mr. Jim Hull, Director of the Texas Forest Service, along with two Forest Service Field Reps, visited the department to recognize the Tierra Linda Community as a Firewise Community.  The community was presented a plaque noting that we are the first in the state to be recognized as such for an existing or already established community.  The event was well attended by the department and many homeowner’s, particularly those that had been involved in the program.   The Kerrville Times Newspaper also was in attendance and published a very positive and lengthy article relating to the award in their 28 April edition.

        As noted back in December of 03, this program is oriented around doing Firewise assessments of individual homes to survey their susceptibility to survive a wildland fire and to suggest improvements that could be made to further their survivability.   As stated earlier, although the Tierra Linda Garden Club was the focal point for this, the Fire Department assisted in each of these assessments, as well as a Forest Service Rep.  The fire department also notes fire truck accessibility, location of any propane tanks or other potential hazards, possible water sources, etc.  The program has been well received in the community and to date, some 46 homes have been surveyed.    Mike assembled a notebook that contains the final reports that were returned fromthe Forest Service Rep which incorporates their notes and/or suggestions, as well as those made by department personnel on each Firewise Evaluation.  This will be particularly useful should a structure fire or a wildland fire occur in the vicinity of a residence that has undergone a Firewise Evaluation; providing particulars as to location of a propane tank or other such useful information for a given residence.  This notebook will remain at the fire station and particulars could be passed to the responding fire crew by the dispatcher should the need arise.

        May 2004 - After having mailed bid proposals to some 15 contractors, only 4 bids were received, with the dollar amount varying from a low to high of over $20K difference.  One contractor’s proposal indicated an estimated completion time of 120 to 180 days; this alone was deemed unacceptable, in addition to the fact that his bid was some $18K beyond the low bidder!  The Building Committee met with the low bidder, Kneese & Sons of Fredericksburg, on May 18^th to review his proposal and to query certain aspects of his plans.  Everyone was in agreement after he explained his proposal, thus a contract was signed by both parties.  Work is expected to commence in the mid-July timeframe although he may remove the 4 trees sometime prior to that.  As stated previously, department personnel will be responsible for hauling the trees off.

        During the earlier portion of July 2004, the two collapsible 1,200 gallon drop tanks were returned to the supplier (Forestry Suppliers) after having been arranged via telephone by Mike.  These units had been purchased late last year by a grant from the Texas Forest Service and during several attempts at testing these units, it was found that they were just not satisfactory.   They could not be filled with water without numerous personnel holding the sides and helping it along; even then, if there was much of a slope to the ground at all, they would just collapse.  As advertised, they could be managed by one person setting it up and filling with water via one of the portable pumps but our experience showed otherwise.   Since these tanks were purchased with grant money, the Forest Service was agreeable to our returning them without any reimbursement to them providing we spent the money on other needed fire department-related items.  A portion of those monies were used in late July to purchase two 50-foot sections of 1.5 inch hose and another 1.5 inch nozzle to assemble a second donut roll for Tanker 430 since this tanker had only ever had one.   It should be noted that we are well pleased with the portable pumps since they are easy to operate and work great.

        8 July 2004 - The 4 Oak Trees were pushed out of the ground and over to the side.  Several fire department personnel cut them up and hauled them to the dump the following day.   Thanks to the ranch manager, John McFadin and the ranch crew for hauling the stumps and real heavy portions to the dump.

        9 July 2004 - Work was commenced for the pad; preparations continued over the next few days and the concrete slab was poured on 16 July.  The slab was kept wet for the majority of time the following day and on Sunday 18 July, the forms were removed, the side was stuccoed and cleaned up in preparation for getting started on the building itself.   Department personnel removed the shelves along the East wall as well as the interior plywood sheeting.  

        19 July 2004 - The workers began dismantling the current building;  basically the East wall and about two-thirds of the roof was removed since the roofline was being extended upwards beyond the previous center.   Over the next few days the building went up quickly with the exterior being completed on 27 July.  Two days later the new bay door was installed which now makes the building completely weatherproof again.   The remaining interior work is awaiting the electrician to move the breaker-box and complete the additional electrical work required.  Once this is done, the steel framing of the old East wall is to be dismantled. 

        The electricians showed up on 4 August 2004 and worked two days and although did not finish their tasks, they did get the breaker box moved which will enable the disassembly of the old steel framing. 

        The metal workers showed up on 10 August to finish up by removing the old steel framing, installation of an awning over the walk-in door, moved the air compressor and installed the air lines to the new hose reels.    

        During the week of 10 August department personnel were able to paint the entire interior of the firehouse; many thanks to new member, Sam Barrett for his expertise and use of his paint sprayer.  After the painting was complete, everything was moved to it’s new location and re-attached to the walls.  We decided to not paint the new roll-up door because it already had a nice finish and of the desired color.   After a through cleaning it became obvious that the two older roll-up doors needed painting so they were painted to match the new one.  The front and back walk-in doors too were painted in traditional ranch colors so as to match the ranch office front door.

         The electricians were there again on the 12^th and 13^th of August and finished everything to our satisfaction.  The outside telephone wire was also enclosed in the electrical trench and into conduit into the building so there will be no hanging wire from now on.

        Fire Department personnel re-installed the shelving along the East wall on 16 August and cleaned all the trucks up.  Although there are a couple minor items to complete, we are back to “normal” and with our new bay expansion complete.  Many favorable comments have been heard from various ranch residents about the new addition and how it appears to have always been that way, as opposed to having that “add-on” look.

        On 8 September 2004, Miles Devine a ranch resident, installed a cipher lock on the front door of the fire station.   The lock is a high quality one that is programmable and one that provides many options.  Initially one number was programmed in for use by fire department members and one for use by pest control and UPS personnel.  Another code provides for disabling the lock if the fire house is being used for community related events such as voting, the Christmas Sing-along, the annual appreciation dinner, etc.  The decision to install this lock came about as a result of our acquisition of several relatively new items that represent a significant monetary sum.  These items, particularly the 12 SCBA’s, that alone have a monetary value in the neighborhood of $40K and are each enclosed in a suitcase-like container that could easily be carried out.  Many other items that could easily disappear are two portable pumps, a floating pump, various lights, GPS units, binoculars and many other smaller items.  Moreover, we are anticipating the arrival of two computers, along with other electronic media that represent significant additional monetary value.  Since Miles is a ranch resident, he provided the lock at his cost and installed the unit free of any labor charge.  He too, has since decided to become a member of the department which is a very welcome addition.

        In mid-September 2004 two laptop computers and a printer was picked up in Fredericksburg.  This was the initial receipt of equipment ordered earlier this year as part of our $18K monies allocated by the DHS for the 2003 WMD funding.   At that time, we were told that some of the items we had requested would not be forthcoming since they weren’t authorized under this program; this was in spite of previously having been assured that they were approved items.   

As a portion of these acquisitions, our department agreed to fund half the cost of a Thermal Imaging Camera with the Harper VFD.  Since this item alone is cost prohibitive for a small VFD, an agreement with Harper was made with the proviso that they would keep physical possession of the camera and make it available to us at any time upon request.  Such a camera can prove invaluable in situations when trying to determine if there is a hot spot in a wall or to check a smoke filled room for a human where visibility is near non-existent.   The Harper VFD took possession of this camera in October of 2004.

        The Departments fourth appreciation dinner was held on Saturday, the 16^th of October 2004.  This annual affair is to show our appreciation to all the people within our fire district for their past support.  Since adding the additional bay on to the firehouse, we reverted to having the dinner there for several reasons; we now have more room, to show off the new addition and that‘s where all of our equipment is on display.

A side benefit is that it eliminates the possibility of being rained out.  The Texas Forest Service had a trailer on-site with a Firewise Education Module to highlight some of the benefits of the Firewise Program.  Simultaneously, a sign-up sheet for additional Tierra Linda properties to be evaluated under the Firewise Program was on hand and several households signed up.

A plaque was presented to Charlie Orr and Ken McConnell for their many years of service to the department and in particular, the numerous hours donated during the recent building addition.  For the first time since we’ve been having the appreciation dinner, a few of the firefighters cooked all the meat on a recently obtained (on loan) smoker that is built inside a horse trailer.  This alone created quite a savings and for the first time also, the beer was donated by two different establishments in Kerrville. 

The event was well attended by probably the largest crowd yet and everyone seem to have enjoyed themselves.  Several donations received towards the dinner again offset any department out-of-pocket costs; donations totaled $1,185.00! 

        During early November 2004 after requesting the status of the remaining items ordered under the DHS WMD allocation, we were advised by the County Emergency Services Coordinator that we had received all of our equipment!  Since that isn’t the case and our acquisitions thus far amount to only approximately half of our allocated money.  After a further query, the department has been told that the 100-watt base radio is on order and will be delivered to Advantage Communications for programming and subsequent installation.

        During the mid November 2004 timeframe 4 trees were planted by fire department members along the North Side of White Oak Creek above the low water crossing.  The department had volunteered earlier in the year to do this as a good will gesture when the 4 oak trees had to be removed for the firehouse expansion.  One of these trees was designated as a memorial for Merv Crake and is so annotated with a weatherproof plaque.  As noted back in February of this year, the department wanted to do this but decided to wait until fall which is a more appropriate time of year for tree planting.  A Bald Cypress tree was chosen since it apparently had been one of Merv’s favorite trees.

        On 24 November 2004 a professional Yamaha Sound System was added to the firehouse.  This system was purchased by Tierra Linda Ranch and is being installed in the firehouse for use during community events held here.  This will be most beneficial for many occasions to enable a speaker to be heard over the usual background noise associated with large a gathering of people.  Although complete installation and placement has yet to take place, it will be a most welcome benefit for all.

        Also in late November 2004 a new multi-function copier/fax machine/printer was purchased for the department.

        In early December 2004 the department received three additional GPS units as part of the WMD funding.  Two of these units will be dash-mounted on each brush truck and powered via the lighter socket and can be in use anytime the truck is being used.  The hand-held units currently in the brush trucks will then be transferred to the tankers. 

        On 9 December 2004, Advantage Communications Technicians  installed the new base radio, which as mentioned earlier, is another portion of the WMD funds supplied by DHS.  The new Motorola Astro Digital Spectra, Model W5 Radio comes with a 100-watt power supply and should provide sufficient transmit power to reach anyone in our area of responsibility and beyond.  We also had an additional speaker added to the East Wall of the fire station to further enhance the hear-ability of incoming traffic regardless of where you are in the building.  An attempt to sell some of our older radio’s and associated communications equipment will be made and offered first to participating KARFA Members.  

        In early December 2004 a sign for the fire station was finally received after having been on order for several months.  It simply says “FIRE STATION”  and is made up of 12-inch black plastic letters that are mounted on two small steel rails.  The rails were primed and painted to match the metal siding of the building and mounted with stainless steel screws to lessen the possibility of a rust problem.  The decision to obtain this sign was made several months ago after having to demolish the large rock holding the old sign for the building expansion.  The sign was mounted on 29 Dec 04 by fire department members and is another welcome addition to the building. 

        In February 2005 the department generated a memorandum outlining procedures and rules for loaning of certain equipment in the fire station.  Since tables and chairs have been routinely used by personnel within our department boundaries for various functions, it was felt that some of these activities were outside the intended use.  The new rules in general are that use will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, although department use and elections will have priority.  Use must be approved the Chief, Deputy or Assistant Chief with the intended use for personal or community benefit functions, not any form of commercial use.   The BBQ trailer can be used by personnel for a ranch or fire department sponsored event as long as it is accompanied by a fire department member and it‘s use confined to the ranch since it is not licensed for the highway.    

        During the February 2005 timeframe, the annual solicitation letters were assembled and mailed.  Since our contract with Kerr County was finalized and as a result our area now encompassing the portion of Kerr County to the Interstate, solicitations were also sent for the first time to those living within that area.  It was noted too, that for the past five years, an average of 42-46 percent of ranch residents have contributed on an annual basis.

        In early March 2005 a smoke mask was ordered for evaluation as a result of a recent fire where the smoke was extremely bad.  It was decided that 10 Whiff Brush Pro Masks, 20 Xcaper Moist Filters and 10 Nomex Carrying Bags would be ordered.  Unfortunately, the filters are only good for a one-time use.  These were all received in the mid-April timeframe. 

        At the March 2005 monthly meeting it was discussed about changing the time of our meeting and perhaps training.  Since some of our newer members have jobs during the day, it was decided to combine the monthly meeting and follow-up training to the first Saturday of the month at 0900.  Previously the meeting had been at 4 PM on the first Tuesday of each month with follow-up training the following Saturday morning.

        In mid-March an application was submitted to the Texas Forest Service for a grant towards 5 additional SCBA face pieces (masks).  Although we have adequate SCBA units, the existing face pieces are already assigned and in order to accommodate new personnel, additional face pieces are needed.  The face pieces are treated as a rather personal piece of protective equipment and from a sanitary point, not readily inter-changeable between personnel without a thorough sterilization. 

        On 28 March 2005 the dry hydrant on White Oak Creek was redone.  In recent months we’ve noticed that it was becoming harder and harder to get draft using the hydrant since one section had become loose and leaking air.  In the process, the unit was lowered which should make it easier to get draft and make it less likely to become damaged by the cows rubbing against it.  Luckily, we were able to salvage the outer portion of the connection where the hard suction attaches which saved having to buy a new one.

        In early April 2005 the department received a check from the Fredericksburg Fire Department in the amount of $500.00.  The owner of Bennett Ranch off White Oak Road had sent Fredericksburg VFD a $1,000.00 check for responding to an approximate 80-acre brush fire during the early portion of  January this year.  Since our department had also been an active participant in that fire, Fredericksburg sent us half of the donation.

        In mid-April of 2005 Mike ordered a Dell Multi-Media Projector.  Althoughthe one ordered will soon be a discontinued model, the specifications were comparable to much more expensive units; the original price was $1,499. and on sale for $1,199.  This unit has been received and will replace the old TV and viewgraph machine and eliminate the necessity of having to make viewgraphs for training.  It’s capable of projecting various sizes on the screen and can be used in conjunction with the computer to project on the screen what is depicted on the computer screen, as well as reflecting the output of a VCR or DVD player, with the audio coming via the new speaker system that was purchased by the ranch in Nov 04.

        The old TV was donated to the Harper VFD on 15 August 2005 for their use in showing training films, etc.  As noted above, since acquiring our new Multi-Media Projector, the TV was no longer utilized and had been taken down from it’s stand.  This TV was donated to the department several years ago by the Wild’s; he has since passed away and she long ago moved out of the area.

        First operational use of our Bunker Gear - during the early morning hours of 22 August 2005 (0347 local) we were paged out to assist the Harper VFD with a structure fire.  On arrival several of our firefighters relieved the Harper crew that had basically already knocked down the worst of the flames.  At that stage, SCBA’s were not required although we had them with us.   According to the Harper Chief, his firefighters were at the point of badly needing some relief and that our arrival was timed perfectly to provide such.  The Fredericksburg VFD also arrived later to provide additional assistance.  Our personnel departed the scene around 0730.

        During September of 2005 word was received of the approval from the Texas Forest Service of a grant that had been submitted for training.   This will be utilized for scheduled training at Bastrop by several members.

        The department’s fifth appreciation dinner was held on Saturday, the 29^th of October 2005.  This annual affair is held to show our appreciation to all the people within our fire district for their past support.  The number of invitations sent out were at an all-time high (some 850) since this was the first year that those in Aqua Vista, Northwest Hills and basically everyone North of IH-10 were included.  Based on last year’s attendance versus the number of invitations mailed out, we estimated some 450 people would be attending.  Unfortunately the number in attendance was considerably less than our estimate, with a count showing around 255 including fire department personnel and their  spouses.  Needless to say, there was considerable amounts of food remaining which was encouraged to be taken home by those still present. 

The Budweiser Distributor (Ben Keith) was again nice enough to donate 8 cases of canned beer and thanks go to Ken Neal for his assistance in arranging that.    A keg of beer was donated by Alan Dorsman, a fellow firefighter and our Training Officer.  Again all the meat was cooked by the firefighters on our smoker over a two day period.  Immense thanks go to some of the cooks since it involved being there in the very early hours of the day such as 2 AM.

Thanks too are extended to the Harper VFD for their loan of the many tables and chairs required.   For the first time several picnic tables from the Stone House Picnic Area were transported to the firehouse area by ranch personnel in anticipation of such a large crowd but as it turned out weren’t needed.

The Texas Forest Service was there again this year with a different, but similar, trailer enclosing their new Living on the Edge Exhibit.  There was also two Forest Service people accompanying the exhibit that were anxious to show anyone interested their display and answer any questions that they may have had relative to the wild land fire dangers involved when living in an urban environment.  Simultaneously, a sign-up sheet for additional Tierra Linda properties to be evaluated under the Firewise Program was on hand with several households signing up for that.

Unsolicited donations received amounted to $1,668.  In prior years the unsolicited donations have paid for our expenses but did not this year since the anticipated number of attendee’s was some 200 less than planned for.   The total costs was $2,114.55 although that included quite a bit of non-edible necessities that can be utilized in the future.

        During November 2005 and for the first time, the Tierra Linda Homeowner’s Association donated $200. to the department for use of the fire station for the annual Homeowner’s meeting on November 14^th.  This also marks the first time in many years that the meeting has been conducted at the fire station since it wasn’t deemed large enough prior to last years addition to the building. 

        Beginning in December of 2005, FEMA began a program through the Texas Forest Service that provides some additional monetary assistance to volunteer fire departments.  This requires a simple report be submitted to the forest service noting the number of vehicles and personnel that participated in a wild land fire.  If the department participates in a wild land fire on a day designated as a “Red Flag Day” (high fire danger), an established formula will calculate the monetary amount due each department.  This calculation is based on the information supplied in the report submitted to the Texas Forest Service.  These funds are sent to the county, who in turn pass the appropriate portion to the department.  Since we often participate in a wild land fire in Kerr County, we will also receive some funds from there as well.

        In early January 2006 the department forwarded a letter to the Tierra Linda Homeowner’s Association Board of Directors requesting that they fund additional lighting on the outside of the firehouse in the amount of $272.xx.  With the additional use by various other entities on Tierra Linda Ranch such as the annual homeowner’s membership meeting, the Christmas sing-a-long, etc., it was felt that with the current limited outside lighting is really a safety hazard during nighttime functions.  The proposal is to put 3 outside flood lights on the front of the building and will be on a separate switch to enable use only for such events.  The department will provide the manpower for such installation so there will be no labor charges involved.  The request was approved and the lights were installed in early March 2006 by Ron Drumheller with assorted assistance.

        On 18 January 2006 a grant request was submitted to the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA), Texas State Office of Rural Affairs in Austin for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).  Since the department has three qualified AED trainers, it is felt that having an emergency device such as this could possibly be a life saver for someone in cardiac arrest while awaiting the arrival of an ambulance.  With our high number of aging residents and the time required for an ambulance to arrive from Kerrville (or Harper) could make the difference whether a person survives or not.        

        On 20 January 2006 the department forwarded a grant request to the Texas Forest Service for a tanker/pumper.  Although we currently have two such vehicles that are functional and physically attractive, they are quite old and have high mileage;  as such, they are increasingly requiring more and more maintenance and repairs.

        On 5 February 2006 the department Secretary/Financial Officer, Ken Neal, tendered his resignation.  After soliciting remaining department members for a replacement, Mr. Zeke Anderson volunteered to assume the duties of Financial Officer but not the secretarial portion.  The appropriate name changes with two banks where department funds are kept were changed to modify signatory authority on both accounts removing Ken and adding Zeke.

        At the 4 March 2006 monthly meeting the department by-laws were changed to reflect that the Treasurer and Secretary positions could be either one or two individuals whereas previously the by-laws had the two positions combined; several other clean-up items were also amended.  Also at this meeting Zeke Anderson and Marcia Barrett were voted in as the new Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. 

        On 8 March 2006 the department was notified that we had been approved for receiving an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), with a formal announcement to be made within the next couple of weeks.

        On 10 March 2006 Chief Lannan ordered a Kestrel instrument, which is basically a hand-held weather station that gives temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, etc.  This unit will be especially useful to have on site when a fire occurs on bad days to influence how a fire should be approached.   The instrument was received on 16 March and will be sized up to see if perhaps more than one is needed; the cost was $140.

        After querying the Post Office about bulk mailing, Chief Lannan applied for such.  This would provide a significant savings in postage for the two big mail outs we have per year, the solicitations and the appreciation dinner.  In mid-March 2006 notification was received that it had been approved which will put the rate per letter at 15 to 17 cents each, vice the current 39 cents. 

        In early April 2006 a grant was submitted to FEMA for a Class A Pumper similar to the one Harper VFD has.  With the aging status of our current tankers and the population growth of the area, dictates that we need to be thinking about and trying to upgrade our equipment and capabilities.  Another grant was submitted to the Texas Forest Service for a tanker.  As stated previously, the current tankers are in reasonably good condition and probably newer in appearance than they actually are; nevertheless they are 15 and 16 years old with relatively high mileage all of which means maintenance costs are on the increase.

        In Early April also the purchase of mobile oxygen supplies were in the planning stage.  These along with other first responder items will be added to the medical bag.  These were received later in the month.

        On the 9^th of April 2006 there was quite a bit of water on the floor of the Firehouse obviously coming out of Tanker 431.  It appeared that there was a rusty place near the left rear portion of the tank.  Although the leak was a fast drip with periodic misty spray, we were hesitant to probe in the area of the leak for fear of making it much worse.   After Tom and Mike looked at it, Tom phoned Deep South (the builder) on 10 April to relay our problem to Howard Ellis, even though the ‘warranty‘ had long ago expired.  After consulting his people at Deep South, Howard said that if we would pay our own expenses to/from the plant, they would repair the truck free of charge.

The water was removed from the truck with the idea that if needed it could be filled with water and be back in operation.  On the afternoon of 14 April a crew was assembled to unload all the equipment since there was no need to take that along for the repair.  Deep South said if we would have the truck there on the morning of 19 April, they would have it finished by the evening of 20 April.  Tom Kutscher and Ken McConnell agreed to take the tanker to Mississippi, Ken driving his own pickup truck in case of breakdown along the way and to have transportation while the truck was being repaired.  Both departed on the morning of 17 April and arrived at Deep South’s Facility around 2 PM on the 18^th.  They immediately began looking into the problem and in approximately 1.5 hours later it was repaired!  The leak was coming from a place that had been gouged by something, the gouge being through the epoxy paint and into the metal itself.  They surmised that it had to have happened while it was being built, probably by something having been dropped into the tank. 

With the repair completed ahead of schedule it was decided to only spend one overnight and depart the following morning.  While there discussions included the possible purchase of a Class A Pumper and perhaps two new tankers, along  with cost estimates for each.   It was emphasized that these purchases hinged on the department receiving the grants submitted to FEMA and the Texas Forest Service, but noted that even without the grants, that we will be facing an upgrade or purchase to replace our aging tankers in the not too distant future.  The trucks departed Deep South on 19 April and arrived back at the  Firehouse on the afternoon of 20 April, some two days ahead of what had been anticipated.  The equipment was loaded back on the truck, filled with water and placed back in service.

        The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was received on 19 May 06.  This along with the mobile oxygen supplies and additional first responder items are in a bag onboard Brush 421.   As a result, response procedures have been changed to where qualified AED Operators will proceed directly to the location of interest.  Other department responders will go directly to the firehouse where at least two individuals will take Brush 421 to the scene since it contains the required first responder items.   Previously almost everyone went directly to the  scene when notifications were received for EMS assistance and/or other medical emergency.   

        During the monthly meeting on 3 June 2006, all attending department Personnel were trained on the use of the AED, although there are four personnel that will be the primary operator’s.  During this meeting, attending personnel were again Re-certified in Red Cross first aid procedures.    

        Chief Lannan and Alan Dorsman attended the Tierra Linda Homeowner’s Association’s monthly meeting on 19 June 2006 to submit an idea of having an AED kept at the Stonehouse that had apparently been raised by several Homeowner’s.  Since the response time is critical when someone is in trouble, the thought was that having an AED on the north side of the ranch near the swimming pool, tennis court and stables, could make a tremendous difference when he need arises.  The Homeowner’s Association approved the purchase of the AED on 20 June with the Fire Department agreeing to order the unit.  The unit was ordered by Chief Lannan on 22 June from Cardiac Science with delivery anticipated in about 10 days; the cost was $1,569.00. 

        The AED was received on 13 July 2006 and placed on the upper shelf in the closet across from the rest room in the Stonehouse (Clubhouse).   Procedures were amended at the time for VFD personnel when responding to a medical assist to reflect this new additional AED and it’s location.

        In the July/August 2006 timeframe 5 department personnel with prior medical experience began the process of becoming certified Emergency Care Attendant’s (ECA‘s).  Through the Red Cross they have thus far renewed their certification in Oxygen Administration, CPR and AED Administration for the Professional Rescuer, Emergency Response, First Aid and Preventing Disease Transmission.  Once they successfully complete a practical test and a state written test, they will receive their certification.

        On 2 September 2006 there was another airplane accident at the Tierra Linda Airport.  The visiting pilot had landed during ‘Airport Day’ and about halfway down the runway the right wheel reportedly locked up causing the aircraft to veer off the right side of the runway, at the highest drop-off of course.   The department was dispatched to the scene although there was no fire or obvious fuel leak. The pilot’s minor injuries were attended to by our ECA people and he refused the ambulance service.  The airplane was obviously damaged but is unknown as to the exact extent.    Three state police cars were in attendance and the FAA was called and showed up later.  After the FAA had conducted their investigation and permission the pilots managed to get the damaged airplane into one of the hangers.

In mid-October of 2006 notification was received from FEMA that we had not been approved for a grant submitted in April of this year towards a pumper. In light of the fact that this was the first attempt, it’s not all that surprising that we weren’t approved although a refined and updated request will be submitted again next year.

The department’s sixth appreciation dinner was held on Saturday, the 28^th of October 2006. This annual affair is held to express our appreciation to all the people within our fire district for their past support. Based on last year’s attendance versus the number of invitations mailed out, we estimated some 275-300 people would be attending. At last years BBQ the estimate was way off the mark and we had considerable food and drink left over, but this time it was pretty close. We were short on the potato salad and even though small servings were passed out it was depleted prior to everyone eating. All the beans too were used but there was about one tray of brisket left over.

The Budweiser Distributor (Ben Keith) was again nice enough to donate 5 cases of beer and the keg of beer was again donated by Alan Dorsman, a fellow firefighter and our Training Officer; for the first time too the entire keg was used up.

Again the briskets were cooked by the firefighters on our smoker and special thanks to those that began the process around 3 AM. Additional cooks fixed the chicken and sausage at the clubhouse grill.

Thanks again also to the Harper VFD for their loan of 25 tables and 250 chairs.

Unsolicited donations received as a result of the invitation and/or attendance was $2,250; our expenses were $1,139. and a portion of that was for non-edible items that will be used over and over.

On 15 November 2006 all radio’s were reprogrammed by Advantage Communications to conform to the new Texas interoperability standard list of names/frequencies. This change will enhance our ability to communicate with any of the area fire departments or even state-wide. Several new names are part of this makeup and it’s been agreed on by everyone involved that each department will utilize the name and not the channel number when requesting a change of communications lines. Channel numbers will still exist per-se although one department’s channel number may not be the same as another department for a given channel name (i.e., Fire Com is our channel 8 but other departments have it on some other channel). Our procedures will be to stay on Fire Com (old Alpha) until directed otherwise by an appropriate authority.

During December 2006 Gillespie County signed a new agreement with the department. The amount received from the County was increased somewhat and for the first time an additional monies were received since we now have certified Emergency Care Attendants (ECA’s), for a total of some $9,100.

Also during December 2006 the Tierra Linda Homeowner’s Board was approached with a recommendation that they fund an Oxygen Tank to be placed at the Stonehouse. This was approved, ordered and placed in the Stonehouse along with the AED there.

In Early January 2007 a grant was submitted to the Texas Forest Service to provide for payment of the departments Workmen’s Compensation. Later during the month, word was received that this was approved and on February 20^th a check was received in the amount of $1,019.00. For further assistance a grant must be submitted on a yearly basis and if approved the amount will probably fluctuate.

During January of 2007 the Chief and Deputy were presented with a Fire Safety and Protection of Human Life and Property Award by the Hill Country Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution honoring the department. The Chief also received a certificate of recognition for all his hard work and department leadership.

During February 2007 four new hand-held radio’s (without numeric readout) were purchased for our First Responders. A paper indicator was taped to each radio to indicate what each channel number equates to; call signs for each individual should be their last name. Later in June, two additional radio’s were purchased for additional First Responders.

During the April 2007 monthly meeting a couple of the discussions involved around assisting EMS and/or stabilizing someone until the arrival of EMS. It was decided to purchase a Backboard and a Neck Immobilizer. In addition, water rescue was discussed since the department had recently been called to assist in such. It was decided to purchase 8 Water Rescue Bags with internal ropes to be thrown to someone in such a situation. All of these items were ordered and received on 20 April 2007; the Backboard and neck brace will be carried on Brush 421. Four bags will be obtained with each containing 2 throw bags and 2 lifejackets; these will remain in the Firehouse until such time a call is received that may indicate their required use. In addition, two manually inflatable vests will be purchased.

In early May 2007 a grant was submitted to the