Two Bastrop County first-responder groups awarded LCRA grants for heart monitors, PPE, fire-rescue saw

For Bastrop County First Responders, a $15,900 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to purchase two new heart monitors couldn’t have come at a better time.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration pulled its authorization to use older monitors, leaving the nonprofit group, which provides emergency and nonemergency first medical response within Bastrop County, scrambling for new heart monitors, according to President James Green. Replacement monitors cost upwards of $10,000 a piece, which Green said is equivalent to the nonprofit’s annual budget.

“It was a critical, critical grant for us to get that money to make us whole again and allow our paramedics to operate at their full potential,” he said.

On June 7, the LCRA announced the 36 recipients of more than $815,000 in community grants, which included the Bastrop County First Responders as well as the Heart of the Pines Volunteer Fire Department. The LCRA awards grants twice a year for capital projects for volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, cities and counties, libraries, civic groups, museums, and other tax-exempt nonprofits.

The Heart of the Pines Volunteer Fire Department received $19,429 from the LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric for a dozen sets of personal protective equipment and a fire-rescue saw.

Tom Oney, LRCA’s executive vice president of public and regulatory affairs, said the all-volunteer fire department needs the new equipment because a lot of the PPE it’s currently using was fitted for volunteers who have left the department. He said the fire-rescue saw will help firefighters rescue victims from dangerous situations by cutting concrete, rebar and more.

“LCRA places a strong emphasis on safety, and we are proud to support first responders who answer calls for help in all kinds of conditions to protect and keep the public safe,” Oney said.

“We wholeheartedly support emergency workers and believe they deserve to work with reliable, top-notch equipment,” he said. “We are proud to support these organizations in Bastrop and others throughout the LCRA service territory.”

Applications for the next round of grants will be available at www.lcra.org/cdpp on July 1. The deadline to apply is midnight July 31.

LCRA awards 36 community grants

Bastrop: A $15,900 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to Bastrop County First Responders for two new heart monitors to improve emergency care for cardiac patients. 

Bastrop: A $19,429 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to Heart of the Pines Volunteer Fire Department for a dozen sets of new personal protective equipment and a fire-rescue saw.

Blanco: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative to the First Baptist Church of Blanco for new playground equipment at a centrally located community park.

Boling: A $20,000 grant from LCRA to the Boling District Improvement Association for improvements to the Boling Community Center in Wharton County.

Brady: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and the City of Brady for new playground equipment for the Brady Independent School District.

Brady: A $4,762 grant from LCRA and the City of Brady for a new ice machine for the McCulloch County Resource Center, where the Salvation Army provides food and drinks to members of the public and to first responders during emergencies. 

Brenham: A $24,720 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the Gay-Mound-Cedar Hill Volunteer Fire Department, located in Washington County, for several new self-contained breathing apparatuses.

Brownwood: A $12,619 grant from LCRA to the Brownwood Fire Department for a set of specialized rescue jacks. 

Clyde: A $25,000 grant from LCRA to Citizens Emergency Medical Service, a nonprofit ambulance service, for a pair of transport ventilators. 

Coleman: A $20,878 grant from LCRA to the Coleman County Youth Activity Center for upgrades to the HVAC system and energy-efficient lighting at the Bill Franklin Community Center.

Columbus: A $24,168 grant from LCRA to the Nesbitt Memorial Library Foundation for renovations to a kitchenette in a much-used community room at the public library.

Comfort: A $24,993 grant from LCRA and Bandera Electric Cooperative to Comfort Youth Baseball for new energy-efficient lighting at playing fields and a public playground in Kerr County.

Cross Plains: A $20,000 grant from LCRA to the City of Cross Plains for new playground equipment and additional park amenities at the Cross Plains Community Center.

Cuero: An $18,768 grant from LCRA and the City of Cuero for two new self-contained breathing apparatuses for the Cuero Volunteer Fire Department.

Dale: A $16,476 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the Dale Volunteer Fire Department in Caldwell County for new battery-operated rescue tools.

Early: A $50,000 grant from LCRA to the City of Early for construction of a trailhead with lighting, a walkway, educational signage and an outdoor classroom in the new Early Town Center Park and Pond recreation area.

Garwood: A $24,871 grant from LCRA to the Garwood Volunteer Fire Department in Colorado County for a new cardiac defibrillator.

Giddings: An $11,349 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to Lee County Amateur Radio Emergency Services for new radio communications equipment.

Goliad: A $4,935 grant from LCRA to the Ander-Weser Volunteer Fire Department in Goliad County for new personal protective gear and additional emergency equipment.

Granite Shoals: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative to the City of Granite Shoals to remodel the public restrooms at Bluebriar Park, including adding a shower and a drinking fountain.

Hallettsville: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and the City of Hallettsville for a splash pad at Lavaca Swimming Pool.

Harper: A $19,000 grant from LCRA to the Harper Community Park Association for construction of an events office and announcer stand as part of its planned new multipurpose arena in Gillespie County.

Jonestown: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative to the Cox Springs School Restoration Society for extensive repairs to a historic building that once served as a one-room schoolhouse.

La Grange: A $12,000 grant from LCRA and the City of La Grange to Friends of the La Grange Railroad Depot to repaint and make minor exterior repairs to the 125-year-old depot building, which now serves as a railroad museum.

Lexington: A $50,000 grant from LCRA and the City of Lexington for a modified fire engine for Lexington Volunteer Fire/Rescue, which will use the vehicle to battle both structure fires and wildfires.

Lockhart: A $6,649 grant from LCRA to the City of Lockhart for personal protective equipment and emergency gear for Lockhart Fire Rescue.

Mason: A $50,000 grant from LCRA and the City of Mason for the renovation of public restrooms adjacent to the historic Mason County Courthouse, which is being rebuilt after a fire.

New Braunfels: A $14,317 grant from LCRA to the Lake Dunlap Volunteer Fire Department for new equipment, including interchangeable hoses and nozzles.

New Ulm: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the St. John Lutheran Church in Austin County for a covered pavilion, new playground equipment, and wheelchair-accessible sidewalks and table areas at the church’s community park.

Sealy: A $10,385 grant from LCRA to the Rotary Club of Austin County for a new disc golf course at Jacqueline A. Cryan Memorial Park.

Shiner: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and the City of Shiner to the Gaslight Theatre for new energy-efficient lighting in the historic Shiner Opera House.

Tow: A $20,572 grant from LCRA to the Tow Volunteer Fire Department in Llano County for a new rainwater collection system that will supply a fill station for tanker trucks and lessen the need to pull water from Lake Buchanan.

Utopia: A $9,665 grant from LCRA and Bandera Electric Cooperative for construction of a 27,000-cubic-foot metal storage building that will allow the nonprofit Keep Utopia Beautiful to expand its recycling efforts in Uvalde County.

Valera: A $39,200 grant from LCRA to the Valera Volunteer Fire Department in Coleman County for construction of a new building for training and storage of a firetruck and other emergency equipment.

Water Valley: A $50,000 grant from LCRA to the Water Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Tom Green County for a new 4,000-gallon water tanker truck.

Yoakum: A $23,520 grant from LCRA and the City of Yoakum to Yoakum Little League for brighter, energy-efficient lighting for the baseball and softball fields at a city park.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: LCRA, Bluebonnet Electric award Bastrop first-responder groups grants