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Colorado county has a total of ten fire departments. Every department is 100% volunteer, 246 volunteers in total for 2024. Each one of us is committed to serving the community to the best of our ability. This commitment takes more than just our time, although that is a large percentage of it.
The call to service rings out, wreck on I-10 with entrapment, dinner fork drops to the plate, boots get put on, grab the keys, drive to the station. Arriving at the station.
Bunker or wildland gear is put on, the apparatus starts, awaiting its passengers, don’t forget to grab a radio, as the fire truck goes in route, do we have the best approach yet? Great, Chief is on scene. Chief to apparatus “We have two vehicles involved, one is laying on its side, two people entrapped, one is nonresponsive, the other is vehicle is upright, and occupants are clear of the vehicle.” Apparatus, “10-4.” The conversation in the apparatus then turns to which firefighter is responsible for grabbing tools, directing traffic to keep us safe, cones, and or lighting. “County apparatus is on scene.”
Now each firefighter is focused on the task at hand safely extricating the occupants and get them into the medics care as fast, safe, and caring as possible. Cars, eighteen wheelers flying by at 50 miles per hour, at least they slowed down a little. Stabilize the vehicle, cut the battery cable, if we can, stabilize the vehicle, pop this window, cut the windshield out. We must hurry time is of the essence. Be careful cutting the seatbelt, the passenger is pulled from the vehicle, the medics have them. The driver is pinned, bring the jaws, of life. The driver is slowly and carefully extricated, medics have them from here. Are the firefighters done yet? NOPE The wrecker in now on scene, loads up one vehicle, the other is put back on its wheels and loaded. The pavement is soaked with liquid, is it antifreeze, fuel, or oil? Either way it must be cleaned. Bring the Mirco-Blaze, stretch out a line, bring the broom, grab the shovel, the absorbent whatever it takes to make the roadway safe again. Time to pack up the apparatus, tools and personnel. How about now, are the firefighters done? Negative.
Finally, the firefighters make it back to the station, fill the apparatus with water, clean up any dirty equipment, replenish any consumables, and is there enough fuel to make the next call no matter what it is? In other words, make sure we are ready for the next call to service. Don’t forget the paperwork.
This is just an example of one situation, firefighters handle multiple types of calls throughout a year. County wide in 2024 there were over 800 calls. Ten years ago, the ten departments might have had half the number of calls than we did in 2024. Population growth, technology, ease of travel, are just a few reasons for the increase in call volumes. This increase of calls put a heavy strain on our dedicated volunteers and their families.
What does it take to serve the entire county effectively?
Apparatuses? Command, pumpers, tankers, grass truck, UTV, Boat, and an ariel. Gear? Bunker pants and jacket, helmet, gloves, boots, and hood. Wildland gear pants, jacket, helmet, goggles, boots and gloves. Equipment? Pagers, flashlights, jaws of life, shovels, pike poles, hoses, SCBA, radios, just to list a few. Stations? Each department needs a place to maintain and keep safe the equipment required to serve the community. We could have all this equipment but without dedicated and trained volunteers there would not be a fire department.
How are the departments are funded currently?
Each department can hold up to two fundraisers a year, receive donations, and grants. The county provides a small financial contribution to each department and only three of the 10 receive financial support from the cities. Weimar, Eagle Lake and Columbus. Though the financial support the departments have been receiving is appreciated, it is simply not enough to support the expanding needs of the departments to provide the service our communities require.
Here are a few examples of what we mean. Columbus VDF purchased a new pumper and outfitting it with the proper tools, that apparatus cost a total of $870,644.31. Garwood VDF recently purchased a new grass truck and outfitted it at a total cost of $226,000.00. Let’s take a quick look at the protective gear our firefighter’s wear. A set of structural firefighting gear and a set of wildland gear is a combined cost of $17K.
If we multiply that by the total number of volunteers (246) that equals $4.18M, and that gear is only good for 10 years. These examples don’t even scratch the surface of the needs of the 10 departments. Now think about those prices ten years from now. Fundraisers, donations and grants just aren’t enough, we need to think ahead.
What is an ESD? (Emergency Service District) It is a local government entity, created by voters, that provides stable funding and oversight for emergency services. ESDs are primarily funded by a property tax. ESDs are not a new concept, in fact back in 1949 a special federal governmental entity was created to help provide adequate funding for rural areas. In response, the Texas Legislature created Rural Fire Prevention Districts.
These districts would levy a property tax capped at $0.03 per $100 of property valuation. As the Texas population grew, more areas looked to the legislature to create a better funded form of Rural Fire Prevention Districts. In 1987, the Texas Legislature created, with voter approval, Emergency Services Districts. In 2003 all RFPDs were converted to ESDs.
The Texas constitution has set the standard for the ESD tax cap at $0.10 per $100 of property valuation. This is where things can get a little confusing. The current proposed Colorado County ESD is asking the voters to set the “APPROVED TAX RATE” at $.010 per $100, the state maximum. The justification behind this request of the state maximum can be explained by lessons learned from other ESDs created around the state. One such ESD received the voter “APPROVED TAX RATE” set at $0.0298 per $100. Years later this rate is not enough to continue to serve the community with high standards set at the ESD’s conception. A change to the “APPROVED TAX RATE” must be done through a public election, thus far each attempt to raise the approved tax rate has failed.
Now once the approved tax rate is set, this is important, does not mean that the ESD board must tax at the maximum. Let me explain, every year each of the 10 departments must submit a budget. The board must evaluate and approve the ESDs budget, once that occurs, then the board will set the yearly tax rate up to the approved tax rate.
Understanding this paragraph is paramount. The ESD board would be able to adjust the rate ensuring both the departments and the taxpayers are working to towards common goals. The best fire departments possible at the best tax rate for the community we serve. Remember most of us are taxpayers as well.
With the explanation of what an ESD is, the next question is what will it do for the firefighters and the citizens of Colorado County?
Our firefighters spend countless hours planning, organizing, and executing the fundraisers that we rely on for operating expenses. The ESD would allow the departments to transition those manhours to training within each department and cross training between departments, ensuring a cohesive atmosphere at fire scenes.
The commitment to serve the community requires specialized training and equipment, especially with the advancements in technology. TEEX is an extension service of Texas A&M Engineering in College Station. They offer over 130 specialized classes for Fire and emergency services. In fact, the class I just signed up for costs $700, and is an online course.
Then the next class I will take is a hands on, with a live fire in College Station costing my department another $700 plus accommodations for my weeklong stay. With the ESD this training would be readily available to all members in all ten departments. The benefits of a well-trained fire department would be priceless.
Something I value is transparency and accountability when it comes to my tax dollars. The ESD would provide just that, financial and operational decisions. The board would create a centralized structure for emergency services, ensuring standardized operations across a district.
Moving closer to the vote, the plan is to hold multiple townhall meetings to have better informed public. I understand there are a lot of unanswered questions. I urge each person to write down those questions and be prepared to ask them. I personally want each of you to know what you are voting for in May.
I believe that we are voting for the future. The future looks like a unified county fire department, trained, equipped, committed, and selfless to serve the great people of Colorado County. I, Brian Emmel, wrote this article as President and a Captain in the Columbus Volunteer Fire Department, I hope this sheds a little more light on the ESD and causes you to ask yourself “where will the Fire department be when I need them the most?”
