October is Fire Prevention Month, and across Austin County, firefighters carry the message of safety. In Bellville, fire engines pull up to schools with lights flashing and sirens wailing, to the delight of children and adults alike. Teachers try on bulky yellow bunker suits and children tour the big red engines. In Sealy, Shelby, Wallis, San Felipe, Frydek, Industry, Cat Spring, Bleiblerville and New Ulm, volunteers in turnout gear show kids that firefighters aren’t just heroic figures – they’re neighbors.
“We talk to the little ones about calling 911, and fire safety, and the difference between toys and tools, like matches,” says Jason Greene, a former industrial firefighter who started volunteering with Bellville’s fire department after moving to town 10 years ago. In addition to responding to fire and emergency calls, Greene engages in community outreach through activities like Fire Prevention Month and presentations to Bellville High School’s law enforcement classes.
“We’ve got some guys with 30 years in Houston fire service and others just starting out,” Greene says. “But everybody here is 100 percent volunteer.”
Volunteer firefighters balance family, work and service. Some work for themselves or in companies that let them drop tools and run when the pager goes off. Others are retirees who bring decades of wisdom to young recruits. They respond to EMS calls, grass fires, car wrecks and lightning strikes. They sell barbecue plates and raffle tickets to keep rigs rolling. They teach fire safety to children and CPR to adults.
Today, about 80 percent of firefighters in Texas are volunteers. Every fire department in Austin County is all-volunteer, except for Sealy, where a small crew of paid professionals is on duty around the clock in a largely volunteer department.
Robert Handly spends half the week at his manufacturing company in Houston. However, he has still found time to volunteer with both Cat Spring and Bellville fire departments since 2014.
“I had a couple of friends in Bellville who wore these pagers that would go off, and they would just look at each other and leave. I felt like I was missing out,” he said. Handly, an EMT, had to complete 40 hours of training before he could go into a burning building, but it was worth it. “Responding to fires and car wrecks is my cup of tea,” he said.
But recruiting volunteers is a challenge these days. “We’re losing guys to age,” he said. “All over the area, recruiting is down.” That’s a common problem for volunteer fire departments throughout Texas, as the population ages and volunteering in general is declining.
At the smaller Shelby Volunteer Fire Department, Assistant Fire Chief Berrie Epzel said his 15 fellow volunteers come from all walks of life. “One is a contractor, one owns a tractor company, some are employed, and some are retired like me. Sometimes when a call comes in, it’s just us senior citizens,” he said.
“We’re very rural. Our biggest fire calls are grassfires. Seventy-five percent of people don’t pay attention to the wind and weather conditions, and it’s very easy for a controlled burn to become an uncontrolled burn,” he said. Like other Austin County fire departments, Shelby’s volunteers face not only emergencies but also constant financial pressure. Remodeling their firehouse will cost a couple of hundred thousand, Epzel said -- a heavy lift in a town where every dollar comes from donations and grants.
For Bleiblerville’s Fire Chief Shane Siptak, Fire Prevention highlights the adaptability of volunteers who have learned that rural firefighting involves different tactics. Siptak said his 30 volunteers respond to lift assistance for EMS, grass fires, wrecks, the occasional house fire, downed power lines after a bad storm, and even evacuating people after pipeline leaks. “We have good equipment; we’ve gotten quite a few grants over the years,” he said, “and we have lots of support from the community.”
Few people exemplify the spirit of volunteer service better than Austin County Judge Tim Lapham. As the county’s chief administrator, he wears a suit in the courthouse. As Chief of the Cat Spring Volunteer Fire Department and a volunteer for Bellville FD, he wears bunker gear.
“I’ve been a volunteer fireman since 1993,” Lapham said. The Cat Spring VFD counts about 30 to 35 members, with 20 to 24 active volunteers, he said. He has been a volunteer firefighter since 1993.
On Tuesday nights, Cat Spring VFD holds training sessions. “You show up, we’ll do something to get you involved,” Lapham said. “Smaller departments let you do more things. We put our people on the trucks and give them a good environment. We haven’t had recruitment issues. This really is a big brotherhood.”
Like most Austin County VFDs, Lapham said the most calls are for medical emergencies. “We don’t have an ambulance in our district, so we can usually get to them 15 minutes ahead of EMS. If it’s something drastic, we call for senior paramedics. The second most common calls are for grass fires.
Community support is strong here, too. Cat Spring VFD’s big barbecue and raffle fundraiser, held each April, is a major community event.
“We’re going to replace our rescue truck,” Lapham says. “The one we have is 30 years old. We bought it off eBay from a California fire department 15 years ago. If you’re in a car wreck or having a heart attack, that’s the truck that’s coming for you. I don’t know too many people who would drive a 30-year-old truck to an emergency.”
While a new truck would cost $250,000, they’ll cut the cost in half by mounting the functional part of the truck onto a new chassis, cab and driveline. “When we show people we’re using their money wisely, they back us,” he said. In a small community, oftentimes you know the people you’re going out to help. They’re your friends and neighbors.
In the end, it’s all about community and caring. That’s the bond that makes the work of Austin County’s volunteer fire departments something special.
Fire Prevention Tips from Austin County Firefighters
- Don’t throw rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in the trash – EVER! They can start fires. Recycle them at the Bellville Recycling Center, 600 W. Nichols, or any Home Depot or Lowe’s store.
- Before doing a controlled burn or brush fire, notify the Austin County 911 Dispatcher (979) 865-3111.
- Never leave a burn pile unattended until it is entirely out.
- Check smoke detectors every month; replace batteries twice a year.
- Teach children how and when to dial 911.
- Have a family escape plan and practice it twice a year.
- Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
- Use caution with space heaters and never leave them unattended.
- Clear brush and debris away from your home to reduce wildfire risk.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Susan Yerkes is an award-winning journalist and travel writer based in San Antonio. Her heroes have always been volunteer firefighters.
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