Program Narrative for the Bastrop Fire Department Inc.

James Bennett

District Chief

Bastrop FD

Project Description

The Bastrop Fire Department is submitting this grant application for the replacement of a “Service Truck/Engine”. This project is a joint effort between two local power companies and our fire department. The truck we need to replace is a 1982 Chevrolet 1-ton Cargo Van. This piece of apparatus doesn’t carry any water or have a pump. The equipment required to qualify this vehicle as a “Service Truck” has overextend it’s GVW. We have a ladder rack attached to one side of the van with a rack for the “Pike Poles” attached to the otherside. This problem combined with the age, and mileage (over 80,000) has worn the vehicle out. It was purchased used 9 years ago and has served it useable life as a first-out truck. The new “Service Truck/Engine” we want to purchase is a commercial chassis with high-side compartments. The truck will have a high volume pump, 1,500 gpm or higher. The reason for replacement of this truck is the need for a “Service Truck/Engine” with a high capacity pump to protect these two power plants and the other large industries in our community. In addition, we have many safety concerns for our firefighters while operating this truck at highway speeds. The “Service Truck/Engine” will allow us to dedicate a vehicle for R.I.T. response. The equipment we will purchase will make the truck compliant with the N.F.P.A. standards. We already have a large portion of the service equipment, but we will need to purchase the necessary hose. The needed equipment includes, 5” LDH (supply and attack), Attack hose (2 ½” & 1 ¾”), nozzles (monitors and hand lines), Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan, and a 40’ extension ladder.

Major Budget Activity

We have received a quote from a vender for the purchase of this new “Service Truck/Engine” at a cost of $180,000 - $185,000. This truck will include a 5-man cab on a commercial chassis. A pump of 1,500 gpm’s or greater. A 330 hp diesel engine or larger (to drive the pump). High-side storage compartments for the equipment required of a “Service Truck/Engine”. Hydraulic ladder rack, for more storage compartment space. At least 2 large diameter discharges for volume pumping and monitor operations. The variation in the expense of the truck will depend on the biggest pump we can put on the chassis with a large enough motor to drive this pump. If we receive this grant we will take competitive bids from all venders and acquire the most pumping capabilities we can buy with the equipment needed.

The equipment we will buy is to outfit the truck with the required hose needed to comply with NFPA standards. The hose will cost $380.00 for a 100’ section of 5”, the 2 ½” is $210.00 for a 50’ section, and the 1 ¾” hose cost $148.00 for a 50’ section. A positive pressure ventilation fan at a cost of $750.00. A 40’ extension ladder at a cost of $2,000.00. Nozzles for the hand lines at a cost of $1,000.00 for 1 ¾”, $1,750.00 for a 2 ½”, and $3,800.00 for a portable monitor. The rest of the equipment for this “Service Truck/Engine” we already carry. We have earmarked about $2,000.00 from our current equipment budget from the City of Bastrop to ensure that we are able to purchase all the needed fittings and to cover cost overruns. The total cost of this equipment is $20,080.00.

Benefit of this Grant to our Community and/or Fire Department

The greatest benefit to the fire department is the safety factors around our personnel. The “Service Truck/Engine” will be designed to carry the personnel in seats with restraints and all equipment in a safe manner without being overloaded. The replacement of a 20-year-old truck with 87,000 miles will increase our ability to provide a reliable service and increase our member’s confidence in our department. The replacement of this truck will take a burden off our maintenance budget that has been taxed in the sum of over $4,000.00 in the last three years by this truck alone. It will also be a great benefit to our community to obtain a “Service Truck/Engine” with pumping capabilities. Our rapidly aging fleet, with only one engine less than 18 years old, has been overwhelmed by the increase in call volume over the past few years. The explosive growth that our community is experiencing has caused not only response problems, but affected our overall performance. The performance issue comes from lack of pride and/or spending too much time doing maintenance, this tends to burns members out. Our codes have just recently changed to allow for buildings that are taller than our current 35’ ladder. The addition of a 40’ ladder is necessary to allow us to protect these building and for rescue operation.

We have a unique circumstance that will be addressed with the addition of this truck. We have two power plant facilities on one piece of property about 4 miles from town. This project is called “The Lost Pines Power Park”. The two tenants are “Calpine” and “The Lower Colorado River Authority”. These two plants provide 1,100 mega-watts of power to all areas of Central Texas. These 1,100 mega-watts of power supply about 150,000 homes and almost a half a million people with electricity. Right now we don’t have the capability to protect one of the facilities if the other had a major disaster. This truck will allow us the pumping capacity to protect and cool the other plant in such an emergency. The effect of losing one plant will cause a severe energy crisis throughout Central Texas, but the effect of losing both plants would cause a brownout or even a blackout across the region. The two tenants are working together with us to upgrade their protection. They are putting special slabs in place along the lake with dry hydrants for drafting and have committed to supply the $20,000.00 in matching funds for this grant. They are supplying my department with the proper haz-mat training for responding to their facility and we are working with them on an agreement to send 4 firefighters a year to Industrial Fire School. Since the tragedy of September 11, we have had to face these concerns in a whole new light. The reality of a terrorist attack or another form of disaster at this facility, due to the close proximity of these plants together, would cripple not only the emergency response of our community, but throughout Central and South Central Texas. The effect of losing both plants would start a chain reaction of overloads that would start tripping off plants throughout the region.

The benefit of this new truck will be felt all over our county and throughout our community. We respond automatic mutual aid for seven adjoining fire departments and to the call of the other five departments in our county also. The only other departments in our county with “Service Trucks” are the other Cities (Elgin and Smithville). We provide automatic aid to 5 departments that don’t have high volume pumping capabilities even though they have large commercial businesses. The overall quality of service in our fire district will improve due to reliability and confidence. We respond on rescue alarms for an area that covers a quarter of Bastrop County (800 sq. miles total). These runs have caused the most wear & tear on our current truck, so replacing it will increase our response times, that in some areas is 28-plus miles in one direction.

Why Can’t This Project be Funded Locally

Our city is on the out-skirts of Austin, a major metropolitan area, that two years ago moved its airport between Austin and Bastrop. The relocation caused a population explosion not only in our city, but also in our entire county. The plans for our future 10-year growth have already been exceeded and there is no end in sight. Every tax dollar that is collected has been spoken for at least twice from all sides with the need for new wastewater facilities, street improvements, drainage issues, police protection and etc. We have been to our City Council to request a replacement for this truck for the last three years, but the answer is always the same, Sorry, no more money! It is hard for us to gripe since they have only paid off about half the note on the engine that we bought in 1997. We still owe $160,000.00 on that truck.

We have spent most of our emergency reserve fund over the last few years on maintenance for our aging fleet of fire trucks. We have had to replace the transmission, exhaust system, and electric system in the truck we need to replace with this grant. We have had to replace the carburetor, exhaust system, and put a new clutch in our 1984 engine which is our first out engine on county structure fires. We also have had to overhaul the pump on our 1968 tanker in the last few months.

The Bastrop Fire Department Inc. is a 501-c3 corporation (non- profit) that is a formation of the membership. They contract with the county for the area we protect outside of town. This corporation has recently financed the newer of our tankers (1992 used). We will not have this debt repaid for another 6 ½ years. With half of the $4,000.00 a year we receive from the county going to repay this debt, it would be impossible for our organization to undertake another note.

We have approached the private industry in our community for help just to be able to acquire the matching fund for this grant. They have committed to give us this money and in assisting us with water supply not only at their facilities, but to the surrounding neighborhoods as well. This coupled with the training they provide and the taxes that they pay more than equals their share of this project.

Additional Relevant Information

Our intention is to use the current “Service Truck” as a “Rapid Intervention Team” response vehicle with our “Technical Rescue Equipment” if this grant is awarded. We have trained and implemented the use of RIT’s, but they generally are a piece meal of personnel from different engines and trucks with equipment from other engines and trucks. This often times takes the rapid out of RIT and doesn’t allow us to use them for their intended purpose.

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