Lessons from Hill Country floods drive Hunt Volunteer Fire Department to enhance training

VIDEO: Crews with the Hunt Volunteer Fire Department were at ground zero on the Fourth of July when the catastrophic floods hit the Hill Country. The Volunteer Fire Department is a nonprofit organization of approximately 30 people. They cover approximately 167 miles of land, with only a few access roads and five river crossings to consider in the event of an emergency.

The team uses their trucks and teams strategically. However, they lost a building and two trucks during the floods. Maintenance Chief John Barone said support from the community has been a blessing.

From four-wheelers to chainsaws and even an ice machine, all of it was needed. But the most important part, Barone said, is the lessons learned. โ€œRight now, I have 10 people signed up for EMR training, Emergency Medical Responder Training,โ€ he said.

There are still needs, such as first-aid bags, to equip the 10 firefighters who will be trained, according to Barone. โ€œI want to say they were like about $1,000. But itโ€™s a bigger one. It has oxygen bottles and stuff like that,โ€ he said.

Barone shared that some of the costs have been graciously covered by groups and funds already donated. Comedian Ron White said he is buying one of their new trucks. A BBQ benefit concert is being held on Oct. 18 in Boerne for the Hunt Volunteer Fire Department. The organizers of Pure Country BBQ need corporate sponsors.

KSAT-TV ABC 12 San Antonio

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