VIDEO: The Concho Valley’s volunteer fire departments are working to bring a key resource back to the region that could help them with training and equipment. The State Firefighters’ & Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA) held a meeting on Aug. 2 electing an interim board for a revived Hill Country District 14 – which includes 17 counties in the Concho Valley.
The district had been inactive in recent years, but the board has scheduled a meeting for Oct. 4. The SFFMA is a nonprofit serving first responders in the state, offering benefits such as training, certifications, insurance policies and grant awards. Each district office is meant to communicate the state organization’s goals to member VFDs and first responders. Volunteers say this makes lobbying easier when more grant funds are needed.
“Every volunteer fire department or emergency services cannot go to Austin and lobby for what they need and what they’re missing,” T.J. Rodriguez, the vice president of the district’s interim board, said. “The Hill Country District will be a good way for us to communicate from our local departments and see what our needs are.” SFFMA membership also provides benefits like automatic insurance coverage. Other volunteers said they’ll focus on getting the word out in the coming months.
