County Buys GPS Units for Volunteers
At its March 10 meeting, the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court agreed to pay for 4 GPS units, which are already ordered, for the county’s volunteer fire departments at a cost of $800 each. The GPS capability is considered highly important in fighting wildfires, especially at night, to help the men know where they are, how to get out of dangerous situations and to help others locate them. The units, which have large screens, will be mounted on the dashboards of fire-fighting trucks.
Deputy Sheriff Keith Burnett said he now has a laptop computer with GPS mounted in his sheriff’s department pickup, so he will be able to better coordinate the fire fighting efforts.
County Judge Wilburn Bednar once again advocated stipends for volunteers, citing Sterling County’s program. However, Burnett, Commissioner Mark Halfmann and County Treasurer Alan Dierschke discouraged it, saying Glasscock County’s volunteers have never wanted to be paid stipends, and do not want them now.
Burnett and Halfmann said what the volunteers want is for the county to continue to provide excellent equipment and training as they have in the past.
Records of man-hours for each emergency run are important for future grants, Dierschke said. Burnett said log sheets are in each fire truck.
New Fire Truck Here in Two Weeks
A new fire truck, ordered in September, should be here in two weeks. It is a large brush truck which will cost $128,000, of which up to $108,000 is expected to be paid by a Forest Service grant. The county will pay the difference. Plans are to keep the old truck and use it as a back-up unit.
A grant from Homeland Security last fall paid $9,000 for a vehicle radio and two hand-held radios, plus $900 for installation. According to Dierschke, the radio was installed in Sheriff Royce Pruit’s old pickup, which is now used first as a sheriff’s department backup, for emergency use if needed, and by county employees on county business. The hand-held radios are located in the sheriff’s office.
Bidders are still needed for the project of expanding the VFD/EMS barn in Garden City. Interested contractors should contact Dierschke at 354-2415.
Burn Ban Possible
The commissioners mentioned the possibility of issuing a county burn ban, but took no action. Commissioner Marck Schafer said since we are under one from the state anyway, he is rethinking his opposition to such a ban. Halfmann said since Texas Forest Service personnel are in West Texas helping fight fires, it might be better if we had a ban. The matter is to be discussed at the April court meeting.
County ranchers recently donated $9,260 toward the salaries of the county’s two predator trappers through the Glasscock County Animal Protection Association.
Consultant Don Bonifay met with the court to begin discussion of the 2008 paving/seal coating program. He said it is possible to join Reagan County in getting bids, but the two would maintain separate projects. He said there might be some cost savings for both counties by coordinating. He warned that asphalt will cost considerably more this year due to oil prices. Coop Road and CR 280 were mentioned as needing work; Bonifay will drive other roads as well and make suggestions regarding needed repairs.