Young Llano County ESD is growing up
The volunteer and professional members of Sunrise Beach Volunteer Fire Department and Llano County Emergency Services District No. 5 pose for a group photo at the Sunrise Beach Village station. Courtesy photo
Llano County Emergency Services District No. 5 has evolved significantly since it went live in January 2023, bringing badly needed fire protection to a 50-square-mile coverage area on the west side of Lake LBJ. The fledgling ESD is in the midst of a growth spurt, with new personnel, new equipment, and big upgrades for the Sunrise Beach Volunteer Fire Department.
The ESD contracts with the VFD for fire protection services throughout the district, which consists of Sunrise Beach Village, nearby smaller communities, and the rural ranchland between the lake and Texas 71 along the Llano River. Before that deal was struck, the small-town department was entirely dependent upon donations and volunteer firefighters, whose average age was about 68, with some being in their 80s.
Now, it is a hybrid department with 16 part-time professional firefighters supporting the volunteers.
With the staff increase, the VFD has dropped its average response time from over six minutes to less than four minutes, even while seeing a 50-percent increase in call volume over the past two years.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our new combination career/volunteer department,” said ESD No. 5 Fire Chief Patrick Cates in a recent media release.
The ESD recently brought in Cates as a full-time professional chief to work closely with Sunrise Beach Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dan Gower, who oversees that department’s dedicated volunteers.
The district is also funding big upgrades, including the purchase of newer first response vehicles to replace older models and a major renovation to the VFD station at 200 Sunrise Drive, which includes living quarters for firefighters to enable 24-hour service.
“The relationship between the (Sunrise Beach VFD) and (ESD No. 5) is vital, and our collaboration and recent progress has helped to improve services for all district residents,” said ESD No. 5 President Karl Wolfe in the release.
ABOUT THE ESD
In November 2022, residents in Llano County’s voting Precinct 108 overwhelmingly were in favor (70 percent) of forming the emergency services district. ESD No. 5 levies a tax of 10 cents per $100 property valuation on its residents to fund fire services. The district is managed by five commissioners appointed by the Llano County Commissioners Court to two-year terms.
Learn more about the district at llanocountyesd5.org.