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Guadalupe County hears urgent appeals from volunteer fire departments as growth strains coverage
Summary
County leaders heard detailed briefings from volunteer chiefs outlining rising call volumes, aging apparatus and equipment shortfalls; commissioners and staff discussed budgeting choices between county fire rescue expansion and sustaining volunteer departments.
Guadalupe County commissioners spent substantial time on June 17 hearing requests and presentations from volunteer fire departments and county fire leadership about growing service demands, equipment shortfalls and funding options.
Lake Dunlap Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tyler Townsend told the court the department’s call volume has climbed sharply since 2015, with 512 calls in 2023 and a projected 575 calls in 2025. He said average personnel per call has risen and response times have lengthened as new subdivisions on FM 1044 and nearby tracts produce rapid housing growth in areas the department serves. Townsend listed near-term financial needs including member radios (two‑thirds of members lack radios on the new county system), SCBA air packs that will reach…
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