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Schmidt Foundation donates $10,000 to Ellis County fire department for UTV upfit and outreach
Summary
The commission recognized a $10,000 Schmidt Foundation donation to Ellis County Fire Department to help offset firefighter expenses from a large grass fire and to fund equipment upfitting (UTV pump/tank/fittings) and a public-education inflatable used at outreach events.
The Ellis County Commission acknowledged a $10,000 donation from the Schmidt Foundation to the county fire department during the meeting.
A county fire representative recounted that on April 11 a grass fire on the Sweetwater Ranch required response from all six county fire departments and roughly 59 firefighters initially; crews worked long shifts and logged hundreds of hours fighting the fire. The Schmidt Foundation, through Gary Shorman, provided $10,000 to offset those expenses, help upfit a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) with a pump and tank for better operations in ravine and brush areas, and to purchase an inflatable public-education obstacle used at community events.
The speaker said Simpson Farm also donated a pump for the UTV and that county staff were arranging to order a tank and mountings so the vehicle could be linked to a hose reel and fittings for field use. The motor and tires on the UTV have been repaired and it “runs and operates great now,” the speaker said.
Commissioners thanked the Schmidt Foundation and community partners for the donation and noted the funding will assist with both emergency response capabilities and public-education outreach.
No formal vote was required beyond placing the donation on the record.
