Hankamer volunteer fire chief asks Chambers County for help after truck destroyed on I‑10

Frederick Johnson, chief of the Hankamer Volunteer Fire Department, asked the Chambers County Commissioners Court for short-term financial help after a department engine was destroyed in a March 3 crash on Interstate 10.

Johnson said Engine 51 responded to an early-morning wreck near mile marker 815, where the apparatus was struck while blocking the outside lane and shoulder. "We blocked the outside lane and the shoulder," he said, adding the collision destroyed the truck. "A million-dollar fire truck was destroyed." Johnson told the court the department has a loan on a recently purchased tanker that cost $565,000 and carries roughly $45,000 in annual payments.

The chief said mutual aid and a loaned vehicle from nearby Winnie helped cover operations while the department copes with the loss. He urged the court to consider additional funding so the volunteer department can continue training and maintaining service levels: "If it wasn't for the training of these people...it could have been a lot worse outcome," Johnson said.

Johnson framed the request as recovery rather than a new recurring ask; without extra help he said he would need to cut his department's budget for the next two years to cover the shortfall. He also thanked regional partners, including Winnie Volunteer Fire Department, for immediate assistance after the wreck.

The judge indicated the court would return to Johnson's concerns during the agenda item on the emergency services district (ESD) later in the session.

The court did not vote on a specific contribution during the public comment period; follow-up appeared set for the related agenda item.