By AMANDA KIMBLE
TheFlashToday.com
ERATH COUNTY (April 13, 2016) – Erath County Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary is not your run of the mill fire department support group. From community education and stress management to improved firefighter training and fundraising, the organization supports volunteer fire departments (VFDs) across the county, as well as the communities within the departments’ jurisdictions – not just a single department and community.
Emily Howle, auxiliary president, said the nonprofit organization serves all nine of the Erath County’s volunteer fire departments with a single fundraiser each year and a membership that includes less than 20 individuals. The fundraiser – an annual Hamburger Supper and Dessert Auction – is set for Saturday, May 7.
Howle said each of the local volunteer fire departments served by the auxiliary – Erath County Volunteer Fire Rescue (ECVFR), Bluff Dale, Selden, Dublin, Lingleville, Harbin, Oakdale, Huckabay and Morgan Mill – receive a small portion of their funding from the Erath County but otherwise rely on donations.
“Our goal is to get the communities the fire departments serve to support them directly,” Howle said, adding that every fire department holds its own annual fundraising event with the purpose of supporting their stations and communities.
The volunteers who man the departments respond to automobile accidents, natural disasters, farming accidents and more. Much like the auxiliary, ECVFR serves all parts of county – outside of city limits – providing mutual aid to all of the smaller departments. In some cases, each of the departments offer assistance to city firefighters or provide support to neighboring counties.
“Erath County is very blessed with fantastic, skilled firefighters,” Howle said, adding with ECVFR responding to most accidents they carry the extrication and other tools that could be needed. “The department just got a new truck through grant funding and we put $2,000 toward the purchase of new tools. We know when we invest in something for ECVFR it will be used by other departments as well.”
It’s for the dedicated volunteers and the entire firefighting “family” that the auxiliary was organized in 2004, one year after the founding of ECVFR.
“We live with these men when they come home, and what they experience doesn’t stay at the scene,” she said. “They bring it home with them. Their work as firefighters is part of their lives – and our lives as well.”
That’s where education comes into play. Howle said the auxiliary organizes or participates in a number of initiatives aimed at helping community members understand how they can keep themselves safe – in turn reducing accidents and the number of emergency calls.
Those efforts include partnering with Texas AgriLife Extension Service Erath County to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving and working with Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville to provide child car seat checks and information stickers twice a year.
“We help make sure each child and car seat are fitted correctly and the seats are installed properly,” Howle said. “The stickers are placed on the side of the seat. If there’s an accident and the adult in the car cannot speak, information about the child is available. The stickers make things easier for the child and our guys during difficult situations.”
The auxiliary assists with the dissemination of fire prevention information at area schools during Fire Prevention Week in October, teaching young children about fire safety, encouraging their families to have an escape plan and showing them how to call for help.
The organization also participates in Blue Bonnet Teddy Bear Patrol.
“The program gives our responders teddy bears to carry with them,” Howle said. “If a situation involving a child should arise, they can give that child a teddy bear to hold onto, something to give them a little bit of comfort.”
The auxiliary is a “very big supporter” of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and provided funding for training for members of a local CISM team, which also includes a mental health professional.
“When there is a critical incident, such as an accident involving a child or firefighter death, or anything stressful that is outside of the normal daily routine, the team responds to provide support to those who were at that scene,” Howle said, adding that the team responded to provide support when a firefighter was recently killed in the line of duty in Palo Pinto County.
By definition, CISM can include pre-incident preparedness, acute crisis management and post-crisis follow-up. The idea is to enable people to return to their daily routine more quickly and with less likelihood of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Meanwhile, Erath County Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary is a partner with Upper Leon Firefighters Association’s fire school.
“It’s an area fire school that’s held annually to improve the training of firefighters,” Howle said. “It’s facilitated by Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and Emergency Services Training Institute.”
Howle said for volunteer firefighters and their families, the most important role of the auxiliary is to ensure everyone is prepared for the worst all of the time.
“We’re not just here to feed, clothe and buy things for the fire departments,” Howle said. “We’re educating the public, supporting the community and making the auxiliary a benefit for everyone.”
But, feeding, outfitting and showing appreciation for area responders is still a part of the nonprofit’s annual efforts.
“May 4 is International Firefighters’ Day, and during the month of May each year, we provide a meal of appreciation for each of the departments during one of their meetings,” Howle said. “They dine together on us, and we also give them a small token of appreciation.”
May 15-21 is National EMS Week, and the auxiliary provides Erath County and Dublin EMS with personal care items that can be used to make life a little easier while serving a 24-hour shift.
“There also a part of our family so we want to give them things that bring the comforts of home,” Howle said.
In addition, the auxiliary provides “rehab boxes” to each of the county’s rural fire departments. Howle said the care packages are stocked with items like eye drops, socks and hygiene and first aid supplies and kept at the fire stations.
“The guys may not be able to run to the convenience store for eye drops after fighting a late night fire,” she said. “If we didn’t supply the boxes, they would have to drive to Stephenville to get what they need. Or if they’re responding to a call and show up in flip flops, they can grab a pair of socks and put on their boots.”
The boxes are restocked with fresh over-the-counter medications annually, and the boxes include a laminated letter telling firefighters who to call if items need to be restocked.
Howle said community support and monetary donations are a vital part of making the auxiliary’s numerous projects possible.
The supper and auction will be held at Erath County Fire Rescue, located at 830 East Road in Stephenville., Saturday, May 7. The meal includes a freshly grilled hamburger, chips and drink for $5, and takeout orders are available.
The supper will be served at 6 p.m., and Kerri Lick and the Kontradiction will provide entertainment during the first hour. The dessert auction begins at 7 p.m. Donations – cake, pies, cookies and other sweet treats – can be delivered to the fire station by 5 p.m. May 7.
Meanwhile, community members who would like to support auxiliary efforts but are unable to attend the fundraising event can mail monetary donations to Erath County Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, P.O. Box 517 Stephenville, Texas 76401.
For more information on the auxiliary and supporting VFDs across Erath County, contact Emily Howle at (254) 967-3451.
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