Tuesday, September 17, 2024
The Hood County Commissioners Court is “igniting” new possibilities for firefighter training with a recently awarded $25,000 grant to the Granbury Volunteer Fire Department’s burn house. The funds — which will be pulled out of excess proceeds from tax sales — will address crucial repairs at the GVFD training facility.
Richard Hoefs, a member of the GVFD board of directors, spoke during the citizens comment portion of the meeting Sept. 10. He explained that residents of Hood County are fortunate to have nine volunteer fire departments, all staffed by brave individuals who work tirelessly to protect the community.
"To keep everyone safe, they (the volunteer firefighters) need to be trained,” Hoefs explained. “The training facility that Granbury has is unique amongst volunteer fire departments in that it has great training facilities and simulators, where firefighters can be trained in a safe environment. One of the things on the training ground is a burn house — that's what you're looking at today. The burn house has been there more than 10 years, and it has had several hundred fires; it needs some repairs.”
Hoefs highlighted that this Saturday marks the beginning of hands-on training for the Hood County Fire Academy, which is available to all nine fire departments in the county. He explained that the training facility is essential for preparing new firefighters and ensuring their safety.
He also noted that investing in this facility has broader benefits, as it impacts the ISO insurance rating for the GVFD. An ISO rating, or Insurance Services Office rating, is a score that measures how well a community's fire department protects the area from fire.
"We are currently rated as a three, which is excellent for volunteer fire departments on a scale of one to 10,” he continued. “We are hopeful when the rating process is completed that we may see an improvement in that rating, which will lower the tax on the insurance rates for the citizens here at Hood County, so it does have a payback. I urge you to support this measure and appreciate your ongoing support of the fire departments here at Hood County.”
GVFD Chief Matt Hohan explained to the commissioners that there are a total of five burn houses in North Texas, including Cleburne and Wichita Falls. He said that GVFD’s training facility, a concrete and metal structure, requires several crucial repairs. The main tasks, he said, include replacing the roof and installing an armored ceiling with plate steel to protect the exposed support beams.
Hohan noted that the repairs are intended to provide a long-term solution for the building. However, he said getting accurate bids for the work has been challenging due to the nature of the facility, which involves setting controlled fires for training.
“We light the building on fire,” he said. “So, it's really hard to actually get someone to bid that ... but there's work that we know that we can do to armor the building and give it the longevity that it needs.”
With training facilities rather expensive today, Hohan said there’s work members of the GVFD can do to help armor the building and contain the heat into the burn rooms. He said by reinforcing the building, he hopes it can continue to serve effectively for another 20 to 30 years.
Hohan said the current fire academy has 50 students, with 42 of them from Hood County alone. He explained that if students choose to, they can be fully certified through the State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshal’s Association.
He also explained the academy’s certification process is essential for advancing the careers of many young firefighters, especially those looking to start careers in the metroplex. He added that certification has become increasingly important as it has started to impact eligibility for grants and funding.
“I would just like to say that this is an immeasurable asset to the number of firefighters that you're turning out to be safe, to be able to be knowledgeable in what they're doing there.” Precinct 1 Commissioner Kevin Andrews said. “I'd like to pat you guys on the back that you're showing the rest of the state some really great ways to do this. As a matter of fact, they're taking notice and coming in and looking at the program to see what they can do to try to match what you've got going on here. I think to have 50 new guys running through that class, not only is that training incredibly important, but it also shows how our volunteer fire departments are growing, and that's a great thing.”
Hohan said he was able to get bids from local contractors for the necessary repairs to the GVFD’s training facility. However, he was unable to obtain a third bid, which was required by the county’s policies.
He ultimately recommended the second bid — totaling $25,000 — which he said was the most affordable and came from a contractor who had personally inspected the facility. He said this bid was lower because the contractor accurately assessed the condition of the building, noting that the metal was in good shape despite the tar and soot covering it.
Andrews expressed concerns about proceeding without the third bid. However, Purchasing Agent Glenn Tilleman clarified that for grants and projects under $50,000, the bidding process is more flexible compared to county contracts over that amount.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Nannette Samuelson asked Hohan if the project could be completed with $25,000 as the agenda item specifically stated $55,000. Hohan replied that the contractor assured him the repairs could indeed be done for $25,000, based on a detailed assessment of the building's current condition.
“If you feel that you can get it done for $25,000 instead of the $50,000, we’re alright by doing this (and going ahead without the third bid),” Hood County Judge Ron Massingill said.
Samuelson made a motion for the Granbury Volunteer Fire Department to receive a grant of $25,000 from excess tax sale proceeds to repair the training facility of the GVFD, contingent on completing the interlocal agreement with the City of Granbury for the use of the facility.
Following a second from Andrews, the motion passed unanimously.
