Volunteer Fire Fighters Meet
The Glasscock County Volunteer Fire Department held a meeting Feb. 28 with some 25 people present to discuss its operation during the major wildfire of Feb. 25, known as the Sterling County Fire. According to reports, it burned more than 200,000 acres in Sterling, Irion and Reagan counties. Most of Glasscock County’s fire fighters were out 20 hours before coming home. In the future, the group hopes to be able to send units in shifts, to avoid such long hours.
The group designated Deputy Sheriff Keith Burnett as the person in charge who directs the group’s operations, with the person driving the lead fire truck second in command. They decided a second person should ride with Burnett to help with communications, which are key to the operation, and that each fire truck needs a second person in the cab with the driver to serve as “a second set of eyes.”
The group decided that in future cases of aiding other counties, Glasscock County will operate as one unit. They will gather in Garden City before going to the location, and will fight the fire as one team.
For safety, the group decided to always leave one fire truck and one maintainer in the county when they go elsewhere to fight a fire.
Volunteers who can respond to a fire are asked to call the Glasscock County Sheriff’s Department first, then call Keith Burnett so there is some idea of how many people are coming.
Additional Volunteers Needed
The VFDs need more volunteers, and anyone who can help in any capacity should call the sheriff’s office at 354-2361 or 354-2404. During fires, many kinds of help are needed, such as locating water for refilling trucks and finding roads for equipment to travel.
The group determined, with County Commissioners Mark Halfmann and Marck Schafer in attendance, that county-employed road workmen are to service trucks and equipment after a firefight is over.
An updated list of volunteers’ cell phone numbers has been prepared and put in each truck and maintainer as well as given to each volunteer.