Grape Creek Volunteer Fire Department Needs Your Help

The Grape Creek Volunteer Fire Department is raising money to purchase a new “Jaws-of-Life” extrication tool along with other rescue tools. They currently do not have a set of extrication tools in operating service. There are four major roadways that travel through the Grape Creek VFD's fire district.

The Grape Creek Community lies 10 miles north of San Angelo, and has seen an increase of traffic coming through the town over the past five years. This has resulted in a rise of vehicle accidents in the area that require rescuing of trapped motorists.

The GCVFD's immediate response area is 220 square miles and without a Jaws-of-Life tool, they are forced to rely on the San Angelo Fire Department's resources if there is a bad accident, and the extra minutes required to drive up US 87 into Grape Creek for San Angelo crews can mean life or death to a trapped motorist. The department responds to an average of 300 emergency calls per year by a crew manned by 100 percent volunteers. There are about 13,000 people in the total area they serve. This is a very high population for only 25 volunteers.

The GCVFD is requesting help in making it safer for those who travel through the community every day. You can visit the GoFundMe page established by the department if you wish to make a donation. The Deputy Fire Chief, Jose Rivera, assures that it is a secure way to donate to the department. “Any amount is accepted and any amount will help; it is greatly appreciated by us all”. Rivera has set a hopeful deadline of September 15, 2015 for acquiring their new and badly needed extrication tools. With only $37,000 in their operating budget for the entire year, they can't afford to spend it on anything other than regular expenses.

As of today, they have received a total of $3,254 out of their total goal of $18,500. If you would like to help out the GCVFD, or have any questions you can contact Jose Rivera (325) 650-2049 or Jered Thomason (325) 763-8721. You can also find more information on their Facebook page.

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