State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas (SFFMA): A Debt of Gratitude to True Texas Heroes

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following opinion-editorial column is by Chris Barron, executive director of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas and its Texas Wildfire Relief Fund (www.txwildfirerelief.org), a non-profit that supports Texas volunteer fire departments:

While the wildfires that ravaged the state last spring and summer may seem like a distant memory, their effects are still felt in communities across our state. And, with the next wildfire season less than a month away, we must do what we can today to prepare and equip our state's volunteer fire departments for the battle ahead.

These first responders – our volunteer fire service – are grossly underfunded.   Thanks to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund (www.txwildfirerelief.org) and the generosity of so many Texans and businesses, we're helping bridge the gap between state and local funds to ensure these volunteers are equipped to battle the blaze.

There's hope, too, that state leaders are growing to appreciate and understand the mounting crisis facing our volunteer fire departments.

Recognizing a need for drought and wildfire preparedness, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst issued a call directed Senators to carefully examine key issues dealing with wildfires, prevention, mitigation and response in advance of the 2013 Texas Legislative Session.

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security recently held its first interim hearing on some key issues related to wildfires. Specifically, the committee is taking a in-depth look at "state, local and federal emergency preparation and response efforts as they pertain to protecting lives, property, and natural resources from the risks of wildland fire."

Without a doubt, communication, collaboration and training are vital as we head into the next wildfire season. We absolutely must ensure that our volunteer firefighters are properly equipped with the equipment to fight those fires safely and effectively.

All reports indicate that La Nina is not going away, and the record drought we now find ourselves in is expected to continue throughout 2012. The perfect storm created by record high temperatures coupled with little to no rainfall resulted in more than 31,000 wildfires since November 2010 – the largest number in the state's history.   These wildfires have burned more than 3.9 million acres and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

For those of us who live within larger city limits, we depend on our municipally-funded fire departments, but the suburbs and most rural communities rely heavily on the state's volunteer fire departments. Approximately 30,000 volunteers make up 77 percent of our state's firefighting service.

During the devastating wildfires that ravaged Central Texas in September, fire departments across the state were called in to help – from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, El Paso to East Texas, it was all-hands on deck.

The valiant efforts of Texas' volunteer firefighters deserve our gratitude and our help. While the fires have eased, support for their work must continue.

Eighty-six percent of the volunteer firefighters in Texas take money out of their personal pockets to keep fuel in their trucks or purchase equipment for their fire department.

As lawmakers ponder the next two-year budget, let's hope that wildfire relief and sufficient funding for the state's volunteer fire departments stays at the top of their list.

It's smart policy to look at the challenges we faced in the past year and ensure the state is well prepared in the short and long term to deal with an extended drought and wildfire threat.

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Chris Barron is the executive director of the State Firemen's & Fire Marshals' Association of Texas and its Texas Wildfire Relief Fund (www.txwildfirerelief.org). The SFFMA is on Facebook.com/SFFMA and Twitter @sffma. Mr. Barron is also chief of the Manchaca Volunteer Fire Department outside of Austin, Texas.

Media Contact for Op-ed Author SFFMA's Chris Barron: Jennifer Harris, (512) 773-7168 or jharris@jwhcommunications.com

About the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association and the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund

The Texas Wildfire Relief Fund is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 committed to raising awareness and support for the volunteer fire departments' ongoing efforts to battle Texas wildfires.  Donations and information is online at www.txwildfirerelief.org. The State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas is one of the largest trade associations in Texas. The 135-year-old organization is the oldest and the largest fire and EMS service association in the state. Membership includes 1,200 fire, EMS and International departments, more than 21,000 individual members and 80 industrial fire brigades.  You can follow SFFMA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sffma and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/SFFMA.

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