Christin Coyne
CNHI
MILLSAP —
It’s been a tough year if you ask many Parker County volunteer fire departments.
Increased call volume, dwindling county support and rising fuel costs and other expenses have been among issues leading several fire departments to head in the emergency services district direction to deal with the financial crunch.
Others, like Millsap Volunteer Fire Department, are continuing to rely on donations from the community to keep volunteers responding to emergencies.
Despite rising costs and less funding from the county this year, Millsap VFD has expanded services and worked to significantly improve the insurance rating for the entire coverage area.
Now the department is inviting the community to their annual turkey dinner Sunday to help support their efforts.
Increased calls
Like many area fire departments, Millsap VFD’s call volume has been far greater this year.
“By the first week in August we’d already ran as many [calls] as last year,” assistant chief Jeff Edwards said.
According to October numbers posted on the department’s website, Millsap VFD responded to 18 structure fires, 38 brush fires, five vehicle fires, 31 motor vehicle accidents, as well as 32 other calls for the year.
It has been a busy wildfire season across the state. Although the Millsap area didn’t have any major wildfires and the department didn’t respond to the Possum Kingdom fires to the west, they often filled the gap created by other responding departments in the Mineral Wells area, Edwards said.
The department also dealt with several vacant buildings in Millsap believed to have been torched by a suspect arsonist earlier in the year, Edwards said.
Millsap’s coverage area also grew by about 15 square miles after the county stopped dispatching Mountain River VFD earlier this summer, including a stretch along Interstate 20, according to Edwards.
They now cover the interstate from about the Millsap exit to the west Parker County line, rather than just to the Brazos River area, Edwards said.
With the ongoing construction and increased stretch of road, they have been responding to more accidents, according to Edwards.
Though the department’s equipment is newer, thanks to significant grants the department has sought over the past five years, they still face fuel costs of day to day operation, according to Edwards.
The department believes Millsap VFD provides a high level of service but doesn’t have the luxury of being supported by ESD taxes, Edwards said.
County support for the department has been cut in the past year, according to Edwards.
Also, Millsap VFD, along with other departments in Parker County, do not yet have a contract with Parker County as discussions continue between the county, VFDs and ESDs about the funding formula.
A month and a half into the fiscal year and gas and other bills continue to come in, Edwards said.
Stepping up coverage
Area residents should start beginning to see the financial fruit of a three year effort to improve the coverage area’s Insurance Service Organization, or ISO, rating soon when their homeowner’s insurance bills arrive.
Public Protection Classification ratings from the Insurance Sevice Office range from 10 to 1, with 1 being the best. Some classification ratings are split depending on proximity to a fire station and fire hydrant.
“We went from a 7/9 to a straight class 4,” which includes not only the city of Millsap but the surrounding coverage area, Edwards said.
The department now has the best rating in Parker County for a department responding with only volunteers, according to Edwards.
Weatherford, covered by a paid department, has an ISO rating of 3, while Parker County ESD No. 1 and ESD No. 3, covered by both paid and volunteer firefighters, have ISO ratings of 3 and 4, respectively. The nearby Brock-Dennis VFD area has an ISO rating of 9.
There are several reasons for the improvement, according to Edwards.
They’ve taken advantage of many grants, allowing them to buy equipment needed to better the rating, Edwards said.
“We train every week, Thursday night,” Edwards said.
But perhaps biggest reason, according to Edwards, is the location of tankers purchased by the county in the Millsap fire district, which is centrally located to assist surrounding departments.
Using the tankers, they can supply water better than a hydrant, according to Edwards.
Supporting the VFD
They are also trying some different things to aid the fire department, including stepping up recruitment and starting an auxiliary.
They began some recruitment at the annual turkey dinner last year, according to Edwards.
They’ve gained four or five new members in the past year and currently have a roster of 22 active volunteers, Edwards said.
Those interested in supporting the department can do so at Millsap VFD’s annual turkey dinner, the county’s longest continuing volunteer department fundraiser and the department’s only fundraiser.
“It’s their one opportunity a year to support what we’re doing for them,” Edwards said.
A turkey dinner with all the fixings will be available for a donation at the door from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, at Millsap Elementary School at F.M. 113 and Wilson Bend Road.
Several years ago they outgrew the Millsap Community Center and, last year, fed more than 500 as the event continues to grow, Edwards said.
A silent auction, as well as a “split the pot” raffle benefitting the department, are planned for Sunday.
Their fundraising goal is $10,000, Edwards said.
Those who want to donate items for the auction or desserts for the dinner can contact the fire department at 940-682-7281 or drop them off at Millsap Elementary School Saturday, between about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or Sunday, starting at 7 a.m.
