3/18/08

The burn ban for Travis County has been lifted as of this morning. Even with the occassional rains we get, the fire danger is still HIGH. Please be sure to contact the station if you wish to burn so that we are aware of it and to avoid fire trucks showing up for a fire call, and can advise on any safety issues or questions you may have.

2/23/08

Our new tanker arrived Thursday. It is a 2100 gallon with an International type cab. It has pump and roll capabilities, 2 crosslays, and is an automatic, so most everyone can drive it. Pictures will be posted shortly. The old one was sold to a department in Pennsylvania. They picked it up Friday.

2/11/08

The 18th Annual Skywarn training class was February 23rd from 8:15 - 4:00 at the JJ Pickle Center at Burnet and Braker. Enter Burnet road entrance just South of Braker. Free and open to all. Full of valueable info on severe weather. Hosted by NWS and UT. CLICK HERE for further info. --You missed a good class.

2/6/08

8 dead, 55 tornadoes reported so far from a storm system that crossed the entire U.S. on Tuesday.

UPDATE: 67 tornadoes, 48 dead, Many missing.

UPDATE: death toll now at 59. "Worst outbreak in 20 years".

2/4/08

Extreme fire danger across south central Texas and The Hill Country...

Extreme fire danger will continue for the next several days...
mainly along and west of the I-35 corridor. Very dry conditions
persist across south central Texas and The Hill Country. Grasses are
cured and plentiful resulting ample fuel for grass and wildland
fires.

The greatest threat for extreme fire behavior will be Tuesday
afternoon and evening... following the passage of a cold front.
Red flag warning conditions will likely occur on Tuesday.

Texans face severe danger of wildfire. Be extremely cautious about
any outdoor activities that might cause Sparks or fires. Sparks
can easily escape from burning trash. Avoid use of welding or
grinding equipment near weeds and grass. Avoid parking vehicles in
tall... dry grass and weeds that could be ignited by hot catalytic
converters. When in your vehicle... crush smoking materials in your
ashtray and make sure they area really out.

11/11/07

Texas fire officials are bracing for the likelihood of winter wildfires.

The weather and the wildfire threat go hand in hand, and with each day of dry, windy cold fronts that blows through, the threat increases.

"With the weather being the weather in Central Texas the way it is, we get that 40-mile-an-hour, 50-mile-an-hour winds," said Palmer Buck of the Austin Fire Department. "We get those low humidities, and we come out of a long drought, we'll be in trouble."

That's just the scenario Central Texas could be headed for this winter.

The La Nina climate pattern will bring warmer- and drier-than-normal conditions, two things that make wildfires more likely and harder to fight.

"As the wind changes direction, and if it's a swirling wind, just when you think you have the fire contained, it changes direction," Buck said.

The wet weather earlier this year has been a mixed blessing.

It doused much of the summer wildfire season, and trees are still holding plenty of moisture. Yet it has also led to explosive growth in grass and brush, resulting in some vegetation standing over 6 feet high and ready to burn.

"We're very concerned that once those cure up for the winter, that blade of grass will never turn green again, so that is going to be available fuel for these fires," said Jan Fulkerson of Texas Forest Service.

That's where human behavior comes in.

"People cause wildland fires," Buck said. "Hardly ever, especially in Central Texas, do we have a natural cause for wildfires."

It could be as simple as drivers pulling their cars off the road into long grass, which sparks when it comes into contact with the hot bottoms of vehicles.

"Hitting a rock when you're mowing the lawn, that simple spark can ignite a fire and get it going, too," Fulkerson said.

Firefighters and the forest service said once the first freeze arrives, that fire threat will really start to take off.

10/11/07

We were asked to attend a Public Safety event at the new River Place Elementary. We did demonstrations for approx. 375 kids. Also in attendance were TCSO street, motor, & K-9 units, APD street units, APD Search & Rescue, LCRA Lake Units with a boat, and a TP&WD Game Warden unit and helicopter. The kids had a blast.

PHOTOS CAN BE SEEN HERE

 

10/08/07

Come join us Saturday morning for a pancake breakfast at the Fire Station. We will serve breakfast from 8:00 - 11:00 AM. There will be pancakes, sausage, orange juice, & coffee. Cost is $4.00 per person. We will also have the local bloodmobile on site, for anyone wanting to donate blood. One pint of blood can save 2 lives. Maybe not an appealing activity first thing in the morning, but it is a very good cause.

09/11/07

There was a structure fire on Geronimo, toned out about 6:15PM. On arrival it was found to be a pot of grease for cooking that had boiled over and caught fire. Damage was limited to the stove, vent-hood, and some wall and cabinet space in the immediate area. The residents did a great job of controlling it with wet towels and an extinguisher. We made entry and contained it, cleared smoke, and ventilated the home. Aside from smoke smell and minimal water damage, the residence is inhabitable and fixable. Kudos to the residents for having numerous smoke detectors and acting quickly.

08/19/07

Hurricane Dean continues moving West across the Caribbean towards the Gulf. It went to a Category 4 at 8:00PM Friday. It is expected to weaken as it crosses the Yucatan, but regain strength once in the Gulf. Right now it is strongly resembling Katrina and other severe hurricanes in size and strength. If it hits the Texas coast, we will have another mess like we did in 2005, where gas and supplies are snatched up by paranoid consumers. Gas up and go shopping on Tuesday or Wednesday if it looks to head to Texas. Save yourself the trouble & amusement of trying to shop once the panic sets in. Current forecasts show it going to Mexico just below Texas, but forecasting a hurricane track is like putting an ant on a map and guessing where it will go. CLICK HERE to go to the National Hurricane Center site for current info and clickable boxes.

08/15/07

Tropical Storm Erin is heading across the Gulf toward the South Texas Coast today. Tropical storm warnings are posted from Freeport to the Mexico border near Brownsville. Although some local TV stations are trying to hype it as the "Storm of the Century", it will likely remain at its current status, bringing lots of rain and winds in the 40-50 mph range. The State has gone into full preparedness, staging helicopters and rescue crews in San Antonio just in case. If we are lucky, we will see some very scattered light rain from the waves being flung off it.

08/12/07

Lake Travis had the first drowning of the year over the weekend. 3 people were walking in the water along the shore at Windy Point when a passerby noticed all 3 were in distress and went to their aid. They pulled 2 from the water, but a third person went under. Their body was recovered the next day. Windy point is known for its rocky and steep drops. The water depth can go from a few feet, to one hundred feet or more due to underwater cliffs from the original river bank. Last year there were 12 drownings on Lake Travis.

07/11/07

On Tuesday night, June 26th/27th, the Marble Falls area received over 19" of rain in about 6 hours. Much of the area also received rain amounts of 5-10". This caused extensive flooding in the entire Central Texas area. Marble Falls was essentially an island during the night. There was reportedly a 20 foot wall of water that went down a small creek in town, washing away cars, trucks, boats, bridges, and damaging buildings and homes. Similar issues occured on small creeks along 1431, with water levels rising some 40-50 feet on some creeks, and 10-20 feet over roadways, with raging whitewater rivers roaring across the road, ripping up 100 yards of pavement in one location. This location (Hickory Creek) is where 2 young men were washed off the road in their Jeep around Midnight, during the height of the initial flooding. The scenario they encountered can only be imagined as horrific. The Jeep was found 2 days later, a half mile downstream after the water had receded. Searches went on for a week with no results. The driver, Brandon McMellon, was found in Lake Travis after the search had been called off. The other person has still not been found. There are also at least 2 other people missing who have not been found. One was an elderly woman who was traveling from Ft. Worth to San Antonio, and was believed to have been washed off of Hwy. 281. Her vehicle was found, but there was no sign of her. Another person vanished some 12 hours after the flooding while jogging in North Austin. Due to this event, a chain reaction flood occured along the lake chain and Colorado River. Lake Travis rose some 20 feet and crested at 701.5'. This caused the closure of 2 vital roads in the Volente area, and has almost all of the lakes closed to boating until the floodgates can be closed. Debris in the lake is a huge hazard. Photos of Marble Falls and Volente flooding can be seen from links on the home page.

06/04/07

CLICK HERE for a few pics of todays storms around Cedar Park and Lake Travis.

05/29/07

Traditional floods occurred for many areas over the last week and the Memorial Day weekend. Some areas received over 24" of rain in a 5 day period. Most got 3-8" locally. Due to heavy rains on the Pedernales and Llano rivers, Lake Travis rose 10 feet in just over 3 days, bringing the lake into the flood pool level above 681', ending up at 682.5' Monday night. The lake level for December was 643.55' Rains have ended for the most part, except for the occassional cells that pop up in late evening. This is going to make for a prosperous, but busy summer. It also puts us at risk should we get another large rain event. As of this update, the current lake level shows below.

03/30/07

We are pleased to announce that Walter Groman has accepted the position of Chief. He officially begins work on April 2nd. Walter brings to us many years of experience in both business, and fire leadership within Travis County. Congrats and welcome Walter.

03/28/07

Thanks to the 2 recent rain events, Lake Travis has risen 8 feet in the last few days. Currently it is at 660.13', and is forecast to go to 663' by the weekend. This forecast is solely based on the current runoff from the Pedernales and Llano rivers flowing their flood waters into the lake. We are expecting strong to severe thunderstorms over the next 2 days, which could substantially increase this rise. I don't think this will upset anyone, and hopefully will bring the lake back to full stage of 681' by next week. However, we must remember, Lake Travis was built for the purpose of flood containment. If we achieve full stage now, we may be at risk for some flooding in the near future. We are returning into the La Nina cycle, which will bring our usual severe weather back to the Southern portions of the country. As we are going into the severe weather season (April-June), we may see more significant rainfall totals that could cause some issues. Hopefully everyone is adjusting the cables on their docks, and possibly even doing so for neighbors and snowbirds who are away. Check back for further updates as needed. Stay safe.

UPDATE- With more rain, the latest lake level is now 667'. A rise of 14 feet in 5 days.

"The lake currently is about 6 feet below its average elevation for this time of year. Since rain began falling on March 11, Lake Travis has gone up nearly 20 feet." -LCRA

02/21/07

In the last 3 days, there have been several large wildland fires and "controlled burns" that went out of control. On Monday, Volente was called out as part of CRC Task Force 2 to assist Hudson Bend with a fire near Hamilton Pool and Crumley Ranch. There were approximately 7 departments assisting. Today, we were again called out under Task Force 2 to assist North Lake Travis with a wildland fire off of Nameless Road near Jonestown. There were other large fires as well, including another large one in Hays County. I'm sure we are all wondering why a burn ban hasn't gone back into effect. Though the drought index is still low, conditions are very dry on the surface. We can only assume that with the advent of all the fires this week, that a burn ban will be coming very soon. Even though we are returning into the El Nino cycle of weather, which will bring us our normal springtime severe weather again, we are probably in for a long dry period outside of that, which will undoubtably bring more large fires. Please be safe and follow all guidelines before and during burning.

02/08/07

 

From Feb. 15th-18th there will be a FLW Pro Bass Tournament occurring on the lake. They are expecting 400 fisherman/200 boats for this event. Highland Lakes Marina is one of the locations for this event. These folks are already starting to arrive, and will be in the area through the 18th. Thursday & Friday events will be held at Highland Lakes Marina, and Saturday & Sunday events will be held at Mansfield Dam. Due to the construction on 2769, and the large increase in traffic and population, we are gearing up to be prepared for this event. We are already seeing 18 wheelers delivering boats and SUV's, as well as folks in trucks pulling trailers and/or boats. They are not familiar with the area and may be a traffic issue. Aside from that, we welcome them to the area and what is left of our lake. For more on this event, CLICK HERE.

 

01/23/07

This Saturday - 27th, We will be doing the MDA Fill the Boot at 620 & Anderson Mill, benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This is an annual benefit that we, and all other Fire Depts. carry out each year. We will have the engine on hand, and have members in traffic collecting money donations. We will be there from 9:00AM - 3:00PM, weather permitting. If the roads get wet, we will have to stop or postpone, due to the risk of being in traffic on wet roads. Come out and see us, or drive by and donate.

Follow up- We received $3243 in cash bills, and still have a box of change that weighs around 100 lbs. We probably ended up at around $3500 or more. Thanks to everyone that gave. I will post the final total when we get it. We will do this again, probably in June sometime, and then present the total at the Labor Day Telethon in September.

Total just came in from the bank. $4005.72 was raised.

01/21/07

On Monday morning, 01/22, the new WalMart on 620 & Vista Park (just North of Rudys BBQ) will have their grand opening ceremony. Personally this will be a welcome occurrence. It will certainly serve Volente better than the other 2 stores. We have been asked to be present for the opening, and will have the Engine there, with a few of us present to represent us. I only wish the weather was going to be as nice as it was today.

01/17/07

Well, that slim chance of freezing rain and sleet became a reality. Since Sunday night, we have had an endless round of freezing precip training across Central Texas. On tuesday, we got a heavy dose of sleet and awoke to frozen roadways. Around lunchtime, it turned to snow flakes. Although the ground wasn't frozen enough, and our temps were only down to 28, it made for a snow day for the kids. A few pics can be seen by clicking HERE. Wednesday morning may hold more snowfall, but by afternoon, things are supposed to taper off, but continue being cold and rainy. We will not see any sunlight until Sunday. Continue to stay warm and safe.

01/01/07

At 12:55AM, a call came out for a structure fire on Geronimo St. The first in units could see flames for several blocks away. We found a large RV totally involved, parked 6 feet from a 2 story home. Flames from the RV had made their way into the roof eave of the home prior to our arrival. Due to water supply issues and being able to access the metal roof for ventilation, initial attack was limited to the exterior. Once able to make an interior attack, we began having water supply issues and could not safely allow a team to remain inside. Eventually, we had massive mutual aid from 6 other departments including; Hudson Bend, Jollyville, Austin, North Lake Travis, Travis County Fire Rescue, and later from Cedar Park. The home was 200 yards from the roadway, with a narrow driveway. We used drop tanks at the top of the driveway, had a Hudson Bend Engine pumping from the tank to our Engine, and had 4 tankers running a continuous shuttle for water. The nearest hydrant was some 3-4 miles away. Unfortunately, even with all the help, and fighting the fire for over 6 hours, we were not able to save the home. Hopefully this will serve as an example to other homeowners in the area that have much more difficult access. This home was on a slight downhill slope and on the edge of where the lake normally is when it is full, so other than a single lane driveway, access was not a major problem. There are homes in other locations that have very narrow, and winding uphill driveways, that a brush truck would have trouble accessing, let alone an engine. Water is much harder to pump uphill, so we hope current and new home owners consider these things when building their driveways. Ask yourself "would a fire engine be able to make it all the way up to your home, and have room to turn around"? If it is an uphill run, we will have trouble pumping water a large distance uphill. Sprinkler systems and/or a large (3000+ gallon) water storage tank with a 2 1/2" fire thread fitting are a very good and strongly suggested idea. Large pictures of this incident can be seen HERE, and smaller ones in the PHOTOS section.

12/11/06

We held our Christmas dinner / Awards Banquet on Monday night. Fajitas and fixings were catered by Fajita Warehouse. The Ladies did a great job of decorating the tables and we had approximately 60 people attend. Service pins were given out, along with Gift cards, and firefighters that achieved their certifications recently were presented with their certificates and goodies. There were also awards for number of calls run and other achievement awards. Everyone had a great time, and we would like to thank Chief Webb, and everyone involved for a fine job and a great evening.

A handful of us also showed up Saturday morning to decorate the station with the thousands of lights we put up, on the building, and the famous tree attached to the tower. We also had the addition of the "Charlie Brown" tree out front, which is the recently planted memorial tree honoring the founding members from the 45th anniversary celebration in October.

 

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11/19/06

The next time you see an emergency vehicle approaching you, running lights and siren, from any direction, think about this article- (CLICK HERE). Can you honestly say that you are in a bigger hurry or on a more important errand than the emergency vehicle? Can you honestly explain to Law Enforcement that you were not aware of the traffic laws? Did you know that when an emergency vehicle approaches, you are required by state law to pull to the right and stop safely? THIS INCLUDES WHETHER THEY ARE BEHIND YOU OR APPROACHING YOU FROM THE FRONT. I think 90% of the vehicles I pass while running to a call, that are oncoming, do not even slow down, let alone pull over. About 50% of ones we approach from behind seem to get as far as they can, and then pull over at the last minute, which makes for a dangerous situation as they are now scrambling to get off the road in a less opportune spot. Intersections are also a bad situation. Many drivers try to rush across the intersection to avoid getting stuck at the light. This is very dangerous. I have covered this topic in the past, but it keeps making the rounds within the emergency services community. I would however like to thank the drivers that do abide by the laws, and do their best to yield the right of way. Keep up the good work. We are here for your safety, many of us volunteer for free, spending our own money for gas, training, equipment, many hours of time, etc. Unfortunately, the good drivers are probably also supportive of us and respectful towards our efforts, and read this, and the ones who are the problem will never take the time to visit our site, let alone read this. To the good drivers and supporters of emergency services personnel everywhere - THANK YOU !

(this is the webmasters opinion and not necessarily endorsed by the department)

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11/15/06

Large brush fire in Hays County today, consumed over 900 acres. Most of the fire departments in Hays, and many from Travis responded. Crews were able to save all houses in 2 subdivisions, and keep the fire contained in an uninhabited area. Volente responded with a brush truck and command unit, and with reinforcements, we had 6 people there. Wind gusts of over 50 mph caused a previous controlled burn to take off. STAR Flight and 2 Blackhawk helicopters provided water drops. Firefighters and residents were very lucky to have no loss.

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11/10/06

Austin police want to remind drivers about the "Move Over" law.

The law is designed to keep police, firefighters and paramedics safe on the roads, by forcing cars to move over or slow down. During November and December, Austin police are launching Operation Move Over to educate the public and enforce the law.

"Drivers who approach a stationary emergency vehicle that has it's lights on must either move over one lane, or if they can't move over because of traffic or because there is only one lane, [they] must slow down by 20 miles an hour," Cpl. Derek Israel, Austin Police Department.

The law was created by the legislature and went into effect in 2003.

Drivers who do not follow the rules face a fine of up to $500.

If someone is injured because a driver did not move over, they face up to 180 days in jail. --KVUE

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10/30/06

The new VVFD sign is in and installed. Thanks to the Auxilliary for donating it.

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10/21/06

On Saturday, October 21st, Volente celebrated 45 years of founding the Fire Dept. There was a parade and all sorts of activities at the station all day.

SEE THE VVFD 45TH B'DAY VIDEOS & PICS HERE

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10/20/06

Although the burn ban is lifted, residents still need to contact the station to give notice and get approval of burning. There are still State laws that must be met. Due to our conversion of dispatching to 800 Mhz with AFD, the 926-1706 number is no longer valid. Please contact the station at 258-1114 until further notice. Burning should begin one hour after sunrise, and be fully extinguished one hour before sunset by state law. There are also minimum and maximum wind guidelines, which cover current and forecasted wind speeds, humidity readings, etc. It is also a courtesy to us to know where any burns are occurring, so that if someone calls it in, we can know whether or not it is a controlled burn, or an actual brush fire, and spares us responding to your fire. Please keep this in mind, should we come out and insist on extinguishing your burn pile, that we are mandated by state laws, and it is not necessarily our choice.

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10/13/06

On Tuesday of this week, at approx. 5:30AM, a Marble Falls ambulance was involved in a serious collision. It occurred on Hwy. 71 near Bee Creek Rd. when a pick up truck coming the opposite direction lost control and slid into their lane, causing them to T-bone him. The Driver of the Medic unit, Eric Hansen, was killed on impact. The driver of the pickup, Troy McVey, died later at Brackenridge. The other Medic, Kyle Wilson, was transported to Brackenridge with critical injuries. She has since been upgraded from critical, to serious, to fair condition. Our condolences and prayers go out to the families and friends of all involved. We attended the funeral services for Eric Hansen in Marble Falls. It was a huge turnout, showing the true brotherhood of emergency service workers.

Click here to see pics of the funeral procession.

Click here to see KVUE video of the accident and funeral.

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10/03/06

VVFD has made the conversion from our old VHF radio system to the AFD 800 system dispatching. We still have our original VHF radios, but AFD has the ability to "patch" the 2 frequencies together. There are a handful of bugs to be worked out, but it is going relatively well. We will still use our repeater for most of our radio traffic. Dispatch is now on a trunked 800 Mhz frequency, and response traffic is on Travis County Firenet - 153.950 for those listening on scanners. The VVFD channel - 154.190 is used mainly for our own use, but will be used for large scale fire scenes or serious accidents.

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09/20/06

Congrats to Hudson Bend-

The Hudson Bend Fire Department now has a new fire chief, following a nationwide search by Travis County Emergency Services District #6. James Linardos will officially take the helm on Sunday, Oct. 1.

Linardos has 28 years of departmental experience. He has been the fire chief of the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District in Nevada since 1999. He started his career as a volunteer firefighter in 1978. In his 28 years of fire fighting experience he has been with multiple fire districts and been promoted from firefighter to training officer to battalion chief to executive officer and in 1996 to chief operations officer.

He will fill the spot left vacant when Chief Bruce Watson resigned from the Hudson Bend Fire Department on June 7. -- CENTEX

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09/11/06

Thanks to all who showed up for the 9/11 ceremony. We had a good turnout, including the TCSO Honor Guard. It does us all good to remember the strong emotions, and honor the many fallen from an event that we will never forget.

See Jeffs 9/11 video tribute - click here.

09/10/06

Please note a correction on a statement from a historical flooding event featured far below on this page. I used a quote from a sailing website stating the following:

"Our recent drought in central Texas ended in late 2000 when Lake Travis rose 36 feet in two days. How much rain did it take to do this? Just over 5” in four days."

After researching LCRA historic meter readings, I found that the 2000 event took 12 days, not the claimed two, but I also found the levels for the Christmas 1991 flood event, which was more significant:

Record rise for lake Travis was 30.67 feet in 72 hours at Christmas 1991:

Dec 20 1991 10:08AM 677.01 feet ASL

Dec 23 1991 10:08AM 707.68 feet ASL = 30.67

Dec 25 1991 11:09PM 710.44 feet ASL = record high

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09/03/06

Travis County officials were investigating an apparent drowning on Lake Travis. They said a 17-year-old boy apparently drowned while hanging out with other teenagers near the lake. It happened around 1:30a.m. Sunday on Argarita Road. The body of the teen had not been found at the time of this writing. Officials used a sonar to search the lake for hours, but found nothing. A dive team was sent in Sunday morning. More information will be released when it becomes available.

Update:

Lake Travis claimed the life of three more people this Labor Day weekend, and the summer isn't officially over yet. Three drowning incidents happened on Lake Travis over the weekend. Ray Sellers says there were nearly four.

"When we first saw the ambulances come out here yesterday afternoon. There was another girl being pulled out that had almost drowned on the other side of the cove," said Sellers. "Just on the other side there are another set of cliffs 10 - 15 feet tall and there was a girl that almost drowned there yesterday," added Sellers. Investigators Monday morning found the body of a 20-year-old, who tried to swim across Mudd Cove at Pace Bend Park on Sunday. The boy's family waited nearby as divers recovered the body. "The family had been here for a while. This individual is from Georgia visiting distant relatives here in Travis County," said Roger Wade Travis County Sheriff's office. "Yes without a doubt this is the deadliest Lake in Texas," added Wade. This year has proven to be the deadliest on Lake Travis with 12 drowning incidents. Last year there were eight, in 2004 only four, the only year that comes close was in 2003 with nine drowning incidents. So far this year, 30 percent of the drowning incidents that occurred on Lake Travis involved alcohol but that statistic fluctuates from year to year. Investigators say William Szpak, 34, drowned near Point Venture on Saturday. Szpak was trying to swim to shore after jumping from a boat. The sheriff's department is still looking for the body of a 16-year-old who fell off a private boat dock off Agarita Road.

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08/19/06

The body of a man who vanished earlier this week on Lake Travis was found Saturday morning. Roy Walker, 26, vanished Tuesday night after falling off a boat near Volente Beach. A boater on Lake Travis found Walker's body about 10 a.m. near Starnes Island. The Sheriff's Department said Walker was in a fishing boat with a friend when the wake from another boat knocked them into the water. One man fell off the back of the boat and survived, but Walker was thrown from the front of the boat. He went under and never resurfaced. The Travis County Dive Team, along with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, has been searching for his body since he disappeared. Walker's death is the ninth fatality on Lake Travis this year, tying the record for the most deaths in a year on the lake. (KVUE) Note: victim was found 2 miles from where he supposedly went in.

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08/19/06

VVFD executed a wildland fire drill today from 8:00AM to 2:00PM. We had 19 members involved, with a strike team consisting of 2 brush trucks, and a hot shot hand tool crew behind them. We used truck 1403, which has an 800 gallon tank, as a shuttle doing water drops into a 1500 gallon porta-tank, and it was shuttling back and forth from the 3200 gallon tanker 1406, which was staged in the church parking lot. We had mock areas of fire, designated by red marker ribbon and flags. No one was told of the layout prior to their arrival. We also had 1401 on scene for rehab purposes. All in all it went pretty well. We discovered a couple of issues but were able to overcome them rather quickly. This drill occurred up on the hill which runs between the church and the station. Considering the heat and very rugged terrain, we had no medical issues, and aside from some occasional radio ops problems due to distance and terrain, all went well. We will continue to push wildland training, as we enter another period of high risk for wildfire in this area that is prime for a major fire. We appreciate the communities involvement in staying fire safe. There has not been a major fire in the area for as long as anyone can remember, which makes it that much more dangerous and primed for a large and dangerous fire, should it ever occur. We hope that everyone continues to be mindful of the situation and be safe when BBQ'ing, and to remember that the burn ban is on, so any outdoor fires are illegal. Outdoor welding is also dangerous. That is what started the 700+ acre fire in Comal County this week. If you are a landowner of the Volente area and wish to join our department, please contact the station. We have several options of participation including, paid or volunteer firefighters, volunteer EMS responders, and are forming a wildland fire crew as well. Call or come by to find out more.

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08/15/06

Lake Travis 9th drowning/fatality of the year occurred Tuesday evening around 7:35 PM. Details are being withheld until the outcome of the situation. Volente, Austin EMS, Star Flight, Hudson Bend boat 1, and TCSO were called to the scene approx. 2 miles North of Volente Beach. Reports were that a male fell off the front of a moving boat and never resurfaced. After searching for 35 minutes, the call status switched from a rescue to a recovery. Divers will begin searching the area Wednesday morning, in 85 feet of water.

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08/06/06

On Sunday afternoon, there was a fatality motorcycle collision in the 12200 block of Lime Creek road. It was in a spot that triangulates 3 fire boundaries. Volente was toned to back up North Lake Travis Fire Dept, and Cedar Park was also requested for assistance, due to the frantic nature of the call at dispatch. When there is a serious call, we do not hesitate to call for assistance. Ideally to get help there asap, regardless of whos area it is.

The rider was travelling at a high rate of speed, could not negotiate a curve, and drifted across the yellow stripe and hit the rear wheel of an oncoming SUV. This knocked him down and sent him sliding into the path of another oncoming car that could not avoid him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Lime Creek road is famous across the state as a challenging road for motorcycles, and unfortunately, many of them challenge it with speed but are unfamiliar with the road.

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As of Tuesday August 1st, the Travis County burn ban is back on. This means no outdoor burning of any kind. This includes outdoor welding, fireworks, and campfires. See the link to the Fire Marshals order on the home page.

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CLICK HERE FOR A VERY COOL STAR FLIGHT VIDEO

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07/30/06

The 8th drowning/fatality on Lake Travis occured Sunday around 5:00PM. A woman apparently went missing while swimming and apparently went unnoticed for a time. Officials said they got the 911 call some 30 minutes after she had been noticed as missing. Divers recovered her body a short time later in 15 feet of water, 50 feet from shore. They have now stated the drowning to be accidental.

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07/22/06

Lake Travis' 7th drowning/fatality of the year occurred Saturday afternoon just off "Sometimes Island". A 20 year old Hispanic male went down and never resurfaced. Ameteur divers and nearby boaters helped in the initial search. Hudson Bend requested the TCSO Dive Team and declared it a recovery operation a short time later. The dive team later found his body in 22 feet of water.

Many people are unaware or forget that the Lake was once the Colorado River. It has many deep spots and drop-offs beneath the surface. Many of these drop-offs are the old river shoreline. It is common to cross the lake, watching a depth finder, and see the depth go from 20 feet, to 120 feet in many places. There are places like Windy Point where you can wade in 4 feet of water, and step off a ledge unknowingly. These are usually abrupt drops, or even underwater cliffs. If you can't swim, don't wade out into the water. Also with the low levels we currently have, diving is risky as well. There are many submerged rocks, trees, etc. just below the surface. High speed boating is also a huge risk due to land and objects just below the surface, that are normally much deeper. Stay safe !

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07/05/06

KXAN-

Officials have recovered the body of the woman who drowned in Lake Travis this weekend.

Twenty-three-year-old Mary Maielle never resurfaced after she went off a slide on a party barge Saturday night in Devil's Cove.

Maielle is the second person to die in one month after sliding off a barge in Devil's Cove. She's the 6th drowning/fatality on Lake Travis this year.

Update:

It is now believed that she may have been struck by the propeller of the boat as it was apparently running, and possibly even backing up when she and another person slid down the slide which is on the rear of the boat. Further results and investigation are pending.

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07/03/06

We would like to thank Volente Beach for their fireworks show. It was pretty good, and went off without any incident. We have not had any holiday related calls as of yet either, so hopefully everyone is being careful and not just lucky.

There was another drowning in Devils Cove Saturday night. It was a 23 year old female who, once again, was sliding down the slide on a large party boat and never resurfaced. As of yet, her body has not been recovered. This is the 6th drowning/fatality on Lake Travis this year.

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06/14/06

Volente Beach will be giving a fireworks show on Saturday July 1st starting at dark. They will be launched from the area of Starnes Island, so you may view the show from any point with a view of the island. (The island area will be closed to the public prior to, and during the event. Please keep your distance if you plan to watch from a watercraft) The Fire Department will be on site, and have extra crews standing by for any fire or medical issues, as will the Sheriffs Department and Lake Patrol.

Fireworks: Be advised, it is currently under discussion as to whether or not to reinstate the burn ban, and also to