"Our first line of defense is the Volunteer Fire Departments," says Jan Amen, of the Texas Forest Service,"and the drought has gone on for months on end."
Amen knows that the Volunteer Fire Departments have been busy in the past weeks, and she knows that the Big Country is still at risk for fires. "Tomorrow [Tuesday] is a heads-up day fore us. We're going to have a lot of wind and low humidity."
The rain that fell overnight came as a relief to fire crews across the Big Country, but it appears it will be short lived. That's why everybody's getting their equipment ready explains Amen.
Crews, like the Buffalo Gap Fire Department, did exactly that. They took this day as a chance to rest and check on their equipment. Assistant Chief Derrick Sowell says today was a way to, "Catch up on some of the maintenance on our equipment, and get prepared for whenever it does get bad again."
The crew repaired fire hoses and changed tires as well as other maintenance like checking the water pumps and just making sure the trucks are ready all around.
The Buffalo Gap crew is not alone, as other VFDs all around worked hard to be ready for whatever may come. Some Fire Chiefs said they were replacing and repairing old equipment, while one admitted he was just glad it was a slow day.
The Volunteer Fire Departments hard work is not going unnoticed, either. "I'd like to thank the Volunteer Fire Departments," says Amen, who admits she's only been here a few days, "but what I've seen, they are really well equipped, trained, and ready to go."
