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Grant to Fund Hiring a Volunteer Director & Retention Incentives

Laredo, Texas – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced  that the Webb County Volunteer Fire Department will receive $256,580 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to hire a volunteer fire department coordinator and to aid in implementing a recruitment and retention plan to build the fire department from the ground up. “The men and women of the Webb County Volunteer Fire Department perform selfless acts of courage to protect and serve our community,” Congressman Cuellar said. “These funds will help keep our community safe by allowing a program director to assess how many volunteers are needed, what proper equipment to purchase, and which retention incentives will be most helpful in maintaining a stable number of volunteers.

 I thank Judge Valdez and the Webb County Commissioner’s Court for their diligent efforts in helping guide this grant to the Webb County Volunteer Firefighters. ” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) awards competitive grants to enhance response capabilities of fire departments that are not affiliated with a hospital. Approximately 16,000 fire departments across the country applied for the grant and only 18% were awarded. “I want to thank Congressman Henry Cuellar for his diligent efforts in retaining these funds,” said Webb County Judge Danny Valdez. “The funds are to implement and create an effective volunteer firefighter retention and recruitment program to meet and maintain staffing needs at this critical period of its inception.” The funds are obligated through the Recruitment and Retention section of the AFG. The fire department is Webb County’s first and is in the beginning phases of serving the county’s rural communities. The department intends to spend its award on hiring a director for the volunteer fire department, who will oversee potential construction of fire houses given that the only permanent structure owned by Webb County is 36 miles from Laredo city limits. The funds will also provide retention incentives for volunteers, including the reimbursement of gas for those traveling long distances to rural areas as well as health insurance coverage and lost wage recovery when the volunteers are serving the line of duty in fighting a fire.