Travis County Commissioners Court

May 8, 2012 - Item 5
Agenda

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Item 5, consider and take appropriate action on the proclamation honoring the West Lake Fire Department Emergency Services District Number 9 on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.
good morning.

>> we have officials here from the west lake fire department.
would the rest of you like to come up to the table and just join the chief?
no?
okay.
you are by yourself.

>> mike elliott, acting fire chief, west lake fire department.
and about 9:00 a.m.
on Friday, the 14th of April, 1961, a motorist traveling along st.
stephen's school road on the western boundary of rob roy branch carelessly tossed a lit cigarette out of the window and ignited a grass fire.
a strong wind out of the west quickly spread the flames east across rob roy ranch on to davenport ranch where the owner had large piles of brush from clearing land for cattle.
there the fire lept from one old brush pile to another and fed on dry vegetation in the canyons and ravines leading southwestern.
more than 200 students from the university of Texas and st.
edwards university volunteered to fight the fire.
the attempted two-day community effort stopped the fire short of

>> [inaudible] creek.
after that fire the residents who fought the fire started looking for a way to form a rural fire district.
Travis County rural fire district number 1 was the second fire district in the state to form under a new law.
they collected money from residents, bought a new international fire truck and kept it at what is now station 901.
in 1995, the district asked the residents to vote on forming an emergency services district.
the vote passed and that was the beginning of Travis County e.s.d.
number 9.
in 2012, west lake fire department is now a professional organization with two fire stations and over 30 highly trained firefighters.
we are proud to uphold our continuing mission to preserve life and property exceeding the expectations of our community.
and we will be having an open house on may 12th, Saturday, from 10:00 to 2:00 at our fire station at 1295 capital of Texas highway.

>> thank you.
shall I read the resolution?

>> yes.

>> slightly redundant but good to emphasis.
whereas the old roy and davenport ranches have given way to the cities of West Lake Hills incorporated in 1953 and rolling wood in 1963 and many neighborhoods such as camelot, lost creek, river hills and rob roy and rolling hills west, and whereas this area has grown from just a few hundred residents to now approximately 18,000 covering roughly 18 square miles, whereas the Travis County rural fire prevention district number 1 changed their name to the west lake fire department in April of 1961.
and whereas the west lake fire department has grown from an all volunteer department dependent upon donations from the community to hiring their first full-time 24-hour employees and conversion to an emergency services district in 1995 to what is now a full service professional firefighting and fire prevention agency with a community foundation to support its efforts, and whereas the west lake fire department leads by example with guiding principles of ensuren and protecting public safety, conducting themselves in such a way to garner public trust and providing a public service that is more than just an emergency response.
now therefore be it resolved that the Travis County Commissioners court proclaim Saturday, may 12, 2012, in Travis County west lake fire department day on the occasion of their 50th anniversary as a fire department.
and I move approval.

>> seconded by Commissioner Davis.

>> and I would also like to add just some comments, that this is a significant 50th anniversary, but it also bears some significance for the conditions we find ourselves in in Travis County today and central Texas actually.
the threats of wildfires.
because 50 years ago the community rose to meet the needs for the wildfires as chief elliott described.
and we are doing the same thing now and west like fire department is a leader in that role as well and continues to be.
so I congratulate you for your successes through the years.

>> thank you.

>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
thank you very much for coming down.

>> thank you.
I do have a little memento for the Commissioners.

>> thank you very much.

>> thank you so much.

>> thank you.

>> do you have --

>> [inaudible], mr. Manila?

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