First responder addresses retired teachers
First responder Chris Wilson speaks about the Medina Fire Department at the monthly meeting of the Bandera County Retired Teachers. BULLETIN PHOTO/Tracy Thayer
Chris Wilson, Medina VFD first responder, spoke to the Bandera County Retired Teachers during their February meeting at the American Legion Hall in Bandera.
Wilson spoke about the structure and organization of the fire department. Some larger departments have a more elaborate structure, but one of the most important is the “incident commander,” the official in charge of the response to the fire, according to Wilson.
He also spoke about response times, noting that the Medina VFD covers 43 percent of the county at 306 square miles.
He gave members valuable advice about how to guide emergency services to a location of an incident. As Bandera is a rural county, Google Maps is not always an accurate source of information, he said. Wilson also recommended each member learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator.
The Medina VFD has several types of vehicles according to Wilson.
He said that the department has the largest tender vehicle which holds 4000 gallons of water. He also spoke about Type 5 vehicles and the commonly seen “brush trucks.”
Wilson gave some chilling information about driving a fire truck when it was full of water and when it was partially empty after an event. He recommended everyone stay a lengthy distance from any emergency vehicle on the road, especially fire trucks.
Precinct Election Judge Darcy Hasty spoke about the requirements to vote and how to procure an absentee ballot. She brought election information to the group and talked briefly about how to study a sample ballot and rules about using cell phone cameras. She recommended members request a paper ballot to study before the election. This would help, she said, when complicated ballots are up for consideration.
The Snak Paks 4Kids group wrote a thank you note for the donation of 92 jars of peanut butter in January. Secretary Sharon Baxter reported the final count of 6,588 volunteer hours from 26 members to the state organization. This accounted for approximately $167,000 donated to the local community.
In Old Business, President Connie Young detailed plans for the state convention in Dallas in April. She reported that she, Sherrie Keese and Lynn Oliver would be attending as delegates from Bandera County.
Dee Anne Mazurek reported on the progress of the Book Project. She reminded members that books for grades 3,4, and 5 would be collected this year. She described the chapter books needed. She said that she had already received 50 books for the Christmas 2022 distribution.