At the August 29 meeting of the Brown County Commissioners Court, representatives from several county fire departments requested funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The ARPA was passed by the U.S. Congress last year to help communities recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic.

Brown County was awarded $7.35 million in two payments, one last year and one still to come this year.

Leading the presentation was Chad Hill, City of Early Fire Chief.  There are eleven fire departments in Brown County, including Brownwood, which is fully professional, Early, which is a combination of professional and volunteer, and nine other fully volunteer departments.  They respond to house fires, grass fires, traffic accidents, and medical emergencies.

The number of calls for service this year is running about 25% higher than last year, putting a strain on department budgets.  Also, increased costs of all kinds, including fuel, are pressuring budgets.  All of the departments need to replace aging and worn-out equipment, including trucks, personal protection equipment, etc., as well as make repairs to the fire stations.  A new chassis truck (bare fire truck without equipment) costs about $65,000, while a complete Brush Truck costs between $175,000 and $200,000.

Hill said an average of $240,000 per department is needed and requested from the ARPA funds.

Commissioners accepted the request and said that they are currently working on the new County Budget, and at a later date will decide how to dispense the ARPA funds.