The Grand Saline Volunteer Fire Department/EMS would like every citizen to support the ESD District. Having this in place has allowed the department to make many improvements within the emergency medical services and the volunteer fire department. As providing NFPA required safety equipment for each firefighter when performing duties. ESD funding allowed the loan payment of a new 2009 ambulance to replace a 1995 unit that had over 200,000 miles. New rescue tools that most people know as the "JAWS OF LIFE" to insure the highest quality when seconds matter the most. Allowing the change of the public protection classification rating system, which allowed possible lower of premiums to save home owners money. We encouraged everyone to shop around for Insurance Premiums to seek full benefits of receiving a lower rating. ESD funding has allowed several ponds be certified to be point of water source for rural iso grading. In which provides lower premiums to rural home owners that live within 1000 feet of theses sites. The ESD funds allowed the purchase of a pumper/tanker that allows the department have two 2500 gallon tanker along with an engine that carries 1000 gallons which is 6,000 gallons of water. ISO requires to change rural class the department must meet water demand by having over 5000 gallons. Most improtant is allowing the department keep providing costly ambulance service to the citizens.
Things The ESD Has HELPED FUND
budget coming soon
FIRE SAFETY TIPS
Always Yeid or pull to the shoulder of the road when an emergency vehicle has its light and sirens on.
GET OUT ! STAY OUT!
Make sure all family members know what to do in the event of a fire. Draw a floor plan with at least two ways of escaping every room. Make a drawing for each floor. Dimensions do not need to be correct. Make sure the plan shows important details: stairs, hallways and windows that can be used as fire escape routes.
Test windows and doors—do they open easy enough? Are they wide enough. Or tall enough?
Choose a safe meeting place outside the house.
Practice alerting other members. It is a good idea to keep a bell and flashlight in each bedroom.
Practice evacuating the building blindfolded. In a real fire situation, the amount of smoke generated by a fire most likely will make it difficult to see.
Practice staying low to the ground when escaping.
Feel all doors before opening them. If a door is hot, get out another way.
Learn to stop, drop to the ground, roll if clothes catch fire.
Install smoke detectors
Post emergency numbers near telephones.
Make sure you have a safe fire escape method for all situations
Matches and Lighters are Dangerous
CALL 911
EMS MEMBERSHIP
INFO COMMING SOON
More Info on dry-hydrants
Living within 1000 foot class 4
GRAND SALINE FIRE DEPARTMENT
VAN ZANDT COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT 2
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911 sign can be found at the central station 217 N Green Street
cost is $10.00 a sign
Enhance Your Home Address Visibility
New ISO RATING
City Class 4
Rural Class 4/9
SUPPORT
THE
VOL FIRE DEPT/ EMS
VOTE NO!
Against Dissolving THE ESD #2
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In 2004, The Grand Saline Volunteer Fire Department started working toward becoming an Emergency Service District after the City Council advised the department to find a better funding source due to budget cuts. The department covers 97 square miles of fire protection and 152 square miles of Ems coverage.
In November of 2006, Citizens passed with a voted dearing the election from 312 to 252 for the GSFD to become an Emergency Services District to provide a stable funding source for the department and provide a huge benifit to the tax payers to help lower Insurance rates to save money..
There where many steps, Rules/ Laws that the department had to meet before considering an ESD. www.texasesdlaw.com
Before the ESD was voted and passed. Citizens that lived inside of the City limits where paying for both City and Rural fire protection. City only budgeted $30,000 a year for fire protection but owns all firefighting equipment.
The County only funded $4,000 a year for rural fire protection. The Ems was not getting any funding from the City or County for providing EMS service. The small budget just was not meeting the department’s everyday operation due to an increase of call volume, equipment maintenances, equipment expense, and every day operations.
About 68% of emergency calls are outside of the City Limits.
GSFD Fundraiser just was not helping the department enhance it equipment, training and its ability for every day operation to keep providing the services to the community and the safety of its firefighter. Hot dog sales are more of a PR for the public and the kids.
Having an Emergency Service District plays the major roll in providing the stable funding by taxing everyone in the district . The high end is .10 cents on $100.00 of the valuation on property tax. The ESD of Grand Saline has lowered their tax rate to .9 cents for 2009 budget. The Department is not receiving any funding from the County to run rural response. The Department is solely relying on the ESD funding to keep providing everyday operations.
The Fire Department has an I.S.O. !!!!
Why we need the ESDFunding
ESD can give back to the community
Fire department is rated by the ISO. They rate 1 to 10 with 1 being the best, 10 being the worst that a department can be rated .The ISO rates the department on all areas of the service they provide.
"Home Owners are encouraged to shop around for Insurance Premiums to seek full benefits of receiving a lower rating"
Click here to learn more about ISO and why the ESD funding is important.
City of Grand Saline has a class 4 ISO rating. With the Newly Formed ESD funding the department this is allowing the department budget for the equipment that ISO requires the department to carry on fire apparatus to make each truck a Class A fire apparatus to gain ISO points to help the Community lower its PPC rating that reflects on Home owners Insurance premiums.
AGAIN ITS UP TO THE HOME OWNER TO FIND THE BETTER DEAL! A few Insurance Company use a Different grading system.
Rural area is rated by distance from a Sub-Station (fire station) and dry hydrants. The dry hydrant program is one of several steps that make it possible to lower ISO rating for the home owner’s fire protection insurance. This also is helping the volunteer fire department meet the water demand for rural firefighting. Having the 2,500 gallon water tanker will gain the department ISO points for the rural water operations and living within 5 milesof a rural sub station will drop the Iso rating down from a 10. Theses improvments will help the citizens save while improving health and safety with in the fire district.
Grand Saline Volunteer is proud to say its has changed the ISO rating to in 2010 to a Class 4 inside the City, And 4/9 in the rural area.
Making improvements for the health and safety of the citizens
