BEYERSVILLE – A petition to annex the area served by Avery-Pickett Volunteer Fire Department (APVFD) into Williamson County Emergency Services District 10 has been filed and accepted by the county.
On May 6, residents will be able to vote on whether to accept the annexation. If the measure passes, the horseshoeshaped area outside of Taylor’s city limits currently served by APVFD will join forces with Thrall, Coupland, and other county areas served by ESD10.
Avery-Pickett firefighters have fought against the possible annexation, citing the measure as a “hostile move by the county.”
“These people are willing to increase your taxes while they allow a reduction in your services,” said a post on the APVFD social media page after attending an ESD10 board meeting Jan. 10.
According to members of APVFD, this could mean the disbandment of their department.
“It’s very disheartening to know that a fire chief in this area would put his community at risk, his citizens at risk and his firefighters at risk over some sort of backhanded agreement that doesn’t make sense,” said John Shelton, APVFD assistant chief, in video posted by Dolcefino Consulting.
The citizens serving the petition tell a different story. At a meeting on Jan. 11, residents of the APVFD service area met to air their concerns and hear from ESD10 representatives about the county’s capabilities should the measure pass. The meeting was held in SPJST Lodge 48 (Beyersville Hall), which is within APVFD’s fire prevention area. The choice of location was symbolic. In 2019, the hall caught fire and co-operation between different fire departments in putting out the blaze became an issue.
In the now-restored hall, a group of about 60 concerned residents questioned Fire Chief Mark Moellenberg about how ESD10 would respond to fires as well as medical emergencies. “It’s easy to get hurt on a farm,” one attendee said. “We need to know someone will come.”
Moellenberg disclosed that 100% of ESD10 firefighters are certified. He said there are approximately 30 active volunteer firefighters in ESD10, with 14 also being state-certified Emergency Medical Technicians and the rest credentialed as first-responders through Williamson County Emergency Medical Services. All of the fire trucks have full medical equipment capability, and many of the ESD10 members have medical bags at their homes so that they can respond quickly in life-saving situations without having to drive to a station to pick up supplies.
The chief also said that having more areas consolidated and working together could result in faster response times. “For every minute that a fire burns it doubles in size. So, we are at a time disadvantage already. That’s why it’s important for us to build the most robust, efficient fire department to the best of our ability.”
That service comes at a cost. ESDs can charge up to 10 cents per hundred dollars of valuation in property taxes. Moellenberg said that ESD10 has a financial plan to strategically replace aging equipment, upgrade the fleet, increase available medical equipment and create a cash reserve in order to continue operations in emergency situations.
“The business we are in, to provide adequate public safety service, it is not a cheap endeavor. You can’t cut corners on it. You can get very good value for your dollar, but it doesn’t come for free,” he said.
“You get what you pay for,” added Jeff Sciarretta, a firefighter who came to the meeting in civilian clothing and spoke as a business owner, a chaplain and a resident in favor of annexation. He expressed concerns that a volunteer fire department dependent on donations like APVFD might not have the ability to continue in service when it’s needed most.
“The chances of everyone in this room needing emergency services sometime in the future are 100%,” Sciarretta said. “You will need it at some point or have a family member or neighbor that needs it and it’s gotta be there.”
