Smithville Volunteer Fire Department

Fire Safety Tips

The members of the Smithville VFD bravely devote their time and energy to putting out fires and keeping the community of Smithville safe. However, the best way to ensure your house and loved ones remain unscathed by a fire is to do your best to prevent a fire from happening in the first place. Some important tips for fire safety are provided here for your convenience.
 

Create a floor plan of the building detailing at least two ways of escaping every room.
Test windows and doors for ease of opening and check their size to see if they are useful exits in the event of a fire.
Sleep with your bedroom doors closed, as it will prevent the heat and smoke from coming in as quickly.
In the event of a fire, stay low to the ground and find a safe place outside away from the fire.
Install at least one smoke detector on every level of a building and replace their batteries at least once a year.
Keep anything flammable at least three feet away from all portable or space heaters, halogen lights, or any other item that is prone to emitting a lot of heat.


How to Join

In order to join the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, you need to fill out an application. Then, on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the VFD has a meeting at 7pm and a vote will take place then. After an applicant has been voted on, they must serve a six month probationary period, and then they will be voted on once more at the end of the six months. If an applicant makes it through, then they must fill a quota of attendance for fires and meetings in order to stay in.


Members

At this time, there are 42 active members in the Smithville VFD, and 8 reserve members. The current executives are:
 

President - Kameron Saunders

Secretary - John Banning

Treasurer - Bob Parker

Fire Chief - Joe Brown

First Assistant Chief - Johnny Schroeder

Second Assistant Chief - James Elam

Fire Marshal - Jack Page

Alerts and Bulletins

Public Meeting: Smithville Cultural District

Smithville will be applying to the Texas Commission on the Arts for a Cultural District Designation. A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 21 at 5:30PM at the Lost Pines Artisans' Alliance -- Mary Nichols Art Center and Gallery at 301 Burleson (Loop 230 and Burleson). If you are not able to attend the meeting, you may contact Jill Strube at 512 237 3282 x 2109 or take the Cultural District Survey (see "details" about this article).

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Holiday and Christmas Tree Fire Safety

FEMA provides information about how to enjoy a safe holiday and reduce the risk of experiencing a holiday fire. They also talk about how to have a fire-safe winter.

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Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Team

The Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Team (BCLTRT) helps wildfire survivors with recovery assistance. If you need help or if you want to volunteer, please contact them. Call 512-321-2868, email the BCLTRT, or go to the BCLTRT website.

Details>>

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