The Oncor Cares Foundation will donate $650,000 to three volunteer fire departments in West Texas on Tuesday, which will help support their budgets and allow them to continue serving their respective areas.
The West Odessa, Greenwood and Northeast Midland County Volunteer Fire Departments will meet with Senior Vice President Debbie Dennis on Tuesday at 11 a.m., at the Northeast Midland County Volunteer Fire Department, 5310 E. County Road 60, Midland.
“It felt good knowing there’s somebody out there wanting to put their name in the hat and help give us a break,” West Odessa Fire Chief Austin Harden said.
Oncor Electric Delivery Company created the Oncor Cares Foundation to expand giving and support for the communities the company serves.
The money will go towards upkeep on vehicles and equipment, Harden said. In July, the department, consisting entirely of volunteers, responded to more than 100 calls for service.
While the department receives funds from Ector County, it only supports part of their operation cost, Harden said. The department received $54,000 for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and held a fundraiser in March to help raise additional funds.
In addition to responding to fires, the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department assists Odessa Fire/Rescue, the Ector County Sheriff’s Department, the Odessa Police Department and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin Police Department with their certified unmanned aerial aircraft operators.
Harden expects the number of calls to service to continue rising.
“If we didn’t have good, operational equipment, we wouldn’t be able to efficiently respond and to supply people with whatever help they need,” he said.
Harden added that volunteer fire departments are typically the first to be on the scene of fires in most areas around the state.
The Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in Texas history, burned more than 1 million acres. The first responders who arrived on scene were members of the local volunteer fire departments, he added.
Harden said volunteers can be the difference in the outcome of a blaze.
“It’s what we do,” Harden said. “If not us, then who? We enjoy spending the time preparing to protect our community.”
