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Turn Around, Don’t Drown!!!!!

Sat through Meteorologist Troy Kimmel’s Weather Safety class last night and it was amazing! He reminded the class that central Texas is coming in to severe weather season so I thought it would be a good time to put out some weather safety newsletters…

Turn Around, Don’t Drown

Moving water is incredibly powerful. It only takes 4-6 inches of swiftly moving water to sweep a large vehicle off the road and downstream, taking along those inside. There are a few things you need to remember when a roadway is covered with moving water. One, you don’t know the depth of the water. You may drive right into a four foot deep river. Two, you don’t know the speed of the water. The faster the current, the more powerful the water and the easier it is to push your car off the roadway. Three, you don’t know if the roadway is still intact. The swift moving flood waters may have completely removed the roadway and, again, you’d be driving into a river. Four, you can’t see where the road is underwater. Just because you see where it comes out on the other side of the river, it doesn’t mean it goes directly there. The road may curve below the surface. This exact situation sank a local area fire department’s ladder truck a couple of years ago!

One of the most important rules there is during a roadway flooding event is DON’T DRIVE AROUND CONES OR BARRACADES! Those were put out for your protection. When you drive around one of these traffic safety devices, you are endangering not only yourself, but also the family or friends in the vehicle with you AND the firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement officers that have to rescue you. A couple of years ago, a sheriff’s deputy lost his life while searching for a missing person who drove into a CLOSED flooded roadway. Neither of those lives had to be lost. Think of a road closed with barricades like a “Bridge Out” situation. You wouldn’t drive past a “Bridge Out” sign because you know you’d could get hurt or killed. And please remember that a 4-wheel drive or an SUV is not a boat! Just because you have “4 x 4” on your dashboard does not mean your vehicle will survive a swift moving water crossing.

For your safety, your families safety and the safety of those of us who have to come fish you out of the river, please don’t drive into a flooded roadway. A little inconvenience is way better than the loss of your life or that of a loved one.

Fire Safety Info

Outdoor Burning

 

Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about outdoor burning so I thought we’d put it center stage!  To put a fine point on it, outdoor burning of waste is not allowed within the JVFD district.  Why?  We are following the State of Texas rules on the subject.  Per the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ):

“Grass, leaves, and branch trimmings from residences are all considered “domestic waste.” If your local government does not collect domestic waste and does not authorize a private collector to do so, you may burn material of this type. If such waste collection is available, then it cannot be burned under the domestic-waste exception.”

On the other side of the topic, cooking fires in a controlled container (BBQ’s, smokers, etc.) and warning fires during the winter, also in controlled containers (outdoor stoves, chimineas, masonry fire pits, etc.) are legal as long as they are not emitting flames of dangerous heights or emitting large numbers of embers that could pose a threat to structures or vegetation.  We would also recommend that these items not be used on combustible surfaces or near structures or vegetation.

If you see someone burning illegally, contact our department and we will respond.  If the situation becomes a problem, the department can levy a fine.  We can also involve WCSO and/or TCEQ and the State Fire Marshall’s Office to assist in correcting the issue.

You can access the entire Outdoor Burning in Texas publication at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/rg/rg-049.html

 

Volunteer Information

Community Leaders Wanted

Are you the person that stops to help someone change a tire?  Help someone reach something on the top shelf at HEB? Hold a door open for someone carrying packages?  Go out of your way to help someone that you’ve never met before?  If so, you are just the type of person we are looking for!

We are the Jollyville Volunteer Fire Department and we’re looking for people who want to do something to help their community.  If you are an outgoing, intelligent person who is willing to make the required time commitment, and want to be a major contributor to your community, call or come by the station and we will discuss your possible future as a community servant.

The basic requirements are:

Ability to attend Monday night trainings each month

Willing to go the extra mile for your neighbor

Call (512-258-1038), check out the website (www.jvfd.org) or just come on by the station (9218 Anderson Mill Road) and we will see if you’ve got what it takes to be a “Community Leader.”

 

Employment Information

Hiring Info

FIREFIGHTER HIRING PROCESS

Jollyville Fire Department is currently hiring for full-time, Firefighter/EMT-B positions to cover a 48/96 shift schedule.

Jollyville is a single station department, with six-person shift staffing, operating two apparatus that cover 11 square miles and 18,500 people, averaging 1000 calls per year.  We are a community-oriented fire department, with deep roots in our neighborhoods and are very active in public education and public events.  We have a progressive training environment and strive to be the best prepared and educated firefighters possible.  JVFD believes in a culture of health and safety for our firefighters, providing annual medical evaluations that include physical, mental health and cancer assessments, as well as a modified clean cab concept for all apparatus.

Compensation begins at $20/hour or $60,460 annually. Benefits for full-time personnel include 53-hour work week, 8-year step pay increases, overtime, higher class pay, 14 paid holidays, bereavement pay, education pay, certification pay, longevity pay, hazard pay, uniform stipend, minimum annual accrual of 300 hours of paid leave, medical, dental & vision insurance, light duty policy, workers compensation insurance, accidental death and major injury policy, maternity/paternity leave, and department funded state retirement (TESRS).  Total starting compensation package, including benefits, is approximately $77,169.

Minimum qualifications that must be met at time of application submission:  TCFP Basic Firefighter, Texas DSHS EMT-B and a Texas Class C driver’s license.

Written test will be administered on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 10am.  Study material will not be distributed until a properly completed application packet has been submitted.

Testing will be conducted at the station address listed above.

Applications are available by request via email at

blandi@jvfd.org