July proclaimed first responders month

Burnet County is making sure residents do not forget the service and sacrifices made by first responders every day.

Working together with the Hill Country 100 Club, commissioners adopted a proclamation Tuesday, July 13, during their regular court meeting declaring the month of July to be “First Responders Month” in Burnet County.

Before reading the proclamation into the minutes, Burnet County Judge James Oakley spoke about the need to pay tribute to the law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatchers and others who protect and serve the community.

“People dial 9-1-1 and don’t understand all the personalities that come into play whenever that call is made and the variety of people that respond and are part of that call and all the training that goes into it,” Oakley said. “That happens on a 24-7, 365 basis and we need to recognize that. I think we do a good job of recognizing that here, but we want to make sure we reiterate and support that.”

The proclamation as adopted reads as follows:

“WHEREAS, individuals, both career and volunteer, from 9-1-1 dispatchers, law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, search and rescue and other organizations in the public safety sector, come together as first responders to protect and aid the public in the event of an emergency; and

“WHEREAS, everyday first responders risk their own safety in the performance of their duties to protect our citizens; and

“WHEREAS, first responders are our first and best defense against all emergencies that threaten our communities; and

“WHEREAS, first responders are ready to aid the people of Burnet County 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and

“WHEREAS, first responders are highly trained, specialized workers who contribute their excellent skills for the public good and often for no pay; and

“WHEREAS, the members of first responder organizations undergo significant education, training, and personal sacrifice in order to achieve the expertise required to respond to emergency situations; and

“WHEREAS, first responders are a vital party of every Burnet County community to maintain safety and order in times of crisis, and volunteer in our communities;

“WHEREAS, the Court encourages our citizens to thank, encourage and support our full time, and volunteer first responders. Make their job easier by making sure your house number is highly visible on the entry to your fence or gate. Make sure they have your gate or lock code if you are out of town, and report any suspicious activity or potential danger.

“THEREFORE, Burnet County Commissioner’s Court in partnership with The Hill Country 100 Club, would like to recognize all of the brave men and women in Burnet County that serve our Community as first responders, and do hereby recognize the month of July 2021, as FIRST RESPONDERS MONTH in Burnet County. We call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.”

Oakley noted that while Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther Jr. was not present due to an already-scheduled trip out of town, “with him having a multi-year career as a first responder, I suspect he is very much in favor of this. I appreciate anything and everything (first responders) do for us out there.”

Luther himself worked as a volunteer firefighter for the Burnet Volunteer Fire Deartment for seven years before attending the Austin Community College Fire Training Academy in 1998. In 1999, he was hired as the second paid, full-time firefighter for the Burnet Fire Department and worked there until 2016, rising to the rank of assistant chief of fire operaitons before retiring after winning election as Precinct 1 Commissioner.

The Hill Country 100 Club was formed by a group of concerned citizens and businesses in 2001. The allvolunteer organization’s sole purpose is “to support activities necessary to help the families of first responders who are injured or killed in the line of duty, creating an untimely financial burden.”

The Hill Country 100 Club responds to families of first responders killed or injured in the line of duty within 24- 48 hours of the event and are “usually the first wave of financial support.”

The club will pay out $25,000 in survivor benefits to families of first responders killed in the line of duty and has paid out in excess of $160,000 in benefits to the first-responder community to date. This coverage extends automatically to any qualified first responder in the service area.

Recent recipients of support from the Hill Country 100 Club included the family of the late Jose Humberto Meza, who died in the line of duty while working for the Burnet Police Department as their K-9 handler; and the family of the late Andrew Howe, a Marble Falls police officer who died in a motorcycle accident two years ago.

More than 550 club members provide support through memberships and sponsorships to serve first responders in a four-county region — Burnet, Llano, Blanco and Lampasas counties. They provide an endowment fund established for donations of money or property and also give out annual scholarships to those pursuing a career as a first responder.

Activities held each year include the annual first responder awards banquet, which honors first responders from all the communities in the four counties; a 100 Club fundraiser day at participating area McDonald’s restaurants; and the annual 100 Club Golf Tournament.

For more information about the Hill Country 100 Club, check out their Facebook page or go to hc100club.org.