PINEHURST, Texas — Members of a Southeast Texas fire department are finding ways to keep their community safe despite the negative impact rising gas prices are having on them.
The pain at the pumps is placing a strain on the Pinehurst Volunteer Fire Department. The rise in gas prices has not stopped the volume of calls the department is receiving.
The Pinehurst Fire Department is an all-volunteer department. Since they are a volunteer department, if a fire truck is already on the way to the scene of an emergency, fire crews have to drive to the scene in their own vehicles.
Members of the department said the gas money comes out of their pockets.
“As for our volunteers, it does put a stress on them because if they come from home or out of town to come fight a grass fire, or a structure fire or a med call, that is money out of their pocket,” Fire Chief Edward Castillo said. “When it used to cost $30, now its anywhere from $60 to $70 in their tank.”
Pinehurst has spent their entire gas budget for 2022 only six months in. This bleeds into other budgets.
"We need new equipment here at Pinehurst, and having to rearrange our budget for the year affects us getting new equipment,” Lieutenant Travis Dupuy said.
Fire crews said the equipment is needed to provide the best quality protection for the community.
“Everyone here wants to help the community," Castillo said. "And if the community would like to help us, we would be more than happy. [sic] You can drop off a check, money cards, and we move it to the department to buy new equipment, fill our apparatuses with gas, so we can take them out to calls."
The City of Pinehurst re-opened it's fire department in 2020. For almost two years, the volunteer crew has remained committed to serving their community.
Despite the cost at the pump, their love for helping the community keeps them going. Chief Castillo has been a first responder since he was 17-year-old, and he said his career is a calling.
"When someone is in dire need of help, and it could be life or death, that's what I want to do,” Castillo said. “I want to be there for them. I want to be able to help save them or save their property. Everyone at this department we all have that same service call."