A Christmas Tale, Part II

In Part I of this series, I touch on how blessed residents of unincorporated Harris County are to have at the ready to serve them so many fire and emergency medical responder agencies. All have the skilled staff and functioning equipment to take care of any requests for help that those residents may have.
But what if you didn't live in one of the most populous counties in the entire nation? What if, say, you resided in a small, rural county that did not have the means to support high level emergency protection? For example, this county's fire protection services were funded by voluntary donations, raffles, bake sales, etc. With the cost of a new fire truck in today's market pushing up to almost one million dollars, that type of purchase is out of the question. Most likely, that fire department is looking to buy a 20 year old or older fire truck from an agency that is replacing it with newer. While a lot less money to outlay, there is that risk of problems inherent in the 20 year old apparatus. In addition, paying personnel to stand ready at the fire station is unheard of due to cost and, with fewer responses than a larger county, an inefficient spending of funds. Fire fighters respond to the station from their homes, work, or wherever and that may use up valuable time. In addition, that older fire truck may not be able to travel as swiftly as a new one to the fire. Where you live determines if your burning home is saved or not.
Back in 2021, ESD 47 and Westlake VFD, through a chance meeting, formed a friendship with an ESD of meager means in Limestone County. Their annual income through taxation was around $100,000. Most of the area is agricultural based. After paying for fuel, truck maintenance, and fire station utilities, there wasn't much funding left. Their ESD president contacted me and we began a dialogue. It just so happended that at that time we had a ten year old chevy Tahoe coming available. Texas law allows (and encourages)emergency responder agencies to "gift" to others within the state such things as vehicles and equipment and, since it's market value was very low, we passed the Tahoe to them. They turned it into a combination command/rehab truck that makes responses in their part of the county. Seeing the good, neighboring VFD's in Limestone asked this ESD to put them in contact with us. Accordingly in the time since, ESD 47/Westlake also gifted a fifteen year old pickup truck and another Tahoe to other Limestone County VFD's. These trucks have gotten new life while helping agencies with little or no funding obtain much needed vehicles. Finally, we are having discussions about selling a no longer needed piece of apparatus to yet another VFD in Limestone County. Again, all of this made possible through a chance meeting and conversation. Truly, Christmas has come to several Limestone County VFD’s in a big way for them.
This will be the last post of mine to appear here on this website. However, my writings will continue on my personal facebook page and are intended to post around the first of every month, beginning in February.

Until then, stay safe!
Brian Havran

A Christmas Tale, Part I

I have the pleasure (and luxury) of getting to meet and interact with many members of the community and when I tell them what I do for ESD 47 and the Westlake fire department, they, without fail, tell me how thankful they are to have such a professional organization in place for whenever an emergency arises. Be it a fire, medical emergency, traffic accident, whatever, Westlake stands ready to answer the call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

It's not just having people at the station, although that is a huge part of the process, it is also having apparatus and equipment in good repair ready to roll. ESD 47, of which I am currently the president, has through the years worked diligently to insure that both are always present to assist the public. After all, your tax money goes to cover the costs of these. The intent is not to have the shiniest or fanciest, but to have whatever is expected to be needed for the types of responses that are generally required for this area. It also requires decisions to be made about buying new when maintenance costs of existing items start to increase. I know this sounds like advanced calculus, but we think we have a great system in place.

I must confess that ESD 47 isn't the only one in this area who can say that. I know of no fire suppresson or emergency medical agency in unincorporated Harris County that is not well equiped to take care of its constituents. It's all part of that knowing what will be asked of the department in terms of emergency service and therefore budgeting and purchasing accordingly. While it's true that a larger number of people are contributing to the coffers, it is also true that more people mean more emergency responses.

So as you and your family and friends give thanks this holiday season, keep in mind those, whether it's Westlake or another agency, that are there to assist with your emergency needs, not just today or this week, but all throughout the year. While we are having our festive gatherings, there are first responders at the ready at fire stations all around. Like as you give to others, they are giving their time to you. In part two of this post, I will talk about the trials and tribulations that some emergency agencies are facing in today's times and how Westlake has helped one area in a small, but worthwhile, way.

Until then, stay safe

Brian Havran

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Who doesn't know this traditional holiday carol that we've sung since our childhood? Did you know that it was not written for Christmas? It was written for a Thanksgiving program put on by a Sunday school choir around 1857. Well it is now year 2022 and very few, if any, of us travel around in a horse drawn carriage or sleigh. Certainly, snow is a rarity here in Houston. The second verse goes:

"He got into a drifted bank
and then we got upsot"

We do, however, like to get out on the roadways and travel during the ever-lengthening holiday season, which segues into my post for this month. In today's vernacular, we got into a car accident. In our haste to get to the mall, grandma's house, meet up with friends, and still have time for work, we often times let our guard down while on the roadways. It is, on the other hand, a time to slow down and be more cautious. While driving, we should just assume that another driver is going to run through a stop sign or red light. We should assume that another driver will be turning or changing lanes without signaling. Watch out for impaired drivers as well. It is not uncommon for folks to be filled with too much holiday "cheer".

So you are doing all the right things and keeping safe. Great!! Then while on your journey you encounter an accident that has happened. What should you do? That depends. It depends upon if first responders (i.e. law enforcement or fire/ambulance) are on the scene. Let's say that they are. Then look for someone directing traffic and follow their commands. If no one is directing traffic around the accident scene, pass on the opposite side of the road if, and only if, you can do it safely without being a hinderance to the first responders. If not, reroute your trip and give the accident scene its space.

Ok, so what if you come upon an accident that has just happened, say seconds ago? No first responders in sight. First above all, call 9-1-1 with the exact location, description of vehicles, and any other information that the call taker may need. Get the professionals in route as quickly as possible. If you need to stop your vehicle, do so out of the moving lane of traffic. Unless you are a trained first responder, it is best that you do not approach the vehicles or victims. Moving an injured person and exacerbating the injuries may expose you to a lawsuit. It's happened. You are better off staying on the line with the 9-1-1 call taker and being that person's eyes on the scene. When first responders arrive, tell them what you know. Be brief! If a statement is needed from you, they will ask you to wait around. Otherwise, they are the professionals. This is what they train hours to do. You've done your part so just continue on your merry way. That brings me to the third verse of the song which gave me a chuckle:

"A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away"

Passing by a fresh accident and doing nothing is irresponsible. Please do not assume that someone else has already phoned it. Being a hinderance to first responders is not good either. It all comes down to common sense.

Have a joyous and safe holidays!
Until next time,

Brian Havran

De-Taxed, But Not Defunded

On September the 26th, the commissioners of Harris County ESD 47 met. At that meeting, we approved our budget for next year, 2023, and set our property tax rate for this tax cycle. Good news! First, we held our expenses at the same overall amount as last year. Secondly, we lowered our property tax rate from $0.084 per $100 valuation to $0.080 per $100 valuation. Over the last seven years, ESD 47 has lowered its property tax rate by over one and a half cents, or about 16.5%. I know that is not much, but when other taxing authorities are constantly raising their rates, we again have lowered ours. We are able to do that this time around because we have budgeted for the same total expenditures for 2023 as this current year. You may have heard through news outlets and other means how taxing authorities are having a tough time of things and need more money. We here at ESD 47 suggest that they either sharpen their pencil or reign in their priorities. Believe me, it's not that difficult.

Holding the line on spending does not mean that we have cut our budgetary commitments to our service provider, the Westlake Fire Department. Instead we have increased our commitment to them to an all time high of over $3.1 million. No defunding of first responders here! Our mission is to increase services while lowering property tax rates. As Westlake's call volume increases (and it has by more than 150% as compared to year 2019), their cost of providing services have increased even more. In addition to that, we are always looking to upgrade any vehicles or equipment that may no longer provide the service that is required to be a professional fire suppression and emergency medical first responder.

Unfortunately, other first responders are caught in the middle of political battles. Quite frankly, many local law enforcement agencies are suffering from cuts in funding which results in fewer officers on the streets. How does this affect fire and EMS you ask. Great question. Here is an example that Westlake and other fire/EMS agencies face daily: There is an accident on the freeway. Fire and EMS respond immediately. The ambulance transports the injured to the hospital if necessary. The fire truck stays on scene to provide traffic control and order until law enforcement arrives. This wait for the arrival of law enforcement may be thirty minutes, forty-five minutes, maybe an hour or more. It’s not the fault of the officers on patrol. They are all jumping from one assignment to another. There’s just not enough of them to cover this highly populous county. So a fire truck is basically out of service for much longer than it should be because there is no law enforcement officer available or he/she has to travel from a far off location to work the accident. Going further, should there be another response in that fire truck's territory, a fire truck would need to drive from a neighboring station to cover it. There is a snowball effect. Defunding law enforcement has consequences that go beyond that particular department and because of it we are seeing an increase in costs on our end.

The good news is that at Harris County ESD 47, we know how to control costs so that we can continue to lower property tax rates while giving you, the public, outstanding professional service and care.

Until next time, stay safe
Brian Havran

Accounting and Accountability

This is the time of year that has any entity that levies a property or ad Valorem tax working to correctly dot all the "i's" and cross all of the "t's". Under Texas law, it is not as simple as having a meeting and throwing out any number as a proposed tax rate and then calling it done. There are steps in the process that must be followed.
First, before a discussion of tax rates can even begin, every taxing authority must have decided on its financial budget for the up coming year. For ESD 47, this involves several months of reviewing how much was spent on various operational items in the previous two or three years. From that information, a fairly close prognostication for the upcoming year can be made. Next, we look at one-time purchases that will need to be made while that budget is in effect. I can tell you that the proposed ESD 47 budget on the table at this time holds the line on bottom line spending. If passed, then ESD 47 will have an average annualized budget expense increase of only 4.9% over the past five years. Considering these unprecedented times and the costs of fire and emergency medical supplies, this is unheard of. After expected expenses are determined, then an amount equal to them is required for income. This results in a budgetary net of zero dollars. Sounds easy, but again so much data is needed to carry out this process.
Your ESD 47 commissioners are all elected by public vote. Accordingly, not only do we have a moral responsibility to keep property taxes in reason, but should any of us, as is the case with any publicly elected official, get too tax-raising happy, we stand to be voted out of office. We have you, our constituent and taxpayer in mind at all times.
But what if we couldn't be voted out of office? Let's say we were appointed by someone who had more important things to worry about. What recourse would the taxpayer have towards tax-raising happy ESD commissioners? Emergency Service District commissioners in Harris County and two other Texas counties along with a few special situation ESD's are publicly elected. All others in the state are appointed by the County Commissioners' Court of the various counties.
Recently, I had a robust, yet cordial, discussion with an appointed ESD commissioner from a large central Texas county. The discussion began on the topic of his ESD and Texas ESD's in general needing more funds to operate. ESD's are limited by the State Constitution to a tax cap of 10 cents per every $100 of property valuation. My suggestion was to make the hard choices and spend the money where it would do the most good, thus lowering budget expenses which in turn would require less tax money. Well, he took expectation to that. You see, it is much easier to raise taxes to pay for (a lot of) things instead of determining what is absolutely necessary and budgeting for those items only, thus allowing the funds to be available to pay for them. I was quick to point out that if he and others were directly responsible to the taxpayers via the voting booth, he would find a way to make the tax limitations work for him. As you may imagine, my comments did not set well with him.
So as your ESD 47 commissioners work through this process of budgeting and tax setting, please rest assured that we have your, the constituent's, interest at heart. Not only for when you call for emergency help, but when you pay your property tax bill as well. Next month, I will be writing to let you know how that process came out.

Until then, stay safe
Brian Havran

Riding the Storm Out

The annual hurricane season began June 1st, but for us here in the Houston area, the majority of our hurricanes come in the time from July 1st to September 30th. So, yes, after reading my bloq from last month, you heeded all the warnings and took advantage on stocking up on supplies. The storm appeared to be going to another part of the world and then, guess what, you woke up one morning and found out that over night, the hurricane had changed course and it was steamrolling right to your area. You hear that all roadways are jammed packed. It makes no sense to get out there and join in the frenzy. You decide to ride out the storm. Now what?
Is your home sturdy enough to withstand a strong wind? While winds decrease as the hurricane comes on shore, our area is close enough to the Gulf to experience 100+ mph winds. It is. Check. Is your home in a flood prone area or would it take a severe rainstorm to cause flood water to enter your home? Not prone to flooding. Check. Are cell phones charged? Yes. Check. Remember, don't use your phone except for urgent calling. It frees up the system, plus you have a full battery should power go down. Power may go out well in advance of the storm's arrival. You may be wise to shower and groom before power goes out and certainly it will.
Okay, you're set. As winds pick up, stay in the middle of your home and if a big tree is on one side of your home, avoid that side except for short trips there. Once you make the decision to ride out the storm, there's no changing the plan. You are there. Stay abreast of the water level in your street. Should your home begin to flood, stay in an elevated area, but DO NOT climb into a closed attic. You may become trapped there.
Should the eye of the hurricane pass over your home, the weather will calm down to little or no wind and rain. DO NOT be fooled into thinking that the storm is over. You can use these valuable moments to do emergency repairs outside, but keep in mind the time is limited. Do not drive! All businesses are closed. Trust me on this. You’re not missing a thing. Also, when the eye has moved on, the winds will return however, this time form the opposite direction.
Every storm is different. Every storm has its own personality. Some have a fast forward speed, while others take their time moving along. Some have high winds while others drop copious amounts of rainfall.
If you have a NOAA weather radio, the local channel is 162.400 MHz. KTRH 740 AM is a great source for news and weather reports during a storm.
Again, these two months of articles are just an introduction into hurricane safety. I encourage you to seek out more sources well in advance of the arrival of any hurricane conditions. By this time next month, we should be in the peak of the hurricane season.

Until then, stay safe,
Brian Havran

Preparing for a Hurricane

The annual hurricane season began June 1st, but for us here in the Houston area, the majority of our hurricanes come in the time from July 1st to September 30th. With that in mind, this month I'm writing about preparing for a hurricane. This column only serves as an introduction to this topic. If you are new to the Gulf Coast area or just want to brush up on hurricane safety tips, I suggest you search the internet for more detailed articles on this subject.
We all know that when hurricane season starts we should stock up on non-perishable items such as bottled water and foods that don't require refrigeration. Infant formula and baby food is always one of the first things that stores run out of. It's better to get those items at the store before the rush comes and it allows you to focus on last minute items. Add to that list batteries for portable radios and flashlights. A first aid kit or two is a must also. Don't forget about packages of moist towelettes and garbage bags. It is good to have a tool box with hand tools including a hand or power saw (for cutting fallen limbs and branches) along with a manual can opener as well. Here is a tip rarely posted about: If the storm has passed and power is still out, you can cook/barbeque outdoors. It's a great way to use meat from the freezer than would otherwise spoil. Have a stock of charcoal, but only do this when the weather is settled and outdoor activity is safe to attempt.
If a storm is imminent, fill your bathtub with water, not for drinking purposes but to have for hand washing and toilet operation. Don't forget about your pets. Have a good supply of pet food for your furry friends. If power is out in the area, ATM's will not work so it's important to have cash on hand well in advance of an approaching hurricane. Keep your cell phone charged and, if possible, have a fully charged backup battery standing by. Save any insurance and other important papers on a cloud server well beforehand and take them with you should you need to evacuate.
Many folks own a portable power generator. That's great, but here are a few do's and don'ts. Do have it full of fuel well ahead of a storm and make sure that it is in good running condition. This should be done early on in hurricane season. If you need the generator for power in your home, set it up to run outside--NEVER in your home or even in your garage. The carbon monoxide fumes can poison humans in no time. Do not over burden your generator. That is, do not use it to power the central AC system. Instead, running a refrigerator, some fans, and one or two lamps will get you by until power is restored. DO NOT refuel a running generator! For refueling, make sure that it is off and use a funnel for pouring in the new fuel. Do not allow it to overfill the opening. This could result in a fire. For those that have a permanent generator incorporated with their home electrical system, life is a little bit less complicated, but still never add fuel while the generator is running.
Rarely is there need for residents in our area to evacuate due to a hurricane, but it does happen. If you need to leave, make that decision early. Roads do get filled up with travelers. Have your route planned in advance of your trip. Take a lot of the above mentioned items with you.
Any street in ESD 47 has the potential to become flooded and therefore impassable. We have some streets that flood more readily than others. They are in Westlake Place and Westlake Forest along Mayde Creek, and in the eastern sides of Westlake and Westlake Forest. If you live there, you are well aware of the past history of flooding. Regardless of where you reside in ESD 47, the Westlake Fire Department wants to know if you have living in your home persons with special needs or accommodations so that they can plan for them in case of an evacuation on your street. If you haven’t already done so, call them now at 281-492-0560 and discuss your family's special needs before any storm approaches. This will assure that your loved one(s) are properly taken care of.
An excellent website for preparedness tips is: www.ready.gov. Obviously, should a hurricane be headed our way, stay tuned to local news/weather outlets for the latest advisories. Hopefully, our number will not come up this year.

But if it does, stay safe!
Brian Havran

Challenges Faced, Challenges Met

I think that the two biggest challenges in today's world for a first responder agency are keeping a sufficient staff of highly skilled individuals and staying abreast of trends in the fire suppression or emergency medical service. Let me touch on staffing first.
Here at ESD 47/Westlake, we are currently well staffed. That does not mean that we are not taking in newcomers. Oh no, we always welcome new recruits to our agency. Our current staffing level is at or near an all time high number. That comes as no surprise given that fact that we have a new state-of-the-art fire station with a ton of creature comforts, new apparatus across the board, high tech tools and equipment, and just a pleasurable work environment. We are truly blessed, but candidly, folks do move away from the area all the time for various reasons and replacements are always needed.
So I move on to the other challenge and that is keeping up with trends in the first responder arena. I was told of a study done by a company called ESO out of Austin. In their comprehensive report, they referenced a study into over 72,000 working fires during the 2020-2021 reporting period of which about 32% were structure fires which is a small increase over a few years prior. What blew me away was that 80% of the structure fires were residential type fires. This is a large jump percentage-wise over the previous two years. Commercial building fires were down. Why? That's easy. People were working from home and not going into their office everyday. So why the fires? Also easy. Homeowners would be on an online work meeting and it should be ending soon so they put a pot on the stove to cook. Well, someone in the meeting begins to speak endlessly and before you know it, there's a fire in the kitchen.
Is Westlake in a position to take care of residential fires? Absolutely!! Last October, I watched our crew attack a house fire just down the street from me. When they arrived there were flames coming out of the garage. They contained the fire (or as firefighters say: "put a stop on it") in about two miniutes. In another two minutes, they had the fire knocked down to a point where they could finish it off. Trust me when I say that's not the case everywhere in this world, or even in Texas.
Challenges are also true for our EMS protocols. A challenge that we are looking at here is falls by the elderly. The fact is folks are living longer than ever before. Bless them! It's also true that there are few QUALITY care facilities for our non bedridden 80 year old and above crowd that don't charge an arm and a leg. Thus, the elderly wind up living with a child or grandchild in their home. That's great, but what happens when they head off to work or to enjoy some time out in the town? The elderly are left alone and many times they slip and fall when moving around the house. The result is an EMS call which may or may not end up in a transfer to the local hospital. We have done some tweaks to our responses and hopefully we've got this situation smoothed out.
So that's just a quick peak at some of the things that are done behind the scenes here at ESD 47/Westlake so that when you as a resident call 9-1-1, Westlake responds quickly with the equipment and know how to remedy the problem.

Challenges faced, Challenges met.

Until next month, stay safe
Brian Havran

Katy Area Safety Fest

Back in the Spring of 2016, the newly created ESD48 fire department came up with the idea of sponsoring a festival where folks of the area could come out and meet those first responders and other agencies that protect them. This was done at a movie theater parking lot and it was fairly well attended. Thus was born the Katy Area Safety Fest.
The event has grown through the years and despite the pandemic restrictions, it is now back and in full swing. It has even grown up to be its own entity, having acquired 501c3 status and supported by donations. The 2022 event is scheduled for Saturday April 23rd from 10am to 3 pm at Katy Mills, Burlington Entrance. A large turnout is expected for this free admission festival.
So what is there to see and do at Katy Area Safety Fest? Short answer: Tons. For starters, many local area fire departments will have their fire trucks and ambulances there. Law enforcement will be there with all sorts of vehicles. Air ambulance helicopters will be making an appearance along with a gigantic military helicopter. That's just for starters.
There will be home and workplace safety information available. A vehicle extrication demonstration. Several non profit agencies will have booths there touting their safety messages. And for the youngsters, there's the "Being Safe is Fun" Kids Zone sponsored by ESD 47. We have a large assortment of inflatables that are geared to kids of all ages. From small bounce inflatables for the pre-school group to a large mega course and a bungee fun run. We even brought back the popular CornField Maze from 2019! You'll probably get hungry and thirsty, so the Katy Area Safety Fest has you covered there as well with several food trucks right in the middle of the event.
But wait, there's still more. Many of the area fire departments will be squaring off in the Firehouse Combat Challenge sponsored by our service provider, the Westlake Fire Department. This activity allows fire fighters to use their everyday skills in a competition against the others. You'll surely want to cheer on your local team, right?
Organizers of the Katy Area Safety Fest have searched long and hard and there is no other event similar to this one anywhere. You will definitely want to mark this down on your calendar and plan to spend several hours at KASF. It is a huge event this time around. Here is a link to the KASF website where you can get lots more information: http://www.katyareasafetyfest.org/

See ya'll there!

Brian Havran

School Days, School Days

Texas law requires Emergency Service District commissioners to participate in six hours of training every two years. This is to keep them knowledgeable on changes in the laws and constantly increase their local government acumen. On February 17th through the 19th, yours truly and two other ESD 47 commissioners attended the annual State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts convention in Round Rock. This event was attended by nearly 1300 ESD commissioners and emergency professionals from all over the state. These folks serve over 12 million Texans.

Among the course topics were Laws Affecting ESD's, Roberts Rules of Order, Commissioner Ethics, the Open Meeting Act, Records Retention, just to name a few. The Keynote Speaker was Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Department of Emergency Management. (This is the gentleman seated next to Governor Abbot most of the time during the Governor's press conferences on things such as Hurricane Harvey and Covid.)

As with most conventions, there were vendors there, demonstrating everything from the newest fire trucks to the latest software. With an attendance of nearly 1300 folks, you can also imagine the meet and greet aspect to the event. Old acquaintances were renewed and new ones started. In visiting with commissioners from across the Lone Star state, I realized that we as the body of ESD 47 are doing so many, many things correctly and we have next to zero problems, unlike (primarily) those in rural areas. We are truly blessed by our constituents! While other districts are trying to figure out ways to receive more income, most could not believe that ESD 47 hasn't raised property tax rates in years and, yet at the same time, we are increasing services to our community. My response was that we know how to budget efficiently and be prudent in the spending of our tax payers' hard earned money. But readers of this website don't have to go to school to learn that--they are already well aware of how ESD 47 and its service provider, Westlake VFD, take care of them. Ring the school bell!

Until next time, Stay Safe.

Brian Havran

I Gotta Wear Shades

In 1986, a group named Timbuk 3 released a song titled, "The Future Looks So Bright, I've Gotta Wear Shades" As I was looking for an intro into this month's blog, I remembered this tune from the past as it is so apropos to describe the state of affairs at ESD 47/ Westlake VFD. The numbers are in for year 2021 and they show that Westlake responded to 4688 calls which is a record number of requests for help from Westlake in its 47 year history. Of those 4688 responses, 3216 were emergency medical type responses. Again, a historical high for that category. As I look over the 2021 report, I see that the residents of Harris County Emergency Service District 47 are calling 9-1-1 for Westlake's help because they believe that Westlake will be there in a flash (district response time around four minutes) and have the skill and equipment to, if not remedy the issue, at least mitigate it to a point where an emergency room staff can take over and get the patient back on the mend. It is so gratifying to have earned the community's trust in such a resounding way.

A good case in point, remember those battery powered extrication tools that ESD 47 purchased for Westlake a while back? Well, they came in handy two times since my last writing. One was an motor vehicle accident on Barker-Cypress Road and the other was an MVA on the I-10 feeder road at Mason Rd. Both happening in the wee hours of the morning. In both cases, vehicle occupants needed to be cut out of a mangled vehicle and these battery powered tools were quick to do the job and, I must say, quicker than that the ordinary pneumatic tools that other agencies use. These tools allowed for a shorter ambulance load and transport time.

At every ESD 47 meeting, we are discussing the needs of the residents of, the visitors to, and the property in ESD 47 and does Westlake VFD have that covered. I can tell you all without any reservation, yes Westlake does! No matter the challenge, Westlake has the apparatus, tools, gadgets, and know how to solve the problem. The residents of ESD 47 are truly blessed and in good hands with the ESD 47/Westlake team looking out for them. The only thing that Westlake needs is more people to take care of this increase in call volume. If you are interested in becoming a Westlake volunteer or you know someone who is, please have them contact the Westlake VFD at 281-492-0560. So many times I hear from the Westlake members how great it is to be a part of the team. It's like a family atmosphere here.

Newly appointed Westlake Fire Chief Shannon Draper has many well designed plans to take the department from great to even better. We and the residents of District are heavenly blessed to have found someone so worldly wise. He has strategies and initiatives to take Westlake from merely great to the top of all fire/ems agencies in the land. Accordingly, ESD 47 is solidly in support of him. While other ESD's or either raising taxes or cutting services, we here at ESD 47/Westlake are cutting taxes and raising services and our residents love it. Wow, what a concept!! Personally, I can't wait for the future -- it's going to be awesome!

Or as Timbuk 3 sang:

"Things are going great, and they're only getting better
(We're) doing alright, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades
The futures's so bright,
... I gotta wear shades

Until next time, Stay Safe
Brian Havran

Speech at Badge Pinning Ceremony

On December 18th, I was honored to be asked to give the keynote address at Westlake’s Badge Pinning Ceremony. The purpose of the ceremony was to give recognition to those that became full members of the Westlake Fire Department and those who have earned a promotion. Here is the transcript of my remarks:

Honorees ... today is your day. Thank you for stepping up to serve our community, the community of Harris County Emergency Services District 47. Are you ready to receive your badges? But wait, first you must listen to the ESD guy speak for a while. Did they not tell you about that?

You may remember the late Paul Harvey. Paul Harvey was a news and commentary broadcaster. He was heard on radio stations all around the country. Locally, KTRH aired his fifteen minute show at 11:45 weekday mornings. He had that iconic mid-western voice with his methodical delivery.

Paul Harvey was not just merely a news giver. He told the story of the news, often painting a picture of the events so that the listener could feel that he or she was there when it happened. I wish that I could tell a story with the detail of a Paul Harvey. I'm too much of "just the facts ma'am" kind of person. But I'm working on it.

In 1978, Paul Harvey gave speech before the national convention of the Future Farmers of America. In that speech Harvey praised the efforts of farmers and noted how our lives are blessed due to the actions and hard work of farmers. You may have heard that speech, or at least parts of it. Here are a couple of excerpts from it:

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board" So God made a farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds, and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor’s place. So God made a farmer.

Sound familiar? It was used on a Ram truck Super Bowl commercial a few years back. But I'm not here today to talk about Paul Harvey or farmers. I'm here to talk about fire fighters. I only mention this as a back story to the poem about fire fighters that I want to read in a bit.

As a take off from the "So God made a Farmer" poem, some thoughtful and creative folks lead by a Mr. Drew Byrd at the Summerville-Bunnlevel Fire and Rescue Company in North Carolina came up with this poem in the Paul Harvey style. While it mentions firefighters, many times the term EMT can be substituted in. I have it here ... (with a few embellishments). It begins:

After His day of rest, God looked down on Earth which He had created and said, " I need someone to protect my creation and save my children from disasters." So God made a firefighter.

God said, "I need someone who will leave their family and put their life on the line to save the life of someone that they have never met." So God made a firefighter.

God said, " I need someone who will put all of their fears aside and go put out the fire and flames at a neighbor's house or business to save what that person has worked all of his life for." So God made a firefighter.

God said, "I need someone strong enough to remove a husband and his wife from the tangled metal and steel of a moter vehicle accident and yet soft enough to pick up and comfort a scared, crying child that was unharmed in that same accident and tell that child everything is going to be OK. Mommy and Daddy will be fine." So God made a firefighter.

God said, "I need someone tough enough to tell a woman that the man she had been married to for over fifty years did not make it and not show any emotion even after performing CPR on him for over a solid hour. When everything is over and the crew is all done, cry his or her eyes out cause they feel like they could have done more for him." So God made a firefighter.

God said, "I need someone who no matter how busy, how sick, or how tired will put their personal priorities aside to answer the call of the dispatcher whenever the tones go off." So God made a firefighter.

God said, "I need someone who can drive trucks, pull hose, man tools, lift heavy loads, withstand excessive heat, and meet the Devil face-to-face and not be frightened. I'll heed their safety so that they can return home unharmed to their family members who would be lost without them." So God made a firefighter.

God had to have someone willing to work holidays and weekends, someone willing to miss his or her child's first steps or first words, grandma's birthday party, or the biggest game of the year in order for the community to be protected, all with little or no pay. So God made a firefighter.

Because the fire station will need an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, a painter, a landscaper, a cook, and a janitor, God made a firefighter.

And because when word comes that the apparatus and equipment that should have been replaced two or three years ago will need to make do for a little longer as there is not enough money in this year's budget for new, God made a firefighter.

It had to be someone who could work as part of a team and take orders while inspiring the trust of others, It had to be someone willing to risk disease to help a stranger, and risk death to save lives on a freeway or in a burning structure with no reservations of his or her own safety. It had to be someone who would protect and serve, conquer and overcome, fear yet be fearless, sacrifice life and limb, and never accept failure. Someone who when the fire is out, or the wreck is cleared, or there is a return of the patient's self sustained pulse and they're off to the hospital goes back to his or her home, surrounds themself with family and smiles a big smile while fighting back the tears when their child looks up to them and says, "I want to be just like you when I grow up." So God made a firefighter.

So true those words, right? I hope that we here at Westlake are not in the category about making the equipment having to last a tad longer, but I'm sure that everyone found at least one item to identify with. This is why you folks are special. In this season of giving, you give, you give of yourself and never ask to receive.

I want to close in the Paul Harvey style, but before I do, again Honorees, thank you for stepping up. Today is your day. Folks, we have some cake and refreshments in the hallway and stay around for pictures and just maybe the rest of the story.

So in closing, I'm Commissioner Brian Havran ........ Good Day.

The biggest embellishment I made was to change the original wording from fireman to firefighter to made it gender neutral. Congratulations to those that were recognized today. Again a huge honor for yours truly.

The State of ESD 47

Right before Covid hit, I made a promise to some that I was going to give a "State of the ESD 47" report. Well, I think that now is as good as any so here is my State of the ESD 47 review and look forward.

I will go back to 2019, again before the pandemic started. Having purchased a training tower the previous year, we, at Westlake Fire Department's request, added some enhancements to the tower so that they can train for both a commercial building fire and a house fire. We purchased thermal imaging cameras for all of the fire apparatus as the then current ones were terribly outdated. With the violence towards public first responders on the rise, we purchased body armor for their protection. Because Westlake had so many volunteers staying at the fire station at nights, there was not enough beds. At Westlake's request, we purchased Murphy Beds to be installed around the station, allowing for more volunteers to be at the station over night. The air packs that Westlake was using at the time were outdated and getting severely worn. At Westlake's request, we purchased a new set of air packs to increase firefighter safety. We also purchased battery powered extrication tools to allow for rescue extrications in remote or hard to access areas.

That's just the small equipment. In the last two years, ESD 47 purchased two duty officer Tahoe trucks, a Rescue Pumper, two Type I ambulances, a utility truck, and a water tender (tanker) truck -- all paid for by check. NO loans or time payments were made for any of these purchases.

In our September meeting, we authorized the purchase of new two way radios for Westlake so that they can better communicate with neighboring departments. As you can clearly see, ESD 47 has been working hard to bring the Westlake Fire Department up to the highest standards with equipment.

Going forward, we are looking at acquiring land to one day build a second fire station. Also, we are researching a traffic light control system. Have you ever been stuck at a red light and a fire truck rolls up behind you? This traffic light control system will have turned your light green well before the fire truck arrived.

So now I've saved the best for last. In our September meeting, the ESD 47 commissioners reviewed its year 2022 budget, and while it may have been easy to raise taxes to cover it, we decided to keep our property tax rate the same as last year. Unlike some taxing authorities, we are not raising our property tax rate! The rate for the next ad valorem property tax cycle is still $0.084 per $100 valuation.

As I close, I should point out that going forward, ESD 47 will be working with a new Westlake Fire Chief. After a long and dedicated career, Mark Palmer has retired as the Westlake chief. After an exhaustive search, Shannon Draper was chosen to lead the Department. He has an outstanding resume'. He will serve the District's people and property with true professionalism.

Until next month, stay safe.

Brian Havran

THE VOTES HAVE BEEN COUNTED

Tuesday, November 2nd was election day for three ESD 47 commissioner positions. There were four candidates vying for three positions. The election stipulated that the candidates earning the three highest vote totals would be the winners of the election. There are no assigned areas or positions. All commissioners in ESD 47 are elected "at large."

Alright, with all of that being said, here are the vote totals as canvassed by the ESD 47 board on November 15th.:

Brian Havran 300
Gilberto Porras 339
Jimmy Vance 273
Michael Miller 379

So, a relatively close race. The winners were Havran, Porras, and Miller. Those gentlemen are elected for a four year term. Congratulations to them.

The next election will be held in two years in November 2023. Thank you getting out to vote.

‘Cause I’m the Taxman

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

So sang the Beatles in their '60s hit that called out one of the certainties of life: Taxes. Every August, Harris County ESD 47 grapples with the subject of taxation. While it is a fact that the taxes ESD 47 collects allows for the Westlake Fire Department to roll fire trucks and ambulances in times of need by the community, we are very mindful that we are asking the residents of the District to "give up" some of the hard earned fruits of their labors. Over the next few weeks, your elected commissioners will be setting the ad valorem tax rate for the next tax cycle. There is good news, though. While the Beatles sang about a 5% tax levy, all ESD's in Texas are, by law, capped at $0.10 per every $100 of property valuation. A 5% levy would be $5 per every $100 of valuation.
Your local Emergency Service District has been over the last several years extremely prudent with the funds that it has brought in via taxation. Here is a run down of recent ad valorem property tax rates:

2016 $0.0945
2017 0.0925
2018 0.0900
2019 0.0850
2020 0.0840

As you can see, every year has been lower than the previous one. Before we can start to discuss taxes, however, we must set our Year 2022 budget. Final touches are being put on it as I write this. ESD 47 budget and required tax postings will appear elsewhere on this website shortly after becoming available.

There is no way to predict how this year's numbers will turn out to be. All I can tell you is that we commissioners at ESD 47 will scrutinize all of the information provided to us by the Harris County Appraisal District and the Harris County Tax Office before coming to a decision. Certainly a much more involved process than the Beatles' taxman who allegedly set rates without much regard for facts. My fellow commissioners and I feel whole heartedly that we are working for you -- a complete reversal of the Beatles' taxman.
More on this in the weeks ahead.

Until then, stay safe.
Brian Havran

So What Does an ESD Commissioner Do?

Last month, you recall I wrote about how and why an Emergency Service District came in to being. I explained how an ESD funds its service provider and how that results in better emergency service for the community. This month, I'm writing about the duties of an ESD commissioner.

In Harris, Smith, and Orange counties, ESD commissioners are elected by popular vote. This is also true for any commissioner of an ESD that encompasses multiple counties. In all other counties, the ESD commissioners are appointed by the county commissioners court of that particular county. Personally, I consider it a great honor to be elected by those who I represent. ESD commissioners are elected for a term of four years. Because an ESD board has up to five commissioners, that means three commissioners are elected on one cycle and the other two on the next one two years later. A minimum of six hours of certified training every two calendar years is required by state law.

When a service provider has a need, it comes to the ESD board to request funding. The board studies the request along with any bids that the service provider has obtained. The ESD board may approve the funding or it may request further information. It can even just say "no". Because ESD boards are not interested in spending time with items of minimal importance, a service provider will submit an annual budget for operational expenses. Once approved, the ESD pays the service provider regularly, usually monthly, an amount to cover operational expenses of the provider. This is in addition to the regular budget that an ESD must create for itself prior to any fiscal year. An ESD commissioner deals with numbers and monetary amounts on a regular basis.

So where does the money come from to cover these expenses? I'm going to use a bad word here, so mothers have your kids close their eyes and cover their ears. We tax the public. I know, taxation can have a negative connotation, but relax. ESD's are by state law not allowed to tax in excess of $0.10 per every $100 of property valuation. In reality, ESD's use tax money more efficiently than probably any other form of government. I am proud to say that ESD 47 has lowered its ad valorem tax rate every year since I have been president. (That is presented elsewhere on this website.) Meanwhile, ESD 47 has purchased for Westlake VFD's use numerous new trucks and apparatus and equipment so that the public may be served in the highest capacity.

ESD's usually meet once a month to conduct regular business, an exception is for matters of high importance and urgency which may cause a meeting to happen between regular meetings.. ESD 47's meeting agenda is always posted on this website. Texas ESD commissioners are compensated $150 per meeting which is, by state law, the same rate as those that serve on a water district (MUD). The next four or five months will be busy ones for your ESD 47 commissioners. In July and August, the ESD 47 budget for Year 2022 will be set, followed by the setting of the ad valorem tax rate. In November, three commissioners' positions are up for election.

More will be posted on that topic next month.

Until then, stay safe.
Brian Havran

So What is an ESD?

Lately, I've gotten asked what is an emergency service district or ESD and how does it differ from the fire department? This is a great question. While there is a clear difference in the function of both, the answer is not so simple to explain.

An Emergency Services District (ESD) is a local government agency created by a vote of the public to provide fire protection and/or emergency medical services (EMS) in specific unincorporated areas of Texas. There are more than 320 ESDs in Texas and over three dozen in Harris County. The governing statute for an ESD is Chapter 775 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.

Most ESD’s began as Rural Fire Prevention Districts (RFPD) with a maximum tax rate of three cents per each one hundred dollars of assessed value. A $100,000 property would pay $30 per year. The RFPD law was designed to provide a stable funding source for volunteer agencies to provide rural fire protection only. It was never intended to be for urban areas such as ours. Accordingly, the State Legislature created Emergency Service Districts that could assess ad valorem property taxes at a maximum of ten cents per each one hundred dollars valuation.

Every ESD is authorized to have a board of five ESD commissioners who are on the board for four year terms on a rotating basis (bi-annually – two on one cycle, three on the next cycle), and they each must reside in their respective ESD. Harris County ESD commissioners are elected by popular vote. ESD 47 has some commissioners up for election later this year. For most other counties in the state, the ESD commissioners are appointed by the respective County Commissioners Court. ESD commissioners must meet in open meeting at least once a month. Also, they must complete a minimum of six hours of certified training every two years.

In November 2003, local voters approved the change from Rural Fire Prevention District 47 to Emergency Services District 47. In January 2005, the District then contracted with the Westlake VFD to provide fire suppression and emergency medical service inside the District. This is where the Fire Department comes in. It is the on site service provider. As a business entity, it cannot assess taxes. Dependence on donations, while greatly appreciated, is not enough to cover critical funding. Therefore, it relies heavily on the funding from the ESD.

Which brings me to my second most popular question: Why do some ESD's provide the services directly? The short answer is that they prefer to do so. In reality, there are four methods that an ESD can use to provide emergency services to its constituents. The first and most popular method is the ESD 47 way of contracting with a standing organization to do the responses. Second is where the ESD hires staff in house to do the responses. Next is where an ESD contracts with a municipality or another ESD to provide the service response. Lastly is a combination of #1 and #2 where the service provider selects its chief and maybe a first assistant chief and the ESD then puts that person or persons on its payroll. All others are members of the service provider entity and serve according to the contract..

So what is the advantage of contracted provider versus in house staff? Basically, it comes down to call volume and the amount of volunteerism available. The more request for help or the less volunteers usually results in the change to in house staffing by an ESD. Where does ESD 47 and Westlake stand on this issue? To be continued at another time.

Until then, stay safe.

Brian Havran

A Legit Two

Back in February, I told you that Westlake Fire Department was undergoing an audit by the ISO people. The score of that audit determines property insurance costs going forward. I also mentioned that currently Westlake was at a "3" rating, which is a very good score. Well, the results of this year's audit are in and ... (drum roll please) the result is a "2"!!! Yes, Westlake has improved its ISO score and the winners are all of the property owners in Harris County Emergency Services District 47.

Nice going by all of the Westlake members to achieve this lofty score. Less than 2% of all fire departments nationwide are at a level 2 ISO. Not only does an organization have to do extremely well on a daily basis, it must document its actions so that when the auditors check out the records, everything can be proven.

Well, as I hesitate to mention it, not all was found to be well. The District extends to over by the airport and down Groeschke Road. That area does not have an HOA nor a MUD district. In other words, the good folks who live near the West Houston Airport are basically on their own when it comes to municipal services. To complicate matters, the City of Houston meanders back and forth across Groeschke. Well, there are some fire hydrants over there which we determined are in the City. They were not "live". Accordingly, ISO docked Westlake for that area due to lack of a water supply and gave a "9" for that small area.

Westlake Fire Department and ESD 47 got busy to fix this bad mark on the ISO score. The Westlake team found a tanker truck for sale in South Carolina that fit our needs and our price range. Westlake sent one of its members there to check it out. When he gave the thumbs up, ESD 47 sent the payment and he drove it back to the Saums Rd fire station. ISO is in the process of amending our score. It will now be a legitimate "2".

I thought you may want to see what our newest addition looks like so I've posted some photos. To the best of anyone's knowledge, this is the first tanker truck the Department has ever owned. It holds 2500 gallons of water. Should a large fire breakout near the airport, it will be dispatched along with the other usual apparatus.

Check back next month when I'll have some more good news to share.

Until then, stay safe.

Brian Havran

Here We Grow Again

Today we've got another addition to the ESD 47/ Westlake family and this time it's twins! Twin new ambulances that is. We have just received delivery of two spanking new ambulances to update our already "best there is" fleet of emergency apparatus. They are Type I style with a fourteen foot Frazier emergency medical cubicle mounted on a Ford F-450 chassis. They were due to arrive in mid-May but were delivered six weeks early.

These are larger than our previous twelve foot box models. The larger size better accommodates a second paramedic or fire fighter who rides with the ambulance to assist with patient care on the way to the hospital. Because ambulances of today have available to them more technology and advanced equipment than ever before, an ambulance can almost be a mini emergency room. Westlake's are certainly that.

A few months back, I wrote about the '70s tv show Emergency! Back then, an ambulance was a convenient vehicle to transport a patient to a hospital where care was begun. Today, patient care begins upon patient contact and continues while in route to the hospital emergency room where the patient is handed over to hospital emergency room doctors and staff.

Westlake Fire Department has responded to almost 3600 total dispatches for each of the past three years. Of those, the ambulance was part of the response an average of 86% of the time. So you see Westlake ambulances rack up a lot of mileage along with wear and tear. These vehicles were a top need of Westlake so that the ESD47/Westlake commitment to you, the community, remains at the highest possible level. I've included a few photos of our new twins. Look for them on the streets of ESD 47.

In February, I wrote about the on going ISO audit at Westlake. The report is in and next month I'll be sharing what we found when we went in search of a great ISO.

Until then, stay safe.

Brian Havran

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

I was stranded in the jungle
Tryin' to take in all the heat they was giving
The night is dark but the sidewalks bright
And lined with the light of the living

So begins the second verse of Bruce Springsteen's 70's hit "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out". A couple of weeks back, I think many of us felt as if we were stranded in a jungle and trying to take any heat that we were able to get in order to stay warm. I write this post, not to complain about the loss of power or the bursting of pipes, but instead to honor the men and women of Westlake VFD for their efforts during the week of February 15th.

You will recall that the snow and sleet fell early morning Monday. When the Sun, rose the daylight gave us glimpse of a scene that we rarely see in south Texas--a glistening white ground and streets. Things were slow early on Monday, but then people started to move about and as they did, they found out that ice is slippery and Mr. Gravity can be really mean at times. Hence, calls started to come in for fall victims. With the power remaining off, it wasn't long that back up batteries in fire alarms systems wore out and false fire alarms were the next issue to give cause for dozens of responses. As the week wore on, the temperatures climbed back above freezing and frozen household water pipes began to thaw out. Unfortunately, they were full of cracks and splits. Folks who had not turned off their water soon had a waterfall from their ceiling. Having no one to turn to, they called the reliable ones, the Westlake Fire Department. The week ended with a large gas main breaking under ground on one of our roads. The smell of gas went everywhere. People were calling in to report the smell of gas outside, even some in neighborhoods that are not serviced by natural gas. Westlake was again running to respond to those numerous calls.

All in all, Westlake ran 364 calls in the week of February 15th. Compare that to an average month of 368 responses. The great news is I am not aware of anyone losing their life due to Westlake not being able to respond. Even with the worst of weather conditions, they were able to stay staffed and make the responses. Oh, and let's not forget that many of the members had the same issues at their homes as we did. The neighborhoods (and sidewalks) of ESD 47, while without electricity for many hours, were brightened by the unending efforts of Westlake. Thank you to all Westlake members!!

Next month, I will run the post that I had originally planned to write today.

Until then, stay safe.

Brian Havran