Fire crew battles heated political issue

Bracken volunteer fire firefighters are willing to protect residents of “no man’s land,” but Comal County commissioners aren’t willing to compensate them for their efforts.

At least 70 residents in south Comal County live in an area that does not fall within an emergency service district. Residents of this area “known as no man’s land to county officials” have been without fire and EMS protection since Jan. 1.

Bob Fleming, secretary for Emergency Service District No. 6, said officials from the district, Bracken Volunteer Fire Department, commissioners and residents attended a meeting on Feb. 12.

“We offered to provide fire protection to no man’s land, but we have no contractual right to be there,” Fleming said. “They said they would have the assistant district attorney draw up a temporary contract so we could legally go in there, but said, “We’re not paying for it.”

Precinct 3 Commissioner Greg Parker said residents of “no man’s land,” do not currently pay for or receive emergency services. The area between New Braunfels and Garden Ridge was left out when boundaries were drawn for emergency service districts more than 10 years ago. Parker said he wasn’t sure how the area was left out, but that bids for no man’s land to join ESD No. 6 had failed in the past. The area’s contract with Bracken Volunteer Fire Department was subsidized by the county until 2007.

“We can’t pay (Bracken Volunteer Fire Department) because we didn’t budget for them to go into the area” Parker said Wednesday. “Last year we told them they had a year to figure it out, but nothing happened.”

No man’s land resident Bob Reed is spearheading a drive for the area to join ESD No. 6.

Reed did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday afternoon.

Parker said that Reed had prepared a petition on Feb. 12, but had not collected any signatures.

Parker said signatures must be collected from a majority of landowners in the area, before an election could be held in the district and in no man’s land. If the proposal to join ESD No. 6 passes in both elections, no man’s land would immediately be included in the coverage area.

“If there’s an election in May or November, they could join the ESD and have protection right away,” he said. “But the ESD wouldn’t see any tax money until the next year.”

Fleming said that Bracken volunteer firefighters will continue to provide services to the area with a limited crew. For now, the department’s priority will be to residents who pay taxes to the ESD.

“This needs to be fixed,” Fleming said. “It’s a really unfortunate situation.”

By Jessica Sanders
The Herald-Zeitung