Gillespie County’s homes and surrounding areas have felt the fear of natural disasters in recent years. Wildfires, hailstorms, high winds and, most recently, devastating floods have all taken their toll. But the steady guard of our local fire and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) teams keep our homes safe and us feeling a little more secure when these dangers show up.
Gillespie County fire departments operate in collaboration to protect the county, as well as nearby neighbors. These protective branches include City of Fredericksburg Fire & EMS, Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department, Doss Volunteer Fire Department, Harper Volunteer Fire Department & EMS, Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department and Willow City Fire and Rescue.
Chiefs from each of these departments meet regularly to determine certain fire dangers, discuss prevention plans, including burn bans, and participate in training operations.
Fredericksburg Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell shared about the many staff and volunteers serving for City of Fredericksburg.
“We currently (Fredericksburg Fire/EMS) have a total of 38 full-time people and about 30 volunteers,” Bizzell shared. “And we work hard with all the county departments. If something major comes in, we have automatic aid with those departments.”
Bizzell has seen his team of local heroes jump into action within several national headlining events such as the Crabapple Fire in 2025, the Big Sky Wildfire in 2022 and the July 4th Guadalupe River floods in 2025.
“The July 4th floods were real challenging. We had to go help our neighbors out next door in Kerr County,” Bizzell shared about the tragic and unexpected raging waters that occurred along the Guadalupe River in July 2025, demanding intense rescue efforts from our local emergency response teams.
According to Bizzell, these disasters put our local fire and EMS heroes to the test as they must remain available to assist in ongoing smaller disasters even when these large-scale events take place.
One of the exceptional qualities of our Gillespie County and Fredericksburg emergency services personnel is they are all qualified in both fire and EMS certification.
“We’re fortunate to have all that because they do serve dual roles,” Bizzell shared. “If we get a fire, as an example, an ambulance will come in with the fire truck, and those two who are on the ambulance will actually get out, put their bunker gear on, and go fight fire with the other crews that are coming on the engine.”
These dual certifications give our hometown heroes the best chance at saving lives and saving our homes.
Bizzell also is quick to give recognition to the people at Gillespie County’s dispatch team who often put in long hours when disasters occur, such as the record-setting Texas freeze in February 2021. Dispatch plays a crucial role in quick and efficient action for all emergency responders.
When reflecting on our homes and our beautiful land in the Texas Hill Country, may our local firemen and first responders be honored as the exceptional and brave folk who keep our families safe, and our Hill Country homes beautiful. They put not only their lives on the line, but their physical and mental health as well.
“The individual (emergency responder) goes from a dead sleep to total exertion in a matter of minutes. That can be mentally challenging,” Bizzell reminds us.
Thank you to all the area’s firefighters and medical response teams for what they risk every day to protect our homes and our loved ones.