COMMUNITY Jollyville Fire Department Community station provides hub for safety, training
TRACKING TRAINING As a regional training facility, the Jollyville Fire Department has nine training simulations that can be run on the facility grounds. Sprinkler simulations Fire ghters learn how to start/stop an open re sprinkler
BY GRACE DICKENS
re district in Williamson County, and then we became the rst emergency services district in Williamson County,” Landi said. “We like to be the trendsetter.” The re department responds to roughly three to four calls a day, but that number spikes to 18-24 in weather events such as Winter Storm Uri. The station handles roughly 1,000 calls annually, Landi said. While “ re” is in the job title, calls for res are around 2% of the calls the department receives, Landi said. Most of the calls received are medical and service related. “The No. 1 thing that people don’t really realize is when you dial 911 for a medical call, you get a re truck,” Landi said. “We’re part of what’s called a tiered system. You dial 911; the re trucks get there as rst responders because we are closer than an ambulance.” As a “borderline” department located on the border of Travis and Williamson counties, re- ghters from the Jollyville Fire Department are in constant coordination with other local emergency service departments, Landi said. Along with coordinating on assignments, the
Many things have changed in the 30 years re Chief Brad Landi has been with the Jollyville Fire Department. When Landi joined the team in 1992, the department was completely volunteer run with a sta of 40-45 people and two stations. Fast forward to 2023, the department is now run by 19 paid sta members and 15 volunteers in its station o Anderson Mill Road. “Our volunteers range from people that are doing the exact same thing as the paid sta — they’re running into burning buildings and helping people—to people that support the organization in times of need, like Snowmageddon [in 2021],” Landi said. Established in 1975, the Jollyville Fire Depart- ment provides service to an 11-mile area within Williamson County and beyond when necessary. Known as “Emergency Services District No. 1” on residents’ tax bills, Landi said the district likes to come rst. “We were the rst volunteer re department in the area to have [an automated external de brillator] back in the ’80s, we were the rst
Fire ghters determine how to use the building’s re response system to provide water to di erent levels of a building Standpipe simulations Search and rescue techniques are taught to re ghters in a very low- visibility, multilevel structure Search and rescue simulations Teach re ghters how to navigate live re situations along with smoke and heat conditions Live re simulations Instructs re ghters to locate and stop an underground pressurized gas line leak Gas simulations Movement on sloped and elevated services is taught to re ghters Roof simulations
The Jollyville Fire Department opened their current location near Anderson Mill Road and Pond Springs Road in 2010.
The re department has several vehicles available in di erent sizes depending on the emergency.
PHOTOS BY GRACE DICKENS COMMUNITY IMPACT
departments also work together on training. The Jollyville department serves as a regional training facility with an outdoor area for nine separate training simulation scenarios. “Regional training isn’t just a classroom, so we’ve got a lot of stu that others don’t have in the area,” Landi said. “We try to be a focal part of the emergency response in the entire region.” Traditional methods of re training burn hay and wood, but the Jollyville Fire Department has upgraded to the use of propane gas and arti cial smoke in training to increase the safety for people in training and ensure personnel are available in times of emergency, Landi said. “[Burning wood and hay] is bad for you,” Landi
said. “It’s cancer causing, so then you have to take the entire crew out of service; you have to have another crew covering for them while they’re training. We’ve redone all of that to make it a little cleaner, a little safer to train while still having the realism.” Outside of responding to and preparing for emergencies, the Jollyville Fire Department stays involved in the community, Landi said. The department participates in several holiday and school events along with parades. “It’s not all just about 911 or running when someone calls,” Landi said. “It’s about your involvement with the community on a day-to-day basis.”
The training simulation facility is located behind the re department and features several di erent options for simulations.
SOURCE: FIRE CHIEF BRAD LANDI COMMUNITY IMPACT
HYMEADOW 12611 Hymeadow (512) 506-8401
NORTH 620 10601 N FM 620 (512) 506-8316
ARBORETUM 10515 North Mopac Expressway (512) 342-6893
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