New automated external defibrillators will enhance emergency response capabilities
LOMETA, Texas – The City of Lometa Police Department soon will purchase two automated external defibrillators and provide its officers with training on how to use the lifesaving devices, thanks to a $4,943 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Hamilton County Electric Cooperative.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant will enable the department to equip its patrol vehicles with AED units and other medical supplies, enhancing its officers’ ability to respond quickly and effectively to cardiac emergencies.
Chief of Police Ronnie Strain said Lometa relies on a volunteer fire and EMS department, and the nearest ambulance is stationed in Lampasas about 20 miles away.
“Our officers are often the first on scene during medical emergencies,” Strain said. “Having AEDs in our patrol vehicles means we can begin life-saving efforts immediately, which is critical when every second counts. Our officers can often arrive within minutes, compared to the 15 to 30 minutes it may take for EMS to respond. That time difference can be the deciding factor in whether someone survives a cardiac arrest.”
Strain said without the grant, the department likely would not have been able to purchase the equipment as quickly.
“This grant makes a real difference for our community,” he said. “Without this grant, we would’ve had to go through the city’s annual budget process and hope it made the cut and given competing priorities, there’s a chance we wouldn’t have been able to purchase the AEDs this year at all.”
The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Hamilton County Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July 2025. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.