SAN JAC VFD's 

12/5/2025 COLDSPRING

55 YEAR GALA  DINNER CELEBRATES "WHO YOU GONNA CALL?"

The Coldspring Volunteer Fire Dept celebrated fifty five years of service to our community last night and it was a great success.  Many awards and certificates were given to recognize  the men and women who express their servant's heart so faithfully year in and year out.   Volunteers who drop what they are doing when the call rings out and rush into danger.

"They are not just for fires anymore" one citizen noted after attending the Gala.  On a personal note, I have to say that is true.

    When Barb and I brought our third son home from the hospital when he was born, his three year old brother didn't take too kindly to the fuss we were making over the new kid and  went outside in the yard.  After getting her and the baby settled in, I realized the middle son was not in the house.  I went outside and called him.  Nothing.  I called and called, nothing.  You can imagine the panic that set in and I called 911.   By this time,Barb was out holding her C section surgery and searching up and down the creek bank despite the pain.  Sheriff Rogers dispatch lead, Sharon Vestal told me, "Steve, I have every unit from three counties headed that way.  We will find him."  

   One of our neighbors who is also a volunteer was in our driveway in minutes with a small boat to search the creek.  I was thanking him with tears in my eyes when I realized, "where is the black lab that loves my boys so much?  Just a couple of weeks prior, the dog knocked the same boy over by dragging him by the britches away from the house.  I was surprised at him amd was going to scold him  until I saw the huge 5 foot long chicken snake just under the corner of the house.

  I stopped calling my son's name and called the dog.  He came running out of the bushes in the neighbors yard so I back tracked and there my toddler son was. watching us search for him.  We called back to the S.O. and cancelled the call but that does not negate in anyway the devotion of our volunteers to serve the community.  Our case had a humorous ending in hind sight but in the midst of our initial crisis, "every unit in three counties" meant the world to me.  

   Thankyou to ouremergency reponders on this 55th anniversay of  the Coldspring VFD.  Well done good and failthful servants.

ESD WORKSHOP

Public comments and questions

Sentinel Observation   I didn't know chief was soooooo plural.  No rank, all chiefs.  Budget is the weak spot of the whole operation.  To much money for so few line items of budget.

GERALD  DEETER' WITH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

We all know I might be slow but how many times is gubmnt monie gonna pay for that firestation?   

Citizens of San Jacinto County, There is growing concern about the state of our emergency services, particularly our fire services. Misinformation has circulated regarding the Emergency Services District’s (ESD) recent decision to terminate the contract with the Coldspring Volunteer Fire Department, raising fears that citizens are being placed in jeopardy. I understand how this decision might alarm people, but I assure you the ESD board made this choice to protect our community, not endanger it. I will address the contract termination later, but first, let me provide some context. While our county has many dedicated volunteers, our fire service system has been broken for some time. San Jacinto County has nine independent fire departments, each operating with its own direction and serving specific communities. Some departments perform well, while others consistently struggle. I believe most volunteers are motivated by the right reasons. Even those with good intentions sometimes fall short because they operate within a system—through no fault of their own—that does not mandate professional training, certifications, or qualifications for firefighters. As a result, some individuals, often within a short time, become leaders or chief officers, doing their best to fulfill their vision without the necessary expertise. As an ESD Board member for over a decade, I have hoped for change while knowing what needed to be done. I often avoided the right course of action out of fear of hurting feelings or facing political backlash. However, I’ve come to realize that those fears pale in comparison to the fear of knowing we could do better for our community but not trying. I could not live with myself if we lost a firefighter or citizen because we were too afraid to act. The solution is clear: consolidate our fire services into one county fire department under the leadership of a paid, professionally qualified fire chief. This department will have standardized strategic objectives and a single mission—to provide the best protection for all our county’s citizens. We have already hired a qualified fire chief to oversee all f irefighters and stations, providing leadership, guidance, oversight, and accountability. This structure will unite those who truly want to serve, equipping them with the training and education needed to perform efficiently and safely—for the community’s benefit and their own. Our goal is not to eliminate volunteers but to provide them with structure and opportunities to elevate their service to the level our community deserves. By bringing all f irefighters under a qualified chief, we will work to train all the volunteers to meet their full potential. The increased accountability will also reduce recent problems which include inadequate and unsafe training leading to injuries, equipment failure, and workers’ compensation claims; embezzlement of taxpayer dollars; misuse of gear and equipment; unaccounted for equipment worth thousands; poor resource and personnel management; and unprofessional or unethical conduct. Most of the county’s fire departments recognize the need for change and are engaging in peaceful, professional discussions with the board and their members in order to move forward with us. Unfortunately, the Coldspring Fire Department, under its past and present leadership, has resisted efforts to join the plans to move the District forward. They improperly transferred the deed to a district-funded building to the City of Coldspring, falsely claiming the ESD refused to pay for repairs and upkeep. While we exercised the option to terminate (in 60 days) the contract based upon concerns of the Coldspring Volunteer Fire Department’s management decisions, we offered all the Coldspring volunteers the opportunity to continue serving the public - under the direction of the San Jacinto County ESD Fire Department and its fire chief. This offer is still open to all volunteers from Coldspring Volunteer Fire Department. Anyone who wishes to serve their community will always have a place with us. However, the ESD board, myself included, will not allocate taxpayer dollars to individuals or organizations that do not uphold our core values, including accountability. Regarding the rumors that the county or Coldspring’s area has no fire protection. Coverage redundancies from neighboring departments are in place, and the San Jacinto County Fire Department has committed, qualified members ready to respond should Coldspring volunteers choose not to serve under the district’s leadership. I have prayed over these decisions and voted with my conscience as well as the majority of the other board members. I believe deeply in the heart of a true volunteer—it is something beautiful. We have many good-hearted volunteers in this county, whom I consider brothers and sisters and hold in high regard. Many of these volunteers i admire and they display great leadership potential but are failed by a system that is broken. There are no other viable options other than moving foward. The District simply wants to help them take the next steps toward their full potential. I hope this message eases some concerns. Based on the decisions we have made recently, I believe the majority of the ESD board shares this perspective. Please feel free to reach out to us. If you want to support this cause or volunteer to be part of something great, contact me, any San Jacinto County ESD board member, or your local fire department. God bless us all and our hard road to needed change for our families and communities of San Jacinto County. Sincerely and respectfully, Brian D. May ESD President

WHO IS RIGHT?  WHAT SEEMS WRONG?

These fighting nights sure are long

ABOVE  is the President of the ESD statement regarding canceling the Coldspring VFD contract and doing away with all of the local fire departments and having one big department under their supervision.

He talks about misuse of funds, equipment and etc.  Wonder why the Board did not do something about that before now?  If there has been misappropriated taxpayers funds, why hasn’t there been an investigation and why didn’t the ESD board investigate and bring charges.  We put them in charge of our taxpayer’s money and it appears he has admitted they did not do their job, including him since said that he has been on the board for decades.   Appears we might need to have the board removed for malfeasance.

How much does it cost the taxpayers to have this full time, paid fire chief?  Why hasn’t he been doing his job ensuring the departments were properly staffed and trained.   Appears he might need to be replaced also.

And if the plan is to move forward with paid fire departments, how much more taxes are we going to pay for this?  And just how much more protection and training will our volunteers receive with this added taxpayers costs?  How is that really going to improve the quality of service that the taxpayers receive.