"We're about to get rain this week, but then we'll start drying out in June and July," Glaiser said. "That's when you have your biggest risk of wildfires."
How it happened
Following the November wildfires in Bastrop, Williamson County ESD No. 9 Commissioner Alan Forster said the ESD became interested in finding ways to help.
"[The equipment] is going to upgrade the whole county's ability to keep property safe from wildfires," Forster said.
The UTV, an off-road four wheeler equipped with fire extinguishing tools, will help the Round Rock Wildland Response Team access areas that a firetruck can't get to, Glaiser said. Additionally, the team also received a trailer to haul the UTV, which is insulated and air-conditioned, with space for the crew to rest.
All together, the new equipment cost around $300,000 and should last for about a decade, Glaiser said.
Why it matters
The Wildland team's old UTV and trailer will be refurbished and donated to the Sam Bass Fire Department.
"That's the great art about Williamson County is we're not just locked into the city we protect; we can also work as a team throughout the county to where we have regional strike teams for wildfires," Glaiser said. "This will be a tool available throughout the county."
