Texas Wildfire Relief Fund Honors Lt. Gov. Dewhurst as “Champion of the Axe”
Award Highlights State Leaders’ Commitment to Volunteer Firefighters
AUSTIN, TEXAS (April 19, 2012)—The Texas Wildfire Relief Fund, a non-profit committed to raising awareness and funds for volunteer fire departments, honored Lt. Governor David Dewhurst as a “Champion of the Axe” for his commitment to Texas volunteer firefighters.
“Governor Dewhurst appreciates the courage and conviction of our state’s volunteer firefighters. He is a true Champion of the Axe,” said Chris Barron, executive director of the State’s Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas. “Governor Dewhurst’s support for the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund and his interest in tackling some of the most challenging issues facing our state as a result of last year’s wildfires is much appreciated.”
The Champion of the Axe Award was presented to Governor Dewhurst during an awards ceremony and luncheon on Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin.
“It’s an honor to stand among the true heroes, those brave men and women who courageously serve our state when the fires rage,” said Dewhurst. “It’s important that we never lose sight of the critical work they’re doing. I hope every Texan will join Tricia and I in supporting the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund. It’s doing great things for Texas’ volunteer firefighting force.”
Barron noted that battling wildfires fires comes at a great cost to the state, straining local taxing authorities, and burdening volunteer fire departments.
More than 77 percent of fire departments in Texas are volunteer departments. And, 86 percent of the state’s volunteer firefighters use personal funds for their department’s safety equipment and supply needs.
The Texas Wildfire Relief Fund (www.txwildfirerelief.org) is working to continue to raise funds and awareness for the state’s volunteer firefighters.
Tax-deductible, secure online donations to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund can be made at www.txwildfirerelief.org. Donations made to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund are used to provide Texas firefighters with safety equipment and other supplies.
The Texas Wildfire Relief Fund’s Champion of the Axe event was sponsored by Apache Corp., which has given $65,000 over the past year to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund that directly benefits Texas’ volunteer firefighters.
To learn more about the work of the state’s volunteer firefighters, follow the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund and the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas on Twitter @SFFMA and on Facebook.com/SFFMA.
Photos from the event are available online at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjyZGBYG
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Texas Wildfire Relief Fund Media Contact: Jaimie Lenhardt, (512) 236-1001
The Texas Wildfire Relief Fund is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 committed to raising awareness and support for the volunteer fire departments’ ongoing efforts to battle Texas wildfires. Donations and information is online at www.txwildfirerelief.org.
The State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA) is one of the largest trade associations in Texas. The 135-year-old organization is the oldest and the largest fire and EMS service association in the state. Membership includes 1,200 fire, EMS and International departments, more than 21,000 individual members and 80 industrial fire brigades. SFFMA is online at www.sffma.org, on Twitter @sffma and on Facebook.com/SFFMA.
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