Manchaca Volunteer Fire Department (Manchaca Fire/Rescue) is a combination volunteer/paid fire department just south of Austin. MVFD provides many services to the citizens of Manchaca including: fire suppression, fire prevention, fire inspection, rescue and medical first response. MVFD covers approximately 21 square miles and serves a population of about 20,000. MVFD has a full time Assistant Chief and two staff on duty during the daytime hours to suplement the volunteer fire responses. The membership is continuing to grow but MVFD is always in need of volunteers who live or work in the area.

APPARATUS:
MVFD currently has 14 pieces of apparatus ranging in size from a Command Unit to a 3500 gallon Tanker. Most all of MVFD’s apparatus is less than ten years old. After rising maintenance costs on older apparatus, MVFD realized a need to replace the fleet of fire trucks in a relatively short amount of time. MVFD was able to do this with the funding from the Emergency Services District #5.

PERSONNEL:
MVFD is a predominatly Volunteer Fire Department. It relies on the people who live in or close to the response areas to man the trucks and fight the fires. MVFD currently has 53 volunteer firefighters.. With the wide variety of schedules it is difficult especially in the daytime to have enough personnel on a fire scene. MVFD is always needing volunteers!!!

TRAINING:
No experience is necessary in becoming a volunteer fire fighter. MVFD provides In-house training with an experienced training staff and the ability to provide its’ members travel and tuition expenses to fire schools across the state.

STATIONS:
MVFD operates five stations located throughout the district. Each station contains at least a Class A pumper and another truck of some type depending on the needs of that area.
Station 501: 1310 FM 1626 (Tanker 501 and Tanker 511)
Station 502: 2301 Riddle Road (Engine 502, Rescue 502 and Brush 502)
Station 503: 11902 Brodie Lane (Engine 503 and Brush 503)
Station 505: 13420 Onion Creek Dr. (Tanker 505 and Support 505)
Station 506: 2900 Chapparal Road (Engine 506 and Squad 506)

Click here for a map of the service area and station locations.

ON CALL
Each new member receives a voice and alpha pager from the Fire Department to use while a member. These pagers will alert in the event of an emergency or an announcement. Each member is not required to make every call but there are certain requirements which must be made for active membership.

PUBLIC PROTECTION CLASSIFICATION
MVFD currently has a PPC rating of a Class 5/9 fire department. If you live in the area you should see a public protection classification on you homeowner’s insurance policy of a Class 5 or Class 9. The PPC Classification system is published by the Insurance Services Offices (ISO) which evaluates a community and publishes a PPC classification based on the Emergency Communications Center (911), Water Supply, and Fire Department. With these three factors, ISO will then publicize a grading which most insurance companies use to base the fire portion of homeowners’ insurance premiums on. Citizens in the community who live within a 1000’ of a fire hydrant will should have the Class 5 rating. For those homeowners who live further than 1000’ of a hydrant or in the areas which have non-recognizable water supply systems will be in the Class 9 classification.

HISTORY:
Manchaca Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1968 after seeing the need for a Fire Department in the area. It strictly relied on donations from people to purchase trucks and equipment.

After many years of donations and fund raisers a Rural Fire Prevention District was formed which allowed the taxation of emergency services. As time went on and the needs of the department increased an Emergency Services District was formed to allow a maximum of .10 cents per $100 evaluation on a home. This gave MVFD the money to replace old worn out equipment and the ability to enhance fire protection. Currently the tax rate is set at .10 per $100 valuation.

FUNDING:
Manchaca Fire Department receives approximately $520,000 per year from the ESD to fund apparatus, stations, equipment, fuel, training, and other items. MVFD also receives funding from the North Hays County ESD for some contract areas.

Manchaca Volunteer Fire Department
P.O. Box 117
Manchaca, Texas 78652
512-282-7057- (Admin)
512-282-4485 - (Fax Line)
512-282-3636 – (Control Burns)
911 for Emergencies